by Jana LaPelle
“My loyalty is pledged to The Morrígan, High Queen of the Fomorians. You are an enemy to my queen. You threaten her plan to make this realm the most powerful of all realms. I do not seek to cause harm to the Tree of Life, but merely ensure that my queen has ultimate control over the Tree, making her the mother of all realms and High Queen over all.” He speaks directly to me. His companion has long ago given up his attempt at keeping him quiet and continues to glare at me.
"Is that all?" I ask, pausing for effect, "So we should just bow down to your queen and allow her to take control of all life? Is that what you're saying? There is a balance for a reason, and your queen's mission will upset the balance of life. If she accomplishes her goal, all the realms will be adversely affected." I pause again and then ask, "Do you have a name?"
“Garrik, my name is Garrik.”
"Well Garrik, do you have a family? If so how will all this impact them? I don't believe that you've been given all the facts as to what your queen's plan will ultimately do to all the realms. You seem like a smart guy, so I ask that you and your companion think about the histories as you know them and ponder what will happen if one person obtains that kind of power. No one should be that powerful because once the balance is tipped, there will be no going back. I do not know what your queen has promised her followers, but I assure you that she has her own agenda. A war is coming, and you need to decide on which side you will pledge your allegiance. I vow to you and everyone in this room that I will do whatever it takes to make sure that no more harm comes to the Tree of Life. That includes making sure that your queen does not gain control over it upsetting the balance between the realms. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, my lady," Garrik says.
Turning to his cohort in crime I say, “You have been very quiet, do you have anything to add?”
“No. You are the enemy to my queen and therefore my enemy. You mean to trick us by showing us kindness. I am no fool, witch.” He snarls at me and again spitting in my direction.
I look at Alaric and ask, my lips twitching as I try not to smile, "Why does this oaf keep calling me, witch? Everyone knows I'm not a witch. I can be a bit of a bitch at times, but I'm definitely not a witch." He just looks at me and shakes his head. Even though I am trying to make light of these comments, I can feel Alaric's anger and unease through our bond. I squeeze his hand and cup his cheek. I gaze up at him sending reassuring thoughts and love through our bond. Looking down at me he shoots me a small smile, reserved just for me, then he responds not to me but the man in chains in front of us with a gruff voice, "You dishonor my kindred, my mate. If it were up to me, you would continue to go hungry and rot in this cell. She may be able to make light of your slurs toward her, but I assure you I do not. She is a princess, the daughter of Danu, High Queen, and goddess of this realm and you will respect her."
“She is not my queen! I have no respect for the likes of her.” He growls.
I speak up before Alaric completely loses his restraint, “Think what you will, it matters not to me. I will leave you both to think about what I’ve said, what you have done here today, and what side you will choose to fight on. Make no mistake of my intentions. I will go to battle and fight to the death to protect the Tree of Life and the balance between the realms to ensure that the realms do not fall. I have nothing personal against The Morrígan, but she is an enemy to the Tree and therefore my enemy. I at this moment declare myself the Tree’s champion. To go against the Tree is to go against my Guard and me. I will be back tomorrow morning. In the meantime clean your wounds, rest and get some nourishment." I turn to Alaric, "Will you escort me out?" Turning to the guards, I say sternly, "See to it that each man has a blanket. There is a chill in the air down here. I meant what I said about food and water." I hear Alaric snort his disagreement at my side. That's when I see TNT standing quietly in the corner with several other men that I have not yet met. Tolin steps towards us and says, "Princess, your Guard would be honored to escort you out of the dungeon."
"I would be honored to have my Guard escort me." I say with a smile and then look back to the two prisoners in their cell and say, "I hope to see both of you in better shape in the morning." With that, I turn to Alaric, and we're led back out of the dungeon with men in front and behind us.
