by JD Cole
“What?”
“Far to the southeast is a region known as Matari. It is a slave nation where elves and dwarves are bred to tend crops and metal refineries, forced labor in service to Ercianodhon. General Dragonheart is there now, with more than five thousand soldiers, laying siege to the area in an attempt to destroy the prisons and free the slaves.
“The rangers we sent in search of you are part of a group that is now fighting in Matari. We have boarded Graon, Kassak, and Nim here, in guest rooms, to keep your arrival a secret until the war is over. We will use that time to train you before Ercianodhon can learn that you exist. The Paladin appears content to wait here until that time, but the elf rangers are becoming impatient. They want to join their fellow rangers in the fight, and they are requesting permission from you to be released to that end. I sympathize with them, my Queen, but I strongly advise against it.”
Kelli stood and walked to the edge of the balcony, looking out over the beautiful land from where she stood nearly three miles above it. Dufangen joined her, waiting for the Queen to speak. Kelli rubbed at her forehead, and her eyes began to mist.
“I can’t take this, Dufangen.”
“My Queen?”
“Do you remember the first time we talked?”
“I mindspoke with you when you were on that airship, just before you were kidnapped.”
“Everybody on that plane died when the Chek’than took me. Everyone except for Derek, but the alien almost killed him, too, when he tried to save me. One of the elf rangers, Gemlorry, she died while rescuing me. And because I escaped, the alien attacked Boston, killed thousands of people before we stopped him. Now you’re telling me there’s even a war going on, all because of me, where faeries are gonna die on top of all the other tragedies? What’s the point of it all? If I’d died, nobody else would have suffered, right?”
“You will cease that whining immediately, Highness.”
Kelli stiffened at Dufangen’s tone. No one here had ever spoken to her like that before.
“If you had died? How dare you pose such a suggestion! You are alive because others have sacrificed on your behalf! You are alive because of love and faith! Love from humans who know you, and faith from faeries who believe you can use the Birthright for good. You are the Queen, Kelli Ingram…”
Kelli’s thoughts jumped momentarily at the use of her maiden name; Dufangen still did not know she was now Kelli Elaine Kunali’i. The night she’d married, exchanging vows with Bennett alone in the forest, they had returned to the castle and immediately discerned that something about Bennett —more specifically, something about Bennett being with Kelli— made the sprites more than a little uneasy. Kelli had her suspicions about that, but was not willing to broach the subject while she was so ignorant about everything else in her new life. She was married, and if they had such silly traditions like arranged marriages here, she’d declare who her husband already was and that would be that. Being Bennett’s wife was plenty reason to be alive despite Kelli’s present distress; nothing made her happier than loving her husband, and she lived for the day he would return. Shame filled her for starting the selfish pity-party Dufangen was now rebuking. Kelli swallowed and looked down to Dufangen, giving the counselor her full attention as the scolding continued.
“The sprites have been benefactors to all faeries for longer than I have been alive. You may be jimani, Highness, but you are descended from sprites and wield the Birthright of their kings and queens. I spent a century looking for you after our last king passed away, and I will not present a selfish, ignorant child to the faeries and expect them to call you Queen! I expect you to wake up every morning thanking all that is good in this world that you can draw another breath because of those who have died. That you can experience another day, no matter what troubles life might put in your path, because of those who had faith in you! Your armies in Matari now do not know of you, but if they did, their fighting would be all the more ferocious for that knowledge, and they would be proudly fighting, yes, even dying, for you. You will live, Queen Kelli, because you are too important to other lives, good lives, to leave you to the whim of evil desires!”
“You’re right,” Kelli admitted. “I’m sorry, Dufangen. That was selfish of me. I just wish so many people didn’t have to die.”
“Consider your station, Highness, and your power. You are full of compassion. That is good, and I apologize for being harsh. But you need to see beyond what has happened, and recognize the reasons for it all. In time, you will be in a position to prevent the very kinds of horrors that now surround your ascendance.”
Kelli sniffed, rubbing her eye with her palm. “Then let’s get started. I want to see the rangers, and Lumina, as well. Would you have them brought here? I don’t want to leave the garden just yet.”
