The Lightbearer's Gift

It took another few hours before we started to see the capitol from the ship. As we got closer, we noticed other vessels approaching the city. Everything from small dinghies to massive luxury ships were streaming into the docks. Surrounding the city was a massive wall extending for dozens of miles. Usually, the walls would end at the waterline, but in this case the walls of the Vendalian Capitol extended into the water, completely encircling the entire city. We had to pass through the single largest portcullis I had even seen. So massive was the gate that it had to be constructed using magic. The wall itself was over 300 feet high even from the water. There were guards on top of the wall and several massive war galleys guarding the entrance. Currently it was open to allow ships through.

The baroness, Benny, Briannah, and I were standing at the bow of the ship watching as we passed through the gates. After passing the wall I openly gasped at the sight of the city. My view from the air didn’t give it justice to how massive it was. Similar to most cities, it was separated by massive fortifications between each quarter. Each section was higher than the last. As if the city was simply dropped onto a large hill. At the center was the imperial castle. To say it was stunning was an understatement.

It dwarfed any holding I had seen before, the massive towers pierced the sky, reaching hundreds of feet in the air. What was most impressive was that the entire castle was made of smooth white stone. It was far more elegant than most castles I had seen. Where most castles were built to be strong and imposing this seemed to be purpose built to be beautiful.

Glancing over to the baroness I asked, “What is the population?”

She seemed as entranced by the sight of the massive city as I was but answered regardless.

“Between two and three million.”

“Gods, how do you even feed that many people?” Benny asked.

Briannah answered. “The surrounding towns, villages, and baronies all funnel food into the city. They also grow food within, this however is reserved for the imperial family and nobility. It is said that anyone with the will can make their fortune in the Capitol. Though it had another name before humans came here.”

“And what was that?” I asked.

“Arlathan,” she said, and the baroness gave her a warning look. Curious about what that was about I pushed further.

“What is the significance of the name? I've never heard it used before.”

The baroness sighed and said. “It was once the capitol of the elven empire, before they were pushed to the Great Isran Forest by humans.”

“The only thing that remained was the castle.”

I gave the castle another glance, considering. I suppose she did have a point; the surrounding architecture was more utilitarian than the castle itself.

“So, if I have my timeline right, the royal elves fell and then humans arrived on the continent. The division amongst the Elven Coalition and the rapid population increase lead to their eventual defeat and thus fleeing to Isran.” I said.

“Essentially yes, with the royal line ended and matriarchs taking power there wasn’t a singular voice anymore. We, humans I mean, simply breed too fast and without unity your people fell to our greater numbers.”

As she explained, the baroness had a keen eye on my reaction. Anyone with sense could see the writing on the wall here.

“Interesting,” I responded.

I was being truthful, while the history was fascinating, I couldn’t care less about the elves and their failure to secure their own empire.

The baroness seemed surprised by my simple response, then she said with a bit of astonishment. “You really don’t care do you?”

“Not in the least, why in all the world would I care for a bunch of failures. Honestly, I thought you understood me by now.” I was already filling away what I had learned with other information that I categorized as, Interesting but largely useless.

She chuckled and said with amusement in her voice. “I suppose I should have expected as much. A word of warning though, I know that you have no interest in the throne, but others will see you as a threat. Both human and elf so be sure to guard yourself.”

I nodded, taking her advice seriously.

The captain expertly navigated the ship to the docks. And with a flurry of movement the disembarking process began. Some people busily rushed over to the baroness and were having a hushed conversation with her. I was mostly fascinated watching the hundreds of ships that were docked.

What was most interesting however were the people. From the ship I could see many humans but occasionally I could spot an orc, and while I have never met one before I was sure the short man with arms as wide around as my waist was dwarven. I thought I caught the sight of an elf once or twice but each time they would disappear before I could focus on them. No doubt there were some spies.

I saw one strange group of tall bipedal lizard looking humanoids disembarking from a ship carrying crates. Most people gave them a wide berth, but they were fascinating to watch. They had digitigrade legs and wore mostly thick leathers. They had short horns that varied in size and shape, most were tipped with gold.

“What are those?” Benny said, pointing.

“The Luguar, they usually live in the swamps near Ruben, but some come north to trade or higher themselves out as mercenaries.”

Thinking back to the bronze spears I realized those were likely of the same species that attacked Baroness Ruben’s Transport.

