Prologue
Allindor Camoran leaned on the railing of his balcony that was perched in the highest branches of Falinesti. Miles above the forest floor he could see from the curve of the Cape Coast around the city of Woodhearth, over the stretches of the forest that surrounded Silvenar and the Elder Grove, all the way to the edges of the desert that belonged to the neighboring country of Elsweyr. The calm of evening was settling over Valenwood, the land of the wood elves that Allindor would soon be expected to rule. As the birds sang their evening song and the rays of the sunset played on the treetops of the forest, Allindor contemplated the burden of his future. He heard the great wooden doors that led to the balcony open behind him and the soft footsteps of his wife grow closer. He let out a deep sigh as she gently placed a slender hand on his shoulder and he turned to face her. He looked at Dessa, his usually fiery amber eyes that marked the Camoran royal bloodline, were now dark and clouded with concern.
"What's wrong darling?" she asked in her voice so sweet that Allindor often thought it should find the attention of honey bees..
"Everyone is expecting so much of me" he murmured as his eyes dropped to inspect the scuffs on his boots. "In three days I'll be crowned King of Valenwood. The people want me to unite the Clans under the Royal Alliance, the Council is calling for war since the Cicatrix are ignoring every invitation, letter, and hand extended in peace on my part, and the Cicatrix obviously want me to either hand over the throne or start a war to defend it. And…" Allindor paused looking at his pregnant wife's stomach, "I'll be expected to be a father soon as well."
"You'll be a fine father. There's no need to worry about that, and as far as politics go you have your cousin, Arlas, here as your advisor." Allindor smiled and chucked at that thought.
"That man can't tie his own boots without help, Dessa. Sure he's the son of the Count of Southpoint, but all that taught him was to spend money and depend on others for everything he needed. He has no idea how to advise anyone. He just runs around spouting out whatever happens to be the latest thing the Council has told him."
"Speaking of the Council, dear, they want to hold another meeting on Fredas" Dessa replied softly.
"Another one? We just met last week on Middas and they, again, demanded answers to their questions that I still don't have. Will we go to war with the Cicatrix or continue our failed attempts at creating friendly relations? Or even get them to respond to a damn letter for that matter. The people want peace between the Clans. That's all they've asked for from my family since Haymar was finally removed from the throne. I've heard the stories my whole life, but it's hard to believe the selfishness of one man tore this country apart. We finally had peace thanks to the Empire in Cyrodiil and he goes and attacks the six other cities and the Empire. It's taken my family an era just to regain the trust of your family, the Benochs, and finally form the Royal Alliance. If four very capable rulers before me couldn't get the Cicatrix to trust us I don't know what I could possibly do to change their minds. If only my father were still here…he would know what to do" Allindor said as his throat grew tight, his father's recent death still gnawing at him.
"Maybe the Cicatrix will see what a great leader you'll be and choose to join us. They must care about the future of Valenwood as much as you do" Dessa said as she moved a strand of dark hair from Allindor's face.
"I doubt they care about what kind of leader I am, and as much as I wish they cared about Valenwood I can see from the way they've been outright refusing invitations to discuss their standing on the future, that they just want more war. The people can't take any more bloodshed and I don't want them thinking I'm another Haymar. But, there have been some recent…developments that have me thinking I may have to give them the war they want" Allindor said carefully as he looked into Dessa's deep brown eyes. Her blonde hair reflected the pink from the last rays of the sunset and fluttered off her narrow shoulders as a breeze found its way to them.
"What do you mean you may give them war?" she asked as her face darkened.
"Well…I've had more than one scout from Woodhearth report whispers of the Cicatrix training a group of assassins called the Nightshade. If this is true then I have not only my life to worry about, but yours and the baby's as well. They have a motive Dessa. Give them time and they'll begin taking attempts on our lives. The only way to stop them is to take out the Nightshade and possibly the Cicatrix. The only problem is I have no idea how developed the Nightshade are, if they even exist. Are they trained well and if so, by whom? How many are there? Could they possibly be prepared to begin attempting assassinations soon, maybe even today? I can't leave the lives of my family and court up to speculation. I have to treat this as if it's true and they're ready to attack us" Allindor said matter-of-factly. Dessa's hands began to tremble as the full effect of this news washed over her. All their lives were in danger. Who could she trust? The Cicatrix could very well already have spies in their home watching their every move. Learning their schedules and planning their demise. Her eyes began to well up with tears at the thought of losing her husband, and realizing to fully eradicate the Camoran bloodline the Nightshade assassins would kill her child as well, forced the tears to roll down her slender face. Allindor realized his hands were clutched in white knuckled fists at his side. He let out a sharp sigh as he released his grip and stretched his fingers. He glanced at Dessa to see how she was reacting to the news and was startled to find her crying. Dessa was a petite woman, even for a wood elf, but the strength of her resolve and keen intelligence was not easily hidden in her fragile body. When Allindor peered into her doe like eyes he normally saw the love and will of a devoted wife and future queen. But today Dessa looked like a frightened child and the fear she felt emanated from her large brown eyes. Seeing her look so vulnerable pained him and he pulled her into an embrace. Most men of their race only rose to Allindor's shoulder, and Dessa fit perfectly against his chest. He rested his chin on the top of her head and stroked her hair as she stood trembling in his arms.
