The Far Realm Chronicles Anthology

by Annette Archer

  She took a few steps forward until she was facing him. Then she bowed her head and held her hands palm out in the way of her people.

  “We greet you, Prince Estogan. We thank you for your help in our time of need.”

  Tolan came up to stand next to her. She noticed he was holding his right shoulder where a blade had cut him. His horse lay dead, several arrows spiking the animal’s side. He said nothing.

  Estogan came to her and took both of her hands in his own. “I couldn’t let my intended bride get killed the night before our wedding, could I? That would kind of spoil our honeymoon.”

  Melodielle felt the color drain from her face. “Yes. Well. Would you do me one more kindness? Allow us time to tend to our fallen warriors. They deserve to be brought back to Castle Adakai where they can be delivered to their families.”

  She thought she saw just a hint of disgust in Estogan’s dark eyes before he schooled his features. He was only in his early twenties, but that was much older in Human terms than it was in Crystal Elf years. His looks were deceptively youthful, almost pretty, but she sensed the old soul within his strong chest.

  “Of course,” he said finally, slowly. “My men will clear away the Goblins so you can see to this most disagreeable task.”

  She was surprised at his words. “Taking care of our dead is not disagreeable,” she snapped, and she saw Tolan nod beside her. “It is the honorable thing to do, the right thing to do. Any Crystal Elf would do the same for one of our own. I am surprised to hear Humans would not.”

  His smile was quick and entirely out of place. “Of course, Princess. Of course. We’ll leave you to it, then.”

  He brought her hands up to his mouth and kissed the knuckles of each. She felt little tickling prickles when he let go. Flexing her hands, she stared at his back as he rounded his men up to move the Goblin bodies away.

  This man was impossible. He was insensitive and proud and so completely full of himself. How could she ever live with Estogan for the rest of his life? Knowing he would die while she was still young, leaving her free at last to find her own happiness, did nothing to ease her heart.

  She and Tolan helped the other Crystal Elves wrap their dead in bedrolls and then lash them down across their saddles. The horses were trained to follow when needed. It was needed now.

  When it was done, they mounted up again . Melodielle sat up behind Tolan on one of their fallen comrade’s stallions. His horse was dead, and hers had run off. She held tightly to his waist and tried to ignore the feel of him in her arms while the horse moved under them. She bit her lip, and tried harder.

  “I love you,” she whispered to his back, too low for anyone but herself and the Maker to hear.

  Estogan and his men followed behind them all the long way down the forest route until they came out the other side of the Shadesthorn and started up the hill that led to Castle Adakai.

  Home.

  She had lived as a Princess here all her life. When she married Estogan, she would be required to move to his Kingdom and begin her life as his bride. Eight months ago, when her father had told her about this arranged marriage and all that it would mean for her, she had cried until her tears ran dry. She didn’t cry over it anymore. She just felt cold inside.

  Castle Adakai had been built at the edge of a high cliff in the foothills of the Shadesthorn Forest. Its massive slab blocks had been laid in place generations ago by River Giants repaying a debt to the Crystal Elves for defending them from creatures whose names had been lost to the sands of time. The River Giants had disappeared from the face of the world as well, years before Melodielle had been born. She mourned for them just the same. They had been brilliant craftsmen. The world, she believed, was a little less beautiful because there were no more River Giants.

  The Castle sported multiple parapets and crenelated walkways along the expanse of its top. The light brown stonework shone with streaks of silver when the sun hit it just right. She had never figured out what kind of stones they were. They were just as strong as they were breathtaking. She had seen them withstand even a dragon’s fire.

  They rode under the high arch of the front gates now and runners sped ahead of them to announce their return not with joyous shouts, but with mournful blasts from their horns. Their dead had returned home.

  As they came into the courtyard, followed by Prince Estogan and his entourage, Melodielle’s father himself came out to meet them. King Melandrake was a big man, in every way. He was taller even than most Crystal Elves and heavily muscled in arms and torso and legs. His graying hair was held back from the strong points of his ears in a ponytail bound by a leather string. Around each thick wrist he wore twisted bracelets of copper forged from the heart of the volcano Icheron itself.

  He held his arms wide upon seeing her, his eyes sad. “Daughter.”

  Dismounting, she fell into his arms, very much the nineteen year old girl that he saw her as, but she didn’t care.

  “Father. We couldn’t save them. The Red Goblins…”

  “I know, dearheart,” he whispered, his strong hand on her back. “I know.”

  Estogan was beside them suddenly, beaming a wide smile. “Your Highness, it is so good to see you again. It was I and my men who stepped in to save your warriors from the group of murdering Goblins. I am only sorry I couldn’t be there sooner.”

  King Melandrake looked over his daughter’s head at the man. “Well met, Prince Estogan. Thank you for your assistance. I will have someone show you and your company to your rooms where you can rest and refresh yourselves. My people need a short time to grieve our fallen comrades before we can commence the evening’s festivities.” His pale eyes looked down into Melodielle’s face. “I only wish I hadn’t sent my daughter out to the Iron Hills to find a Gemflower for your wedding ceremony. Perhaps all of this could have been avoided.”

