The Palace of Saaer, Tekaron's Chambers

The king-sized bed that Tekaron lay leisurely on had scarlet red sheets of the most expensive of fabrics. The exotic wood of the bed was of trees that grew in the southeast of his kingdom, from a small town called Mavida where Bocote wood was lumbered and from where was shipped. The long, curved legs of the bed had bright, glistening rubies of a considerable size inlaid at the top of each of them, and got smaller in size all the way down. Each leg had the amount of six rubies that were polished by the servants on a daily basis to keep them glimmering and shiny.

Tekaron had been busy looking out the red-curtained window, at the morning sky of Saaer, the capital of his prosperous kingdom, that he almost missed the sound of soft footsteps when his wife entered the room.

"My King," she murmured softly and waited until he acknowledged her presence. He turned his head around and nodded. "Your face is furrowed, what have you troubled?" she asked, sitting at the edge of the bed before smoothing out her crimson dress. She had her back to him.

He clicked his tongue at her appearance. "You were gone for four days and you come back with this attire?" He gave her an appreciative look but quickly shook his head, his white braids swung at the movement. "Where were you?"

Drimolaer fidgeted uncomfortably, biting her lower lip anxiously, before sighing in defeat and turned around to face him. "I had something I had to deal with," she replied, but he could sense that she wasn't telling the full truth.

"And that something could not have waited until you tell me about?" he asked incredulously. He started crawling towards her on the bed then sat beside her. "You disappear right after I get a worrisome message?"

The bed dipped slightly by the added weight on her left. She didn't yet look at him but she knew he was piercing her with his red hues. "You would not let me go if I told you, and I am scared for our children and—"

"—you have been to Paesa?" the King interrupted, raising his voice noticeably, and causing Drimolaer to flinch. "And dressed like that? You would have died!"

"I didn't say I have been to Paesa," Drimolaer tried meekly but her tone of voice convinced Tekaron otherwise.

He gave a huge sigh out of anger and raked his fingers in his snow hair. "You and I both know that Paesa is the only forbidden place in this whole kingdom!" He stood up and began going around in circles. "You could have died!"

"I had on a fur coat, I was protected from the cold." She defended herself but she knew it was futile. He was angry and she couldn't change that unless she switched the conversation to another topic but she knew him well enough, he wouldn't drop the subject until he got the answers he sought.

"Batyce! May I ask what exactly have you been doing there?" he asked sarcastically, stopping to gaze at her. "It's not a merry place, that much I know."

"I...I went to the temple," she answered in a whispered voice that hadn't he been a Batyce elf he would have missed it. His pointed ears twitched as they picked up her whisper.

She saw the exact moment the blood drained from his face. His expression quickly morphed from that of a horrified man to downright furious. "Of all places in Paesa, you chose the Temple!" he roared angrily, standing up and walked far from her to avoid hurting her if he didn't manage to control himself. He had a daunting feeling that he wouldn't rule in his power.

The Queen flinched at his tone. Paesa was well-known in the Kingdom about its not-so-warm weather, and that the Temple there had no residents other than the Human Priest. "It was the only way." She tried calming him down but a glare from him shut her up.

Tekaron stopped his wandering in circles, sighed exasperatedly and raked his fingers through his hair. "You spoke to Priest, haven't you?" He knew the answer already but he needed her to say it. She had to understand the gravity of the situation.

"Yes," she answered, bowing her head down.

"He could have killed you, I only send my most fearsome men when I want something from him!"

"He is merely a Human," she tried reasoning with him but after a few tense seconds his face started whitening around the edges. A look of concern washed over her face. "My King," she started but when he gave no signs of hearing her, she stood up immediately and went over to him. She placed both her hands on his shoulders, wincing as she touched his burning skin. "Tekaron, listen to me."

"He is a Human!" he roared before grimacing in pain as his fangs elongated from his gums. The searing, hot pain shot through his body as his bones produced a sharp cracking sound. The whites of his eyes nearly went away as the red of his iris bled over and took place.

"Tekaron, calm down," Drimolaer whispered in his now very pointed ears in an attempt to comfort him. "I am back, I am fine, do not worry the Bat," she murmured softly his ears, moving her hands along his arms. She almost sighed in relief when his eyes turned back into their normal colour.

