‘Go on then, and take your time.’
She nodded and returned her gaze to the starry night sky as she began to recall that part of her past.
‘They abused me. Verbally most of the time; calling me names, telling me I was useless and untalented. Sometimes they’d physically abuse me too, when I burnt food or broke something by accident, they’d…kick my shins or slap me, or -’
She cut herself off before she finished the sentence. Glancing over, I saw tears glistening on her cheeks.
‘Fallon…?’ I murmured, as she wiped away the tears and spoke again.
‘They were going to beat me, the morning I ran away - though for what I can’t seem to remember, and I don’t want to either.’
She turned to me. ‘You’re the only one I’ve ever told this to.’
She sounded fine, but ten years’ worth of pain and endurance shone out of her eyes as she looked at me.
Anger at the way she had been treated the past ten years surged through me, and before I could stop myself I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Pulling her into my chest I wrapped my other arm around her, hugging her tightly to me.
‘Evander?!’
‘I swear to you, when this is all over, I will take several elves through that portal and make your foster parents pay for everything they’ve done to you’ I said through gritted teeth.
‘You don’t have to.’
‘Yes, I do! No one who verbally and physically abuses a child deserves to live freely – or at all, in extreme cases.’
I felt Fallon’s fingers curl around the fabric of my long-sleeved shirt, and turn her head into my chest, and a few seconds later...several hot, wet tears fell onto my collar bone.
‘It’s okay Fallon, you’re safe. I’m right here’ I said softly, pulling her gently into my lap and laying her head against my shoulder before wrapping my arms around her again as she continued to cry noiselessly. All of the emotions and pain that she had kept bottled up for the past ten years had finally broken free.
Promising her that I would hold her until she fell asleep, and even after that, I leant back against the tree of the Ikai, and cast my eyes to the twinkling night sky, wondering how the next few days would pan out.
The next morning, after the camp had been packed up and everyone had eaten some breakfast and had a drink, the party set off again along the Ikai River.
Fallon and I were two of the first up, so no one would have seen us in front of the Ikai tree, but I couldn’t be too sure, as Charlie kept glancing between the two of us. I had the sneaking suspicion that he may have seen her wrapped in my arms.
As we left the forest behind and began our journey over the small mountains- which were more like hills because of their height – I saw Charlie urge his chocolate brown mare, Harriet, forward out of the corner of my eye, and turned my head as he brought her a little closer to Dempsey and leant over.
‘Your Highness, forgive me if I step over the line by asking you this, but are you and Fallon romantically involved?’ he whispered, so no one else would hear.
My heart gave an unexpected jolt, and I felt myself flush a little.
‘That is stepping a little over the line Charlie - but no, we are not...we are simply old, close friends’ I replied, casting my eyes over to Fallon, who was riding with Finn – he’d offered to take her over the mountains, and I had no qualms or objections, and had allowed it.
‘Forgive me Prince Evander, it was not my place.’
I turned my attention back to him and smile ‘it is all right Charlie, no harm done.’
He nodded, a small smile of his own playing on his lips, pulling Harriet away and ahead to ride behind Finn and Fallon.
A day and a half later our party had crossed the small mountains (the elves who create the Elandrean maps really should consider naming them that, “The Small Mountains”, next year), and were passing a large lake on the other side of them, when we spotted two figures stood under one of the Yiana trees (another desert tree, though unlike the Ikai there are none similar to it in the human world) along the lake’s edge on the opposite side, picking the large ripe, round, pink berries from its branches and dropping them gently into two large wicker baskets sat at the base of its trunk.
Not ten seconds later the shorter of the two, the woman, pulled her hair out of her face and…
Fallon, who was riding with me again, gasped.
‘What is it Fallon?’
‘That woman- and the man! They-they’re my parents!’
Part Two: Fallon
Reunited With Family
Behind me, Evander asked ‘are you certain it’s them?’
I nodded, unable to believe my eyes as I watched my father, whose once short black hair now reached his shoulders and was partly pulled back into a pony tail, went down to the lake’s edge with a large leather water flask. After he had filled it my father looked up and saw us watching them. He called my mother over to him as he rose from the water’s edge, pointing us out to her.
‘Swinging my leg over Dempsey’s neck, I dismounted and turned back to look up at Evander imploringly. He nodded his consent for me to go to them with a smile without a second thought.
My heart sang, and I smiled back at him before setting of at a run around the lake towards my parents. I kept my eyes on them as I ran, watching their faces as I got closer, until I saw their eyes widen in recognition and ran forwards to meet me half way. Moments later, I flew into their arms, and felt the warmth of their bodies seep into me as I was enveloped in a strong, family reunion hug.
‘Oh Fallon. Our beautiful, smart, brave daughter’ my father whispered, squeezing me tightly as if unwilling me to let me go for fear of losing me again.
‘I’ve missed you so much since the day the two of you disappeared…endured so much’ I said as we pulled out of the embrace, not bothering to wipe away my tears.
‘We’ve missed you too honey, but how did you get here?’ my father replied.
‘I fell through a portal in the human world a little over a week ago, as to how I got here…’
I turned in the direction of Evander and the others.
