Prologue
“An Elven Princess. The Elves, for those who don’t know...Most were banished by human society for bringing blood magic, sorcery, and the dark arts to this realm but apparently some survived. Apparently, there’s no justice for crimes committed against humanity…!”
That statement is the prelude for the actions committed in this story.
780 A.E. (After Elven Rule)
A century ago... In the Castle of Ashview, the castle that many a King and Queen had taken residence at. It had been a safe haven to many a King or Queen in the past. But it was not without trouble or consequences. Up until then, it had been relatively peaceful. But something happened to change that. A very horrible event.
The Castle of Ashview was hosting its Century Feathers Wing Masquerade, every century to honor human soldiers who had lost their loved ones in previous wars. This was a tribute to King Leonidas’s father, Ragnar Hauck by his relatives and community. But at this moment he was more an elderly statesman at his current job of service and retired. This event, the Masquerade was hosted by the King and Queen. Their members included several hundred of the King’s friends and family, and royal inner supporters on the Council. This party was supposed to be a fun but necessary event, at least that’s what King Ragnar thought.
King Ragnar, with his full beard, which looked regal, in his stately manner, wrapped in his royal flannel gear. Members of the Royal House looked at him and smiled as he nodded. Ragnar came down dressed in his purple accoutrements with six of his royal bodyguards, as one of his assistants, addressed him, in the King’s Court. King Ragnar mostly had a stocky but athletic build, but he knew that he had vices that he had to put in check. One of them late night raids to the fridge and pantry at late hours. He had heard some royal members had made comments about that. Hence, he was kinder later in life to them instead of ripping into the less diplomatic. His wife made sure of that.
He could hear members of the Guard marching down the path in the silver and gold. A fanfare of trumpets welcomed the guard. This was a special day in his life. It was his daughter’s wedding day. His wife Trista, who had been with him since their early days of the Royal courtship. She settled him in that he would definitely say she was the smarter and more beautiful of the two. The daughters of the royal crowd were in awe of her beauty, kindness and welcoming grace to everyone.
She subtly whispered in his ear, coming down the staircase, “My King, my love, relax. It is our daughter’s grand entrance into her life. We should happy. Don’t let the crowd’s insect like crawl and annoying, cloying, pandering to get to you. Look, here she comes.” King Ragnar grumbled in low murmurs. What descended was a young woman with long black curls with dressy ribbons in a soft pink long evening dress. It had mini flowers up and down the dress, with a v-curve at the neckline. Her father looked over to her and smiled. She was the vision that her mother had said to her, the night before.
“My daughter, Elise. The angels give credit to you through the dresser and the sewer, which took the time to create this magnificent dress, should think about getting a raise. They did an amazing job.” His daughter thought her father was just saying that for effect. He had that way about him, but he meant it. “My adoring sweet father, ever forward in his approach.” She giggled.
Elise hugged her father, meeting him at the end of the staircase. He pulled her away from a section that was too crowded for them. Two of his royal guard walked slowly behind them. He turned back and noticed, carefully dressed in his royal best. They were not to approach him on special days like this unless it was a serious acknowledgement. “Sir, can we get a moment of your time?” The King tapped his daughter and reassured her. He told her to wait for their dance after she tied the knot. “Always, dad. You always come first.” She said.
In a secure corner of the room, he twitched, and for some reason he started to sweat. “What’s the problem, men?” The armed guards were looking back as well making sure no one caught them with their side arms settled in their sleeves. “Sir, there has been movement in the underground prisons.” said his elite guardsman. “Can we handle it?” asked the King. “There is unexpected movement. Doors were blown off. Creatures escaped.” The King stared at his men in shock. But he didn’t want to give any sense of hopelessness. He then said seriously, “Close off the site, immediately. My daughter does not need this. She has waited her whole life for this. I cannot mess this up. Do what you have to do.”
The guard messaged to his fellow members to close the area down. They nodded as the King went back to his loving wife fawning over her daughter in her dress. “Stop with all the fussing, my dear. She can’t possibly want that many chocolate stars on her cake.” smirked the King. His wife stroking her husband face and she responded, “Don’t tease your daughter, you know she has been looking forward to this for a long time.” “My dear darling daughter couldn’t wait to run down the aisle, in her backyard running shoes with the lightning bolts. But I worry.” responded King Ragnar.
“Don’t worry. You have the entire castle in lock down, if there is anything to worry about...” continued his wife. Outside the main festivities, they heard an unusual sharp noise. There was a duet of war cries. Two creatures came out leaping from tree to tree rather quickly. Deftly leaping and avoiding the gunshots from the King’s guard. There were cries from the guardsmen as they tried to take the creatures down. One guard used their guns to shoot the blue creatures. One creature kicked him in the head and stabbed him in the chest with daggers and he dropped.
The blue creatures with long ears, who were from the Elven nation of Ishenora had magical transformative abilities, which allowed them to change from elf to wolf under duress. Together they jumped from branch to branch while the remaining guards protecting the castle outside, converged on them. The guards tried to track them in the sky, but they were too swift. They darted in and out of the guards’ vision scopes. Without much effort, the deft creatures stabbed the two guards with their daggers and flipped away from them heading for the main entrance of the castle. As one of them screamed in Elvish, “Tene ti la kiki sene sene!” <Vengeance! The King is dead! He Is Dead!> Two other Elves repeated the same, leaping toward the main entrance.
Inside the main hall banquet room, the guests were mumbling and whispering frantically to each other, causing a commotion there. It was very unsettling scene. The King had to calm several guests so they wouldn’t abandon their seats and leave. “Sit down, sit down. Ladies and Gentlemen, everything will be alright.” The two guards standing next to him looked at him sternly and urged him to move things along. “Okay. Folks. The wedding will go on as scheduled. Mister Franz, please.”
