Descending rapidly, the gruffle landed midway between the forest and the lone tree. Aside from the fog around the meadow, everything was the same as in Clair’s drawing. Although there was now a sense of danger as I thought of what creatures might be lurking in the woods.
There was movement in the trees, then several creatures appeared, poking their faces between the trunks. Two wolves ran out from the forest, advancing with a refined prance. The way they moved, it definitely wasn’t their usual gate. Others followed, including rabbits, birds, squirrels, deer, foxes, and even a bear; all walked fancifully as if they’d been trained to do so.
They eyed me curiously, tracking my every move as Clair and I slid down from the gruffle. Some trotted up closer than others, uncomfortably close. Soon a large group of beasts has gathered around us.
I tried not to show the fear I felt and hoped they couldn’t smell it. There were dozens of them with sharp teeth and fangs, and more still coming from the forest.
Oddly despite a mix of predators and prey, not one of the creatures growled, snarled and even nipped at another. They seemed docile and perfectly content to be in each other’s presence, showing no indication of fear or tension.
Then one of them, a gruffle, stepped forward. The creature met my eyes then I heard a foreign voice in my head.
"Silvon Avant Merle, Prince of Faerelle. Welcome back to Aeros, your highness."
I searched for the source of the voice, but no obvious candidates presented themselves. It wasn’t Clair, I knew that much. ’The beast then?’ I wondered…
Then all at once, the animals departed, disappearing back into the wood.
Between the scattering creatures, I caught a glimpse of someone, a shadowy figure, racing toward the trees. My chest ached as I thought of the man in the alley…my uncle.
Thankfully, when the beast cleared there was no indication of another person; I couldn’t think of how he’d have gotten here either—not that I was an authority on the matter of world traveling.
Clair stepped in front of me. “Come on,” she said, “follow me.”
I couldn’t help but notice the differences in her appearance. First of all she had the pointy ears of an elf. She wore form fitting, white clothes, with an ornate gold chest plate and a rapier at her side. Half her hair was tied back, but the lower portion flowed freely around her exposed shoulders. She was dressed for combat, something I found both comforting and concerning.
Taking hold of my hand, she led me down the hillside and into the forest.
----------------------------------------
After following her through miles of wilderness, I found myself walking alongside her, holding her hand as she guided me through a series of twisting paths. We traveled deep within the woods, until we came to a city that could've only come about through magic.
No one wore shoes, but they weren’t needed because every path was covered in soft moss. Trees, vines, bushes and shrubs all grew together, their branches and twigs intertwining to make houses and other structures. A winding river flowed around the city, cutting through it in places, but its path felt intentional and had no adverse effects on the city or its residents. Moss covered bridges made crossing the water easy, a necessary convenience since most areas had multiple waterways running throughout. Water flowed as it wanted, although it seemed to purposely avoid flooding structures.
Most buildings had some level of stonework around the base, but some were constructed entirely of wood or wickerwork. No matter the material, every structure was built with great care and maintenance was never neglected.
There wasn't a single nail or screw anywhere to be seen. No tools were needed here. In fact, I was convinced, tools could never build something so perfect.
In addition to homes and shops, there was also a castle. It was set back from the city, but was so large that it could be seen from almost anywhere.
Everything was beautiful, and peaceful. Wildlife roamed freely here, and the residents—all elves—didn't seem bothered. It was like they had a special relationship with the animals, one where neither had to fear the other.
As we walked, I saw kids petting a stag. A beast like the one that brought me here, was sleeping in a field and small animals chittered and squeaked as they scurried from this place to that. My wildest dreams paled in comparison to what I was seeing now.
The city was wonderful, truly magical in every sense.
Eventually, we came to a wide stone bridge spanning the largest of the rivers. Despite its size, it didn’t seem like the bridge saw much traffic and there was only one thing on the other side—the massive palace.
Just before we crossed, a young woman, waiting on the bridge, approached.
Clair slowed to a halt and let go of my hand and the two exchanged a sort of gesture, or salute. The woman on the bridge glanced at me briefly, then returned her attention to Clair. With a nod, she pointed to the far end of the bridge, leaving me to wonder if they’d exchanged some sort of telepathic communication.
The woman stepped aside and waited patiently while Clair and I proceeded across the bridge. When we reached the middle, I paused and looked at her. She nodded politely, but otherwise ignored me.
Continuing on, I whispered to Claire, "Who is she?"
"That's Taryn. You can think of her like a guard, although she’s actually a bit more than that."
Taryn watched me closely as I passed. She was like a statue, stiff with dark eyes and sharp features. It was a bit unsettling the way she stared, but once we were off of the bridge, she returned to her original position and resumed waiting.
