Shadow would have liked Allen to chase after her, but since that would never happen, she decided not to think about him anymore. As she made up her mind to forget him, she heard a string of human curse words said near her right ear. Again she looked around but saw nothing. Why did she still hear cursing if she did not want to think of Allen?
That night, Shadow slept in an elfin bed which is better than any bed on Earth, but in the morning she woke screaming. Her dreams were filled with angry vicious taunts from Allen, who berated her for being gone so long and making everyone worry to death about her. Shadow rose quickly, made a portal and materialized in her bedroom. She took off her rich translucent clothes and put on a human T-shirt and jeans. She walked into the breakfast room trying to look nonchalant.
She found Allen and Storm enjoying themselves over breakfast. She sat down and tried to eat human food again, but it made her ill. Or was her nausea caused by watching Storm flirting with Allen? She did not know. All she knew was that they did not even look up when she came in.
“Are you taking me shopping today?” Storm asked Allen.
Allen tapped his chin and thought, “Well, I had something to do with Shadow, but since I’m sure she doesn’t care, let’s go.” Then they got up and left together.
Shadow’s jaw dropped in surprise. Allen had not even noticed she was missing. Stupid untrue dreams! Shadow returned to her room, put on her elven clothes and returned to her parents’ house. Her mother was looking for her. She sat down with Shadow and told her all about the young lords and how handsome they were. Shadow agreed to have her first date that day.
Her mother created the finest dress out of magic for her. It was woven from the silken strands of fairy hair and was the color of streams shadowed by a thousand spring leaves. Then her mother took her long honey-colored hair from the braid she always wore it in and let it hang about her waist.
“You are beautiful,” Cathar-taris told her daughter. Shadow blushed because it was the first time she had ever heard herself called that.
The elf lord appeared at noon.
“This is the son of the Lord of Shadow and Light. His name is Shaladar. May I present my daughter, Lady Laurillien,” her mother said.
Shadow nearly fainted from laughter as he dropped to his knee before her and kissed her hand. In human terms, he was really over-dressed in black leggings and a long jacket with tails of peacock feathers. Still, he was very handsome. Not as handsome as Allen but still nice to look at.
“My ladies,” he said, and bowed. He took Shadow for a walk in the gardens, and birds came at his command and sang for her. A lovely picnic appeared before her out of thin air. Shadow gasped at its opulence. There were tiers of sweets and fountains of bubbling champagne and anything delicious she could ever want to eat.
“All for you,” he said and sat her down on a velvet cushion. Shadow smiled. It was nice to be doted on for once.
Shaladar began to feed her bits of pastries. He told her how beautiful she was and how his heart burned for her. Oddly, Shadow felt that curious wind against her skin that reminded her of Allen. It made her blush, but Shadow was determined to forget him as he had forgotten her and so forced herself to smile at Shaladar.
“Thank you, my kind lord,” she said.
“You can show your gratitude in a more substantial way,” Shaladar said, puckering for a kiss. Just then, Shadow noticed a cloud drifting over the sun. It cast a darkness over them just as Shaladar’s lips reached hers.
At the sudden shade, Shaladar looked up in horror at the cloud. “In the name of the King of Elfland, what is that?”
“A cloud,” Shadow laughed. “Do you wanna move? I mean, would you like to hie from hence?” Shadow found it hard sometimes to remember to speak in Elvish the way Sun had taught her.
“Yes, Lady Laurillien, let us go from this ill-omened spot,” he said.
Shaladar lifted Shadow into his arms and quickly carried her across the lawn to a sunnier spot. She blushed as he held her and leaned her head on his shoulder like she always dreamed of doing with Allen but never had. Oddly, it did not feel like she thought it would.
Just as they sat down again, and Shaladar tried to kiss her once more, the cloud drifted over them, unzipped its silver lining and let rain down a torrent so heavy and black that both Shadow and Shaladar were drenched to the skin before they even rose to their feet. The lord lifted Shadow once more, but this time on his back like an overcoat, and ran as fast as he could for the house. The cloud gave chase and would not relent until they were inside. And even when Shaladar and Shadow were safe indoors, the cloud growled and prowled the edges of the balcony and looked blackly at them.
“Lady Laurillien, I fear some ill-omen oppresses our meeting. Good day,” Shaladar said and left quickly, dripping all the way, never to return.
Shadow stood wet to her skin and blinking at what had happened. Her mother came upon her like that and asked her what the matter was. Had Shaladar pushed her into a lake? Shadow told all about the strange cloud.
“Raining?” her mother cried, looking perplexed before she laughed out loud. “Good,” she said. “I will set up another date for you tomorrow. Now go and change your clothes.”
Shadow did as her mother suggested but did not know why her mother was so happy. In fact, her mother sat smiling at her as she changed, then said, “Now return home and tell me what mood the King of Elfland is in.”
“But mother he is in a fine mood because he is with Storm. He does not care about me. I went back yesterday, and he did not even look up when I entered.”
“Just go back again and see,” Cathar-taris coaxed.
