“Stash those in here,” said Rufus, opening a broom cupboard and taking Friedrich and Teleri’s weapons. “I suppose you do not have better clothes? Leather armour is probably not the most appropriate attire for a party.”
“Father insisted,” said Friedrich, lying through his teeth. “He’s always worried about my safety and made us promise not to travel without weapons or armour. You can never be too careful in strange lands, Rufus. Come to think of it, perhaps you should get a sword of your own.”
“Oh no,” said Rufus, waving his hands dismissively. “That would not do. That would not do at all. I’ll leave that to you. You were always much more taken with your combat training than I was. Now, come, come!”
Rufus shooed the pair up a staircase and towards murmuring that slowly grew into general chitchat. Stepping through an archway at the top of the stairs, Friedrich could see the other guests. They were an eclectic bunch, all dressed in much fancier cleaner clothes than Friedrich’s brown leather and Teleri’s dark leather. The two stuck out like a sore thumb. The noblemen and women were mostly Asterrans; the brown-skinned people who lived populously in both Asterra and Kai’roh, but there were a few others. Many of them other subraces of human, a few varieties of elves and a single black-furred wolven who stood out almost as much as Friedrich and Teleri.
“Whatever you do, do not draw attention to us,” Friedrich warned Rufus. “The last thing we want is a big scene when we weren’t invited.”
“But you were invited! By me!” insisted Rufus before opening his mouth to belt out an introduction, but Friedrich grabbed his arm.
“Please, Rufus,” said Friedrich, growing desperate. “It’s unbecoming to make a scene against our wishes, is it not?”
Rufus sighed and shrugged. “Very well, suit yourselves. But do try and mingle a little, Friedrich.”
“We will,” said Friedrich as Rufus strutted off to talk to a portly woman who beamed at him as he approached.
“Come with me,” said Teleri, grabbing Friedrich by the wrist and dragging him out onto an empty balcony. She checked to make sure nobody was looking before her expression turned angry. “What is going on, Friedrich?”
Upon speaking, she shoved his sword and shield at him. Much to Friedrich’s surprise, she had her bow and quiver slung over her back.
“How did you get those?” he asked her in surprise.
“Do not change the subject,” she said pointedly. It was clear to Friedrich she was in no mood for deflections and further lies. “Who is that man and why did you have to deceive him about our…marital status? We are certainly not married and I am certainly not with child!”
“I know that!” snapped Friedrich. “He’s the son of a Mercian lord and…well, so am I.”
“And why did he think that you and your family may have been dead?”
“Did we not have an agreed pact about not discussing our pasts?”
“You have now dragged me into your past. What is to happen if we run into others and they also expect us to be married because that oaf has spread the word? Do you know how gossipy noble households are?”
“More than you do,” said Friedrich as Teleri leaned on the edge of the balcony and folded her arms. “Look, my family situation is…different to most. I was happy to let those who knew me believe I was dead. It makes things much simpler for me.”
“And now it is known that you are alive. Frankly, I am surprised you were not recognised at Lord Buckstone’s ball.”
“My father would have been recognised, but I tended not to fraternise in the noble circles. I spent most of my childhood learning from—mmm!”
Friedrich’s words were cut off by Teleri throwing her arms around his shoulders and planting a kiss upon his lips. She had her eyes open and was looking past him before shimmying around so that he blocked her.
“Goodness!” called a sharp voice as someone approached the balcony. “Excuse me.”
Friedrich wanted to pull away, but he didn’t want to interrupt whatever it was her plan was. After about twenty second, she broke away and wiped her mouth with her hand.
“I apologise,” said Teleri quietly, her face red with embarrassment.
“Stop doing that!” Friedrich barked.
“Shush! I do not think he realised who I am,” said Teleri, putting her hand over Friedrich’s mouth. “You are not the only one of us who knows someone here. Please, do not draw any attention this way. We are going to leave immediately; Rufus and his socialising be damned.”
“Is it that urgent?” asked Friedrich upon Teleri removing her hand.
“Yes. Quickly now.”
Teleri hurried back into the room and then stopped abruptly, turning around and shoving Friedrich towards the balcony.
“You have some nerve!” spat a harsh voice from the doorway, making Teleri freeze. She closed her eyes, upset that she had been spotted and slowly turned around. The voice was from the same man who had promptly excused himself upon thinking he had interrupted something. “Teleri Alvarani…”
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
The man was a high elf, like Teleri with the same golden skin town, albeit less glowing, and brown hair that shimmered almost golden, but not quite. His harsh features were twisted in contempt as he stared at the beautiful elf, who met his furious sneer with a neutral face.
“Malcanto,” said Teleri coldly. “What are you doing so far away from the islands?”
“Do not dare speak to me!” barked the man, taking a staff from his back and pointing at Teleri, but as he had drawn his weapon, so too had she. “Oh, so you would kill me too, would you? After all this time, you have not changed in the slightest.”
“You moved for your weapon first,” said Teleri, keeping calm. Friedrich was slowly and quietly moving his hand to his sword.
“Murderer!” screamed Malcanto. “The wage of sin is death. You do not deserve the gift of life for what you did to one of our own. Your time is up, Teleri.”
Malcanto unleashed a flame from his staff, but Friedrich moved in front of Teleri and blocked the brunt of it with his shield. He charged forward, shoving his round metal guardian into the high elf’s staff, upon which, its enchantment took effect. A shockwave erupted from it, knocking the staff from Malcanto’s hands.
