Islendil looked at his daughter and fought a regret that he had acted. Anamara was right. In his attempt to shield his daughter from making what he thought was a mistake, he had done something even worse. An Elf did not interfere between bonding Elves in their world. It was too late to take back what he did, and he decided not to try. Instead, he would stand by his actions and accept his punishment. “I don’t care who or what he is. You are my daughter and you will do as I say.”
“Not in this, I won’t,” Anamara refused.
“We will see about that,” Islendil replied.
“Islendil,” Amhiel warned. “What you are doing is wrong. We will take her side if you force our hand.”
Islendil recognized the warning for what it was. Amhiel on his own didn’t have the power to oppose his will, but he wouldn’t fight him alone. Amhiel would come at him with the full might of the counsel at his back. All the while, he would be doing battle with his daughter. He couldn’t blame her for doing so either, he would do the same in her position. She, like everyone else, had the right to be happy. But, why did it have to be with a Dragon-shifting Elf? Why couldn’t it be with someone normal?
With full knowledge of what was to come, Islendil decided to take this battle onto home ground. In his lands he was the ruler of the Grey Elven Kingdom, and there his word was law and he held power. They couldn’t openly challenge him without repercussions and they were all aware of it. While he remained in his homeland and held up in the castle there, he would be safe from everyone, and so would his daughter. He would see to that. So, with this firmly established in his mind, he wrapped his arms around Anamara, opened another gateway too small for anyone but the two of them to use, and took her home with him.
Anamara screamed her outrage and objections to no effect, while Amhiel bellowed his into empty space. They both knew their efforts were an exercise in futility. There was only one Elf with the power and capability to breach the sanctuary of Islendil’s home and that was Lariel. They also knew their Emperor was already spreading his powers thin to put this move together as well as keep the Elven Empire together on the eve of a war. What they didn’t know was that he was dealing with his own Life Mate bond at the same time. With everything going on in the Elven Empire, Lariel had more to handle than any man could hope to control.
“So what now?” Ellora asked Amhiel, as they watched the gateway close behind Islendil and Anamara.
“We sit and wait for one of several things to happen, and I am sure they will,” Amhiel answered.
“What are you expecting?” Ellora asked.
“Any number of things,” Amhiel stated. “You have met those Elves. By now you should have a good idea what they are like. You tell me what you think is apt to happen, and I will let you know if it meshes with my suspicions.”
“Above all, they value honor and honesty. They can be as a vicious as they are civilized. With what Anamara’s father did to pull her out of Tethak’s arms, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the entire squadron of the Guardians of the Empire suddenly appear overhead. I guarantee if this happened, they would all be angry, not because Anamara was recalled to the Elven Nation, but because they knew the real reason. They wouldn’t need to be told. I must admit, Father, I never thought I would ever see the day when I would take the side of a stranger against one of my own people. However, this is the day,” Ellora angrily stated.
Amhiel’s face dropped in shame. He hadn’t considered Islendil’s actions, but he felt honor bound to back him. The fact Islendil would shock him, even as Amhiel noted it was the wrong thing to do. It opened the possibilities of many future problems Amhiel had no idea what to do about. Amhiel shrugged them all aside out of what he felt was necessity. The Emperor Lariel would need to deal with those as they arose instead of him and Amhiel would be glad to see Lariel take over. Amhiel raised his gaze to meet Ellora’s and commented, “Remember where you come from and where you belong, my daughter. Also know, you will not be returning to the Elven Empire. You are getting too involved.”
Ellora gave her father an incredulous look, then nodded in understanding, “I never thought I would see one of ours take the wrong side.”
“Is it so wrong?” Amhiel asked.
“They are Life Mates, Father,” Ellora pointed out. Elves don’t come between bonding couples, not ever. It is forbidden. It is not our way. Where we come from has nothing to do with it.”
“At the moment, I am not sure what to think,” Amhiel admitted. “The possibility exists that the bond was weak and not meant to develop. Who knows why Islendil acted the way he did. In such a case, the Fates would have allowed for such an intercession.”
“Making excuses for Islendil’s actions doesn’t make them right,” Ellora shot right back.
“That is enough from you, daughter,” Amhiel snapped at Ellora. He wasn’t about to allow her to treat him with the same degree of disrespect Islendil had gotten from Anamara. He didn’t feel he deserved it.
The look Ellora tossed at Amhiel was filled with a combination of disgust and disappointment. She had always looked up to her father with such love and admiration in the past, but no more. What was happening was bringing her to the realization that everything in this land was no more than an illusion. There was nothing real left in their world. They had been living a dream for so long they didn’t know how to handle life the way it should be lived. It was past time for a change, and the influx of new Elves was going to be a revelation to those dwelling in this land. It was needed more than any of them realized. If they continued as they were, her people would be in deep trouble when the others arrived, for the Warriors preparing to move to the Elven Nation would not put up with this for long.
As Ellora turned to leave, Amhiel hissed at her, “You dare.” He recognized the look on her face and the attitude it spoke of. This was something he would not put up with.
