Avalyne Series 02: The Easterling

by Linda Thackeray

  She guessed that while he may never say it, he did have some affection for the King of Carleon.

  Melia was also surprised when she was questioned not just by the court but Halion himself about the Eastern Sphere. For many of them, she was their first contact with an Easterling and there was genuine interest in learning about her people. Melia explained what she could—about Balfure's influence on the eastern lands, appearing as a benevolent teacher who helped them survive the harsh desert terrain while he secretly moulded them into his private fiefdoms. To the Easterlings, Balfure had appeared to them as a god and his indoctrination of them was so complete, that it had been a blow on so many levels to learn that he could die.

  ‘Father,’ Aeron asked after Melia explained her reasons for coming to the west. ‘Have you met any mage of the Enphilim that may have been in these parts?’

  Halion seemed surprised at the question as they sat along the long table and set down his goblet to take in the question. ‘Not for a very long time,’ he answered. ‘During the war, we encountered them of course. The mages aided us against the Primordials by weakening the creatures long enough for us to kill them. However, Mael was cunning soon directed Syphia and Balfure to hunt them down and kill them one by one. Why do you ask?’

  Aeron glanced at Melia who was seated next to him and nodded at her to ask, ‘when I was in Tor Iolan, I had a dream about my mother being imprisoned by the Disciples but present there was someone they called a mage. He was helping them keep the River Daughters imprisoned. ‘

  ‘A mage helping the Disciples!’ Syanne exclaimed with shock. ‘It cannot be.’

  ‘Are you certain my dear?’ Halion asked, not about to discount the girl's dreams. Elves put much stock in dreams and a vision was nothing to take lightly.

  ‘The Disciple called him Mage and he was unlike any mortal I have seen in my lands. His skin was dark but much darker than my people.’

  Halion blinked in recognition, ‘I do know of a mage whose skin was as you described but I have not seen him since the end of the War when I spoke of my desire to come south. His name was Edwyn and he had spoken about exploring Avalyne but that was almost four thousand years ago. I have heard nothing of him since then. With what Balfure did to the mages he knew of in Avalyne, I assumed that Edwyn was killed too.’

  She had a name but that was all she had and Melia could not hide her disappointment. Still it was more than she had a moment ago. ‘Thank you my Lord,’ she said gratefully.

  ‘We will find him Melia,’ Aeron assured her, reaching for her hand and squeezing it.

  The gesture was not lost on Kangaloon.

  ******

  When Kangaloon asked her to dance after the meal was eaten and the musicians had taken over the hall, filling it with music and happy couples on the floor, Melia could not refuse.

  Even as he led her out onto the floor, she suspected an ulterior purpose and guessed he was taking the opportunity to have a private word with her, away from the rest of his family. As they took the centre of the floor, she glanced at Aeron and saw that the Prince was watching them closely, trying to appear indifferent even if Melia knew better. She could read him well enough now to know that he was nervous. Until now, the King showed no reaction to his son’s obvious attraction but Melia had spied Halion watching their interaction closely throughout the evening. As they began to move, lost amidst the other dancers, Melia braced herself for what was coming.

  Halion did not mince words and got to the heart of the matter straight away.

  ‘He loves you,’ Halion broke his silence as his deep gaze bore into her.

  Since he was so frank with her, Melia decided the best course was to return his honesty in kind.

  ‘Yes he does,’ she denied nothing, ‘ I am sorry for that.’

  A part of her railed against having to apologise for Aeron since there was no controlling the heart when it decided what it wanted. Neither she nor Aeron had committed any sin by falling for each other, it was only their origins that made their love so tragic.

  ‘Do you love him?’ Halion asked, surprised by her apology.

  ‘Yes I do,’ she confirmed, refusing to insinuate that this was a one-sided affair when she knew better. She loved her Prince and may well love him until death even if everything about their romance was doomed from the start.

  ‘Then I am sorry too,’ he replied and it was Melia’s turn to be surprised as she saw genuine sadness in his eyes. The aloof mask that he wore for the benefit of his people lowered momentarily and Melia glimpsed the man behind the King.

  ‘I have nothing against you, daughter of Hezare,’ Halion explained himself, ‘I know something of the loss he will carry if he does not abandon you and I will not see my son endure such grief if it can be avoided. If you remain with him, rest assured he will love you for all of your days when you are gone he will be alone for the rest of his, if the grief does not kill him first.’

  Melia blinked. The pain of such a fate befalling Aeron so acute in her chest it felt like a knife through the heart. She glanced at him, her Prince who loved her for some reason she could not fathom, who was willing to throw caution to the winds just for a few short decades with her and knew she could not let him suffer that way. Even now, he watched her with his father, his eyes showing his worry when the rest of him was maintaining its cheerful facade for the benefit of the court.

  ‘You tell me nothing I do not already know, Kangaloon,’ she admitted, her voice lowering to a hoarse whisper. ‘I have tried to tell him that there can be nothing between us but I cannot dissuade him.’

  ‘Then break his heart,’ the King stated coldly.

  ‘Break his heart?' She stared at Halion and saw the return of the cold, rigid King that Aeron described to her. As his dark eyes bore into Melia’s own, she could well believe this was the King that was driving away his son and was once prepared a mortal infant die alone in the woods.