The groom tentatively stood there with the officiant waiting for his bride to come down the aisle. Then the soft but distinct organ music started. When the music started, there was an instant hush over the crowd. Dillon saw his bride, Laila smiling at him. His bride dressed in white all the way down to her shoes, came confidently into the hall with her side. Her father smiled at this being the first of many daughters he would walk down the aisle. He whispered to her while clutching her hand, “I got you, munchkin.” he said. “I know daddy...” She blushed thinking this was going to start something huge for her.
But suddenly at that moment, a huge cloud of indigo smoke appeared in the middle of the grand ballroom right over the guests. It caused everyone to cough and gasp for breath. The King couldn’t see anyone coming towards him, many were going to and fro, trying to get their bearings. His Elite guards were scanning their weapons sights everywhere but they couldn’t find a target. The smoke began to clear and four wolves appeared. They growled at the guests with their purple orbed eyes. The few guests that were in the front row backed away, scared and frightened. The large wolves pressed several of the people against the walls. The guards began shooting the wolves as they chased the guests. But they weren’t stopping them.
At the front entrance two Elven assassins appear. They yelled, “Hala ki na ni la kiki solte ho hiri !!” (Leave them alone. Go after the King now!) The wolves switched their attention to the enigmatic leader of the Royal Kingdom. The crowd members at the potential marriage of the wedding of the King’s daughter to the next in line, scurried back. The daughter seeing these creatures for the first time, with her eyes widened ran over to the fountain and hid. Her groom grabbed a weapon out of the bag he had in a room adjacent and began firing. The bullets ricocheted off the walls and windows as he followed the wolves. The wolves instinctual in nature in turn growled and leaped to gain a higher position to pounce.
The Elven assassin saw this and found him before he could move further away and hit him in the neck before he went down. He backed away trying to escape.
But before he did this, the King shouted over to the assassin, “Wait...! What do you want? We mean you no harm.”
The Elven Commander, in her chocolate brown skin was highlighted in the rays of the sun in the lofty windowsills above them.
She then turned her head with menacing eyes, “We know what we want. You...!”
She pointed to the dark shadowed area of the hall. “If you were King, you would not do this to creatures of your faction!” She walked out to the front area.
“I suggest you back down peacefully, or we will come after what’s ours!” shouted the Elven Commander.
The King of the Alynthia, came out of the shadows, eyeing her slowly with a smirk. “You do not presume to tell me what to do. You, Elves come in here, you are the intruder. You have upset these fine folks...”
The Elven Commander gritted her teeth as she listened to the King expand on his royal tapestry of things.
“...Do you know, there are dignitaries here that come from all sorts of the world, bringing Royal gifts, presents and grand acknowledgments. So if it’s money you need, I can gladly...”
In seconds she is there right next to him. It took him a little bit aback. He stumbled. “I have no need of these things.” She took her staff and pointed at him. “Your prizes are all parliamentary parlor tricks. You have for years sat on your throne, ignoring the pain that exists in your Kingdom. Creatures here don’t enjoy their existence; they pay to keep you on the Throne!”
She whistled to two of her men. They bring out several bags of gold coins and dump them on the red and gold carpet. “Is this what they want you for?”
The King stared at the bags and turned his head the other way in shame. “This is unforgivable.” she stated. “Where...who do you think you are?”
“I speak for my people, the Elven Adalla Ordorne ....” (Elite Warriors) The princess observed behind the fountain, the magnificent stature of the Elf Commander. Her brown v-shaped face and the little tattoo marks on her face in the high sun shone were absolutely illuminating. But what was extraordinary were their ears. They were almost half the size of her face. She had to protect herself while she could somehow get away.
“These baubles were a part of gifts given to my elite squad and me for battles...” “Hush!!” She yelled at him. “Gifts? I think not.” She smiled at him. “You forget, I know your kind. I know how you think.”
Just then she looked around and her ears were reacting slightly. They picked up something that was moving. She turned her head a tad. When she saw it, she threw her staff. The princess blinked and saw the staff headed right for her. She tried to get out of the way, but it stabbed her on the legs.
“No...!!” The Queen cried out. The princess fell and was on the ground in tears.
“This is your Kingdom, King Ragnar, people in grief, seeking acceptance and life, and you throw them in your glass windows meanwhile take their suffering for granted!” Her mother got up off the floor and tried desperately to get her daughter and the armed guard stopped and held her.
“My baby, my Lily!” “No. Not yet. Not until your King can release our members from the underground! That and only that will bring you to your precious daughter.”
The King knew what she was talking about. But it was not as simple as that. Their members were important, too important to release. The King knew to protect his Kingdom he had to keep them down there. They were a threat to him and every human in the Kingdom.
“I cannot. Please believe I’m doing this for my people.” The Elven Commander frowned and closed her eyes.
“I was afraid of that. But believe, I do this for mine!”
She quickly waved her hands several times and a band of cold artic air appeared in the ballroom. It was directed at the princess. The princess tried to run away. Soon the artic blast froze the princess completely. A guard had to hold her before she almost fell. The guards that were from the outside came in with guns blazing but the Elven Commander was nowhere to be found, and neither were the wolves. The King and the Queen sat there with the few members watching in disbelief at what just happened.
Due to previous events, The Kingdom of Alynthia had seen a backlash of what happened in the past. And because of that they instituted harsh rules to make sure those events didn’t happen again. They had upped the security since then. One of those rules were that only the regal, pure and untainted members could attend the parties that they hosted.
Prior to the King and Queen hosting these events, Olivia’s father and stepmother made sure that no one had really seen her much outside of those castle doors. Only the castle babysitter, and the private school tutors, and the Fenti coaches and team when Olivia was young, knew about her. They were paid well to not say anything.
