“How?” She asked, her indigo eyes gleamed with suspicion after overcoming the initial shock. With small steps she walked towards Mirayroth, the enigmatic leader of the New Dawn. He walked towards the cabinet, opened it with a swiftly while looking for something.
“Do you prefer something sweet or a bitter one?” He asked nonchalantly, his voice seemingly calming to her pointy ears hidden under the layers of clothing wrapped around her lush hair. Aurelithae remained silent, wary still as no answers came from the eastern elf eerily possessing scales and eyes similar to her families and kins.
“I’ll take that silence as a sweet. I prefer that too.” He added taking out a bottle with vibrant mauve liquid inside, a beverage made from a grape native to the island. He popped the bottle off, letting the cork fell into the flames, feeding it. He waited for her to lift her small keg up, then when she remained standing at her chair, he poured it almost to the brim.
As her eyes wandered onto the drink for a moment, its scent slithering through the air, into her small nostrils beckoning her to take a sip. For a while she resisted the urge before finally taking a seat and sipped, still keeping her eyes focused on Mirayroth.
“No need for wariness or worry. Your secret is well kept between me and my agents. For now.” A gentle, kind smile formed on his alabaster face highlighted by the flames, mildly hissing inside the ornate frame of the hearth.
“But how?” She asked as her indigo eyes took their true, slit pupiled shape, a shifting, prismatic pearl in a lake of whiteness.
“These are experienced eyes your Excellency. Besides the other reasons including never seeing you step off a ship.” He added after filling his own keg to the brim with the sweet beverage.
“Or being aware of everyone on the lower levels of the city, whether they saw the light of day within the streets.” He continued after wrapping his fingers around the wooden keg, his onyx claws tapped with a certain rhythm that seems oddly familiar to Aurelithae. One hard tap, followed by three quick ones, then another hard with four softer after, and then rinse and repeat.
“Should have gone with the other idea.” She noted to herself with a sigh as her attention focused on the calming flames.
“Lastly, that you’re not the first royal to venture hidden amongst the lowest-folks.” After a bit of while, he added with a nostalgic smile.
“You knew her, right?” She asked, her previous resolute tone exchanged to one of somber and empathy as she reached towards her pocket under the layers of her robes.
“What is your aim, your Excellency?” He turned to her and asked with a questioning look aimed at her. She took a long sip, contemplating whether to answer, or not. For a very simple reason of.
“That’s… I myself am not sure about the answer. When I first sneaked down to the lower levels, I just wanted answers why she did, to see what fascinated her about the folks living down here.” After a soft sigh, she started, her voice broke as she thought how stupid she may look in his eyes.
“Then as the weeks and months passed, and the fact that one day I may inherit the throne entered my life, my thoughts, at the same time I met him, my sense of curiosity grew. I believe that this way I could guide the future of the Empire to a better path than staying on the Upper Levels only aware of the toils of nobles and priests. Even if I don’t become the Empress.” As she continued on, her voice evened out, the thoughts of appearing foolish left her mind, then at the end her cheeks reddened as she became aware of her words.
“But what is your aim? I mean your kin is rare even amongst the upper levels.” Aurelithae’s soft cough echoed in the small room as she pushed the awkwardness away and turned at him with a piercing gaze.
He turned to the flames, taking a small sip while his eyes turned somber for a mere moment. “It may seem like that, but you would be surprised how many of us are amongst the Orders.”
“My aim. It is similar to yours, to hers. A better future, for all within the Empire.” After a little break, he answered with a faint smile.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“But that is all I can say for now. Our time is up I’m afraid.” He added while turning to face the dial slowly shifting.
“Miss Luelia, you have satisfied my curiosity about yourself. The secret of yours will be kept tightly.” He said when the light from the corridor entered the room, revealing his hulking orc bodyguard and Isocrates with worry-worn look. With a smile, she eased him as she walked towards the exit.
“Even more so after your initiation.” He added at the end, to which she lightly nodded her head with a respectful look.