So, Shadow went back home through a portal. She came into the dining room and found Allen and Storm once more enjoying themselves over food. She sat down at the far end of the table and Storm’s chatter did not cease a moment. Shadow looked around and noticed Sun was not there. She had not been there in the morning either. Shadow began to wonder after her.
“Excuse me,” Shadow said, “but where is Sun?”
Both Allen and Storm turned to her. Storm looked at her with contempt and anger at being interrupted, and Allen seemed to be glaring at her for having interrupted Storm too.
“In her room,” Allen informed Shadow curtly and then looked away toward Storm again.
“Well, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted for no reason...” Storm went on.
And since no one cared if she lived or died, Shadow rose from the table to leave.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Allen asked suddenly.
Shadow continued walking another step before she realized Allen was talking to her and in such an angry voice. She looked back and Storm’s mouth was open in shock that he had interrupted her this time.
“To my room,” Shadow said.
“To your room?” he asked raising a brow, and folding his arms over his huge chest as he leaned back like an interrogator. “Just to your room?”
“Yes.”
“No place else?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Didn’t she say ‘yes’ already?” Storm asked him.
“Be quiet. I’m talking to Shadow,” Allen told her, then turned back to Shadow. “You’re telling me you are going to your room. So, if I come in there in an hour or so, you’ll be there and not someplace else.”
“You’d never come to my room,” Shadow informed him. He looked surprised and smiled coldly.
“Why not?” he parried.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Just let’s hypothesize,” he suggested.
“Why?” Shadow contended.
Then Storm screamed, “I am so bored. Let’s talk about something else! I saw a new ring I liked can I buy it?”
Allen glanced at her and said with a bit too much magic in his voice, “I told you to be quiet and stop interrupting me when I’m talking to Shadow.”
Storm po
unded her fist on the table and opened her mouth to bellow, but nothing came out. Not even her fists made a sound.
Allen turned back to Shadow. “You were telling me about the fact that you were going to your room. And I ask you again as a person who has known you your whole life, clothed and fed you, shared your days and nights, are you sure you are just going to your room?”
“I said I was, didn’t I?” Shadow shouted, then turned and ran away. She ran down the hall to her bedroom. She opened the door and threw herself on her bed. Did he know she had gone to Elfland? It seemed he did, but how could he? No. He couldn’t. He was with Storm all day. But why was he asking those questions? And why hadn’t she just told him where she was going? It’s not like he would care if she were on a date. So, why didn’t she tell him? Shadow should have looked him in his gorgeous brown eyes and told him she was going on a date in Elfland, but she couldn’t.
Shadow couldn’t tell Allen that she had gone to their home without him. It seemed sacrilegious. It had never been spoken of, but somehow it was understood that they would all go together one day. But now that was all over because of her. Well, he had destroyed her dreams too. Why shouldn’t she destroy his? She waited for an agreeable answer, but none came. She knew somehow that what she had done was wrong. Shadow heard the front door slam. Allen had left again with Storm. So, she made a portal and went back to Elfland.
Her mother was waiting. She told her about the King’s foul mood and strange questions, and then her mother set her up on two more dates. Each one ended the same way. Well, not exactly the same. The second ended in baseball-sized hail that knocked the lord unconscious. The third ended when two small tornadoes ate the elf lord, his horse and carriage.
“Elfland hates me!” Shadow cried, running to her mother’s arms after the last elf lord fled from her in terror.
“Hush. Hush. Don’t fret. I’ve heard some good news. The elders have decreed that it is time for the King to choose a wife, for you are all great elf ladies now. I have taken the opportunity to have the ceremony held here,” Cathar-taris told her.
Shadow pulled from her mother’s embrace. “Why would you do that?”
“Where else would you want it held?”
“Nowhere.”
“I already checked, and that land is booked up until next month,” her mother giggled. “Now trust me and all will be well.”
The next day, Allen, Sun and Storm (who had recovered her noisiness) appeared in Shadow’s family’s castle. Cathar-taris and Bandar-lay went to greet them. Shadow lagged behind in her gorgeous dark blue Elfin robes that made her eyes sparkle like gems and her hair glow like gold.
“Welcome to our home,” her parents said to them.
Sun bowed graciously. Storm sighed, played with her hair and looked bored. Allen nodded to Bander-lay, then glared at Cathar-taris and muttered something under his breath before looking away.
Then the ten elder elves appeared out of thin air and bowed to the King, their youthful heads lowered to their breasts and their young eyes sparkled with respect.
“It is time for you to choose your queen,” they announced.
Allen said nothing.
“You must find the flame in your heart, the joy of your life.”
Still, Allen said nothing.
“Place each elf lady upon your lap, one after the other. Take them to your heart, and your heart will speak to you, and you will know who is your queen. When this is done you will take your places on the thrones of honor,” they said. They brought a royal chair sculpted from the tears of baby unicorns, and cushioned by the shed down of baby griffins, and had Allen sit it in. Then they stepped back and waited to see what would happen.
“Dibs! I go first!” Storm screamed. “And if I go first then the others will not have a need to sit on his lap because it will be my lap from then on!”