“Of course, your Highness. But please, consider the reason I am objecting to their departure.”
“I will.”
~
Kelli had not seen any of the faeries —elves, vampyres, and others— who were technically her servants in the castle. Until her existence was made public, Sorvir and a few other sprites would be tending to all of Kelli’s needs; no one else needed to know who Kelli was, or that she was even in the castle. As she waited now for her honored guests to arrive, she felt a calling in her mind; it was her parents, using the magic pendant Bennett had left with them. Although Kelli was alone in the garden, that would not remain so for long. She ignored the call for now, hoping her parents would understand and try again later. The sprites did not know her parents could call to her, and while Kelli’s new royal family was kind and accommodating, she was not completely trusting of them yet. She did not want access to her real family taken away from her.
It was not long before an ethergate ripped open the space at the far end of the garden from where she sat. The first person through was Brevha Moniscii, one of Kelli’s distant aunts. As always, Brevha wore a smile of welcome and reassurance. Next came Dufangen, who stopped and turned to formally gesture the rest of the group through.
Graon came first. He was dressed in the same ranger garb worn by all the elves during Kelli’s rescue. A dark green, hooded cloak was draped over his black shirt and a red vest that was dark enough to appear black, itself. His pants were brown, with leather boots similarly colored but several shades darker. He carried none of the weapons Kelli had first seen him with; no bow, no quiver of arrows, no sword or dagger. His hair was bright red and shoulder length, but knotted in a loose tail behind his neck.
Next was Kassak, who Kelli could tell was the youngest of the elf trio just by looking at him. She remembered the brief talk she had with Kassak at Krin Ahgl’s castle; the poor elf had been close, maybe romantically, to Gemlorry. Gemlorry was dead now, having sacrificed herself to ensure the elves could get Kelli to safety. Adorned exactly like Graon, Kassak’s blonde hair was shorter than Graon’s, except for his fiery red bangs, which drooped to his chin. He kept them swept to the left of his face, only slightly masking the almond eye. Now that she considered it, the elves all shared the same eye color, as well as the fair tone of their skin. Only their hair seemed to differ in color. She wondered if that was universal among wood elves, more commonly known among faeries as vyzen.
The last elf through the gate was Nim. Age was evident in his face, even behind his full, ashen beard. Nim was a hard one to read from his exterior. He was gruff, almost mean sometimes, like a cranky grandpa. But there was kindness in him, too, and his loyalty to Kelli was unquestionable. In the midst of a forest battle during Kelli’s rescue, Nim had launched himself in the path of danger, attacking their enemies fearlessly, as if her safety was the only thing in the world that mattered. She owed each of these elves so much more than simple permission to speak to her whenever they wished. She thought that a pathetic reward, anyway.
The final guest to step through the ethergate was not an elf. Kelli smiled at Lumina, the human Paladin who had accompanied the elves into the human world to save her. One
of the friendliest souls she’d ever met, Lumina stood several inches shorter than her husband’s six-foot-five, but was built just as powerfully. For an old guy —Kelli judged him to be in his early fifties by the lines in his face and the gray in his short-cropped, mostly black hair— Lumina was in great shape. He was dressed handsomely in red and yellow silks, with a sleeveless shirt that let the sunlight gleam from his muscular, ebony arms. Kelli made a note to ask Lumina why a scholar like him needed to be built like a warrior… were all Paladins like that?
The Sprite Queen stood, offering a wide smile as her four rescuers approached her across the beautiful grass. When they were close enough to speak without shouting, the elves dropped to their knees as one, while Lumina offered a simple, but reverent bow. The Paladin was not a subject under the sprite crown. Dufangen and Brevha stood passively several paces behind them, representing Kelli’s court.
“Please, my friends,” Kelli said, spreading her arms. “I’m not quite used to this formal stuff yet. Make yourselves comfortable.” She motioned to a quartet of benches like the one she and Sorvir had been resting on earlier. “Have a seat, and tell me what I can do for you.” Kelli turned and sat back down herself, irritated that she was getting so tired from all this walking, sitting, and rising. After taking her seat, she noticed that the elf rangers were fidgeting on one of the benches, still trying to appear respectful and formal even though their legs were dangling several inches off the ground. Kelli couldn’t help herself, and laughed at the sight. “Seriously, you guys! I can’t be comfortable if you’re not! Follow his example!” She pointed to Lumina, who looked far more at ease than the elves.