After some very long minutes, he managed to regain control of his body. He bit his lips enough to draw blood to muffle his cries as pain shot up his arms severely while they went back to their original length. The leather that grew in the space between his fingers started to merge back into his whitish skin.

He breathed heavily, the graveness of the situation dawned on him.

The King of Erenael went back over to the bed and laid down, trying to calm himself. He almost transformed into the Bat, something he hadn't done for a hundred years or so. His body ached all over, and his skin took on a red tinge around his neck and torso.

"I told the Priest to kill them," Drimolaer muttered quietly, trying not to anger his dormant bat. Well, not dormant anymore, it seemed. He was clearly in distress about what had just transpired. Almost transforming into the bat meant one thing; his bloodlust had awoken even if it was slight.

She felt bad for him—he did love her to heavens as he claimed, to be that angry. However, it seemed to be in her best that he was irritated at that moment.

After a minute of disconcerting silence, the King finally spoke back, "kill who?"

"The Harvester," Drimolaer spat out her answer. "We had one war and you saw what it did to us."

Tekaron nodded his head weakly, feeling all the energy seeping out of his body. He put a hand on his forehead and closed his eyes. "King Isatous, my father, he managed to bring back the Kingdom into one piece," he mumbled, mostly to himself. He opened his eyes as he turned his head to the side, fixing his gaze on his beautiful wife. "I want peace," he declared.

Drimolaer stayed silent at that. She turned her head away from him to hide the frown that materialised on her face.

"The Humans, they're powerful. They can take us down anytime they wanted, it's a miracle they didn't come after us all these years," he continued with a sad smile on his face. "They're merciless."

"They are weak!" The Queen exclaimed. "We're the superior race! They're strong only because they have—"

"—Death on their side," Tekaron finished her sentence, his smile disappearing from his face as her scoff hit his sensitive ears. "Death chose a Harvester, it's only a matter of time until they realise how strong they are again."

Drimolaer huffed, clearly not agreeing with her husband. "We are hidden, they won't know where we are. We have to attack before they attack!"

Tekaron growled in annoyance. "You sound like Lord Grov now." His gaze hardened. "We will not expose ourselves. We will not start a war." His tone left no room for argument.

Drimolaer didn't say anything back. She just bowed to him before turning around abruptly and made to leave the room.

The King sighed heavily to himself. He swore that he would give his people the prosperous life they had always dreamed about since his grandfather's Great War with the Humans that left the elves scrambled, torn between little towns that fought like barbarians. It was only because of his father that they managed to unite the Kingdom under one ruler like the way it had always been before. He wasn't going to fight the Humans...even if he had to kill innocent people to stop that.

His day turned sour after his wife's brief visit. Closing his eyes, he prayed to Batyce that he would fall into blissful sleep, to keep away the Bat that seemed to gnaw at his consciousness, desiring to be let out once again.

Once Drimolaer was outside her chambers, she pulled out a gold bracelet that had a big, gleaming emerald. "We have to kill them before they kill us," she muttered to herself. Glancing over at the doors of her room, she shook her head sadly and left.

❖

The Palace of Saaer, the Hallways

Lord Grov stayed at the Palace for five days, not because he liked it but because he wanted to gain as much information as possible about King Tekaron. The other Lords went back to their cities, and Grov was smart enough not to tell them about his plans.

Standing before him were seven of Tekaron's servants, cooks, cleaners and stable boys. He wanted to have ears all over the palace. They all had their eyes down as he walking in front of them. He smirked at their fear. He had Tekaron's servants obeying him. It was a little victory over Tekaron and he would enjoy what he had at the moment.

"What have you got me, my boys?" he asked with a huge smile on his face.

"Nothing much, my Lord, but we have knowledge that Prince Velaer and Princess Inailah are to reach Villar today," one of the stable boys answered.

Grov clicked his tongue, that information wasn't as important as he wanted but he could work with it.

"Any other news?"

They all stayed silent. Though, because of Grov's scrutinising gaze, he could see that one of the maids was trying hard not to fidget and that gave her away. He smiled cruelly.

