Jessi: I do not own Forgotten Realms. All characters are mine. Please read the Dragon God Chronicles I and II before reading this one.

Hello again...

Those who have read my previous chronicles know that I was talking about writing a third. My answer was maybe and I doubted that I would find the inspiration to write another that matched my others...

But apparently I was wrong. Less than a month after the completion of my five-year work I'm here again. Vale and Chel's story needs to be continued I felt.

Welcome and thank you for taking the time to click the link, readers both old and new.

Please enjoy.

Golden sunlight shone through the wide arches of the windows, illuminating the delicate features of a bored student staring out of the window. Personally she couldn't see the point of the large windows, which only served to show her the glorious day that she was missing. One window was open, letting the fragrant smell of the forest while the light sparkled on the surface of the lake of which tempting glimpses could be seen through the trees.

A thin cane made a loud bang as it met the wooden desk, inches away from the young elf's delicate fingertips. A yelp escaped her throat and she hurriedly directed her gaze towards the front of the small classroom.

"Princess Vale!" her tutor, a thin and greying elf in neat and formal dress, by the name of Balachder, scowled at her.

"Sorry Balachder..." Vale sheepishly looked down at the papers scattered across her desk by the cane. Half were actual notes while the rest were covered in absentminded doodles.

"Need I remind you, princess that you need to conduct yourself in a manner suitable for one of your blood," he put his hands on his hips and leant forward, "I supposed you could tell me the correct manner of addressing the Imperial Guardian when in a service, couldn't you?"

In a slight panic Vale glanced down at her notes. Her guardian had a dozen different titles that apparently changed on occasion, mood and, she was beginning to suspect season too,

"I usually call him Chel," that answer was bound to anger her teacher but the sight of his face rapidly purpling with rage and shock was the only high point of her etiquette lessons.

"That informal manner princess is not befitting a royal elf!" true to form Balachder's face was a spectacular shade of purple, "I suppose you'd think it proper to turn up in court in your usual abysmal attire."

Vale's blue eyes narrowed,

"I prefer what I usually wear to this thing," she gestured to the long clinging gown of rich material she'd been forced to wear, "The only elf who always wears dresses is Chel."

From the expression on Balachder's face she thought that he was about to hit her with the cane but then his rage was diverted by the door opening,

"What?" his furious expression faded, as did his colour, when he saw who had just screamed at.

Chel's only response was to raise one delicate eyebrow.

"I-Imperial Guardian, s-sir, how may I serve?"

"I am here to collect my ward," Vale, who'd been gathering her papers together ever since the door had opened, stood, almost tripping on the hem of her gown, "It is time for her lesson. Besides," his expression grew stern, "my job is prevent harm from coming to the princess."

The only sound from Balachder's mouth was a strangled yelp but anything else he might have tried to say was cut off as Chel closed the door behind Vale.

"Would he have really hit me with the cane?" the elven princess looked up into her guardian's lovely face.

Chel took the papers from Vale and tucked them beneath his arm,

"Probably not Vale-uke," any negative emotion that haunted Vale was instantly gone at the mention of her pet-name and she grinned widely. It was hard for her to feel sad with Chel around anyway.

Her guardian was an immortal of great power named Chelevva Pendragon, descended from two dragon deities. Currently he wore the form that the elves of her forest had grown to know, that of a spectacularly beautiful winged elf baring the name of Chel. In contrast to the elves that lived here he had white skin, tinted with silver, ankle-length white hair and, the most obvious difference, a pair of white feathered wings.

"How are you today?"

Chel's eyes filled with sorrow, "I have been depressed again, as of late."

Vale sadly nodded,

"You haven't been..." she trailed off but her hand lingered on the inside of his delicate wrist. Her guardian had not had the best of lives and had been depressed since he was a hatchling. For much of his long existence he'd practised self-harm, cutting himself again and again, almost in a trance-like state.

No, said Chel, switching to telepathy for privacy, I have not gone back to cutting myself... I fear I've lost my nerve for that.

What have you been sad about?

I was thinking about... about us... I do love you Vale, he said hurriedly as the young cleric's face fell, I just wonder sometimes if I was right to go after you when you fled Waterdeep. I feel that my... condition did not give you much of a choice when I asked you to stay with me.

I didn't fall in love with your depression. And before you ask neither did I fall in love with your face, your power and I'm not just seeking favour with Tiamet, she reached up and hugged him, feeling his head fall onto her shoulder, I love you and don't you forget it.

There was silence from Chel before kissed her cheek,

"Thank you. By the way I wear robes not dresses," referring to the black robes that he always wore. He drew away from her and opened the door to an empty classroom, beckoning Vale to him. Shutting the door behind Vale, he took a seat on an empty desk. He gently pushed a soft package into her hands and Vale grinned as she saw that it was a set of her usual boyish clothes, tunic, breeches and boots.

"What are you teaching me today?" she asked her guardian, voice muffled as she pulled her dress over her head.

"Your lesson is tomorrow Vale-uke," when Vale turned to look at him he continued, "It is a beautiful day and it seemed a shame that you should miss it."

Fully dressed, Vale took both of Chel's hands in hers, "Have I told you that I love you lately?" her grin widened as he nodded, a small smile on his face and even a slight silver blush on his cheeks. She leant forward and kissed him, her guardian's hands coming around to clasp her waist.

Footsteps sounded in the corridor and the two sprang apart instantly, waiting with bated breath as the person passed by the room.

Vale sighed, leaning into Chel's embrace.

"It still bothers you doesn't it?"

"I just don't like lying to people... especially my father..." she looked up into Chel's blue-green eyes, taking some comfort from his presence.

The relationship that had started in the outside world, beyond the closeted civilisation of these elves, and had even survived Vale's possession as well as the revelation of Chel's true origins, was known only to Vale and Chel. To the rest of their people Chel was still the distant and chaste Imperial Guardian and guider of the Church of Tiamet and Vale was a virginal princess and cleric. She was only fifty years of age compared to Chel who had been with her people for thousands of years and had existed for many, many more.

"We will tell them soon Vale..." he held her closer, "I love you, remember."

"...We are doing the right thing, aren't we?"

"We are doing nothing to offend Tiamet or others," he touched the platinum Star of Tiamet that hung on the chain around his neck, feeling the reassuring warmth it produced. He knew, without looking, that Vale was doing the same thing.