I chuckled amusedly, and glanced at Oraelia, ‘why don’t you wear those?’ I asked, pointing to a pair of glittering silvery white pumps with a small heel.
‘Those are pretty, and I wouldn’t have any trouble walking in them’ she replied, and gently asked Kaia to bring them over, leaning on me for support as she slipped them on.
‘They look lovely on you my lady.’
‘Thank you, Kaia. Well then Harry, shall we go down to the ball?’ Oraelia asked, looping her arm through mine.
‘We shall’ I replied with a nod, and the two of us headed out of her chambers and downstairs to the ballroom and the growing number of party guests.
Oraelia and I hadn’t been in the ballroom long, when we were approached by two men whose features were much like Thäro’s, followed by four others, three of them younger than Oraelia and myself. These must be kings of Idanei and Rendor. Oraelia’s uncles.
‘Uncle Relcior, Uncle Midir!’ Oraelia exclaimed, hugging them in turn.
‘Oraelia my dear, you look stunning the one she called Relcior, who had shoulder-length chocolate brown hair partly pulled back into a pony tail, responded.
‘My brother is right,’ his brother concurred, who had short dark hair concurred. ‘You’ve grown into quite the beautiful young woman’ he added, and the two turned to the four people behind them.
‘Oraelia, these are your cousins. Natara, Axel, and Rodin are my three, and Norae is Midir’s daughter’ King Relcior told her, putting an arm around a pretty, young girl, and the other around two boys, as Midir placed his hands on the shoulders of another young girl.
Oraelia smiled at her cousins, three of whom looked at least two years younger than both of us, while Rodin looked closer to my age or maybe Kenton’s, just as her father arrived to greet his brothers.
‘Relcior, Midir, I’m so glad you and the kids could come – but, where are Keila and Seraia?’ he asked, referring to Oraelia’s aunts.
‘They’re here somewhere, probably chatting with Pheonala on one of the sofas near the back’ Midir replied, just as a tall man with treacle coloured hair, and a trimmed beard came up to us with a glass of what looked like red wine, but smelled like plumbs, cranberries, and lavender, in his hand.
Thäro smiled at the new comer and slung an arm over his shoulder ‘Cal! It’s good to see you, how have you been?’
‘I’ve been keeping well Your Majesty, thank you for asking. I see you too, are faring well, as always’ the man replied, my heart skipping a beat as I recognised his voice.
‘That’s good to hear,’ Thäro replied with a smile, and then turned to the rest of us. ‘Everyone, I’d like you to meet a close friend of mine, Lord Callon Kovah of Emohn.’
Lord Callon smiled at everybody.
When he noticed me the smile widened. ‘Hello, Zachary.’
‘Did he just call you… Zachary?’Oraelia asked.
I nodded in affirmation.
She frowned. ‘Why?’
Not really knowing how to answer, I looked at Lord Callon (my supposed biological father) and seeming to take the hint he turned to Oraelia, replying in my stead.
‘It’s a long story.’
Important Guests
It took Lord Cal – I mean Father, a good fifteen minutes to explain his calling me Zachary, and when he had finished talking everyone was staring at him, dumbfounded – myself included, understandably.
‘But I don’t get it. How can I have been sent to the human world to watch over Oraelia as a guardian, when she moved to Ipswich in the first year of secondary school?’
My father smiled, ‘you never thought you were flying the distance from Norfolk to Ipswich. Seeing her again, and watching over her?’
‘Now that you mention it, I do remember dreaming about flying through the night sky in the form of a barn owl and somehow finding her, making sure that she was safe before flying back home and waking up a while later. After I met Oraelia again in the park that day, they stopped and if I’m being honest, I’d completely forgotten about those dreams until you asked me that.’
He chuckled, shaking his head, ‘you weren’t dreaming son, that was actually happening. You actually flew to her all those years, but when you moved to Ipswich and then met her in the park and stopped, because you saw her more often and knew she was always safe.’
I was about to answer with a question when a hush fell over the ballroom.