  ‘I do not understand,’ she declared and she really did not perceive what he was alluding to.

  ‘My son feels things deeply as you well know and his trust when given is absolute. If you break it, it will not be easily repaired. You are a woman, I am certain you know of how you can do that.’ His gaze felt like point of a knife, drawing blood by how deep it cut.

  Melia almost snatched her arm away from him when the King’s meaning fully dawned upon her. Remembering that they were being observed she quickly averted her gaze from father to son and saw that Aeron was standing up from the table. The Prince had seen her reaction and needed little prompting to across the floor and come to her defence.

  As it stood, Melia had intended leaving Eden Halas as soon as possible. When Aeron had revealed where the necklace she wore around her neck had originated, she knew she had no choice. However, Halion’s way would do considerable harm even if it did do what he intended.

  ‘I cannot,’ she retorted, ‘I will not do that to Aeron.’

  ‘If you truly care about him then you need to be strong enough to make the right choice for the you both. Sometimes Melia, to be kind you must be cruel.’

  ‘May I cut in?’ Aeron suddenly appeared through the crowd.

  For a few seconds, father and son stared at each other as if they were locked in combat.

  ‘Of course,’ Halion said relinquishing his hold of Melia and stepping aside for his son, ‘enjoy your evening my dear.’ His eyes brushed Melia’s slyly as he drew away.

  Melia did not speak as she felt Aeron take his father’s place, unaware that even though he was retreating, Halion had already won.

  ******

  ‘Well that was not so terrible was it?’ Aeron asked as he walked her to her room when she was ready to retire for the night. Even though it was on the tip of his tongue, he refrained from asking her what had been said between her and his father. Whatever it was, Aeron could tell Melia was unsettled.

  As Aeron guessed so accurately, Melia was shaken by her discussion with the King but managed to compose herself enough to
feign enjoyment for the rest of the evening. Despite her abhorrence at his suggestion, his words lingered in the back of her mind throughout the night. Worse yet, Aeron’s attentiveness to her throughout the feast and Melia’s responsiveness to him seemed to prove his point that unless something drastic was done, they would both reach the point of no return and be doomed to the tragedy that followed.

  As the celebration stretched into the night, the hour grew late enough for Melia to excuse herself without offending her hosts. According to Aeron, the feast could continue into the small hours of the morning and not all the guests had the stamina to remain for the duration so Melia could leave without much fanfare. After saying her goodnight to the royal family, no one was particularly surprised when Aeron escorted her back to the room.

  ‘What was?’ Melia asked, glancing at him when they reached the door to her room.

  ‘Being with me,’ He answered, trying to keep the mood light even though the shadow that had fallen over her face after her dance with Halion remained there all night. Instead, he hoped to divert her with less demanding conversation until he was ready to ask her what had upset her so. While Aeron could guess his father’s words, his own arguments with Melia during their journey here indicated there was nothing Halion could say that should have surprised her.

  ‘Being with you is easy,’ Melia said smiling at him as she opened the door and stepped inside, expecting him to follow. ‘I enjoyed myself. It reminded me of the celebrations my family used to have when my father came home from battle. I had forgotten what it was like to get dressed up and dance all night.’

  However, it was not simply the memories of the past that made her smile. Being with him was easy and even though she knew it was folly, it was so easy to fall into his eyes and forget everyone else. When they were not burdened with heavier matters, she felt so carefree and complete in his company that it was hard to imagine a time when he was not in her life. Together, they were able to laugh and joke, take playful delight in each other’s eccentricities and feel a connection that was apparent to everyone at the table. It was frightening how attuned to him she felt. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

  ‘You should do it more often,’ Aeron said following her in, taking up the unspoken invitation. ‘We elves love our ceremony especially when we have guests.’ He replied glad to hear she enjoyed some of the evening.

  As she turned to face him, he caught her hand and slid an arm around her waist. ‘We could dance in here,’ he said pulling her gently towards him. ‘I can still hear the music.’

  Melia smiled, not resisting the touch of him because she too could hear it, carried on the wind through her open window. ‘I did not know that apart from being an expert archer, you were such able dancer.’ She teased, allowing him to twirl her around in his arms.

  ‘I would say the same thing about you,’ he pointed. ‘Who knew under all watch guard, there is not only a beautiful woman but a lady of court.’

  ‘I was not always a watch guard,’ she reminded him. ‘My father was a nobleman among the Nadira, I was raised a proper young lady.’

  ‘Melia,’ Aeron said holding her to him, their bodies swaying as if they were still dancing. ‘When you are done with your quest to find your mother. Come with me on my journey.’

  ‘Your journey?’ Melia raised a brow in question. While completing her quest seemed very far away, she was intrigued by the mention of his mission. She knew that he had plans beyond remaining in Eden Halas but until now, Aeron had not told her what they were.

  ‘Yes,’ he said seriously. ‘I spoke to Dare before we left and I am going to the woods of Ardhen when this all done. I intend to take as many elves that will go with me to those woods and rebuild Eden Ardhen. If Tor Arden is to ever lose its power then the woods must be reclaimed. I intend to that and I know that there are many of my people who tired of this hermit’s existence behind the Veil. They want to live in the world too, not hide from it.’

