Other Worlds: Vesta Mansion Trilogy - Book Two - Fantasy

by P. A. Priddey

  ‘You are going to run and not fly?’ said Roscoe.

  ‘If I flew I would be back in ten minutes, so who’s going to time me?’

  James took his phone out. ‘I will.’

  ~~~~

  ‘Ladies,’ said Carrie, as she greeted the elves with an embrace which embarrassed them slightly.

  ‘My lady, you are looking well,’ said Tyra.

  ‘Thank you, and so do all of you.’

  ‘And how does it go with Lord Alex?’ said Norell.

  ‘Amusingly,’ said Carrie, and told them both about the picture she sent, they blushed which prompted others to join them.

  Tyra sighed. ‘It is a shame we do not have such glamorous underwear here.’

  ‘That’s no good, but we have plenty of new ones you can have.’

  ‘And some catalogues,’ Paige added.

  Ellinor raised an eyebrow. ‘This is a strange conversation.’

  ‘I think it’s one we should have back at the mansion,’ said Carrie, and not long after twenty women and female elves vanished.

  ~~~~

  Alex and Rho ran through the city, startling many. They didn’t even see them; they were like a gush of wind going past. They ran to Firestorm Mountain first on the east, to the Ice Mountain in the north, and finally Crystal Mountain in the west. He collected a crystal from each kingdom as proof. It took them less than an hour, and made their way back. They decided to make one more stop at the town of Four Trees to get something to eat. It was a big town, with many beautiful buildings which did not look out-of-place on the elf world. There were a lot of elves there as it was a trading town, and they were celebrating, too.

  An innkeeper greeted them, and showed them to a table. ‘Lord Alex, and Rho, this is an honour.’

  ‘Thank you,’ he said, as he sat down at the table, and told him about the bet.

  The innkeeper stood in the doorway. ‘Of course I could never hope for an elf to lose a bet you understand, but I believe it would be good for him?’

  ‘I would lose the bet out of politeness if not for the same reason,’ said Alex, as another elf placed food on the table and the innkeeper stepped back inside.

  I see you smile, said Rho, but how real is it?

  Alex glanced at the wolf, who sat staring at him. ‘What do you mean?’

  Your mood of late has been dark, and there’s so much anger inside you.

  ‘You know what’s happened.’

  You can’t protect everyone.

  ‘I know,’ said Alex. ‘I had a lecture from Mother and Blaze.’

  It hasn’t really changed things though, and the hatred you feel towards Dagur is eating away at you.

  Alex took a sip of his drink. ‘He will pay for what he has done.’

  I have no doubt about that, said Rho. Others have suffered a lot worse than you have at his hands, and they will also want revenge. You have to step back from this.

  ‘How can I do that, after what’s happened?’

  Quite easily, just stop thinking about him. If you’re the one to stop him, then it will be so . . . you know as it has happened before.

  Alex considered it. ‘I know you’re right, but it’s so hard not to at the moment.’

  Think of your children, they have a calming effect on you, said Rho. There will be a battle soon, and if your mood darkens any more you will end up slaughtering anyone who is not on your side.

  Alex stood. ‘We did that when the elves were attacked.’

  Those were demons, do you want to do the same to those you’ve seen in your dreams, and you don’t believe the goblins wanted to be there.

  ‘No, of course I don’t, and I never would.’

  If you keep brooding on Dagur, you may well end up doing so.

  Alex nodded. ‘I thought you were out of advice.’

  I have lived a long time, and have learnt many things.

  ‘Thank you, old friend,’ said Alex smiling. ‘Will you be able to run back with me?’