“I don’t think that’s quite fair, your Highness,” Lumina chuckled.
“I guess not,” Kelli smiled. She knew it was pointless to harass the elves over it; they would never treat her as “just another person”, and they would never be able to slouch in her presence even if she ordered it. They would probably end up making themselves more uncomfortable trying to look comfortable for her. “It’s okay,” she assured them. “How are you all? I’m sorry I haven’t seen you in awhile. Things have been kind of crazy.”
“We understand, Majesty,” Graon replied. “From what we hear, crazy does not even begin to describe what you have been through. We, too, fought against the metal creature that kidnapped you, and had it not been for you, it would have killed us all in that forest. Defeating it was no small victory, and we are glad that you returned safely.”
“The cost was high,” Kelli spoke softly. “But as my Counselor pointed out, I can’t do anything to help the past. I have to worry about the present, and the future. I understand you want me to send you off to a war somewhere?”
“My Queen,” Graon answered, “our brothers are engaged in a siege of Matari. It is a wicked place, where goblins breed our kin as slaves, where elves and dwarves, their wives and children, are beaten and starved as they work to feed and strengthen the Goblin King and his hordes.
“We knew when we were selected for our quest that the primary reason for the war was to keep your existence a secret until we could rescue you. But I admit we grow restless, Queen Kelli. We sit in plush comfort while our sword brothers sweat and bleed in a noble effort to destroy evil. It is not right. We are rangers. We are trained for battle, and while we were outmatched by your kidnapper, we are not outmatched by the likes of irenaks, vampyres, and goblins. Nim is a weaponsmaster whose skill is much needed in the battles happening now. I am a seasoned ranger, and even Kassak has been proven in battle against nothing less than southern wolves. We humbly ask that you release us to do what we have trained to do.”
Kelly nodded sadly. “To fight.”
“To save people,” Lumina corrected her. He spoke in common Vomelri, the elf language everyone present could understand.
Kelli turned to him. “And what do you think, Lumina? My Counselor believes it would be an unnecessary risk to let them go.” She turned back to the elves. “She doesn’t want to make you prisoners here. But her advice makes sense. A lot of trouble has happened, a lot of dying and killing to get me to this place.” Kelli stopped, her face twisting with a bit of regret. She did not need to remind the elves that they’d lost a friend. “On one hand, I would agree with her… why risk all the sacrifices already made, if the goal is to keep me a secret until I know what the heck I’m doing here?” Her eyes refocused on the Paladin. “Lumina? You’ve been a great help to me, and your knowledge has been valuable. I would take any opinion of yours seriously.”
Dufangen and Brevha both winced as Kelli said that. And Kelli could see that Lumina had, as well. Despite his role in rescuing me, she thought, the Paladins and the faeries are still not exactly friends.
Lumina took a deep breath. “I do not wish to insert myself into sprite affairs. However, speaking as one who has come to view the rangers as sword-brothers… if it were up to me, Highness, I would let them go. Undoubtedly questions will be asked about where they have been all this time, but their whereabouts already became suspect when the rangers went to war without them, and my friends here are not braggarts anxious to tell everyone what they have been up to these last several weeks. Do you think the enemy has noticed the absence of three elf rangers during battle? Do you believe it likely that these particular three will be targeted for capture and interrogation if they join the war? And will your reign be governed by every little thing that might happen? I cannot tell you what the right decision is. But you are wise to seek every possible option.”
Dufangen was angry, Kelli could see, while Brevha looked worried. However, the three elves were looking at Lumina with undisguised gratitude. The Paladin’s tone had remained pleasant and respectful throughout. He was not trying to persuade Kelli so much as inform her so that she could reach a decision. She sighed and looked again at the elves.
“Would you let me sleep on it tonight? These kinds of decisions are tough, you know? It’s not just about my secrecy or safety. I mean, you’re asking me to send you someplace you might get hurt or killed. That’s a big deal!”