“They are certainly interesting.” I said watching the group walk by, heading deeper into the city. The streets were wide and had a slight upward slope that reached the noble quarter. They went on for miles in all directions disappearing into the horizon. I watched the bustling docks for some time. Ships arrived and departed near constantly. There were actually several different sections of the docks separated by class and wealth. Some would have large luxury ships meant for nobility or wealthy merchants while others had worn down wooden docks for peasant fishermen. There was a large walled section most likely meant for the navy.

The baroness who finished talking to the man and signaled me over. I gave Benny a nod to come with me.

“Your rooms will be arranged within the hour and would you be willing to meet within the next 3 days.”

I considered the idea. That should be enough time for others to approach me. She was being quite considerate to my desires so that likely meant that she was under a lot of pressure from the other members of their organization to ensure my loyalty.

If someone else didn’t approach me before then. It would be their loss. I’m sure they would plan to have roadblocks in place to stop others from approaching me but if other potential parties couldn’t get past that then they weren’t worth my time.

“That is acceptable” then I glanced up at the sky noting Noire circling above. “What about Noire, any possibility of finding accommodations for her.”

“There are many horse merchants who would be willing to house her for a price provided she does not eat their stock. I’ve already sent word and we should know within the day.” She said,

I turned to Benny and said. “Perhaps we should take a gander at the city from the air.”

The baroness interjected before Benny could answer. “Try to not fly past the castle walls, you could be perceived as a threat; the mages on guard could possibly try to strike you down.”

I shrugged and nodded, deciding to follow her advice. With a mental command Noire began spiraling down towards us.

“Best we clear the docks so she can land properly.”

The docks were made of hard stone and could easily take the weight of Noire. With a few shouts from the baroness the area was cleared and a few minutes later Noire landed. The screams of terror on her arrival were always entertaining. She landed gracefully and immediately sat in a brood position for me to climb aboard. She seemed eager to fly with me.

“I’ll be back within the hour” I said to the baroness then Benny and I mounted.

“Very well everything will be arranged by the time you arrive.” The baroness said.

“Fly” I commanded.

With an ear-piercing cry Noire launched herself into the air. Her massive wings generated winds powerful enough to knock people over. We climbed high into the air taking in the majesty of the city. After we reached nearly 1000 feet into the air we began to follow the outer wall. From this height I could truly appreciate the sheer size of the city. Thousands upon thousands of buildings made up the lower quarter where most of the peasants and tradesmen lived or plied their trade. So large was the city that it needed eight entrances. One was massive enough that the noire could fly through with her wings fully extended.

Outside the city was largely barren grassland but, in the distance, I could see more towns a few miles away,

“Honestly how could someone build a city so large.” Benny said as we flew along the walls.

“Time and magic, I think. These walls are much too high. I’m guessing they have about 30 or 40 miles of walls over 300 feet high. Without magic this would likely be a logistical nightmare in terms of cost and manpower.” I said I altered Noires trajectory to the noble quarter.

Unlike the heavily packed streets of the lower quarter this had large manor houses. One walled off section I noted had to be the Magical Academies. The empire seems to have a preference for color coordination since the buildings were painted in different colors for each attenuation. Finally, we got close enough to get a good view of the castle.

And what a sight it was.

Taller and more grandiose than any building in the city, it dominated the landscape. The white stone glowed beautifully in the evening sun. 5 Tall towers connected to a central keep that probably served as the home for the imperial family.

“Arlathan The baroness called it, are you sure you don’t want it back? I'm sure some would argue that you have a right to it.” Benny said. I was curious about its contents, and I wouldn’t mind living in a structure like that but in the end, I had no interest. I wasn’t even a true royal elf, so the history meant nothing to me.

“No, the past is dead and gone and besides I’m too young to have seen it happen.” I said.

“Wait, I thought you didn’t know when you were born?”

“I don’t but Lilian said that I look around 28 summers, which by my guess is around your age in Elven Culture.” I said recalling that conversation with her. I wonder what she was up to now and how she returned after her exile.

“Really, you seem much older than that.” Benny said, breaking me from my thoughts.

I laughed. Considering that I had lived two lives she was completely correct in her guess. With one last glance at the structure, I decided to return to the docks.

Three hours later.

“Now this is a room,” Benny said as she flopped onto the bed.

Were in a royal sweet as baroness called it. It took up an entire floor of the inn. Private bathes, multiple dining areas, a smoking lounge and every other amenity I could wish for was provided.