We weren't far from the castle now, and I wasn't sure I'd have another chance to ask, so I swallowed my resignation and asked the question that had been on my mind since I heard the voice in the meadow. "Am I really a… a prince?”
It felt odd to ask, especially since I wasn’t sure where the voice in my head came from earlier. I probably wouldn’t have asked if we weren't heading towards the palace. I did consider that it was just as likely she was taking me to the castle so I could be of service, rather than for me to be served; I didn’t want to wait to find out. I needed to know what to expect.
“Yes, your highness, you are the prince of Faerelle, realm of elves and nature.” Her affirmative answer came with a proper curtsy and a nod.
I thought for sure she was joking, but when I laughed, she didn’t join in—instead, she turned away slightly, her cheeks flushed red and she closed her eyes as if trying to escape the moment.
Realizing I’d hurt her somehow, I stopped laughing. “I’m sorry, Clair. I wasn’t laughing at you. I just…I’m not really a prince, am I?”
This time she simply nodded and said, “You are.”
All sorts of questions flooded my mind. How can that be? I’m from earth, what about my family? What if I don’t want to be a prince—what if I don’t want to stay here at all? I did, but I wanted to have the choice in case I changed my mind. Questions kept coming and I didn’t know which to ask first. After a moment of consideration, I started with what was immediately relevant. “What'll happen after we reach the castle?”
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“You’ll meet the Queen, she’s quite a lovely woman—from what I recall.”
“And after that?”
“I’m not sure.” Clair smiled reassuringly, though her answer was uncertain.
“Will I see you again? What about my life on earth, can I go back to visit my family?”
“I serve the royal family so probably, but I can’t say for sure. The Queen may send me where she wills, but…” Clair looked away again, her whole face turning bright red, "…this is your realm, so you could request my service, if that’s what you desire."
I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but I felt comfortable around her. Whether a prince or not, she was the only person I knew in this world and I’d feel more comfortable in her company.
I nodded. “Then what about my family?”
“You’ll see,” she said, then started walking again, pulling me along behind her.
Stone walls lined the upward sloping path on both sides. They were high enough that even giants couldn’t see over—I assumed—and covered in a thin layer of vines.
Further up the path we stopped next to an opening in the wall to the right.
"This is where you'll train," Clair said, pointing through a brass gate to an open field with four large platforms set several feet apart from each other. "You'll have combat lessons, probably starting tomorrow and that building in the back is where Ms. Silvia teaches magic."
To the right of the black platforms, I saw a man that looked a lot like my dad. He was coming out of a small house, but ran back inside when our eyes met.
“Is that…Vorli—”
Then Clair tugged me along without letting me finish.
"Up ahead is where you'll be living from now on. I imagine the Queen is very excited to see you." Clair said, as she pulled me away from the training area.
The path we took led directly to the castle. Like the city below, it was constructed almost entirely of living plants. The building was three stories high, with the lowest level being built from a combination of stacked stones and hard vines. The rest of the structure was an intricate weaving of tree branches, vines, and flowering plants. Glass windows were set seamlessly in their frames and a large, jewel encrusted, door seemed to be fused with the building as if it were all one plant.
Men stood along the border of the courtyard, each a few paces apart and dressed in leather armor. They bore swords strapped to their belts, and carried shields with an oddly familiar symbol on them—some sort of royal emblem, or a coat of arms, it didn’t matter.
When we reached the castle, Clair came to a stop and let go of my hand again.
An elegant and manicured man, standing just outside the castle, pulled open the grand door adorned with a jewel. I realized when he opened it that it was actually a double door.
At once, guards ushered us through the doors and into a hallway lined with paintings and ornate tapestries.
A few servants came from what smelled like a kitchen and followed along behind us, carrying trays of food and drinks. I noted many different kinds, and fought the temptation to pick something for my starving belly, I hadn’t eaten in hours. The excitement of a new world made me forget my hunger until now, but everything looked enticing—there were sweet cakes, candies, fruits, nuts, cheese, breads, meats, fish, and vegetables—everything smelled delicious too.
Soon enough, we arrived at a room filled with chairs, couches, tables, and shelves stacked high with books. There were two people already inside. Queen Riona sat comfortably on a cushioned chair.
The Queen looked only a few years older than me, though somehow, I knew she was much older. Her white-gold hair was split into two braids. Like a crown, they wrapped around her head then came together in the back and hung down like a ponytail. She rose from her seat and greeted us warmly. The other person, likely a royal guard, bowed slightly at our entrance then remained at attention by the Queen.