“You will each sit on my lap,” Allen said, deflating Storm. “You each have a part of my heart. And if my heart has something to say, then I will repeat its speech only after the last has left me, and the decision will be made.”
“You mean, we will part,” Shadow said, glancing at Sun and Storm.
“I suppose we must,” he told her.
“Then I will go last,” Shadow said.
“I will go second,” Sun said with a sigh, “though I came first. I know that each of us has a part in your heart, but it is not an equal share for each.”
Storm clapped her hands happily. She ran over and jumped upon the King’s lap, which made tears flow to his eyes and a groan of pain escape his lips, for verily she had crushed the royal jewels. After the King recovered a bit, they were both taken up with the magic of the moment and the ancient rite that had been the way of Elves long before humans ever trod upright. The king embraced Storm on his lap and his head went down upon her shoulder and her head laid upon his and their hearts had deep and magical commerce. It was a short conversation of about thirty seconds.
Storm rose with a look of triumph on her face and strode aside. Sun studied Allen’s face, but it had not changed a bit. She walked over calmly and placed herself on his lap. And they bowed their heads to one another. Sun sat in his lap for near a quarter of an hour. She rose then with a look of pride on her face and took her place beside Storm without even looking at the elf girl she had raised as if she were her daughter.
Last, it was Shadow’s turn. Allen waited, but she did not move. He waited, but she stayed where she was.
“Come, Shadow,” he said finally.
“No,” she told him.
“Sit upon my lap,” he commanded.
“No. I will not sit on your lap.”
“And why not? Have you found a better one?” he snapped.
“No, because if I sit, you will give your decision and our family will be broken, and all we have will end, and I for one do not wish it to,” she cried and ran away.
“She knows it’s not her,” Storm bawled loudly, “and she is selfish and does not want me to be queen!” She stomped her feet and threw herself on the ground to weep.
“Shadow is braver than I am,” said Sun, kneeling to comfort Storm. “I do not wish it to end either, but I would not defy the elders’ will.”
Allen got up and followed Shadow through her parent’s house. She did not know where she was going, so she finally turned on him and said:
“Why are you following me?”
“Why don’t you want to sit upon my lap?” he asked, folding his arms.
“A shadow does not belong in a man’s lap,” she told him. “She lives behind him.”
“Or in front of him leading the way,” he said gently.
She scoffed at his words because she did not believe that he believed them.
“Why did you name me Shadow?” she yelled. “Out of all the names I could have had like Radiance or Joy or Beloved, to you I am only Shadow, so I will not sit on your lap. Let the Sun dally there. Let Storms chase the Sun from it, but what is a poor Shadow to these.”
“Your mother can give you another name, since it does not please you,” he told her, clenching his jaw. “But first, you must sit in my lap and our hearts will have a talk.”
“There is nothing to talk about. I already have another name,” she said triumphantly.
“Then what is it?” he asked.
“None of your business!”
“Ha!” he shouted in her face. “I already know it! It’s Laurillien and it means ‘loved’.” Shadow gaped at him. “And, I can’t believe you’d tell it to some silly elf lord if he asked, and not to me!”
“At least the elf lord would love me as I love him!”
“You love him?” Allen repeated, and for the first time his fiery elven heart that had been small like a human heart, a burning ember only, grew hotter and larger than it ever had before and became a truly pissed-off elven heart. “Then sit on my lap and go and marry which ever Lord of Elfland you want. You say you don’t want to leave, bu
t you already have. I can’t believe you came to Elfland without us.”
“You left me first,” she accused. “It’s only fair!”
“Fine, but you still cannot marry until you sit upon my lap,” he told her.
“I don’t care if I ever marry. I am your faithful shadow no more!” she cried.
“Faithful shadow? How are you my faithful shadow?” he sputtered. “You left me to go and dally with elf lords while I searched for you all over and was worried sick. I left Storm with my credit card in a store and hurried back to ride bicycles with you. If that doesn’t show how I feel about you, I don’t know what could. But I didn’t find you anywhere. I sent spell after spell searching for you. I thought you had been kidnapped or something. When I couldn’t find you anywhere on earth, I thought maybe someone had come and forced you back to Elfland. So, I used the portal you gave me to find you.
“And there you were with your mother planning to date some elves. I was so mad, I left without a word and waited for you. You came back, and I pretended I didn’t know anything because I was waiting for you to say something. I mean, you’ve known me since you were a baby, but you think I wouldn’t notice if you were gone?! Still, you said nothing!” he cried throwing his arms up in the air.
“Then my so-called ‘faithful shadow’ left again, so I followed you and there you were on a date?! You are so lucky I couldn’t make lightning that day, or I would have toasted that elf like a marshmallow right on your parents’ lawn.” Allen took a breath and continued. “So, I made it rain all over you. I thought you would get a hint, but no, the next day you were gone too. So, I followed you again and again and ruined all your stupid dates.”
“Why?” Shadow cried, “Why would you do that to me? Do you hate me? Do you never want me to be happy?”
“I want you to be happy,” he said, grabbing her by the shoulders. “I want you to be happy with me.”
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