One by one, the scholars performed their various skills—singing, dancing, musical exhibitions, spellcasting displays, and a dramatic play. The evening would culminate in a grand musical performance by the Aethyr Orchestra, closing the night in splendor.

The Play: The Mortal Affection

The play told an ancient tale from the Third Era, a time when the magical kingdom of the elves opened its gates to the human realm. In this era of newfound unity, tribes of elves—high elves, snow elves, wood elves, and dark elves—merged with humanity by the grace of Elutharion, the Starborne.

The central character was Virilis, a legendary human warrior. Known for his undefeated streak in both single combat and large-scale battles, Virilis was a mercenary who owed loyalty only to gold. He would even fight against his own kin for the right price.

Virilis stepped forward, his voice solemn and proud:

"I was born amidst the purple waterfalls.

I was weak, yet not unblessed.

Dead to the world, alive for the journey.

One night, I dreamt a white rose withering,

A newborn drowning in a lifetime of loneliness.

I dreamt all my future, relived my past.

I witnessed the beauty of the beast.

Where have all the feelings gone?"

The drama unfolded as Virilis was hired to fight against the elves. In a fateful battle, he faced Elara, a graceful and nimble wood elf. Though he had slain many elves in this war, he found himself overmatched by Elara’s swift and deadly skill. The two engaged in a dance of blades on stage, sword clashing against sword to the powerful strains of the orchestra. Virilis, using his sword, dagger, and shield, found himself pinned by Elara’s relentless close-quarter attacks. And when he tried to retreat, her arrows struck him with perfect precision, wounding his shoulder and thigh.

As Virilis fell, mortally wounded, Elara stood victorious, her blade at his throat. Red cloth fluttered into the air to represent his lifeblood, spilling onto the stage. With a haunting melody behind her, Elara whispered:

"Over the hills and far away,

He swears he will return one day.

Far from the mountains and blue seas,

Back into arms he swore he'd be."

Just as darkness began to claim him, fate spared his life. Elara’s tribe decided to show him mercy, recognizing his unmatched prowess in battle, despite Elara’s protests. As he lay dying, a princess—Elara’s twin sister, E’liana—tended to his wounds. Virilis, in his weakened state, whispered:

"I’m going down so frail and cruel,

Dying disguise changes all the rules.

A princess cares for the wounds of my frail body.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I wish I had an angel for one moment of love."

Virilis gradually recovered, sparring with Elara under the watchful eyes of her sister. E’liana’s affection for him grew, while Elara developed an uneasy trust in his loyalty. However, their father, the elven king, vehemently opposed the union of elf and human, warning that Virilis’ mortal lifespan would bring nothing but heartache to E’liana.

Despite this, Virilis fought alongside the elves, securing their territories and winning many battles for the elven king. Yet, no feat of loyalty could change the king’s decision to forbid the relationship.

"Would you do it with me—

Heal the scars and change the stars?

Would you do it for me—

Turn loose the heaven within?"

In secret, E’liana and Virilis nurtured their love, and soon E’liana carried his child. They fled the tribe, seeking peace in a distant land, far from the scrutiny of the elven kingdom. But as the years passed, the cruel truth of their different lifespans began to set in. Virilis aged rapidly, while E’liana remained eternally youthful.

"Sorrow has a human heart.

From my god, it will depart.

I’d sail before a thousand moons,

Never finding where to go."

In the end, Virilis passed away, leaving E’liana and their child alone. The play’s final scene showed E’liana, holding their child, as she gazed toward the horizon—her eyes filled with eternal grief for the love she had lost.

"I wish for this night-time

To last for a lifetime.

The darkness around me,

Shores of a solar sea.

Oh how I wish to go down with the sun,

Sleeping, weeping, with you."

The audience erupted into applause as the story came to its bittersweet conclusion. Little did Aethyrvald know, as he performed the closing music score on his lute, that this was the story of his own mother. The tale, passed down through generations, was that of E’liana, his grandmother. Yet, he remained blissfully unaware of the heartbreaking parallel.

As Aethyr’s fingers danced across the strings, the haunting melody filled the hall, each note resonating with raw emotion. The orchestra rose behind him, but in the audience, one figure remained still. The queen, his mother, watched in frozen silence, her eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears.

The music soared, and the emotions Aethyr poured into his lute stirred something deep within her. She held her breath, trying to contain the sob that threatened to escape. But as Aethyr’s eyes briefly met hers, he caught the shimmer of tears trailing down her cheeks. He thought it was pride in his performance. He felt proud, too—he had touched the hearts of the audience, his mother included.

But the queen’s heartache ran deeper than he could ever know. This was not just a beautiful melody to her; it was the echo of her own mother’s sorrow. A tale of love, loss, and the eternal separation between two worlds—one of mortals and one of immortals.

At the crescendo of the final note, Aethyr lowered his lute and bowed. The hall exploded in thunderous applause, but as the curtain fell, the queen collapsed into her seat, weeping silently. Her steward, Falk Firebear, rushed to her side, gently placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. But no comfort could ease the pain that gripped her heart.

Her son, oblivious to the truth, had unknowingly revived the ghost of her past. The same music that had once brought her joy now tore at her soul with a grief she could not bear to show. She could only watch, her tears falling quietly, as her son unknowingly walked in the shadow of their family's tragic history.