Ellora didn’t care what her father thought any more, she was angry and her temper gave her the courage to speak thoughts she would never have had before. She turned back to face Amhiel and stormed at him, “You have no concept of the monster your actions and attitude are about to release. The Emperor Lariel will rend you from end to end and toss away the pieces. Our people are not prepared to face those they once sent away to protect our shores eons ago. We thought we were the ones that would hold true to the ideals of our ancestors, but we were so wrong. I never realized it myself until I saw how the others live.”
“You are out of order,” Amhiel’s voice crackled with rage. Despite everything, he had the suspicion that Ellora wasn’t the one in the wrong. Without the proper guidance, their people had been doing little more than existing over the millennia since their ancestors had left. It was something he figured they all feared was true deep inside, but refused to accept for fact. The question now was, could they silence the voices speaking these words without spilling blood on Elven soil? The other question was, should they? It might be good for their people to hear them being said. It might make them wake up.
“You should see for yourself how they live, Father,” Ellora suggested. “Every morning they rise to sing a welcome to the day. In the evening they sing their devotions, as it is written our ancestors did. They never miss thanking the creator for the blessings bestowed upon them. When was the last time you heard anyone on this land sing our traditional songs? I can’t remember ever hearing them before, at least not until I travelled to the land they call the Elven Empire.”
Amhiel frowned. He hadn’t given the matter much thought, but now that he was, he admitted he couldn’t remember the last time any of them sang devotions. When he considered he was five thousand years old, he wasn’t very proud of the fact. Still, it was wrong for his daughter to take him to task over it. This was not her place. He deserved her respect, not her ire.
Ellora watched the expressions cross Amhiel’s face and heaved a heavy sigh. She shook her head in disappointment and added, “You can’t remember, can you? Are there any Elves in the Nation who stil
l follow the old customs?”
“I am sure there are,” Amhiel said to Ellora. “There are many Elves in the Elven Nation other than those surrounding us. I am sure some still hold to the ways of their forefathers. You may be right to point out the fact that we have gotten lax over the millennia, but your execution is wrong. I can only assume your time amongst the strange Elves has influenced your views. You never used to have such ideas before you went to the Elven Empire. I am not so sure I am happy with the changes I am seeing in you.”
“Brace yourself for more to come, father,” Ellora warned Amhiel. “The Elves living in the Elven Empire are strong, independent, and sure about what they are doing. They are getting ready to return, and when they do, they will bring their ways of life with them. There is no question which side will win, for even knowing we share the same blood, they will not allow us to rule over them. They have fought too hard to be whom and what they are for us to take this away from them. They will not ask us for recognition or respect for what they have done. That is in the past as far as they are concerned. They will, however, demand their right to stand proud amongst us. If it is necessary, they will demand what they feel are their rights at the end of a sword. They will not be happy about doing it, but they will if they are given no alternative.”
“Ambria Eagle Claw will soon put an end to their actions if they try,” Amhiel declared with surety.
Ellora gave a snort to let Amhiel know what she believed about his thoughts on the matter and then corrected him. “Compared to Gabriella Eagle claw, Ambria is a novice. I love and respect our High Lord General, as I always have and will. What I feel for her is too strong to want to see her face off against the High Lord General of the Elven Empire, for that would be no contest of skills, it would be suicide.”
“Does she train her troops as Ambria does hers?” Amhiel wondered.
“The High Lord General Gabriella Eagle Claw trains her troops and hones the swords of any of them she considers good enough to hold their own against her. She likes a challenge, but at the end of the match, she walks away victorious, always. Not even the Emperor Lariel or her own Guardian Life Mate can defeat her on the battlefield,” Ellora informed Amhiel.
“You sound like you believe there is a chance that they can come close to doing so though,” Amhiel sounded curious. If this were the case, they would be lost, for it meant there would be others like her. While no one in the Nation could come close to matching Ambria, they couldn’t say she had the same type of reputation her far-removed blood cousin did. Everyone he knew that said they ever saw this Gabriella Eagle Claw fight agreed Ambria wouldn’t stand a chance against her, and this included the Dark Elven Princess that had visited from the Elven Empire for a short time.
“There are many that Gabriella Eagle Claw considers worthy to spar with,” Ellora confirmed Amhiel’s fears. “They all consider it a great honor to be in the same class of fighters she is, but they equally know they will never defeat her.”
“Who comes the closest?” Amhiel wondered.
“Her Life Mate. His name is T’Harris, and he is one of the Guardians of the Empire. Emperor Lariel would probably rate fourth or fifth, with hundreds close behind. Her two General brothers would probably be third and fourth in the lineup,” Ellora offered Amhiel the rest of the information. She figured the people here would learn fast enough how to deal with what was to come when it happened. After all, the Elves in the Elven Empire were not difficult to get along with, just well-honed like the weapons they carried like a second skin.
CHAPTER XXV
Tethak’s Dragon was furious. He could hear his mate, and she was feeling hurt and angry. He knew the pain coming from her wasn’t physical, but one of betrayal. She had been lured from his arms under false pretenses and was now being held under duress. He was certain someone she loved dearly and trusted emphatically had done this. If this wasn’t the case, the anguish coming from within her wouldn’t be so pronounced. She needed comfort, which he considered his to offer. It was impossible, however, under the circumstances. All he could do was fly further out to sea while waves of grief from her assailed him. This was getting him nowhere.