  Only if you can keep up.

  ~~~~

  Celebrations were still going on outside Brightstone tavern. Rilien and Friday had received a lot of attention. Many from the Order were enjoying themselves just by walking around the city.

  ‘How big is your world?’ said James.

  Torgon looked thoughtfully. ‘We don’t know, you can’t go much further than the four kingdoms, and there’s the great sea about a day’s ride from here.’

  ‘You ever tried sailing it?’ said James.

  ‘Many have, but they always ended back on our shores.’

  ‘For all we know if we did cross it we might end up in the dwarf world,’ said Rasmus. ‘Or one of the dark worlds.’

  ‘That’s an interesting notion, have you heard from the dwarves yet?’ said James, as he wanted to meet them. A few from the mansion wanted to travel to the portal and visit the dwarf world, but decided to wait until after the battle Alex dreamed of.

  ‘No, we had a messenger yesterday saying the weather was still bad.’

  ‘It doesn’t sound a very hospitable place,’ said Henrik.

  ‘Their world is very nice,’ said Torgon. ‘But the portal is high up on a mountain. The dwarves were probably standing around in glorious sunshine earlier.’

  ~~~~

  Alex and Rho returned with ten minutes to spare.

  James looked at his phone. ‘You were cutting it fine there.’

  Alex smiled, and put three crystals on the table before he sat down. ‘I had to stop off at Four Trees, as running makes you hungry.’

  Marakus nearly choked on his drink. ‘You had a meal, too?’

  ‘Yeah, and Four Trees is a very nice place.’

  Thalion laughed. ‘You better pack your stuff, you’re off to live in the mansion.’

  Marakus groaned. ‘You don’t have to enjoy it so much.’

  ‘Don’t worry, cousin, I will come and see you every day.’

  ‘That does not make me feel any better.’

  Torgon glanced away from the table. ‘I am more worried about the women, and my wife in particular, they are acting very strange.’

  Alex glanced over at a group of the women, which contained Carrie and Paige, whispering to each other. ‘In what way are they acting strange?’

  ‘They disappeared, and returned not long ago with very big smiles and some bags, but we do not know what’s in them and they keep giving us funny looks.’

  I know what is in the bags, said House.

  Are you going to tell me? Alex asked.

  Only if you promise not to tell the others.

  OK, I promise.

  It is underwear the ladies of the mansion have given to the elves.

  Alex smiled, and burst out laughing. ‘You’re in so much trouble.’

  Thalion’s eyes grew big. ‘What’s wrong?’

  Alex tried to compose himself. ‘I can’t tell you, as I’ve been sworn to secrecy.’

  Torgon looked worried. ‘We would come and help you in your time of need.’

  ‘Trust me, my friend,’ said Alex. ‘You wouldn’t want me coming to help you.’

  Claire had not been with the women, but knew what was in the bags and looked at the elf lords. ‘Be afraid, be very afraid.’ The group of women walked over to them.

  Tyra put her hand on Thalion’s shoulder. ‘Are you going to be long?’

  ‘But it’s still early,’ said the elf, a little worried.

  ‘No, it’s not, and I heard you had enough last night. Would it be much to ask my husband to spare some time with me as he has been away for two weeks.’

  Thalion winced, and stood up. ‘No, dear, of course not.’

  ‘And you,’ said Ellinor.

  ‘And you,’ said Norell.

  Torgon and Roscoe didn’t argue, and both got up.

  ‘Goodbye my friends,’ Alex grinned.

  ‘Don’t you mean goodnight?’ said Thalion.

  ‘Yes, I’m sure it will be,’ said Alex, still smiling as watched the elven wo
men drag their men away. It was not only those, many other elves also disappeared.

  ‘Lady Henga, you not going?’ said James.

  ‘No, I have heard about the bet. I will wait until you have returned my husband in two weeks,’ she said, and kissed Marakus’s cheek.

  ‘What was all that about?’ said James. House told him and he laughed. ‘You’ve got to love Carrie.’

  ‘Yes, indeed,’ said Alex. And I bloody do to, he thought.

  They had a few more drinks before Alex went in search for his girls. He had to catch them as they wanted to jump out of the trees, as did Thomas, Tia, Livvy, Lucy, and Amy.

  ‘I think we need to stop having these celebrations as you’re not having any early nights.’

  ‘But it’s the summer holidays,’ said Adhara.

  ‘I’m quite sure that’s not for a few weeks yet.’

  Adhara smiled innocently. ‘It’s summer here.’

  ‘But it’s summer here all the time from what I’ve seen.’