‘So, Fallon has been staying at the palace of Orfedil with you since she fell through the portal in County Wicklow? And you, along with Finn and Ardan, helped discover the truth behind our disappearance?’ Mammy asked Evander after he had explained the events that had transpired following his discovering me on the beach.
‘Yes, but…there is something else’ said Evander.
‘What is it, Prince Evander?’ asked Da.
‘Uh - I don’t think I should be the one to tell you’ he replied and turned to me.
Swallowing hard, I recounted what I had told Evander about my foster parents, and what his reaction had been.
When I had finished, my father looked uncharacteristically annoyed, giving his usually handsome smiling face a rather ugly appearance.
‘I’m not surprised Evander reacted the way he did. Your foster parents will pay for the way they’ve treated you during our absence’ he said.
‘After we’ve dealt with Arekin! Now that we’ve found you, we should get back to Orfedil so the knights, soldiers and Fallon can train before the battle with Arekin’s army’ Evander replied, unfurling his wings as he handed my father Dempsey’s reins. ‘You two take Dempsey, I’m happy to fly Fallon back.’
My father nodded and helped my mother up, mounting Dempsey behind her and taking the reins as Evander lifted me into his arms.
‘We’ll see you back at the palace then’ said Da.
The two of us nodded in reply, and Evander took to the air, flying back to the palace to help me train for my first battle.
A Book of Elandrean Fairy Tales
Five days after our return, Evander had devised a training regimen for me. It included both sword & archery training as well as cardio to strengthen my core and would encase five hours of training a day in the lead up to the battle with Arekin’s army.
Evander’s fa
ther, King Zachary, had sent a messenger with a scroll declaring war on he and his allies for abducting human members of the Elandrean Portal Guard, but did not include “and the illegal and unlawful banishment of Leon and Kathleen O’Connor and suspected others”. This was to ensure Arekin would get a surprise when he and his army arrived at the battlefield, thinking the declaration had been in retaliation for the murders of my parents, who would also be fighting alongside the armies of Orfedil and its allies; Ledoran, Rendor and Idanei- the first three Avadorae countries- and the elfin country of Feldar. Feldar, Evander told me, had been rediscovered by his mother when she was in her late teens, and soon became their official liaison.
Two weeks was not a lot of time to train when you thought about it, so I was putting everything I had into it: sometimes training outside of the 2 ½ hours I had with Evander (cardio and archery) and Ardan (swordplay). Today the five hours with my instructors was over, but after dinner, I changed back into my training attire, and headed back to the training ground to do some more swordplay practice on my own.
A couple of hours later, I was coming out of a thrust and into a parrying stance, when I heard Evander’s voice behind me.
‘Training on your own again, I see. Fallon, you’re going to wear yourself out if you keep at it’ he said, smiling.
‘I’m…not as strong in swordplay…as I am in archery, so I thought…I’d get some extra training in’ I replied, panting, and lowering my sword arm before taking the towel he offered me.
It was as I patted down my slightly sweaty face, that I suddenly remembered what he had said, and turned to him. ‘What do you mean “again”?’
‘I’ve seen you training on your own, from my bedroom window,’ he replied, a soft smile playing on his lips. ‘You know, until we went to Arekin’s castle, I’d forgotten how determined you are. How…strong your resolve is, and I’m reminded more every time I help you train’ he added, following a short pause.
Reaching out, he pulled a strand of hair away from my face. Then, he cupped my cheek gently in his hand and leant forward, kissing me just above the eyebrow before pulling away.
‘Remember to stretch before you come in – and don’t go to bed too late, okay?’ he said with another sweet smile, and then he turned, and walked back to the palace; leaving me stunned with a warm flush rising to my cheeks.
***
I awoke early the next morning, and decided to head down to the library to read up on the histories of Elandrea and its countries (or kingdoms, depending on which term you prefer to use) as well as the realm of Elandrea’s creators Iona and Gardohil, Teralien, along with their three sons. Upon entering it, I was a little surprised, as it was barely seven o’clock, to discover that someone was already here reading in one of the chairs beside one of the library’s tall east windows, a pot of tea sat on the small round table beside her.
‘Queen Oraelia’ I said, curtsying as she lifted her eyes from the book she was engrossed in.
‘Ah, Fallon my dear, you’re an early bird too? And please, there is no need to curtsy or address me that way. I have known you since you were a child after all’ she replied with a smile.
‘Oh…yes, as you wish but - how do you wish me to address you if not as “Queen” or “Your Majesty”?’ I asked, thanking her as she gestured towards the seat opposite her for me to sit down.
‘Simply Oraelia is fine- and I expect Zachary will say the same the next time you address him formally’ she smiled, and then asked ‘tea?’
‘Yes, please.’
As she poured me a cup of warm tea, I glanced at the book she had been reading before I interrupted her.
‘Is that a book of Elandrean fairy tales?’ I asked, nodding at the book.
‘It is indeed. I brought it over with me when Zachary and I moved here from Ledoran, and thought I’d re-read them again…would you like to borrow it?’