As we step back into the bright afternoon light of the courtyard, and as my eyes adjust, I can see the three unfamiliar men from below more clearly now, all of them are dressed in brown leathers, including Alaric. Each wears a sleeveless leather vest, and all are heavily armed with either swords, daggers, throwing knives, and even battle axes. Not to mention, that they, themselves are a lethal weapon. I look up at Alaric for introductions as he pulls me to his side wrapping his left arm around my waist and smiling down at me.
"Ashlinn, I should introduce you to the rest of your Guard." He gestures to the left and begins to name the three men I don't recognize. "This is Fergus, Lorcan, and Ēolieus. Men, this is my kindred, Ashlinn Ryllae Elan." At that, all five men go down on their left knee, make a fist with their right hand and place it over their hearts, and bow their heads. In unison, they say, "My lady."
Not sure what to do I look at Alaric questioningly, he only nods and waits for me to act. "Please stand. I hope to get to know each of you in time. I know that my ways are different from yours, but I hope that I can learn from you and you from me. You honor me, and I can only hope to live up to your expectations." I take a moment to look them over; they're all so very different. Fergus is enormous. He stands well over six foot five inches tall, not to mention that he is a tree trunk of a man with all those bulging muscles. His hair is a fiery red with a closely trimmed beard, brown eyes, and tanned but freckled physique. Fergus is the only member of the guard to carry battle axes and throwing axes. Lorcan's dark hair is shaved close to his head as is his five o'clock shadow. Friendly brown eyes look back at me. Then there is Ēolieus who reminds me of the elves from Lord of the Rings. His long straight platinum blond hair is pulled back from his face with intricate braids, and the length is allowed to stream down his back. His sapphire blue colored eyes are intense, but he has a friendly air about him. They're all elves like the rest of the Guard, with the exception of Nemus, and I can tell that they're all distinctly different but somehow fit together as a dynamic team.
Alaric garners my attention and asks, "I have to agree with you, your tactic down there with those men was definitely not a tactic that we would have used, but you did manage to sway Garrik. Up till that point, we had gotten absolutely nowhere with either man. What are your intentions tomorrow?" All the men gather around. Tolin grins widely and winks at me while waiting to hear my response.
"It's simple, it all depends on them. The belligerent one will end up remaining in the dungeon until we decide on our course of action with him. Garrik will be more complicated. If he has no ties, he may defect from The Morrígan's camp. If that happens, we will need to think about how to move forward with him. Then again he may have ties that will not allow him to defect. We'll have to see how it plays out. I suggest that we separate the two in the morning and speak to each of them separately. Garrik may be more open to us if that's the case." I say to the men.
Fergus speaks up in a rather deep gruff voice that totally matches his appearance, and I can’t help but smile, “How can you be so sure?” He really is a monster of a man.
"I can't, but my Mom always told me to trust my instincts and right now they're telling me that he is unsure of his queen's intentions. He was open to hearing what I had to say and he opened up when his comrade in arms was obviously pissed to hear him speak up. In fact, you may want to have them put in separate cells if you haven't already." I say looking around.
Alaric nods his head, and Torin walks back to the dungeon guards to give the order. It’s then that I realize how late it has become and the sun has started its downward trek to greet the horizon. “Alaric, when were you expecting your uncle? Shouldn’t h
e be here by now?” I ask.
Alaric grins, “He likes to make an entrance. Let’s go prepare for the evening. He’ll be here soon. I can’t wait for you to meet him and get your take on him. He can be somewhat larger than life.” It’s at that moment that I realize that Alaric’s connection to his uncle may be even stronger than his relationship with his father and I’m grateful for his uncle’s guidance.
Chapter 23
(Ashlinn)
As we make it back to our chambers, I see a beautiful gown has been left hanging from the front of the wardrobe. It is an almost iridescent bronze color that will perfectly highlight my eyes, hair, and coloring. I can't wait to try it on, but Alaric insists that I lay down and rest before the evening begins. I agree only on the principle that I'm actually tired and the day has drained me.