In sheer frustration, Tethak’s Dragon roared and flamed the air around him. He felt his Anamara close. Yet there was no way to break through the barrier separating them. Eventually, he began to grow tired and had no choice but to turn back to the Elven Empire. However, he promised he would return to try again. No one was going to deny him access to his Life Mate, not when he had waited this long to find her.
Tethak’s Dragon was halfway back to the Empire when he heard King Gerolth and the Emperor Lariel’s command to return. He was to report to the Palace. He considered this a promising sign. Both those Elves had seen the moment he had connected with his Life Mate, and they would help him find her. His Dragon wasn’t as sure of their cooperation as he was, but that was nothing unusual. Dragons tended to doubt things that Elves believe wholeheartedly.
It took Tethak’s Dragon several hours of vigorous flying to reach the Emperor’s Palace, but when he landed, he reported directly to him and King Gerolth.
“Much later and I would have left this meeting to another day,” Emperor Lariel grouched. He wanted no more than to take his bride to bed and was tired enough he would have probably gone to sleep rather than make love with her the way he would rather do.
“Please accept my apology, Emperor Lariel,” Tethak immediately apologized. “My Dragon flew as fast as was possible.”
“Gerolth assured me several times over the last few hours,” Lariel replied. “It is the main reason I remained to wait for you instead of taking my bride to bed.”
As Tethak looked from Lariel to Deneene, he could see the newly forged bond, and he didn’t blame the Emperor for sounding out of sorts. In his position, he would rather have been in bed with his bride as well. “I would have understood your reason for not being here to greet me. May I congratulate you and your Empress on your bonding?”
Lariel glanced at Deneene and smiled as she blushed openly, and he answered, “You may.”
“I must say, your bride looks exceptionally good in red,” Tethak teased, although he surprised even himself that he had found the temerity to do so.
Deneene’s blush grew deeper as she smiled, and she could think of nothing to come back at him with.
Lariel came to Deneene’s rescue, as he changed the subject, “We have an assignment for you. Now, before you begin to object, I have a feeling you will like this one, for it may help you retrieve your lady love.”
“If it will reunite Anamara and me,” Tethak immediately assured Lariel, “I will do anything.”
“Spoken like a man in love,” King Gerolth teased as he was grinning broadly.
“Now, here is the main reason,” Lariel began. He was also smiling widely, which gave everyone the impression this was going to be a multilayered job. “You are to begin your task in the Elven Nation with the Dragons. I have already spoken with Kestriel and Ilénè, and they are preparing for the trip as we speak. I want to know what the ancients remember or know about Iridescent White Dragons. Next, I want you to find out what has become of my people over the millennia. I am getting the impression there is something wrong with them. It is in their auras, as well as some of their decisions. I don’t believe they are evil, but what just happened to you and Anamara wasn’t right, and I want to know why the counsel would consider supporting any action that would keep Life Mates a part in this way.”
This wasn’t the mission Tethak had expected Emperor Lariel to send him on. He had hoped for something along the line of flying into the Elven Nation to steal his Life Mate back. He should have known better than to expect anything that obvious, no matter how much it fit in with what he wanted. The Fates didn’t work that way. They liked to make a man’s life difficult, which they usually succeeded very well at doing.
“Do you think three of us can do this on our own?” Tethak wondered. “There is a lot of land to cover in
the Elven Nation from what I have been led to believe.”
“The beauty of that is you can fly, as Kestriel can. Ilénè doesn’t need to,” King Gerolth pointed out. “From all I have been told, the population is sparse, and you are trained to keep your Dragons from sight either on land or in the sky, so keeping your presence a secret shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”
“Three Elves isn’t a very big number to use to mingle amongst them, despite the fact they are few in numbers,” Tethak grumbled. He was thinking if more of them went, they could get this over faster. He could then turn his attention toward getting Anamara back, so they could complete their Life Mate bond.
“I will allow you to take one more Guardian,” Emperor Lariel decided. “I assume you already have someone in mind or you wouldn’t have said anything.”
It wasn’t quite the way it was, but Tethak didn’t want those around him to know it. He gave the matter a few moments of serious thought, then gave his answer. “Orien is the right Elf for the job.”
“Orien?” King Gerolth was surprised. Orien and Tethak weren’t close, although he couldn’t fault the choice. Orien was handsome and made friends easily. Elves opened up to him within moments of meeting him, though no one understood why. He was generally quiet, and if not approached, he was happy enough keeping to himself. Girls, it seemed, loved the strong, silent type, for when he was around, they flocked to his side. Even Light Elven Females, who were noted to be somewhat picky about the men they sought out, were drawn to him. He assumed it would be no different in the Elven Nation.
“I am sure you have noticed how people flock to him. Without knowing anything about him, they will tell him their complete life histories, even their most private moments and thoughts.” Tethak didn’t tell them how all the Guardians felt jealous of Orien’s Talent and wished they had at least a touch of it. At the same time, they could tell how uncomfortable he was with it, especially when it involved some deeply emotional matter.
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