The reason as to why, became clear when everyone who hadn’t already done so turned to the garden doors, which were open to let in the late summer air and allow guests to roam outside if they were too hot, to see several figures descending from the star scattered sky, and one of them – although I couldn’t see who, as they weren’t close enough – was surrounded by a soft, white glow.
When the figures were close enough to see their faces, gasps escaping myself and Oraelia as we recognised the faces at the front.
Zeus. Poseidon. Artemis. Apollo.
Four of the gods had come down from Olympus to Elandrea, and behind them were a beautiful woman with a likeness to Oraelia and large pearly white wings, a soft white glow emanating from her. Walking beside her with her arm looped through his own, a tall well-built man (an elf) with elbow length silver hair that seemed to glitter like stars in the light of the ballroom chandeliers. Queen Iona and King Gardohil.
Our six new guests stepped over the threshold into the ballroom and made their way through the throng of guests, who parted to clear a path to where our group stood. When the six of them stopped before us, the five gods bowed and curtsied to Oraelia, Thäro and Aiolos, (unusual given that they are older and wiser) and then Zeus stepped forwards and spoke directly to Oraelia in a booming voice that echoed throughout the ballroom.
‘Our greetings to you and your family, Princess Oraelia Teranis of Ledoran, Defeater of the Uaea Kiana, and Restorer of the kingdom of Feldar. We do not usually pay much heed to the goings on in realms other than the human world, but you caught our attention before you’d even left for Elandrea. This is partly because of your knowledge of and passion for Greek Mythology though, by now I am sure you have realised that we and the things linked to us are not myths, but quite real.’
‘Oh, no – I’ve always believed you were real. Ever since I read my first book on Greek history, and I saw Nymphs and Dryads when I went camping as a child – and Nereids at the beach, although I just wrote it off as my wild imagination getting the best of me, and then I met Apollo flying on Pegasus while trying to find the place the Uaea Kiana leaders were meeting, and my belief in the gods was solidified’ Oraelia replied with a smile. Realising she’d forgotten something she added, ‘but, what does my belief, extensive knowledge of and passion for you got to do with your visit?’
Zeus chuckled softly and returned the smile, ‘you may not remember this, but when you were thirteen you and a group of friends saved a forest that was going to be cleared to build new homes, when you discovered several rare species of wild flowers and plants with unknown properties at the time, along with three endangered species of bird, and brought your discovery to the attention of the council who sent nature and animal experts to the forest. Thanks to you, the forest was declared a nature reserve, and you also saved over eight hundred Dryads who lived within the trees.’
He now nodded to Poseidon, Artemis, and Apollo.
Poseidon went first, presenting Oraelia with what looked like a beautiful coral blue and silver necklace, several tiny rounded bells dangling from a diamond shaped piece of silvery blue metal – or maybe it had once been part of an exotic shell? – on light blue thread, and spoke in a voice almost as deep as his brother’s.
‘Not only did you save those Dryads, you also helped a dolphin who had beached himself back out to sea a few years ago; he found me not long later, and told me what you did for him. Always wear this whenever you go out hiking, swimming, or on a boat ride, and if find yourself lost, just jangle the little bells and help will come.’
She smiled and bow
ed her head, so he could secure the neckline around her neck, before stepping back to allow Artemis and Apollo to present their own gifts. Artemis gave Oraelia a white tipped silver bow and a silvery white quiver full of silver arrows with white fletching, telling her that the bow will always shoot straight.
Finally, Apollo stepped forward and presented her with not one, but two gifts. Being the god of music, he presented her with a lyre and a flute, chuckling softly at the perplexed expression on her face.
‘Give them a try, you might be surprised’ he said, winking at her with a grin as he returned to his family’s side.
‘You seem to have taken quite a shine to Oraelia, Apollo’ his father, Zeus, observed amusedly.
‘Indeed I, have Father. She is beautiful, has a love for animals and beautiful music - not to mention she can also play the piano.’