  ‘Then you agree with me.’

  Alex smiled, and picked her up. ‘You’ll not con me like you do the others.’

  Sarin’s eyes went big. ‘We would never try to con you, Papa.’

  ‘Really? You owe me a pudding.’

  ‘But we had to let Pudding go free in the woods.’

  Alex pursed his lips. ‘You put a cake in the woods?’

  Adhara shook her head. ‘No, it was a hedgehog when we let it go.’

  If drinking affected Alex he would have blamed it on that, but has his power grew, he couldn’t even get the slightest bit tipsy. ‘House is this true?’

  Yes, they did something to the pudding and it started to live. So they set it free, and it is still in the woods.

  Alex knelt in front of the children. ‘You’re all very special you do know that.’

  He returned home with them, and put his girls to bed. Summer took Tia, and Paige put Thomas to bed as Luella was still on the elf world.

  Alex walked to his own room where his phone beeped telling him he had a picture message off Carrie, and this time it was in white. He wrote her a reply and quickly deleted it, and wrote another one before going in the shower.

  ~~~~

  Carrie sat on her bed, and read the message off Alex. ‘Gone for a cold shower,’ she smiled and went to sleep. Although she went to bed alone, because of her there would be a baby boom and the elven midwives would be finding themselves busy for the first time in many a year.

  ~~~~

  The following morning Thalion turned up with a big smile on his face, and it wasn’t because he was watching Marakus struggle up the stairs with his bags.

  Alex glanced up at him. ‘Is Lord Torgon in such a good mood like you are?’

  Thalion sat on a sofa. ‘As long as he wasn’t expecting you to come and save him, I think he will be pretty happy.’

  ‘You might regret us finding you.’

  ‘Far from it, I have to go back soon as Tyra has something else to show me.’

  Alex raised an eyebrow. ‘And you were away from her for two weeks.’

  ‘I have to now and then. We have been together over two thousand years and I worry she will tire of me.’

  ‘If she has put up with you for that long it only stands to reason, she will do so for a few more,’ said Henga, who had decided to move in with her husband. She might look old compared to most other elves, but was slim and moved with a certain grace.

  Thalion smiled at her. ‘You have not made this lovely lady suffer her husband’s fate?’

  Alex shook his head. ‘Marakus said if he won, we would have to treat him like royalty, but he lost, so we decided that we would treat Lady Henga like royalty while he trains.’

  ‘You’re an evil man.’

  ‘It was Carrie’s idea,’ said Henga. ‘I think she wants a word with you about last night.’

  ‘I would like to thank the lady to be honest.’

  Carrie sat down next to Alex. ‘Then thank me, but I don’t know why as your wife is very beautiful.’

  ‘I know that, and I tell her every time I see her, but sometimes I think she gets bored of me.’

  ‘But you leave her for weeks on end.’

  ‘Only because I hope she will be happy to see me when I return.’

  Henga looked surprised. ‘I never knew things was that bad between you.’

  ‘It has never been bad as the love has always been there, but it wasn’t until last night that I realised she had hated herself for a long time.’

  ‘Why would she do that?’ said Carrie.

  ‘Because she was no lady when I fell in love with her, she was a commoner,’ said Thalion. ‘Before we went to our world we had what you called royalty, Torgon was king and I was Prince Thalion.’

  ‘Then she was beneath you,’ said Claire.

  Thalion put his hands through his hair. ‘No, Tyra was never that, she was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Torgon himself married us and he was very proud to do so, but we never had any children and she blames herself. I never have of course, and last night took us back to our honeymoon.’

  ‘So you were a prince who grabbed a commoner?’ said Claire.

  ‘Oh yes, I certainly did,’ said Thalion. ‘You see, as an elf like many of your new friends only ever have one partner. We will never cheat or look for anyone else whatever happens, and when I saw Tyra I knew she was the one.’

  ‘I think that’s enough questions,’ said Alex, and stood. ‘As he said, Tyra has something he needs to see.’

  Over the next week they treated Henga like a Queen, and Marakus found it a lot easier to climb the stairs. It was, however, the middle of the week when Alex and a few of the others were outside when his phone rang.