When I wake from my nap, I see that twilight is upon us. I can't imagine why Alaric would have let me sleep so long, and then I take note that he is nowhere to be found but I sense that he is near. My concept of time is completely out of whack. After all, I just woke earlier in the day from a two-day slumber and before that I was stuck in limbo, no wonder I'm having trouble adjusting, my biological clock can't seem to land on the right time for the Realm that I'm in. I take a moment to wander toward the terrace to view the spectacular colors that dusk brings here in Faerie. The sunsets back home are beautiful but don't really compare, and I find myself falling more and more in love with this Realm. Turning, I make my way to the antechamber of our suite as I feel the pull to him in that direction. I enter the outer room to see him sitting with a distinguished-looking elder elf, and they are in quiet conversation. From where I'm standing, I can tell that this elf exudes self-confidence, even I can tell he's powerful, but also has a warm, welcoming demeanor. If I had to describe him I would say, think Sean Connery with a black and silver beard, a widow's peak head full of black and silver peppered hair, his features have a weathered look about them and he sports a tan as if he's outdoors more than inside. I can tell that he took note of me from the moment I walked into the room but is allowing me a moment or two to assess him and form my first impression. Alaric's back is to me, he doesn't turn to me, his only acknowledgment is to prop his right elbow on the arm of his chair and lifts his hand palm up in a quiet invitation for me to join him. I make my way towards Alaric and take his hand in mine. Our kindred mate markings clearly visible for our visitor's inspection.
Alaric looks up at me and smiles and winks, "Άlainn, I hope you rested well. The festivities will be underway in the next hour or so. I have arranged for a lady in waiting to see to your needs this evening. In the meantime, I would like to introduce you to my uncle, The Dagda, High King of Faerie. Uncle, I'm happy to introduce you to my kindred, Ashlinn Ryllae Elan, princess, and daughter of Danu.
At his introduction, The Dagda stands. It's not until then that I realize how truly large a man he is. He's larger than life and appears to even dwarf Alaric. This god could easily be close to seven feet tall, and I feel my jaw drop open as I stare up at him with wide eyes. Alaric chuckles beside me and reaches over to help me shut my mouth.
This massive man before me looks down at me with a twinkle in his eyes and a broad grin on his face as he reaches out his large hand to take mine in his. He bows down to place a gentlemanly kiss on my knuckles. "It's my pleasure, ceann beag, to finally meet you. You were just a wee babe the last time I saw you, and you have grown into a beautiful wee lass. You may call me uncle or, if you are uncomfortable with that, you may call me Dagda as I hope we will become good friends."
I try to shake myself out of the stupor I appear to be in and gather my senses, “It’s very nice to meet you,” I pause before saying, “Dagda. For now, I will call you Dagda, if that’s okay with you?”
“Relax, mo grá, he’s just my uncle. He’s family. I left word that I wanted to speak with him privately once he arrived. He has only been here a few minutes. I thought we would bring him up to speed on recent events. Do you mind if I tell him about this morning and our meeting with Clíodhna?” Alaric asks.
I let out a very unladylike snort, "Maybe we should begin with my first meeting with Danu. I'll let you tell that one as I have a tendency to express my thoughts on that meeting in rather colorful metaphors." I say sarcastically. At that, the god before me bellows out a huge belly laugh and smacks Alaric on the back nearly knocking him over in his enthusiasm.
“My dear boy, I like her! She’s a spitfire. Come, let’s sit and you can tell me all about how Danu managed to upset her daughter on their very first meeting. I bet it will have something to do with her rather domineering demeanor. I might add,” he says looking pointedly at me, “there were two reasons that Danu sent you to the human realm. First is the very obvious reason that she needed to hide you away until you were grown. The second reason, not so obvious. She has always felt that the humans were weak and by sending you to the Mortal Realm, she would ensure that she could bend you to her will because, in theory, if her belief of the humans were true you would be weak of mind and would not think to stand up to her. She couldn't have been more wrong." He says as he winks at me mischievously.