“Welcome home,” she said, her silver eyes meeting mine with a tender smile. It was a smile I'd seen before, though not for many years.
Held in her gaze, I felt warmth flow through me. My mind went blank for just a moment, then I remembered who she was—who I was.
The city was called Avantia, it was my home. For many years, I had lived in this castle. This very room was a place I played often in my childhood. Riona was the queen of Faerelle, or as I once knew her, my mother.
My memory was still mixed up, so I wasn’t exactly sure how long it had been, but I was certain that I lived on Earth for at least six years. In that time my mother hadn’t changed. She barely looked any different from how I remembered her.
I had vague memories of a bedtime story she used to tell me, something about a soldier named Liriel. I also recalled studying magic under Lady Silvia until I was six, but beyond that everything mixed together with my life on earth and I wasn’t sure what was real or fake.
"Silvon," The Queen said, drawing me back to the moment. "I've missed you terribly." She placed an arm around my shoulders and guided me towards a couch. "Please, sit down with me."
There are times in everyone's life when they feel completely lost, alone, and helpless. With my memory all scrambled, that’s exactly how I felt. I didn’t know who to believe, who I could trust. Because of what my uncle had said, I couldn’t even be sure the stakes of my decisions, but I had a gut feeling that discovering I was an elven prince wouldn’t mean a life of luxury and comfort.
I recalled times when my mother, The Queen, used to comfort me. No matter how busy she was, how many scrolls she still needed to stamp and seal, or which duke needed her ear, she was always there for me. I knew she cared for me. That was never in question, but I still didn't understand why she sent me away—why my memory was manipulated.
I worried that even now, someone could be manipulating my memory. Some things were very firm, I felt confident in those, but some things felt more fuzzy. There was also the overlap between some memories from Earth and some that happened here, although a little differently, leaving me to wonder how much of what I remembered I could I trust?
I at least felt confident that Queen Riona was my birth mother. Avantia, the capital city of elves, was where I was born and Aeros my home world. On earth I’d always felt out of place, I was faster, stronger, and more keen of mind than humans. Being an elf explained those differences.
I'd daydream in class about a world where magic wasn't just a fantasy, and dragons were as real as any horse. In doodles, I'd draw up scenes like the city Clair had just walked me through. I wrote stories about young adventurers slaying great beasts; stories I now recognized as the elven legends that served as my bedtime stories when I was young. Now it all made sense.
Standing in my old home, a stranger, seeing familiar things—most exactly as I remembered them—the feeling was surreal. I wasn’t human, I was an elf. My memories continued to return, but I touched my ears to be sure. It was real. “I’m really a prince…” I uttered as it all settled in.
“The proof of your royal lineage is your silver eyes and the gold strands in your hair.” The Queen said as she sat down on the couch, giving me an expectant smile.
I had brown hair and eyes, or at least I did when I was on earth. I’d have to check later. I sat next to her, trying to decide what I should say. There were quite a few things I wanted to ask, but again, I didn't know where to begin.
"Mom—can I call you that?" It wasn't what I intended to ask, but it was as good a starting place as any.
She nodded, so I continued. "Why did you send me to earth?"
Her expression darkened slightly before answering. "Your uncle was a treasonous bastard. That ass—” She began, but stopped short. “I’m sorry." She paused and took a breath, but didn’t continue speaking.
The explanation brought to the surface the haunting nightmares I’d started having. “So he really did try to—”
“Another time Silv.” My mother interrupted.
I frowned in frustration.
A coup attempt might've explained why I had to go to earth, but it certainly didn't explain why I was left there for so long or why my memories had been messed with. All things considered, I felt I was owed an explanation.
She must've realized I wasn't satisfied with her response because she said, "Answers will come soon. For now, I want to enjoy the time I have with you." Smiling, she pulled me into a warm embrace. “It's been six years since I last hugged you."
For a second I hesitated, unsure of what to do. But the hug was gentle, comforting even, and soon enough I relaxed into her arms.
As I held onto her, I noticed how soft and strong she seemed, bringing back more positive memories. She'd always been loving when I was young. I still wanted a better explanation, but I told myself she must've had a reason, and for now that was good enough.
We remained embraced for several minutes, until I grew tired and finally pulled away.
Something happened then, like a dam breaking. Childhood memories flooded my mind—the stories she told me, our games together, her laugh. Suddenly I understood why I loved her, and why I never felt at home on earth. I felt tears welling up behind my eyelids, I tried to blink them away, but I couldn’t stop them coming.
"I've missed you so much, Silvon,” Mother said, smiling gently at my teary eyes.
"Me too, mom.” I smiled back, wiping the moisture from my cheeks. “Me too.”