Zeus gave a low chuckle and looked back at Oraelia, ‘you had better prepare yourself for a visit from my son when he’s not busy, Princess Oraelia’ he said with an amused smile on his face.
‘We shall take our leave now, it was truly a pleasure meeting you all – especially you, Oraelia’ he added, and then he and the other three made their way back out into the gardens and disappeared within a matter of seconds.
‘Hello Oraelia’ said Gardohil with a gentle smile, a soft fatherly warmth emanating from him.
‘Your-Your Majesties’ she replied, giving her ancestors a quick curtsy.
‘You don’t have to call us that sweetheart, just call us by our names’ Queen Iona replied, and then looked at me. ‘You too, Lord Zachary’ she said with a smile, and then turned back to Oraelia.
‘We also come with gifts for you, my child, for eliminating the nuisance that was Ascevos and his allies with absolutely no help; here’ said Gardohil. He held out his hand, a small aquamarine dragon curled up on his palm - only it wasn’t quite a dragon because it had aquatic features, like webbed feet, or were they flippers?
‘You’re giving me my own Dracor?’Oraelia asked, amazed as she held the little aquatic reptile in her hands.
‘Yes. He doesn’t have a name yet since he’s only a few days old, so go ahead and name him.’
Oraelia observed the sleeping hatchling for a moment or two and then said, ‘Kalo.’
Gardohil smiled, ‘the name of one of the first seven Dracoria I created, and a good one too. Iona sweetheart, your turn.’
‘Oraelia, hand Kalo over to Zachary, and take a few steps away from the others so you have more space to unfurl your wings’ Iona said, looking at her.
Oraelia glanced at me, passed me Kalo and stepped back her wings unfurling moments later.
Iona stepped towards her, silvery white particles shimmering into existence around her hands as she raised them and held them out towards Oraelia and before everyone’s eyes, the particles floating through the air as if riding on an invisible wind. They multiplied until they reached Oraelia, surrounding her and growing brighter until everyone had to shield their eyes. When the blinding light faded away, and everybody’s gaze returned to Oraelia, almost every single pair of eyes in the ballroom widened at the sight. And some people even gasped involuntarily.
When Oraela opened her own eyes, having closed them earlier so she wouldn’t get any particles in them, she was surprised at the expression every face shared.
‘What is it?’ She asked. ‘What happened?’
I smiled.
‘Oraelia, look at your wings.’
Will You Marry Me?
Queen Iona had done a wonderful thing for Oraelia.
Oraelia’s pearly white wings were larger, and more beautiful than before, sparkling like jewels caught in sunlight.
‘Oh, Iona they’re beautiful. Thank you!’ Oraelia exclaimed, twirling around, and then ran the backs of her hands over the feathers of her wings.
Iona chuckled, ‘you’re very welcome darling.’
Oraelia smiled at her, but then furrowed her brow and pursed her lips before asking the two of them a question that must have been on her mind for some time.
‘If we can’t be killed by any weapon, why did my parents have to send me to the human world?’
It was Gardohil who answered. Speaking in a soft, clear voice, he explained why this was, ‘although Avadorae are immortal, the first few years of life can be dangerous, because the immortality doesn’t come into an Avadorae’s body until they turn eighteen. Your parents were unaware of this fact, until news came that Ascevos wanted to kill you and you were sent to live with your adoptive parents, until you were out of the woods and could come home.’
‘But - if my parents were made aware of this fact, why was I still assigned a protective detail when I returned home to the palace?’
It was Iona who replied this time. ‘Although you were no longer in any mortal danger once you returned, there was still the chance that Ascevos would send someone to abduct you, and then attempt to kill you. Regrettably that did happen, but thanks to your immortality - as you discovered - you were never in any deadly danger.’
‘All right, I understand’ Oraelia said, a small smile appearing on her pretty face.
Iona and Gardohil both returned the smile and then turned to Thäro and Pheonala (who had come over to join us with my aunts after Iona used her magic on their daughter’s wings).
‘We shall return to Teralien now Thäro, Pheonala’ Gardohil told them - but as he and Iona turned to leave, I spoke up.