  Melia paused and brushed his cheek, her eyes dancing with pride at his decision. ‘I think that is a wonderful idea Prince. I think the world would benefit from it as much your people.’

  Her approval made filled him with pleasure and he pushed further, ‘then come with me Melia. We can build something together there. Be my wife and I promise you, you will not have cause to regret it.’

  What he proposed went right to the heart of the difficulties between them. For a moment, Melia actually considered a life with him. Taming the woods of Ardhen together, chasing out the Berserkers and putting an end to Tor Ardhen once and for all. Building a new home with him in the woods, something that was exclusive theirs alone. She envisioned the danger and the excitement and all of it was terribly inviting. However, it was what came after that disintegrated the dream.

  He would enjoy their kingdom alone because she would be dead. Eden Ardhen would be a monument to the suffering he would feel at her demise. Letting of that dream, even briefly tore out her heart.

  Melia stopped dancing and stared at him. ‘Prince, you know I cannot.’

  His expression was one of disappointment which she had expected but he was not about to give up, not when he had finally voiced what he wished for them in its purest form. ‘Why? Because of my father? What did he say to you?’ Aeron demanded. ‘I know he said something. I saw your face.’

  Melia turned away from him and went to the doors leading to the balcony outside. She stepped out into the night and saw the beauty of Eden Halas before her, the lights of the arboreal city competing with the stars above. Surrounded by all this, it was easy to be lost in the moment but that was their trouble. Moments were all they had.

  ‘Nothing that I did not already know.’ She said standing at the wooden rail and shrugged.

  Aeron’s cursed under his breath, a lifetime of unresolved anger at his father surfacing more acutely than had ever before. He was furious with his father but he also wished Melia had more faith. Stepping into the open air with her, he curled his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear.

  ‘Melia, my father’s opinion matters little to me. I love you and I want to be with you. Can you not trust in that?’

  Melia sucked in her breath, wishing he would not do this. ‘I trust you Aeron,’ she turned around and faced him, wishing he understood why she was so adamant. He did not see she could not bear the thought of leaving him alone. ‘But I will not live with the guilt of knowing that when I am gone, I will be the cause of so much pain.’

  ‘Yes,’ he nodded, not denying it. ‘There will be pain Melia but I am not a fool. I still want a life with you and when you are gone, I will be able to take comfort in the years we had together.”

  ‘You say that now,” she returned, “but it will be different when it is a reality. I do not want you to spend eternity in misery. I do not want that for you.’

  ‘So you take the choice away from me?’ he demanded pulling her hand away from his jaw.

  The action wounded her and whether or not it was hurt or Halion’s words that prompted it, she reached for the chain around her neck and ran her fingers along the chain around her neck, ‘You should take this back. This is not mine to have Prince.’

  With that, she broke away and retreated into the room again. However Aeron’s ire was up and he was not about to let the argument end there.

  ‘I wish you to have it,’ he declared in exasperation as he chased her in. ‘Can you not let me have my way in this one thing?’

  ‘Someday you may want to give this to someone you care for...’ she started to say before he cut her off savagely.

  ‘I already care for you Melia! Whether you are at my side or away from it will change nothing of my feelings. There will never be anyone after you. Do you not know that by now?’

  Once again, Halion’s words coming back to haunt her and she knew that there was no other course left to her. The Celestial Gods forgive her, the King was right. To free Aeron, she had to be cruel.

  ‘Yes I do,’ she swallowe
d down the anguish and took up the action she had sworn only hours ago she would not do. Turning to face him once more, she suddenly closed the distance between them, saying nothing as she approached. When she reached him, Melia coiled her arms around his neck and drew him to her so that she could plant a soft, tentative kiss upon his lips.

  ‘I love you,’ she whispered after that initial contact was made, ‘I will always love you.’

  Aeron regarded her with puzzlement for a moment, uncertain what she was about until she kissed him again with greater urgency. He felt her tongue probing past his lips as she tugged at him more insistently, until he could feels her nails in his back, drawing him into a sweet trap of pleasure and pain. Her breasts pushed against his chest, until he was aware of every part of her body pressed against him, waiting for reciprocation. She was seducing him with her mouth, plying his skin with small insistent kisses that ran along his jaw and up his cheek before culminating in a playful nip of his ear.

  Considering the arousal that surged through him at that action, he was rather surprised he was able to pull away from her lips at all. He needed to understand what was going on here, what had suddenly changed between them to warrant this passionate display. Yet another part of him was throwing caution to the winds. That part of him that was very male wanted to revel in the pleasure of her, wanted to bask in it more than his next breath.

  ‘What is this Melia?’ He managed ask despite the shortness of breath that came from his increased excitement.

  ‘This is just us Prince,’ she said holding his gaze, trying to convince him that her intentions were pure. ‘Let us not think about tomorrow. We keep looking so far ahead that we are forgetting that right now is all really that matters. Let’s just be Aeron and Melia for tonight, nothing more. We can worry about what follows tomorrow.’