"What about you, Mellev?"

The girl squeaked at the mention of her name but otherwise didn't say anything. Grov frowned at that.

"What do you have that you want to tell me? I will give you double the gold pieces," he offered, earning himself a wide, bewildered stare by the maid.

She lowered her eyes before speaking. "I heard that the Queen went to the Temple in Paesa."

Grov's eyes seemed to widen a little but he composed himself fairly quick. "I see. Thank you, Mellev."

A malicious grin found its way on his lips. He was going to Paesa.

❖

The Carriage, The Journey to Reddor

Inailah had her back to the cushioned couch she was currently in, a history book in her hands as her eyes scanned the words eagerly. She had the habit to stop reading every once in a while to mention what she had just read to her brother, who would just scoff and ruffle her hair playfully.

"Did you know that Dwarves are real?" She squealed in excitement. "I didn't know that! I want to see one!"

Velaer shook his head at her. "They're not animals, Ina. You can't just 'see' one."

Ina pouted at her brother then smacked his arm as he laughed at her. "I didn't mean it like that," she mumbled, "I just didn't know they existed."

Velaer put his finger on his chin to put on a show of 'trying to remember something'. That successfully caught Ina's attention and drew in, waiting for her brother to say something.

"I think there are Dwarves in Erenael," he told his eager sister, almost wincing when she let out a scream of delight. She jumped back in her seat enthusiastically, earning herself a fond laugh from her brother at her antics. "I believe they're somewhere in Raemakan."

"The mines?" Ina asked curiously, her vermilion eyes focused on him. "The book says the Dwarves are great blacksmiths, they forge really great swords!"

Velaer nodded his head. "They do, some say that they forged the swords our army used in Gwelnasyer," he told her. He bit down a chuckle as his sister's eyes widened in her ever-present excitement.

"Their swords were powerful enough to defeat the Shadows?"

Velaer frowned at that. He didn't want to dishearten his sister so he chose to stay silent. However, he didn't have time to contemplate an answer in his head as she leaned back in her seat, avidly reading her book once again.

He didn't know what actually defeated the 'Shadows' as she liked to call them. They were merciless, killing Elves for something as little as breathing. Some of them were cruel enough to take the female Elves and forced them into sexual slavery. According to their history, they even raped some of them during a full-blown battle. He shivered.

They were monsters.

He was jerked out of his thoughts as his sister begun shaking her head, sweat beginning to form at her temples. He put a hand on her shoulders, trying to get her back to reality.

"Ina, wake up, it's all in your head," he tried to soothe her as she convulsed in his arms.

Ina gasped, her eyes widened in horror. Whatever she saw, it was horrible. Velaer tried shaking her again.

The little elf breathed heavily—shakily, as she thrashed around trying to get the image out of her mind. "There's a woman drenched in blood. She's being torn apart by a monster!" Ina screamed, the vision was too violent for her.

Velaer's eyebrows furrowed, he wanted to pull his innocent little sister out of her mind. "Ina, whatever you're seeing, it's in your head. It's not real. I am here beside you," he whispered in her ear, hugging her in an attempt to calm her down.

Ina covered her eyes as if trying to hide away from the appalling picture drawn in her mind but it still came to her until it abruptly stopped. Her sight cleared away, slowly the terrifying image morphed and changed into the carriage she was currently in. She was now aware of her brother's comforting words.

She was breathing heavily as she turned her head around to absorb in her brother's concerned face. She felt a lump in her throat before breaking down in loud sobs, clenching her brother's red robes.

Velaer ran a comforting hand down Ina's back. "Shh, Ina, it's all over. You're safe," he murmured in a soft voice, trying to lull her into sleep. After she seemingly calmed down, he whispered playfully in her ears her favourite words:

"Rhenuwr raa Ayasirrdhailr."

She smiled absentmindedly. "Mairr Vahn Railr," she mumbled before drifting off into sleep.

❖

The Town of Villar

It had been five days since they started their journey towards Reddor. They stopped at the town of Villar a few hours after Ina's horrible vision to replenish their dwindling supplies, and to also move around, freeing their legs from the confinement of the carriage.

