Chapter 35 - Dahn
The dignified elf was sitting in nothing but rags, stripped of his enchanted items and armor. But it was easy to see he was a warrior. His body was incredibly athletic, with muscles that seemed like they could pry these bars open on their own. He was more rugged than any other elf Lilly had seen, with thick brown eyebrows and a stout nose.
He shot up from his bed once he saw Eolande walking into sight, clearly more than surprised to see her. “Ande?! What… how are you here? Samuel?” He looked at the advisor for answers, but received only a silent stare.
Eolande smiled lovingly at him. “Because of your stupid amulet, love. We confronted Holtar just now because of his sacrifice of Thundrel. He used the amulet to try and lure me into a trap yesterday, but Lilly came after me and… Well, resolved things, I guess.”
Lilly was also smiling, seeing Eolande showing obvious affection toward her husband. She was happy they could meet up again.
Dahn turned to Lilly, still somewhat confused. “This girl? Oh, you’re the Vermilion Enchantress! It’s a pleasure to meet you!” He bowed slightly in respect, even though his position was higher than hers. He glanced back to Eolande with a nervous look. “But, when you say resolved…”
“He’s alive, don’t worry. Although, he was pushing his luck.” Eolande looked at Lilly, smiled, and started stroking her hair. “A lot has happened, especially this last year. Let’s get you out of there so we can talk, and so we can… reunite properly.”
Dahn tried suppressing a smile as he looked at one of the guards. “Hey, Timmy, open the door for me, would you?”
It was hard to know why the guard sighed so deeply, but Lilly assumed it was due to the nickname. The man was well over fifty. He looked over at the advisor, Samuel, who nodded back, before fetching his key and opening the door.
Dahn didn’t have to bother with leaving the cell; Eolande had already entered and embraced him with both her hands and feet, holding her forehead against his.
He laughed. “Oh, you’ve gotten even faster?” Then he embraced her back while sitting back down on the bed. “I’ve missed you, Willow. But this bed isn’t all that comfortable, so let’s get out of here first, huh?”
Eolande clung to him a little while longer, but she eventually let go and stood back up. She wiped a few tears while she was still turned away from the bars, which Lilly thought was cute.
The couple left the cell together, both smiling widely. Eolande even did a happy little wiggle as Lilly looked at her, making her laugh. “I’m really happy for you, Elly. And it’s nice to meet you, Dahn. I haven’t heard too much about you, but I know why you’re down here. And as the Lady Protector of Thundrel, I thank you.” She returned the bow from before, a bit deeper than his had been.
“Oh, don’t mention it. It’s not the first time I’ve disagreed with one of the rulers here, and it won’t be the last, it seems. I only follow my heart.”
“Then I’m glad you’re one of our generals. Can I ask about the nickname?” Lilly asked, pointing at Eolande. She had never heard her even mention Willow trees before.
“Ah, it’s from our first meeting. She was standing under a willow tree, shielded by the rain. I found her to be quite breathtaking, and have ever since.”
Eolande tilted her head, still smiling. “You should mention that I was trying to kill you, my love.”
“Well, that’s less romantic. Besides, you weren’t trying all that hard, were you?”
“Oh, I would say I was trying pretty hard. You were just too damn strong to let me.”
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Dahn laughed. “I have a few centuries on you; I’m sure you would win if we were equal in age."
Eolande seemed to consider it. “Yeah, I might have beaten you if I were to travel back to that time now. But I’ve received an item from the greatest enchantress I’ve ever seen, so it’s slightly unfair.”
Dahn looked at Eolande in surprise, and in response, she nodded toward Lilly, which in turn made him even more surprised. “You’re at such a high level? At your age?”
Lilly was still smiling due to seeing Eolande act so close to someone other than herself, but now she started blushing. “Uh, well, the flame is the main reason for it. But I’m pretty confident in my abilities, yes.”
Dahn shook his head incredulously before looking at Eolande again. “You keep finding these incredible talents, dear. Speaking of, how are the last two doing? Eldrin and Thoren, was it?”
“Mostly good, but they’re both fighting in the war right now. I’m worried, but I think they’ll be fine… But also, Lilly isn’t an apprentice!” She walked up to Lilly and hugged her tightly. “She’s my goddaughter!”
Dahn looked flabbergasted, with his mouth dropping open as he looked at Lilly. “Wha… Really? Does this mean you’re starting to consider having kids?” He looked excited, staring at Eolande.
She didn’t seem quite as excited, but she didn’t deny it either. “Well, maybe sooner than I thought. Now that I know I have those instincts… I feel less nervous about it.”
Lilly could imagine Eolande would hesitate due to the horrible childhood she had experienced. She wasn’t sure how old elves usually got before having kids, but if they waited for 800 years, she could understand why they were a rare sight in these lands.
Dahn seemed happy either way. “I still won’t rush you, of course. The war will at least have to be dealt with first. But let’s get out of this dreary place and figure out what to do next.”
Lilly nodded, having had enough of the damp air permeating the dungeons. “Good idea; I still need to talk some more with the king. Or rather, with Holtar.”
The title of king didn’t suit the man anymore as he was in the process of stepping down. He would get to keep his life, but Lilly thought some time in the dungeons would do him good, at the very least.
the four of them, including the advisor Samuel, left the dungeon behind and started heading back to the throne room.
Once they entered, they found Holtar sitting on the stairs in front of the throne, still without his crown. He seemed deep in thought but got up once he saw them enter.
The female advisor was standing next to him, but the two Royal Guards were nowhere to be seen.
Lilly felt she had to be the one taking charge here, so she cleared her throat. “Holtar, now that things have turned out like this, how do you think we should move forward? I’ll help in the war, of course, but I need someone to guard Thundrel in the meantime.”
Holtar bowed once she finished speaking. “I thank you for being willing to help in the war, Lady Lilly. You might be just the piece we need to turn the tide. As for everything else, I will announce my failures to the people, and tell them that Adelia will take my position as ruler once she is ready.”
Lilly nodded, mostly satisfied with his words. “You will also give a personal apology to the citizens of Thundrel, and do the same for Lady Selene. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee you won’t find an arrow in your chest one day.”
Holtar seemed to pale slightly at her words, understanding the severity of his betrayal in Selene’s eyes. He sighed, seeming unsure about his next words. “I… still don’t regret my decision back then. Given the difficult circumstances, I think it was the right choice. But I do regret the pain I caused. I will, of course, give my deepest apology to those involved.”
Lilly continued, still not done venting her frustrations. “Good. And after that, you will spend some time in the dungeon to think over your actions.”
He seemed positively surprised at that. “That’s all? No execution, exile, or even torture?”
“No. I was worried about causing a civil war earlier, but now that you’ll confess, we can avoid that no matter what we do. Even still, I’ll let you live. Because of Adelia.”
He bowed again. “Thank you, Lady Lilly. I see I had little to fear from you in the first place. You are exactly what I hoped you would be. And feared you wouldn’t.”
Lilly felt frustrated it had to come to this, but she felt relieved that most everything had been resolved rather easily. Holtar was a reasonable man, understanding that fighting her would be useless. Even if the apparent flimsiness of his barrier earlier had helped convince him, it was nice to avoid having to present evidence in a public court.
“Then I believe we have everything in order. Now, tell me about the war.”