  ‘Hello, Briana, not low on sugar are you?’

  ‘Hello Alex, and no, we . . . erm . . . want to come back.’

  Alex felt relief as if some of the darkness lifted. ‘Then you must, and House will come for you.’

  ‘He’s already here.’

  ‘Then I will see you soon,’ said Alex, and ended the call.

  Briana, the gnomes, and pucas appeared. Daisy offered her baby to him, which he accepted with pleasure.

  Briana smiled at him. ‘There’s something else House is going to bring, I just hope you don’t mind.’

  You will love this, said House, as a cottage appeared.

  Alex smiled. ‘You’ve left your forest for good then?’

  ‘Yes, we went back because I thought they needed their home, but I was wrong. Here or the elf world is what they need and I don’t want my children hiding any longer.’

  ‘You won’t get any arguments from anyone here.’

  ‘It was horrible,’ said Fergal, with a pained expression. ‘We had no ale.’

  Alex patted him on the shoulder. ‘You’ll not find that problem here, my friend, but you do realise they’re going to make you wear new clothes.’

  ‘I’ve missed that to be honest.’

  ‘What are you going to do with the cottage?’ said Briana.

  Alex felt genuinely happy for the first time in weeks. ‘Nothing yet, as I’m going travelling.’

  ‘Where we going?’ said Carrie.

  ‘The south of Ireland first,’ said Alex. ‘And then to Scotland to visit some friends.’

  I like that idea, said House.

  Carrie nodded. ‘Me too, but not too close though as it might be nice to have a stroll.’

  ‘Not just for us, but the children might like to come.’

  Blaze stared at the cottage. ‘That’s a good idea, I’ll come, too.’

  Alex grinned. ‘We can play spot the puca.’

  The children were very eager to go with them as were a few others. It wasn’t long before they were walking through an Irish forest with many of them carrying either a cat or a rabbit with yellow eyes. They eventually arrived at the cottage with Orlaith standing there next to Nessa.

  ‘Is this a social call?’ said Orlaith.
/>   ‘Sort of,’ said Alex, and told her what Briana did.

  ‘I’ve been thinking of doing the same, so have you come to take us back?’

  ‘Yeah, and your cottage.’

  After they took them back, they travelled to Scotland, and followed the same routine. The excitable Aileen was very happy to see them as was the more reserved Morven. Alex had four cottages on his land, after House fetched Daralis’s, when Torgon walked over to him.

  ‘You have had a busy morning,’ said the elf, in a cheerful mood.

  ‘Yes, and they’re back to stay,’ said Alex, very pleased.

  ‘That is good news,’ Torgon agreed.

  ‘Indeed it is, but I don’t know what to do with these cottages.’

  Torgon glanced at the buildings. ‘Put them on our world if it is possible.’

  I can do that, just let me know where, said House.

  ‘We will choose a spot later with the ladies,’ said Torgon. ‘Are we going to celebrate?’

  Alex laughed. ‘You’re as bad as the gnomes.’

  Torgon grinned. ‘I don’t think Tyra will be letting Thalion play any drinking games for a while.’

  ‘He’s been a very happy chap all week.’

  ‘There have been a lot of happy elves, as the clothes shops have many new interesting items in them.’

  James was also outside when House told him he had a delivery. ‘Claire, Jodie, Skye, I need you to come out the front with me.’

  ‘What for?’ said Claire.

  ‘I want to show you something, and the children should come with us.’

  It intrigued Alex. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘A surprise, and you have to wait out here,’ said James.

  Alex stood watching and waiting for ten minutes when he heard the noise of engines come from the side of the mansion, where he saw James driving a beach buggy. Claire, Jodie and Skye followed with the children inside. The buggies were lightweight and had four seats, the drivers were all careful not to drive near the garden area.

  ‘And this was the car you wanted?’ said Alex.

  ‘No, but at least I can drive anywhere with these, and not damage the land.

  Torgon climbed into one as did Alex, and when all four of the buggies were full they went driving across their land.