  Melodielle cringed. She had found the flower quickly. That wasn’t the issue. The truth was that if she hadn’t slipped her guards’ protection, then none of this would have happened. It was her fault. All her fault.

  She turned her face up to her father and opened her mouth to make her confession.

  Only, Tolan stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. “Nothing could have prevented this, my Lord Melandrake. It was like the Goblins knew where we were. They came straight for us out of nowhere. Nothing,” and here he paused, “could have kept us from being attacked by them.”

  She felt gratitude wash over her for his kind words.

  It didn’t change the way she felt, however. The bodies in their covering wraps were tied securely to a line of horses. Her actions had gotten these men and women killed. No one, not even the spell casters, could save a person from death.

  The King nodded slowly to Tolan. “I understand. It is a sad day, one among many we have had of late. These Goblin attacks are becoming worse. We need to do something more to protect ourselves. After the wedding, of course. We must first see to this union of our Kingdoms and our peoples.”

  He smiled down at Melodielle and she felt like she should smile back. She just couldn’t muster the strength.

  “Of course, my King,” Estogan was saying. He didn’t look happy about it, though. “We shall retire for rest and refreshment, as you suggest, until you call us. I hope it won’t be for very long.”

  Estogan’s smile was crooked when he looked at Melodielle. “I miss my bride-to-be already.”

  She watched as the King’s attendants in their bright red robes led the Humans away toward the entry hall. They would quarter in the guest rooms of the west wing tonight, and tomorrow, she would be bound to Estogan. For the rest of his life if not her own.

  “Father,” she said suddenly. “I think I’ll go to my own rooms as well. I don’t feel very well.”

  He bowed his head to her and gave her leave.

  All the way through the castle, servants and warriors and courtiers bowed and curtsied to her and made little greetings. She answered them with a smile or a simple word, and walk
ed as quickly as she could to the second floor hallway where her rooms were.

  She had moved into these chambers years ago, in a corner of the castle where there was nothing else but the library of her people’s histories, desiring her privacy. It served her well today. Closing the door behind her, she sat down on her canopied bed, put her face into her hands, and wept.

  Crystal Elves

  Chapter 3

  She didn’t remember falling asleep. She only knew she was curled up on top of the thick goose-down comforter when the knock came at her door.

  Rubbing bleary eyes she stretched, feeling every muscle in her body tremble. “Coming,” she called out to whoever was at her door.

  She smoothed her skirts down as she stood up from the bed, briefly wishing she hadn’t tried to show quite so much of her skin off for Tolan because now, inside the sheltering stone walls of the castle, she was chilled.

  Tolan.

  The door opened silently and she was sure he could hear her breath catch in her throat as she found Tolan standing there. He was holding his side with one arm and his smile was tight.

  “May I come in, Princess?”

  “Are you hurt?” she blurted. Stupid, was her next thought. The man was right there at her door asking to come in and the best she could do was ask him if he was hurt.

  “Not hurt,” he explained. “Just sore. It’s impossible to have a horse drop on you without getting a little bruised.”

  “Oh.” She bit her lip and tried to recover from her nervousness. “Yes, please, come in. I wasn’t expecting you.”

  He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. His scent came to her, earthy and spiced.

  Her heart skipped.

  Praying that he hadn’t noticed her involuntary gasp, she went to her bed and sat down, carefully arranging her skirts.

  “Did you need something, Tolan? Did the King send for me?”

  He shook his head. “I only wanted to see if you needed anything. I could tell how upset you were.”

  She nodded, her hands rubbing up and down her arms. “You always could tell what I was thinking, couldn’t you?”

  “Ever since you were a child.” He smiled when he said it.

  Melodielle stared hard at him for a moment, deciding on her next words. “Is that how you see me? As a child?”

  He scratched behind one ear, his eyes averted. “You are a child no longer, my lady. I haven’t thought of you that way in years. You are old enough to choose to be who you want to be.”

  His carefully worded answer made her roll her eyes and throw herself backward onto the mattress. “But not choose who to marry! Oh, Tolan, I simply cannot stand that Estogan. He is…he is…”

  “Pompous?” he suggested.

  “Yes! That!” She sat up again in a rush, her hands animated. “And short! Did you see how he only came up to the top of my head? Honestly. He’ll be dead before I’m your age, for the love of the Maker, and he’ll expect me to trail along behind him in my prettiest clothes and jewels and be his little trophy wife and it won’t be hard to be prettier than him because he’s nowhere near as good looking as you and—”

  She squeaked to a stop, realizing what she had just said. She closed her eyes tightly. If she couldn’t see his reaction, they could pretend it didn’t happen. Couldn’t they?

  She kept her eyes closed, waiting, breathing, hoping the moment would pass.

  Instead, she felt his lips touch hers gently, a caress that was both inquisitive and tender.

  When she looked up at him, he was leaning in very close, bent over at his waist, his eyes a little wider than usual, his breath a little quicker. “I don’t see you as a child,” he whispered. “I have wanted you to know that for years now.”