‘Iona, Gardohil, could I ask you to stay just five more minutes? I feel it only right that both of you stay for this’ I told them, my heart racing as I glanced at Thäro, who grinned at me discreetly and gave me the thumbs up.
Handing Kalo over to Aiolos I threw my fears and doubts to the wind, and walked towards Oraelia as I recited the words Thäro taught me.
‘Imairini kohira tor rohineidise, ieta sohinar tor aleim imairelae relniv. Imairini sohinar lina doi fenos, yalne belna ozne metin naebelos te imaire naie tor, uten imaire idos ieta imairol leris emnir, cihva lan elnai imairini soten, imairol vinohin tor kel.
Imaire sohinar tor areni tah irse esan hieno ieta halotes gimosen ise, olnis tor, ufen imaire dilote noide wayede te torhaire hetais orasin dete’
Oraelia’s eyes widened as I stopped in front of her, and she flushed deeply as I took her hands gently in mine and looked her directly in the eye.
‘Will you marry me, Oraelia?’
She studied me for a few seconds, and then her beautiful face broke into a joyful smile and she leapt at me, throwing her arms around my neck.
‘Yes! Of course, I will!’
Kaldar’s Foolish Mistake
As we walked through the largest ballroom two weeks ahead of our engagement party, a month or so after my proposal, I turned to Oraelia and asked ‘are the decorations sorted for the party? Herian’s got the food preferences and allergies list, and – ?’
‘Honey, honey, it’s all right everything is sorted. The maids and man-servants are already starting to put up the decorations, and Herian is sourcing the food from our local suppliers – and because it’s mostly finger food, he won’t need to start preparing it until the day before the party. All he has to do once he has the ingredients he requires, is store them in the pantry, and the cooling-freezing rooms in the kitchen’ she replied, placing a hand on my chest and stopping mid-step just as we reached the garden doors.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked, concern emanating from her as she considered me.
‘Yeah, I’m fine’ I answered, smiling back at her and trying to keep my face from showing any negative emotions.
She saw right through it.
‘Zachary, what’s worrying you?’ she asked – she knew me too well – and slipped her arm through mine; guiding me out into the sunny garden and sitting me gently, but firmly, down onto the porch bench.
‘I don’t know, it’s – I just have this uneasy feeling that something is going to happen, either before or during the engagement party. Something bad...I just can’t put my finger on
what it is’ I replied, bowing my head and looking down at my hands as I played with the ring my father gave me, after the victory ball when all the other guests had gone, on the forefinger of my right hand. It’s a family ring, with a single sword – blade pointing down – encircled by a vine of roses (I still don’t know why that’s our family crest).
‘Hey,’ she murmured, tucking her finger under my chin and tilting it so I was looking her directly in the eye, ‘I’m sure it’ll come to you by the end of the day, and when it does I’ll be right here, ready to listen to you.’
I smiled at her, ‘this is what I love about you. You’re so kind and patient.’
She returned the smile with one that always had the effect of warming me from my eyes down to my toes, and softly kissed me twice before getting up from the bench again and holding out her hand.
‘Come on handsome, let’s go see how they’re doing with the decorations in the foyer.’
Later that night, as the two of us sat on one of the plush silver-trimmed sofas in the library I marked my page as I reached the next chapter in my book and closed it, turning to Oraelia.
‘Oraelia, honey, do you remember Kaldar?’ I asked.
‘Yes, I remember him. Tried to kill me as I flew over him at the edge of a cliff heading away from the island’ she replied, without looking away from her book as she turned the page over.
‘Do you think he still wants your father’s crown?’
She looked up at me, closing the book over her finger. ‘Is that what you’ve been worrying about?’
I nodded. ‘I’ve just got this niggling feeling he’s just biding his time, waiting for the right moment to act after his first plan back-fired, when he was unable to poison your father.’
She pursed her lips and looked down at her book, running her thumb back and forth along its textured surface, over and over. She seemed to be thinking about the best way to answer me.
Descendants of Erodis Page 13