“It certainly is. And all at no cost to us.” I beamed.

Apparently, it was a gesture of kindness from one Denerif Mason. A few servants were standing off to one side. They were all beautiful of course and would be our personal attendants for the duration of our stay.

The ride to the city was interesting though the baroness conveniently rented a covered carriage to conceal our identities. I doubted it worked much but at least I was out of the sun. I never actually got sunburned since my skin healed itself faster than damage could accumulate. But I don’t enjoy sweating.

“I’m heading to the baths.” I said to one of the maids.

“Yes, my lord, everything is already prepared.”

“Me too,” Benny added.

“I will escort you, My Lady” another one said.

There were multiple baths in our suite since most noble couples seemed to live separate lives beyond societal expectations and to produce an heir.

“Let’s have a meal in a few hours.” I said to Benny, allowing the servant to lead me away.

Two hours later after soaking myself until I began to prune, I went to my personal room for some private time. There was a bar that I made liberal use of, and I was halfway through a bottle of spiced wine. It was rather difficult for me to get drunk after my second transformation, but it was still enjoyable. I lounged on a large comfortable couch simply enjoying my time. I wore nothing but a thin white robe made of silk. The servants were busy in the other room getting my clothes prepared.

Everything of value including the bank card, etheric gems and elven sword were tucked away in a trunk near my bed. I didn’t trust any security in the slightest, so I won’t leave them alone until my clothes are prepared and I am fully dressed. The sun had set an hour ago so there was little light in the room beyond a few enchanted metal candles. I could of course produce my own light, but I found the flicker of the warm orange glow of the candles to be enjoyable. From my position I could see out to the balcony. The moons were out, so some light streamed in from the balcony windows.

I closed my eyes while I couldn’t physically sleep, I considered slipping into a meditation. Then there was a shift in the ether. Almost imperceptible, but it was there. I had a radiant carapace on myself at all times, so I had little worry about magical attacks. I calmly shifted my vision into the ether.

To my right sitting on top of a dresser was someone cloaked with magic. I tried not to directly look at them but from the size and build it had to be an elf. An assassin? Possibly. But why sit there?

Refilling my glass, I got even more comfortable in my chair and said. “Might as well come out. I know you're there.”

Then my eyes locked onto the void within the ether. It was exactly like how Lilian looked when she stealthed. Unlike the invisibility spell, fast movement never seemed to break her invisibility.

One moment, there was an empty dresser and the next there was an elven woman sitting there. She had red hair that flowed freely. Dark green eyes that for some reason made me think she was much older than Lilian. She wore dark blue form fitting armor with no decorations, it was clearly built for stealth. She didn’t have typical shoes. It was little more than a leather sock with padded soles.

“Impressive. I have heard tales of your strength, but it is quite a treat to see it in person.” She said, not moving from her position. Her voice was slightly deeper than a typical elven woman or human for that matter. Hell, it was actually deeper than mine. It almost reminded me of breala.

“And to what I owe the pleasure of your company tonight, usually intruders to my rooms are met with death but curiosity stays the hand at the moment.”

Her head twisted to the left considering me. Her dark green eyes contracted then relaxed. Was she looking into the ether? If so, it would be easy to see how powerful I was.

“I am Matriarch Endali of Clan Noct’hrum. Lilian was of our clan. As for my intention, I am here to take your measure and see if, Moon the Lightbearer, as the humans have come to call you, is worth Queen Sianna’s time.” She looked at me as if I was no import.

“And you assume she is worth my time? I have heard many tales about the elven dominion, and I can’t say I care enough to meet her. My royal elven heritage means little to me.” I was even more relaxed now that I know she most likely wasn’t here to kill me.

“One would think you would have more deference for someone who helped save your life.” She said,

My eyes narrowed trying to think of a time when Sianna helped me. But try as I might I could find none.

“What are you talking about?”

She smirked, “Ahh I see you do not remember, when you were crawling along the forest floor missing an arm and a leg who came to you, who told you to keep pushing forward.”

As if a veil had been lifted from my mind, I remembered the dream with Sianna. Her instructions to keep moving, that I wasn’t out of danger. That thought did help me to keep moving through the exhaustion and pain. But if she thinks that’s enough to get anything from me, they are sadly mistaken.

“So that was actually her, I care little for being monitored.”

“She can only do that if you are in deep enough meditation or asleep so worry not for your privacy.” She said with an almost motherly smile, I intrinsically disliked it.