Graon leapt off of the bench, kneeling, and Nim and Kassak followed. “Of course, my Queen. Your concern honors us. And please know that even if you deny our request, we will not begrudge your decision. We are merely your servants, after all.”
Kelli rose and knelt before them, as she had once before, in Krin Ahgl’s castle. As then, the elves shifted uncomfortably at her action. She placed her hand on Graon’s shoulder. “I’m still learning my way around, but you’re not ‘merely’ anything to me. Okay? I owe you my life. I know I’m your queen… but if I consciously put you or anybody else in danger, it has to be for the right reason. I need to learn a little bit more before I can answer you.”
“Yes, Queen Kelli.” Graon and Nim smiled, knowing her words to be genuine. Kassak’s face remained blank, and Kelli’s heart went out to him, knowing there wasn’t anything substantive she could do to ease his loss.
Kelli looked at Dufangen, and the mystic nodded. “We will take you back to your rooms, now.” Dufangen began to usher the visitors to herself, but as Lumina stood, Kelli stopped him.
“Not you, Lumina. Would you stay here with me for a bit? I want to talk to you.”
“Of course, Highness.”
Dufangen sighed, and looked at Brevha, who nodded. But Kelli spoke up again. “I’d like to speak to him alone… if that’s okay? I’ll take him back to his room when we’re done.” The elder faeries shared another look, but they vanished with the rangers inside of the ethergate Brevha created, transporting them all to one of the upper wings.
Kelli blew a heavy breath from her cheeks, and motioned for Lumina to join her at the balcony’s edge. The Paladin moved next to her and leaned on the stone railing, arms folded like Kelli’s as they gazed out over the Faery Realm. “You are putting us in an awkward position, Highness.”
“I know. But I don’t think you’d be able to speak freely with my aunt or my counselor standing nearby.”
&nbs
p; Lumina barked a laugh. “I guarantee you they are still listening to us, even now.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured that.” Kelli focused, and found that she did indeed feel the presence of Brevha and Dufangen listening. They made no apology or attempt to hide their magic eavesdropping. It was not hard for Kelli to reason out that there was nothing wrong with this in their view; they would not leave their weakened Queen completely alone with someone who was not technically loyal or subject to her authority. She sighed. “It’s not that I’m trying to go behind anybody’s back or anything, but this whole faction thing between humans and faeries… I don’t know about the Paladins’ view of things, but the faeries sure don’t trust you or your people. Which is kind of hard on me, because I trust you.”
“I am honored to hear that, Queen Kelli.”
“It’s not me,” she smiled. “It’s the Birthright. I can tell when people are lying.”
“I had heard that was one of the Birthright’s gifts.”
“They call it empathic magic. Even as a little girl, before I learned telepathy or developed this language power, I could feel what people meant when they talked, whether they were truthful or not.”
“That empathy nearly killed you, as I recall.”
“When the alien drew my attention to Boston and then attacked, all the people’s suffering filled me. It was horrible. I guess if it went on too long, yeah, it would have killed me. But anyway, I wanted to ask you about Matari.”
“Yes? What would you like to know?”
“Why aren’t the Paladins fighting? Why is it you have zero interactions with the faeries, even against something as evil as Matari, if it’s as bad as it sounds?”
“What happens among the faeries does not concern my people, at least not enough for us to get involved. With you, it was different. We have great respect for the sprites, and they indirectly asked for my help through the elves. I was happy to join them. But you have to understand that to the general faery population, our people are monsters. Most have never seen a human, but they have generations of tales spun from the great war that raged between humans and faeries when Sen’giza was stranded here. They have no understanding of our technology, and so attribute our equipment and weaponry to secret magical ability. The common truths faeries ‘know’ about us include things like… oh, let’s see.” Lumina counted off stories on his fingers. “Every Paladin is born a natural sorcerer. Many Paladins amuse themselves by hunting Dragons. Our rituals include eating faery children. A sleeping Paladin can kill a faery just by having a bad dream about them, and in fact, it is common for our nightmares to be blamed for sudden deaths here in the realm. Basically, faeries believe things about us that ensure they keep their distance from our city, Tirapan.”