Villar was a boisterous town, the villagers were all happy to accommodate the prince and princess of Erenael in their modest village.

The Chief himself was present at the stable where the carriage had stopped. Steward Fainn opened the door of the carriage, bowing respectfully to Velaer and Ina. He stood up and took Ina's hand, helping her climb down to the ground.

The Chief bowed as well once they both were standing up. Cheers and hollers reached their ears as the townspeople finally caught sight of their rulers. Ina blushed at the praise and Velaer, being the heir to the throne, waved at them in a regal manner.

"I am delighted to have Prince Velaer and Princess Inailah in Villar," the Chief said. "How was your travel, Your Majesties?"

Ina beamed at him. "You're Chief Coarus, aren't you?" she asked, containing herself from jumping excitedly.

The Chief blinked at her before his mouth broke into a smile as he nodded his head. "Yes, I am, Your Majesty."

Velaer laughed and answered the Chief's unasked question. "She likes history, she knows all about the seven cities and their towns."

Chief Coarus nodded his head at Velaer, acknowledging him. While the King didn't rule the Kingdom with an iron fist, he wasn't also merciful, and Coarus liked his head connected to his body.

"If you allow me to show you where you are staying for the following days, Your Majesties, please follow me," Coarus bowed to them.

"Lead the way," Velaer nodded his head, taking his sister's hand and started walking after the Chief. He smiled and waved at the people as they expressed their delight, announcing their loyalty to the King and Heir.

❖

Velaer's Chamber in the Governor's Mansion

Once Velaer entered his room, he was surprised at the array of colours he saw. It wasn't really unappealing but it definitely was odd to have somewhere to sleep that wasn't immersed in red. He had a weird feeling but it wasn't uncomfortable.

He walked around the room, inspecting the colours. While it wasn't his first time seeing green—of course not, he had seen a lot of trees in his lifetime—it was unusual seeing the walls in lime green, and the bedsheets were a darker shade of viridescent. The wooden floor had on a turquoise carpet with cream-coloured swirls. The paintings on the walls seemed to have yellow as their main colour; yellow and blue, yellow and green. They were pleasing to look at, but growing up seeing most of the furniture in red, this room threw him off a bit.

After changing into a comfortable sleeping robe, he sat on the bed, stroking his hands on the cover. Well, he didn't know what to expect but the sheets felt the same as his own back in the palace. It wasn't as if he could touch colours. He snickered to himself.

"Glad to see you in a light mood, Your Majesty."

Velaer whipped his head around at the voice, he prided himself in not making a surprised sound. At the door of his room stood a beautiful Elf. Her auburn locks cascaded down her shoulders as she had her head tilted to the side. She donned on a red, silk robe and apparently nothing else.

His eyes zeroed on her breasts. He could feel something in his body awaken as fire coursed through his veins. She let out a hearty laugh at his reaction and crossed her arms.

"See something you like, my Prince?" She purred, walking temptingly towards him.

Velaer wanted nothing than to just get up and pull her towards the bed but he was taught self-control. He managed to calm himself before speaking, "who are you?"

A genuine smile found its way on her red, plump lips. "I am Gyndra, the Chief's daughter," she introduced herself. Standing right in front of him, she put a hand on her waist as she inspected him.

Velaer could feel her scrutinising eyes as she drank in his form. He saw her hands reach towards his hair and he let her touch it. "It looks stunning up close," she murmured in wonder. Her eyes glanced towards his, hazel met scarlet. She gasped. "Your eyes, they are mesmerising," she whispered and he heard the astonishment in her voice.

They seemed to gaze at each other for an eternity before she leaned down and captured his lips in a kiss. His eyes closed down on their own as he felt her soft lips brushing against his. His arms went around her waist, and without breaking their kiss, he pulled her down as he laid back on the bed with her on top of him.

Gyndra pulled away, a smile adorning her face as she took in his flushed face. Her fingers left his white locks and stroked his face up towards his pointed ears. He let out a gasp as her touch on his ear sent shivers down his spine.

"A soft spot," she murmured and leaned down to flick his ear lightly with her tongue. "I am all yours, my Prince."