With a little more aggravation than I intended I said, “You are sadly mistaken if you think that little assistance, she offered me is enough to sway me in any way I am sure you’re here with an offer or something of the sort.”

“You think rather highly of yourself, young one. I am merely here to observe and report.”

“Then why this performance?” I gestured to her.

“It is not enough to watch a person. I need to know your personality beyond rumor and spy reports. I must say I am underwhelmed.”

I didn’t believe that for a moment. Call it arrogance but there is no chance anyone with enough intel about me wouldn’t understand the potential of my abilities.

“Oh really? What exactly about me do you find underwhelming? Is it my arrogance? Who I take to bed? Or perhaps my willingness to take coin from humans? I assure you I couldn’t possibly care less about your opinion.”

She gave me a searching stare.

“Yes, there is the Moon from Lilian’s report. As arrogant and self-serving as a human with no regard for heritage, honor, or decency.” She said as if she was reading from a paper in her mind.

“Not flattering certainly, but I can’t argue with her accuracy. I am all of those things and more” I said with a grin.

She simply looked disappointed, and I couldn’t care less.

“Now that it is known you are a unique mage no doubt the humans will intend to ingratiate themselves to you and you seem to care little for how the elven clans will view it.” Oddly enough, she didn’t sound repulsed by that as much as I had thought she would. How odd?

“Also correct. Speaking of elven clans, my associates implicate two matriarchs in my attempted assassination now you’re going to have to convince me why you aren’t one of them.” I was dead serious. If she didn’t give me a satisfying answer, I would probably have to kill her.

She raised a delicate eyebrow and my serious tone.

“It is not yet known who tried to have you killed; the investigation is still ongoing.” She said,

“Lies.” I said frustrated.

“You are a woman of enough skill to sneak into my room undetected and if not for my significant sensitivity to ether I wouldn’t have noticed you. Now you tell me in the months since my assassination you have learned nothing. It sounds to me like you are either protecting them or you’re one of them.”

I really had no way to know if both or either was true, but what I did know is that there would be no trust between us.

“Believe what you wish, there has been precious little in terms of a trail to follow.” She said confidently, almost convincingly.

“I’m sure you have suspects. Give me their names and the names of their clan.” I demanded.

If she doesn’t there will be consequences.

“Suspicion does not equal guilt. To exact justice; certainty of guilt must be ascertained.”

Ah, an honorable sort I see. But I couldn’t give any less of a damn about her honor, I wanted names and if she protected them from my wrath, she is an enemy. This entire conversation could be a farse for all I knew. But if she was from the same clan as Lilian that meant she served the Queen and no doubt the queen doesn’t want me dead which means she couldn’t touch me.

Her perfect control over the course of the conversation was irritating. There was one thing that always made people break from their control and that is violence. Let us hope she is skilled enough to survive it.

“So, you won’t give me what I want and will hide the suspicious matriarchs from me. How am I to ensure that they don’t try again? And there is you Endali, you sneak into my rooms, disrespecting my privacy. Did you think there will not be consequences to this.”

“Patience is the necessary approach in this situation. And as for me if I wanted you dead you would be.” She sounded like she was lecturing a child. I suppose I am in her eyes.

Well then, I’m sure she will have a wonderful time explaining to Sianna why she failed so spectacularly in her first meeting with me. She made the mistake of thinking she would be dealing with an elf. Were the stories about me not enough to convince her that that is a poor approach.

“See the thing is I’m not a patient elf. And as far as I see I have a one in fourteen chance to kill one of my assassins. It could even be the queen herself for all I know.” I didn’t believe any of what I was saying. But I dislike threats and they must learn that I will not hesitate to maim and murder if the situation calls for it. Let the entire capitol learn about this for all I care.

She sniffed at my words. “You are a fool if you believe that the last living royal elf would wish you harm.”

“Perhaps, but I know not her intentions. And you have provided me little in this conversation.”

“Time will reveal all truths, child. If it is your safety, you are worried about. We can assure it easily. You need but listen and obey the commands of those you know better.”

I was mildly flabbergasted by how she chose to speak to me. Am I really just a child in her eyes? Her tone was beyond patronizing. I would not tolerate such disrespect. I sighed; this conversation was over. Hopefully she learns not to take such a tone with me again.