There were screams from the other nobles and Friedrich spotted Rufus in the corner, looking on in horror. He was mouthing something rapidly, but Friedrich could not tell what he was saying. With an apologetic look, he grabbed Teleri’s arm and pulled her over the balcony with him.
He turned into a fox before hitting the stone and nimbly rolling over, immediately reverting into a human and running. Teleri had landed almost as effortlessly, her natural elven agility making things easy for her.
The two sprinted through the streets, but it did not seem as though anyone was chasing them. Regardless of that, they kept running as fast as their legs could carry them. They had both known that going to the party was a mistake, but to have been such an unrelenting disaster was not something that either of them could have predicted.
Friedrich and Teleri did not stop until they reached a cluster of large stones outside Kar’thay, upon which they hid behind the stones and fell to the ground, panting. They lay there, staring at the sky without saying a word until their breathing had slowed back to its normal pace, yet even so, their hearts were still racing.
“You’re wanted for murder?” asked Friedrich, sitting up.
“Malcanto does not know the whole story,” said Teleri, climbing to her feet and peering out from the rocks to ensure that they had indeed not been followed. “This murder I am to have committed? It was committed by another. But, if I ever see her, I will become guilty of murder.”
“I have only one question to ask you,” Friedrich said, brushing the sand off his boots.
“Yes?”
“Does she deserve it?”
“More than anyone I know.”
“Count me in.”
Teleri looked at him. She looked equally surprised and touched. “You would do that for me? Without knowing anything about the situation?”
“Yes,” said Friedrich, standing up. “As would Marina. We trust you, as you trust us.”
Teleri smiled at him. She walked over and took his hand. “Thank you,” she said, squeezing his fingers. “But I think it is time that you do know the truth about me. I would not ask you to blindly kill.”
Teleri released Friedrich’s hand, walked over to one of the smaller rocks and sat down. “As you have no doubt worked out, I am unable to return to Alauria. This is because of my wretched sister-in law, Vindrae, and the person that she murdered was my brother, Teldur.”
“The man in the portrait…” whispered Friedrich, thinking back to the forest shrine and the wicked magic of Malzuth causing both Teleri and Marina to see images of those dear to them.
“Yes,” said Teleri. “I never liked Vindrae much, but I would never have thought her capable of what she did. She…”
Teleri looked away, sniffled and wiped her eyes. Friedrich pretended not to notice, knowing it would hurt her pride.
“Excuse me,” she murmured before returning to her story. “She always had a fascination with conjuration magic, which can bring both wonder and devastation. In her case, she opted for devastation, and chose demonic beings as her summonings of choice. I warned her time and time again that demonic forces are not to be trifled with.
“I spoke to Teldur about it and he downplayed it because of how dearly devoted to his wife he was. I, of course, knew that it bothered him. I knew him better than anyone, even better than she did. He was the dearest person to me and because I did nothing to stop her but try and use reason…he died. A summoning backfired and took hold of Vindrae, refusing to release her unless she had another soul that could be given up as an offering. In her desperation, rather than face a much-earned death, she chose to sacrifice Teldur in her place.
“I saw the whole thing from afar, but I was too late to save him. I wasn’t, however, too late to make her suffer. I tried to strangle her, but the family servants had rushed out upon hearing the commotion from the demon only to find me with my hands around my sister-in-law’s neck and the body of my brother lying on the ground.
“Who would believe me? I had always hated her and had been caught trying to kill her. In an act of perceived mercy, my father told me that I am never to be seen again before alerting the guards. He gave me ten minutes to flee out of a duty to cherish his daughter’s life, but I know that he feels nothing but disdain for me. He loved Vindrae more than he loved me. I was always climbing on things and shooting deer, activities that were considered beneath me, whereas she was always prim and proper. You are not the only noble of our little party, Friedrich. I am one also.”
“And that’s how you got into Lord Buckstone’s ball, no questions asked,” said Friedrich.
“It is.”
“If there was a way to prove your innocence, would you want it?”
Teleri shook her head solemnly. “No,” she said. “All I want is that witch’s head with a hole through it, courtesy of one of my arrows. And I want her to know that it was me who did it, with a smile on my face. I do not care about my name. I only care about one thing. Revenge.”
“You and me both,” said Friedrich, looking at her. His eyes were unusually shadowed and Teleri could have sworn she spied a hint of fire in him that reminded her of the minotaur. She felt afraid in that moment, but it passed, and Friedrich started walking. “I think we’ve been here long enough,” he said. “Let’s get back to Marina.”
“Yes. First of all, however, Friedrich, there is something else,” said Teleri, her voice now stern.
“The kiss? Yes, another vow of silence,” he said, chuckling. “But I would appreciate it if you would stop doing that.”
“Yes,” said Teleri, poking him in the side in an uncharacteristically playful manner. “I am aware that you love her.”
“Are you going to tell her—”
“No.”
“—about your brother…”
“Ah,” said Teleri, cocking her head to the side and thinking for a moment. “Yes. I think I will. I think it is about time that I stop keeping secrets from you both.”
“I…my father…” said Friedrich, not knowing how to put what he wanted to say into words.
“If you are not ready, you are not ready,” said Teleri. “Whatever you need me to do, I will do. If finding the Orb of Valskythe is what it takes, then I will not complain…much.”
“I believe that it will help me harness the powers of the minotaur,” said Friedrich darkly. “And power is what I need. I need power that cannot be pushed away or stolen from me. And I need it to be a great power that can bring hell to those who have wronged my family.”
“Then we will get that orb.”