“My friend Naghig, escort them out.” Naghig gently bowed as Auerlithae walked out, their steps muffled the sound of the door disappearing.
**
“Aurelithae my dear, are you with us?” Her attention wandered away from the vast royal garden as his father’s calm voice resonated within her long ears peeking out from the ashen red waterfall seamlessly cascading down onto her shoulders.
“Sorry Father, I was just enjoying the view a bit too much.” She stood up, lightly bowing as she stated calmly.
“You know, when we’re alone you can forego with the etiquettes.” He said with a tender smile as he stood up from his chair behind the large oaken desk. The light beautifully reflected from his silken robes of gold and silver perfectly draping his slender body, as well as his myriad colored scales adorning his face.
“How was your day?” He asked as he sat down carefully beside her on the long divan facing the vast bookshelf on the right.
“It was the usual. Magistratiyr Prisceirith lectured me about the dangers of Maghia once again after I lost control over my golden fames.” She added while subconsciously leaning her small head onto his honed right arm.
“Just like your mother and two of your sisters.” He added with a light chuckle while gently caressing the top of her head. “Well, at least this time he was amazed at first as the flames appeared golden.” She added, to which he looked at her with pride gleaming in his eyes.
“We see. That is definitely a good sign.” He said, for a moment she noticed the dull look in his draconic eyes of myriad swirling hues. His right arm slowly rose up, a tray with a large ornate golden jug and two small glasses adorned with amethysts and rubies slowly hovered up in the air. As if possessing a mind of their own, they levitated without a single quiver towards the two stopping in the air before the jug hovered above one then the other as the sweet golden liquid poured into them.
“Thank you.” She watched with her eyes sparkling with awe. “To your promising future.” Their glasses resonated with a sweet note reminiscent of birds’ soothing chirp.
“How was your day, Father?” She let out a long sigh as the sweetness refreshed her, a warm resonating navigated through Aurelithae from top to bottom.
“It was the usual boring bureaucracy.” He tried to evade the topic. “What about the Chosen? Do the Magistralua still searching for them?” At her next question, his body shook delicately, barely perceptible.
“How do you know about that?” He asked as his left, sharp brow rose. “I have ears too.” She answered bouncily with a half-witted look. “The servants.” At these two words, she made a playful, sour grimace.
“Yes, but don’t punish them please. It was me listening on while pretending to sleep.” She said with a rapid speed.
“Don’t worry, we promise. Only a little reminder for them to have their small talks in their private rooms.” He spoke while gently stroking her hair, his smooth lips curved into a soothing smile. “Regarding the chosen, no not a single one has been found yet.” He said with a stoic demeanor while taking a sip from his glass with the ruby decoration.
“Will they live with us?” She asked as her eyes went wide, her face leaning closer while he remained stoic, resistant to the childish charms of her daughter. He let out a defeated sigh after taking one more sip from his drink.
“Most definitely. This is the safest place in our Empire after all.” He walked to the bookshelves in front as he decided to give her this piece of information. Then as if the Deos heard his silent prayer, a knock resonated through the door.
“We’re afraid, but that will be all for now.” He said with a somber look on his divine face while turning back to her.
She walked up to him and the two embraced each other before the door opened up as the words poured out from his mouth. An elegantly dressed drachelf walked in with lustrous ebon hair, perfectly smooth, fair skin with scales swirling from the sides framing his face, curving under the cheeks like the tentacles of krakens often depicted on navigational charts. His slit dark pupils gleamed, possessing an ethereal luster as the light reflected off of them similar to his attire’s.
He gently bowed, first to Aurelithae’s father, then to her before she left after reciprocating it. For a while she tried to listen beyond the door, her hearing sharpening, picking up on the rhythmic chirping of the birds in the garden, and the soothing voice of his father inquiring about the chosen at the continent. Before she could learn anything more, his voice completely faded.
After a few more tries, she gave up and decided to prepare for tomorrow. The day of her imitation filled her with hope, a hope for a better dawn…