I raised my hand as fast as I could and released an air blast directly at her. In the same instant there was a shift in the ether, and she disappeared into nothing. The blast, however, destroyed the room, sending furniture flying and blowing out the wall to the balcony. I cared nothing for subtle manipulation or intrigue, I wanted answers and as far as I was concerned hiding the suspicious from me was a crime all its own. I didn’t want her dead but if she lacked the skill to survive that blast, she probably wasn’t a matriarch to begin with.

What did she really think would happen, sneaking in here in the dead of night and speaking in such a manner? Is there something I am fundamentally not understanding about elven society.?

I refilled my glass, admiring the spectacular view the now destroyed wall gave me to the rest of the noble quarter.

Benny rushed in moments later, spell circuit charged and ready to attack. She looked at me, noticing I was calmly sipping wine and then to the destroyed wall.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Just an uninvited guest. Come, sit, this is spectacular wine.”

Benny was still in her nightclothes, she sighed and shrugged then took the glass. “Again, what happened?”

An hour later.

I was speaking to the captain of the guard, a large fellow in an impressive suit of plate armor. We sat in the same destroyed room while he took a statement from me. Magic in self-defense was perfectly legal so he had nothing to charge me with. Though it’s not as If I would ever allow myself to be arrested. He, as well as most non-mages knew that people like me were mostly untouchable.

“So can you tell me the name of this elf?” he said, sounding annoyed.

“She didn’t say. She simply broke in and I reacted out of instinct.” I said innocently.

“Can you at least give me a description?”

Tapping my lips in contemplation I said. “Red hair, green eyes, and blue leather armor. It was dark so not much more than that was clear to me.”

“Fine then it would be in the interest of the city if you would refrain from large scale magic in cases of self-defense. A full investigation and a search for the culprit will be made.” He said as if he had repeated it hundreds of times.

“Very good then. Now I need some rest. This night has been exhausting.”

We were given an apology from the staff of the inn. The royal sweet had more rooms I could sleep in so there was little problem. The captain left, leaving me alone with Benny, Grumbling about mages under his breath. I ignored it.

Before the guards arrived to examine the scene, I had given Benny a quick rundown of the events.

“So why did you try to kill her?” Benny asked once we were alone.

“She was withholding information from me. I cared little for her reasons. While I do think she was being truthful about her identity I still couldn’t trust it. Then her final mistake was suggesting she could kill me anytime she wanted.”

Benny considered it and pressed further. “If you wanted her dead, you would have used a radiant lance so why?”

I smiled as correctly deduced I didn’t want her to die. “It’s less that I wanted her dead, more that I wanted to hammer home the message that I was perfectly willing to kill her. I have no great skill in subterfuge and games of manipulation. But what I have is power and that means nothing without the will to use it. Now they know that attempts to play games with me will end in violence.”

Benny spent a few more moments thinking about what I said then asked. “So why is it better that they know you're dangerous?”

“Elven society is more female dominated. From what I have gleaned from Lilian. Males are more demure than our human counterparts, I suppose. Endali never took me as any real threat, some unconscious bias due to my gender and age, I think. Now she does and therefore now does the queen. If I guessed correctly this would be seen as Endali’s failure. There is no chance the queens want my death. In the end I need them to take me seriously. I will not tolerate disrespect.”

“We will have to wait and see how everything turns out.” Benny said.

Three days later.

Nothing of note had happened leading up to my meeting with the rest of Allyssia’s allies. Sure, there were some requests here and there, delivered by disguised servants but none of the names were of any interest to me. Either I wasn’t as well-known as I thought or that little cabal was doing an excellent job of rebuffing anyone who wanted to meet me.

I sent Benny into the city most days to explore the markets and purchase any magical items of note while I enjoyed the amenities of the inn, including its staff. She seemed perfectly happy to explore and being a powerful mage was enough to give her confidence that none could hurt her. The absurdly powerful radiant carapace I cast on her probably helped.

I didn’t need her for defense; she instead served as an excellent bulwark towards advances. It seemed approaching a powerful mage through their apprentice is a common introduction method. So, she had been constantly getting letters of introduction from one mage or another from the magical academies. None of the invitations, whether to brunches or balls, came from master mages, so I had no interest in agreeing.

During the two days leading up to the meeting I got only one invitation that I found to be of interest. That was an invitation from the ambassador of the elves for a lunch meeting. It was to take place today at a famous café in the noble quarter. Usually, I wouldn’t trust a single invitation from an elf. Bur trying to assassinate me in the heart of the empire where security was so high most of the guard force were either etheric knights or mages, seemed like a plan doomed to fail.