  “Why…” She had to swallow against a suddenly dry throat. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  “I played the part of the loyal Censor for your father’s sake, and for yours. I put my duty ahead of what I wanted. Those are my reasons. Now. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  Her heart was fluttering so hard she thought it might fly out of her chest. “I tried today, Tolan, I tried, but then the Red Goblins rode in and killed so many of us all because I had to go and ride off unescorted and you had to come looking for me and it’s all my fault, oh Tolan, I got them all killed!”

  He was kneeling beside her then at the edge of the bed, holding her in his arms, rocking her against his chest.

  “Melodi, listen to me. This was not your fault. I tell you the truth. If your hand had anything to do with it I would say so, because you deserve the truth from me. And I’m telling you the truth now. If you hadn’t rode off on your own, if we hadn’t stopped to find you, we would have ridden right into that group. The Goblins would have had us in a trap. It’s because we stopped for you that they had to ride at us and expose themselves. This was not your fault.”

  She blinked at him, stunned. Was he telling her the truth, like he said, or just trying to save her feelings? His eyes answered her. He was not lying. She didn’t think he could lie. Not to her.

  “Tolan. Can I ask a favor?”

  He nodded, stroking her cheek now with one finger. “Anything.”

  “Kiss me again.”

  His smile was soft. The kiss he shared with her in that moment was not. It was a needful thing, his lips moving against hers, his breath hot against her skin. Little noises escaped her, and her body trembled to feel his chest rise and fall against her own.

  He fell down against the bed with her, his hands feeling up and down her sides, his one leg pressing in between her two for balance on the bed. His thigh was putting pressure against a very sensitive spot right in the V of her crotch and she felt no shame in pressing into him, spreading her legs further, warmth and heat building where she did.

  “Melodi,” he whispered her name against her neck. It did very pleasant things to her. “Melodi…”

  She had never been with a man before. Oh, she had played around with stable boys and courtiers, let them stroke her hair or kiss her secret spots. But she had never been with a man. The right moment would come one day, she had told herself, with the right man.

  That moment was now.

  Shyly, she felt her hands down to the waistline of his pants. They closed with a tied string. Blindly, kissing along his cheek, she fumbled at the knot until she figured it out and then she slipped it off to the sound of him gasping. She could feel his cock pressing against the fabric, hard and thick and wanting to be up.

  Melodielle rolled the waistline of his pants down, down, down, until his bigger hands joined hers and shuffled one pantleg off at a time. His smallclothes went too. Then he was pressing into her again, his cock laid over her crease, her dress inbetween.

  She felt a strange reaction building, pressure and intense heat, and she wanted it to explode so badly, to erupt and make her a woman under this man that made her heart twist into bows.

  “Take my dress off,” she told him. “Now. Please.”

  He got up on his knees beside her, the mattress moving under them, and helped her push the top of her dress down from her chest. Her breasts were exposed, tender and round and firm, and he paused long enough to kiss across each one, mouthing the nipples that were stiff already, licking at them with the tip of his tongue, making her squirm and shiver until finally she pushed at his hands still holding her dress to make him go faster.

  He laughed quietly, and she thought at first he was making fun of her desire and her inexperience until she saw the wild look in his eyes and realized he was only enjoying himself. Enjoying her.

  Her dress went down further, to her hips, and then further still, in that agonizing slow pace that he was making her endure. She wanted to scream. She wanted to rip the damned dress apart to shreds so that she could be naked under him now. She needed to be naked with him.

  His shirt was still on, she realized, and so she grabbed it by the front and yanked it up and he moved one arm at a time so that it could come off and be tossed asi
de and then, only then, did he move her skirt down all the way off her legs.

  She was exposed to him. Exposed in every way.

  “Tolan?” It was half question, half supplication.

  He took her meaning. “I know, Melodi. Shh. I’ll be gentle.”

  Her heart, which had been beating so fast in her chest, melted. Fear and longing and red hot desire mixed within her and as he lowered himself down, a little smile pulling at one corner of his mouth, his eyes bright and intense, Melodielle felt everything rushing toward a single blazing point between her legs.

  When the swollen tip of his cock touched her there she orgasmed hard and wild.

  She cried out, arching her back, gripping his shoulders, and she thought she should be embarrassed, but then he sank into her with a sigh that told her everything was all right.

  Her orgasm continued as he filled her, completely, wider than she would have thought possible. There was a pressure that was not completely painful but not unpleasant and then she knew. She was virgin no longer.

  His rhythm was slow and steady at first but sped up as they went further and further and she timed it with the rapid beating of her heart. She couldn’t help but rise up to meet him with each of his strokes and he made appreciative sounds when she did. He buried his face into her neck, his tongue teasing her there, and she wasn’t sure if she screamed for real or if it was just in her mind as another orgasm rocked her.

  This time, he built up and she felt him swell in her, her sensitive flesh aware of every change in him, stunningly eager for what would happen next when his rhythm faltered and his body tensed and she could feel the rapid beat of his heart against her chest, until he was pulsing into her, filling her with his orgasm.

  She forgot to breathe.

  Tolan relaxed against her, his body a comfortable weight, and as he did the world turned again. Her eyes were wide with wonder and passion. This was what love making was. She had wondered, dreamed, fantasized about it. None of it compared to the real thing.