Rune Bearer

#7. Council of high Elves

    

Elrond's throat was parched and his stomach was rumbling, so Aurora slowly peeled herself off the edge of the door. Slowly, not because of those vigilant guards, but rather because her head was well and truly spinning. She didn’t trust herself to care enough to prevent a tumble.

It ward away as she drew closer. "Human in the walls of high elves." 

She glared at the thin scar stretching her hand and she shimmed to the door, neglecting the hesitancy of the guard. The world slipped when she entered.

"He is runed, it's pretty obvious." Who could that be? The council were in a far too steady motion to give notice of her entry.

"Father you sent for me." Aurora managed to cut through the thin air.

"Not anymore." Veturius's gaze hovered over his daughter's body down to her gown that had mud stains on its edge. "Continue to your room. And have that cleaned." 

She tilted her chin and studied the aura that was deep in the air. "Alright, father.''

"Allanon," Veturius called. "Your human companion shall stay within the Ayleid quarter, scrutinized by our mages for anything. Until then do not forget." He commanded and Allanon, unsatisfied with his profession, walked out of the room.

"Uncle, let me take you to —" Cain rushed after him. 

King Veturius snapped his finger at his most trusted knight. "Watch out for them and what must be done with a stray animal, if needed."

Aurora wondered if Cain was holding a festival. She wondered if he had figured the mockery in the riddle she used for him the last time in the square and if he had discovered the truth to make haste with their marriage.

Now wasn’t the time for thinking about Cain, or the truth, or any of the things that had left her soul so limp and weary.

Aurora tenderly prodded her split lip and frowned at the guards, the movement making her mouth hurt even more.

She had deserved that particular blow in the brawl she had provoked last night—she had kicked a man’s balls into his throat, and when he had

caught his breath, he had been enraged, to say the least. Lowering her hand from her mouth, she observed the guards for a few moments. They didn’t bully or threaten her with fines like the guards at her chambers. Was it because she was betrothed to Cain, her face twitched at the thought of it.

It's been weeks since she had figured out how to infiltrate the house of the Ayeleid clan. A week after that terrible day all her plans crumbled in her face. She had devoted how she would terminate this betrothal to Cain; it had all been going smoothly, flawlessly until. . .

Until that goddamn day when she had him embarrassed and he had noted her shady behaviour.

She’d trailed the human boy, Elrond and the druid through the city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop,

and all it would have taken was one arrow through those turquoise eyes and he would have been dead—considering the hate for humans.

But she followed them to the city walls, the cheers growing louder, people tossing flowers, everyone beaming with pride for their perfect, perfect prince to be—Cain.

She’d reached the city gates just as they opened to let him through. And when they got into their quarters, she lingered on that roof until they were a speck in the distance.

"You shouldn't have brought that up in the council. About elves losing their powers." Cain said, pouring wine out of the jar into the goblets.

"I did what I had to. And you're still wet behind the ear to assume for me what is right."

"How many years has it been? Hundred and twenty?"

It was not the sight of him, with his olive skin and dark hair, that had stopped her dead. It was not the fact that, even from a distance, she could see his turquoise eyes—her eyes, the reason she usually wore a hood in the streets.

They were odd, not elvish or human. She gasped.

"You're so beautiful. What—" She pulled him with her to the wall.

"Shhh. You shouldn't flirt with a girl within the walls of Ayeleid, human boy." She was fast which amazed him. Aurora leapt through quick enough that Cain came for the druid companion.

"That is a condescending thing to say, how you remind me if our difference in Cirdanoth somehow made me washed."

"They said you killed it and bore its marking." He croaked.

"Well, you should get the confirmation from when you got it." He savagely replied.

Aurora sightings Cain quickly disappeared leaving Elrond wondering where she had gone.

"Elrond of the false north."

"Elrond of Charevibe, do not condescend to us."

"There are no Charevibes anymore. You killed your own." He chuckled stalking. "That is what your kind will be ever good at should you have the leeway."

"Well, a speech coming from who doesn't know anything about family."

Cain rushed towards Elrond and grabbed the boy by the neck. "You will do well to learn your position here. Humans don't speak casually to high Elves, it doesn't matter if you're with the druid." He sparked a warning though.

"It doesn't matter to you. I get it. Now hands off."

Elrond made his way across the big block house. It was twilight and yet Cirdanoth never fails to amaze him. He reached a door and quaked inside but a voice came to him like a whiff.

"Well, father, I have gone too far beyond the walls and seen what great work you have encompassed there," Aurora said and kissed king Veturius's knuckle, his ring. "There are chambers in the walls you could have given to the druid despite knowing what his relationship with his nephew had been."

King Veturius let out an impressed hum but said. "You don't worry an eye for an eye. Cain will confine him within his walls should he fire anything suspicious."

Blank vacant eyes he wished he wasn't hiding and listening to the king and his daughter's discussion.

"My powers had tired so swiftly, had become weaker and weaker these weeks— the druid is right, it is only a matter of shorter times, the elves need survival."

"Not the one bestowed on a human boy or some assumption he entered the court with." Unease began to clench her guts.

"I believe it, I saw the trolloc head myself. It was freshly decapitated, the highest a day to make the blood clot black, there is no way Allanon will be lying." 

"We talk of this no more, you're the princess of the realm matters as this is irrelevant to the crown."

"But father—"

"I shall hear no more, and don't go there to the mines unless it's important. A maiden character should be modest. Imagine what the council will think of a rogue for a queen!"

"That is exactly why I agree to marry Cain the Aurthur even with his arrogance as broad as the spring leaves."

"He is a far better lord for you."

"A submissive wife? I won't have agreed to this because of your stupid ambition to align with the Ayeleid."

"Don't you—" he let the word out of his teeth as gravelly as ever.

"Was it too much headache?"

"You will make fine kids, powerful and highly esteemed all over Cirdanoth. You of all are no dummy to not understand politics should you be one."

"It's that right?" She breaks. "Engage me with him tonight? I thought it was till the next full moon."

"I love you and want what's best for you Aurora."

"No, no you don't. If you do, I will be sitting under the Elderwood listening to the twittering of birds or fighting with the commander as I train, you make a worrier not a wife—" she rubbed her hand on her face. "Cain is no good for me! You of all people know he's a cunt!"

"Your fondness of the commander will not be condoned."

"Had you given some liking and acknowledgement towards him he won't have been so vile of a rogue torturing the humans while the," she lowered her voice. "Well, the aggression he is using."

"Don't break my patience." He bits out.

The door slammed behind him as he walked the hallway to his chambers, disgruntled by his daughter's attitude.

"Come out I know you're there, human." 

His russet eye gleaned. "I didn't hear anything." her blond hair was the purest reflection of gold, her pupils wet from the tears that formed yet they were a standout.

She is confident she had made her choice. "Whichever way it doesn't matter. Perhaps everyone thinks I'm living happily within the castle but it's not the case." She rolled her eyes and sat on the bed.