I rode along in my luxurious carriage; it was so opulently decorated that I’m sure some outside thought I was royalty. We arrived at said café and the guardsman opened the door. I was dressed my best of course. My fine purple and white clothing in combination with the elven sword made for an impressive appearance.

Two elves were waiting out front, males by my guess. One had black hair and brown eyes, and the other was a bright red with gray eyes. They wore similar close-fitting tunics of fine cloth with the complex and elegant pattern expected of elven clothing. Most of the nobility, either entering or exiting, paid them no mind. They were comely as expected of elves, both gave me a surprised look as if they were not expecting me.

No, it wasn’t me, it was the sword they were looking at.

How odd?

They came over, their movements tight and controlled, something that only came from years of reinforced etiquette training. When they stopped in front of me, they bowed elegantly and the brown-haired one to the left spoke.

“Greeting Moon, we were informed of your possible arrival and are pleased that you have chosen to speak with our lady wife.” He said it with consummate respect and propriety.

‘Our lady wife?’ I thought to myself.

A female elf having multiple husbands was not something Lilian ever mentioned, but I suppose it would be likely given the structure of their society. I know some human nobles had multiple wives. Noble marriages were a serious thing and it required approval from one’s own liege lord for a man to wed multiple women. As far as I knew the reverse didn’t exist for women.

“It is my pleasure; I am intrigued to meet Kerelia” I said. Though in truth I just wanted to sate my curiosity for what other elves look like.

“If you would follow us, we would be glad to escort you.” the brown-haired one said.

They led me through the café to a private room where someone could dine without interruption. I had little fear of anything untoward happening since there were so many nobles being tended to. It was a decent sized room with a dining table in the center. There was a large window at the far end that offered an excellent view of the street. Everything from the furniture to the painting on the walls were of course, the finest quality.

The table was circular, just large enough to fit all fours of us. Kerelia was sitting at the opposite end facing the door. She was beautiful with long black hair and blue eyes. Her tunic was similar to the males. With the exception of a slight swell on the chest and hips, denoting her sex.

The red-haired elf pulled my seat for me and all 3 of us sat before anyone spoke. Like the elven males Kerelia seemed to be enthralled by the sword at my hip. Then she focused on me.

“I have to say I was surprised to see you arrive. After your display a few nights ago, most were not inclined to see you in person.” She said as I sat. The two males had moved their seats closer to her, sitting at either side.

“There was a pest in my room, and if a bit of magic is enough to cause people to hesitate then they were not worth my time.” I said, while giving the males side glances.

It was rather odd to see them sit demurely by their wife the way human women do.

Different cultures I suppose.

“Indeed, Endali’s failure to capture you has been a point of some amusement.” she said with a charming smile on her face.

“Capture? If that was her goal she didn’t try that hard. Is it so widely known that it was her?”

It was strange that someone with such skill with stealth could be a topic of laughter.

“Only clan Noct’hrum breeds shadow mages of such skill; the lack of evidence and your description, was enough proof that it was her. Many eyes are watching you.” She said with a bit more warning in her voice.

Breed shadow mages? From what I know human affinity is random, perhaps it is different for elves.

“I presumed as much, though subtly and subterfuge are not one of my skills, so I’ve noticed little. That also begs the question why did you want this meeting and what exactly do you mean by capture?”

She giggled, a pretty sound that reminded me of bells ringing. “Oh, not capture in the literal sense. Most can’t decide if they want you as a mate or as a corpse. Endali, we assumed, would try to take you as her own. Her failure has now emboldened others to try.”

I raised an eyebrow at that statement and asked. “Are you one of them?”

It was quite a bold thing to say in front of her two husbands.

“No, you are far too…..” She tried to find a word for a few moments.

“…..Human for my tastes. Besides there are other more powerful elves that have started to stake claims.”

I glanced at the two males. They were the very picture of demure elegance, shoulder squared, back straight, a posture clearly practiced. While I was sitting comfortably and slightly slouching. But I cared little about whatever impropriety I showed.

“I can’t say I’m interested, since I have no interest in settling down.”

I mostly just abhorred the idea of sharing a woman with another individual.

“Are there any among the matriarchs that are staunchly against such action.” I asked. But she saw through the question immediately.