I can’t help but laugh as he looks so smug in his assessment of the situation. Alaric then recounts our meeting with Danu, how the spiritual binding took place, and finally our meeting with Clíodhna and her ominous words about needing to complete the binding before Danu arrives, and then he asks for his counsel. Twilight is quickly becoming night, and the room begins to darken. As if by majic, the sconces on the walls begin to light up these beautiful globes of pale light that continue to brighten as the room continues to dim. I look around in wonder and then my gaze lands back on the god before me, and I squeeze Alaric’s hand.
The Dagda ponders all of this for a moment and then looks at the both of us with a shrewd look as he becomes serious. “Before I offer my counsel, I need to know if either of you has any reservations on completing the binding. I would understand lass if this were all moving too fast. What I'm trying to say is, if you feel you need more time to adjust to everything, please speak freely."
I look at my kindred and smile and push my love for him through the spiritual bond we share. "Alaric is mine. He is mine to love, mine to cherish, and mine to find fault with. He is my mate, my kindred. He is my equal, my other half. Without him I am not whole, I will always want and need him by my side. By human standards, it would feel as if I were rushing into this marriage and my friends and classmates would wonder if I were pregnant. In my world, young women go on to acquire an education before thinking about marriage. I now know that I was never human, to begin with, and putting all that aside I know that Alaric is my forever. I don't need to wait for an official public ceremony to claim him." I say in all seriousness as I look over at my handsome Elf-Man who looks back at me with a fiercely possessive look in his eyes.
Addressing the both of us, the Dagda says, "Well said, ceann beag. Well said. So my counsel is simple. Danu has always had her own agenda. I was there when you were appointed as Ashlinn's Guardian. She was extremely upset that you and Ashlinn recognized the kindred bond. Never in all of the histories has a kindred bond been recognized in one so young but it was obvious to all in attendance what had happened. Danu covered her reaction very quickly, but those of us who know her well saw how upset she was by the turn of events that evening. Her reaction tells me that she already had a plan in place for Ashlinn's future that did not include you Alaric being her kindred. You were merely appointed to be her protector and nothing more. You see, in her eyes, he was dispensable. She abhors not being in control and rarely will admit defeat. That's where she and I differ. In actuality, we are nothing at all alike. When she arrives, she will do everything in her power to separate the two of you. I have no doubt of this. In order to keep that from happening, I agree with Clíodhna. You must complete the binding tonight. There's a small gathering of close friends, family, and comrades in arms this evening. I will announ
ce to those in attendance that I offer my official blessing on the union. There will be dancing and drinking, and while everyone is enjoying the festivities, the two of you will sneak away. In the morning, I will announce to all in attendance that the union between body and spirit has been blessed by none other than Clíodhna and that the public ceremony will take place as planned. Starting in the morning, while you are outside of your private chambers after you complete the binding tonight, I want you both to wear training gloves that will hide the completed mating marks. No one can know of your mating status until we are able to determine what Danu's plans are for you Ashlinn. Are you both okay with this plan and my counsel?"
Alaric and I look at one another and nod in agreement. I can feel him through our bond, and our combined emotions are close to overwhelming. In unison, we say, "So be it."
"Then I will leave the two of you to get ready for the evening's events. Ashlinn, my dear, welcome to the family. I will enjoy getting to know you. It is with a heavy heart that I say this. I would never want to intentionally drive a wedge between you and Danu. That being said, she can be very one track minded, and for a while now she has had a plan as to how events will play out. She can be a bit of a control freak, as some would say. I have not one doubt in my mind that you and Alaric together will be what saves the realms from certain destruction but know this; Danu sees this going down very differently. She will do what she can to make sure things play out according to her plans. She means well, but in her misguided attempts to save the realms, she did not anticipate that you, my dear Ashlinn, would be strong enough to save the realms on your own without her interference. Alaric, I foresee Ashlinn coming into her abilities soon. It will hinge on the binding being completed. Hence you will be stronger together than apart." He says with a smile as he gets up to leave. Turning back, he says with a bit of sadness in his eyes, "You are a lucky elf to have found your kindred, nephew. Cherish her."