My eyes widened ‘are you sure? You were reading it when I came in, don’t you want to finish it?’
‘I’ve read it over a hundred times my dear, and there is another book I’ve been meaning to read, so take it and give it back to me when you’ve finished it’ she replied, smiling at me again and handing it over.
‘Thank you’ I said, smiling shyly back at her, and accepted the book with a slightly trembling hand.
Opening the cover, as Oraelia went to get the other book she’d been intending to read, my attention was instantly captured by the beautiful, intricate illustrations running around the edge of the first page; the colours rich and vibrant, and after turning a few more pages I soon became enchanted by my first Elandrean fairy tale, The Elf, and the Unicorn.
Several hours later, having been pulled out of my fourteenth fairy tale by Evander so I wouldn’t miss breakfast and training, I was back in the library studying the history of The Elandrean Portal Guard and what I had intended to read up on this morning – as well as Elandrea’s animals, when Finn suddenly appeared in the doorway of the library.
‘Finn! What are you doing here? I’ve not seen you in the palace before’ I exclaimed, lying the book I was currently reading on top of my pile on the coffee table next to my chair, and ran over to him.
‘I was hoping to see you in training, but Evander said you had already finished an hour or two ago. I have to say, I was rather disappointed.’
I grinned at him ‘if you come to the indoor training hall tomorrow at noon, you won’t miss it next time.’
He laughed ‘thanks, I’ll have to try and remember that tomorrow- and even if I miss it, I can see that the training is working.’
I tilted my head to the side, and he smiled.
‘I can tell you’ve always been slim, but the training you’ve had over the past few days has put some more muscle in your arms. Your body itself looks stronger than it did when you first arrived at the palace - not that it didn’t appear strong before of course.’
‘I’ll take that as a compliment’ I smiled, and then checked the large ornate clock above the doors. ‘Oh! It’s almost time for dinner, are you joining us, or will you be eating with the other Scouts, knights and soldiers in the mess hall?’
‘The mess hall. Scouts, soldiers and knights aren’t often invited to dine with the royal family, not even me, and they’ve known me for a long time’ he replied, but he didn’t look too put out about it, because he would be eating with his friends.
‘Okay, well hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow in the training hall.’
‘Indeed, do you want me to walk you to the dining room? It’s on my way out.’
‘Yeah, sure’ I said, and the two of us headed out of the library and down the hallway, in the direction of the dining room and mess hall.
Alpin’s Amazing Book Imporium
The two weeks leading up to the battle with Arekin and his allies was a blur.
My days were filled with training, and now that the battle was coming closer with each passing day, Evander and Ardan increased the hours I trained to eight hours a day- but although it was hard work, I felt stronger in mind, body, and soul at the end of each day, and the anger that had built up inside me at Arekin for lying about my parents’ fate kept me going.
‘We’re not training today?’ I asked Evander in surprise when he told me at breakfast, two days before the battle was due to take place.
‘Nope, you’ve been training hard for over a fortnight, and there are only two days until we fight Arekin and his army. You deserve a break Fallon, and I am going to take you into town again…you didn’t really see much of it last time- and I’m not going to take no for an answer’ he replied, his face splitting into a wide grin.
‘Well I guess I should go and get ready then, shouldn’t I?’ I chuckled, grinning back at him, and excused myself from the table to change into something more suitable for an outing into town.
***
‘So, where do you want to go first?’ Evander asked as we walked through Nälis - what I had learnt early one was the name of Orfedil’s capital.
/>
‘Hmm…are there any good book stores around?’
‘There sure are, but there is one I think you’ll absolutely love’ he replied.
‘Great! Lead on’ I said and linked my arm through his as he led me passed stalls and shops I hadn’t noticed before, selling various goods; fruits and vegetables, fabrics and jewellery, perfumes…and lots of other things..
A little while later Evander stopped in front of a tall, old looking store set apart from the others. The fancy writing above the aged front door and window display read, Alpin’s Amazing Book Emporium.
‘You’ll find books of every kind imaginable here, and Alpin has millions of them. He’s one of those from whom we purchase the books for our library. After you’ he said, opening the door to the emporium and allowing me in ahead of him.
For a moment or two after I entered the store, I simply stared in shock, awe, and wonder at what lay before my eyes. The room seemed to go on forever, and almost the entire floor was covered with tall wide shelving units, filled to the top most shelf with books, each unit engraved with the name of a different genre.
Fantasy…Science Fiction…History…Geography…Medicine!
‘Ah, Prince Evander! Come to purchase some more books for your family’s library? I thought you didn’t have any space left, despite its vast size’ an elf with platinum blond hair, half of it piled on top of his head in a bun, light grey eyes crinkled at the corners, and fair skin asked as he appeared from round the corner of one of the shelves.
‘Not today Alpin, I’m taking Fallon here around Nälis. She wanted to visit a book store, so I brought her to your emporium.’
‘Ah, nice to meet you Fallon’ Alpin smiled, extending his hand for me to shake, and then swept the same arm over the book shelves. ‘Look as long as you like’ he said, adding in a whisper, ‘there are more books upstairs, if you can’t find anything you like down here.’
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