“You wish to know who ordered your death. I can give you six names, worry not for my own matriarch, Lady Xalia, since she desires you the most. That is also why this meeting happened. You do not have a mother she can approach.”

I couldn’t care less about the rest. Reducing my suspects from fourteen to six was what I was concerned about.

“What are their names?” I Practically demanded it.

“Hellia, of Cres’tiln, Mellie of Thron’vax, Boriel of Lum’nar, Namoila of Aelv’oth Vinium of Fost’Krin and Claier of Sham’ir”

The elven names sounded strange to my ears. While it was interesting that I finally started getting names I still couldn’t trust any of it.

“Interesting, who among those do you most suspect?”

“Mellie and Boriel are the most likely culprits. But they lack the connections to fund such an act. Namoila hates Queen Sianna the most and has the coin so that is also a possibility. The rest are just exceptionally anxious about what it would mean if you and Sianna were mated.”

She seemed rather uninterested in the entire thing.

“And you’re not?” I asked.

“No. From all the information I have learned about you even if you meet Sianna and she proposes such a thing. You would refuse.” She sounded almost arrogant.

“What gives you such confidence?” I was genuinely curious.

“My spies report you have bedded at least four servants in the inn and two prostitutes who were pretending to be servants in the last two days. There is also a rumor you bedded a half orc. An elf with your……'' again she paused trying to find a word that wouldn't offend me.

“....tastes you would never be a proper mate. It is mostly your power and the potential power of your offspring that have the matriarchs excited.”

If the two statues are what a proper mate is then count me out. Said elves looked at me sideways as if the idea that I bedded a half orc was abhorrent.

“Her name was Breala. Regardless, this information was useful.”

A servant knocked, walked in, and started to plate the dishes. In a few minutes, the table was filled with small finger food meant to accompany tea. I was rather hungry and not remotely caring about propriety I started filling my plate.

She chuckled as I started to eat. “It’s strange, so much power in one so young. You’re not even 30 are you.” She said,

Her eyes had a slightly piercing glare as she no doubt was looking at me from within the ether.

“No clue as you likely already know. Though I was told that I’m certainly an adult.”

“Such is the mystery of your existence: the last royal elven male and the last female. What will happen when they meet, is it the return of the elven dominion? or will something new be forged.” She said almost talking to herself.

“I’m guessing that question was enough of a reason to have me killed?” I asked.

“Essentially.” She said though she seemed to be looking at my sword below the table through the ether.

“What is the significance of the sword? You all seem to be enamored by it.”

“Is the Mithrite Purple?” The brown-haired male on the left asked. The other two elves gave him warning glances. He immediately straightened and returned to his demure posture.

If I could learn more I would. The sword has been little more than a fashion piece since I found it.

I removed it from my waist and raised it above the table. Then I unsheathed it, there was a collective gasp as they saw the blade.

“Now tell me why this blade is so shocking to you.” I asked.

She collected herself and responded. “It is a Shaeilin Blade. They were typically wielded by the most powerful royal elves in combat. No blade is as sharp or light. It is said that it can cut the very fabric of reality. Only three are known to still exist the rest are lost to time. Siannah has a pair of daggers and Namoila has a spear. Noone knows how they are made since the knowledge died with the royal elves.”

She looked upon the blade with deference.

I laughed and said, “I’ve been using it to cut bread.”

Now they all looked at me as if I had grown a second head. Kerelia Recovered first. “I recommend you not draw that sword around others; they would be desperate to have it. Where did you find it?”

While this conversation was interesting, I really wanted to get to the real reason I was here. “In the walls of some random tower regardless, what does your matriarch want with me?”

She looked like she wanted more information, but moved on.

“She is interested in Noire and you. I am mostly here to take your measure and relay my thoughts back to her. While I cannot speak for her it is likely she will desire your presence, if not your body when you enter elven lands. She is not like most Elven women so your tastes will not disturb her as it would most others.”

I finished the last small sandwich on my plate. Satisfied for now. I took what she said with a grain of salt of course but now I had names to go by.

“Since I have you here, tell me all about the matriarchs. Perhaps I can come to some kind of deal with Xalia and both your clan, and I can benefit. I’m sure having a beast like Noire under your command is far more valuable than a pretty blade.”

I would never give a beast like that to another person but let them believe that such a thing can be bought. She had a smile on her face at that statement.

“Very well then let’s begin.” she said, her smile turning predatory.