"I'm so sorry Dessa. I shouldn't have told you that and I didn't mean to frighten you. Everything is going to be fine. I have a plan to protect you and our child if these rumors turn out to be true." Allindor said as he spoke softly into her hair and kissed the top of her head. "I have a contact in Cyrodiil. A good friend I made in my tour of Tamriel. He lives on a small farm outside of Chorol where you and the baby will be safe until I get these petty mercenaries who dare to call themselves assassins under control." He said as reassuringly as possible.
"What about you? I can't leave you here all alone!" Dessa exclaimed as she raised her head to look at her husband. She expected him to look stern, protective, anything but amused. And yet a smile played on his lips as his eyes glittered like an amber stone. Dessa's mouth fell slightly open as she looked in disbelief at her usually serious spouse. How could he be amused at a time like this? "What is so funny?!" Dessa exclaimed as she pushed Allindor away just as laughter spilled forth from his thin lips.
"How can you leave me here alone?" Allindor asked through bouts of laughter. "You speak as though you are the sole barrier between me and these assassins! Did you forget that we have an entire army sworn to protect me or have you decided that they are unfit when compared to your overwhelming stature and frightening demeanor?" he asked sarcastically with a smile plastered on his face. Dessa crossed her thin arms and scowled at Allindor.
"How can you joke at a time like this? Our family is in danger and you think NOW is a good time to poke fun at my height?" she asked incredulously.
"Well I did make you forget about it at least temporarily didn't I?" Allindor asked still smiling his contagious smile that drew Dessa to him in the beginning. She couldn't help but smile back, no matter how hard she resisted. She dropped her arms and hugged him again, and as he pulled her back she saw confidence in his eyes. After five years that's all Dessa needed to see to be reassured that Allindor would do absolutely everything to keep her safe. She placed a hand along his strong jawline and took a moment to admire his handsome features. He still made her heart flutter every time she looked into his fiery amber eyes. The same eyes their child would have as a descendant of the Camoran Clan, the family that had ruled Valenwood for thousands of years.
"Come on then. The whole reason I came out here was to tell you that dinner is ready" Dessa said as she wiped the tears from her face. "Now we're going to be late, thanks to you."
"I suppose it's acceptable for the future king to be fashionably late to a dinner party thrown in his honor, eh?" Allindor bowed and held his arm out for Dessa to take. She smiled, and wrapped her small hands around his muscular arm. The two made their way across the balcony, stopped for a deep breath, then disappeared into the great dining hall of Falinesti where the warm smells of dinner wafted through the air and the events of the evening distracted them from thoughts of the sinister assassins.
Six months later a beautiful baby girl was born to Allindor and Dessa Camoran on the seventeenth day of the month of Sun's Dawn. They named their new princess Tallia Aerin Camoran and the kingdom was abuzz with news of her birth. Blonde and fair skinned like her mother, coupled with the Camoran clan's amber eyes, she was beautiful from birth. Their family lived peacefully until one night when Dessa was alone with Tallia. Dessa loved to rock her daughter to sleep every night in the peaceful quiet of their quarters. But one night the silence was broken by the rattle of armored footsteps down the hall. Dessa stopped and faced the door, still gently bouncing Tallia in her arms, as she waited to see who had wandered into the royal wing of the castle. Allindor specifically told the guards assigned to this wing of Falinesti to wear leather boots so that they wouldn't wake the baby on their rounds. Dessa knew this wasn't a member of their normal guard. The foot falls stopped and a shadow showed under the door as it slowly came open. A man clad in guard armor peered into the room and smiled when his dark eyes found Dessa and the baby.
"Can I help you soldier? Do you need something?" Dessa asked cautiously. The way he looked at her was piercing and frightened her. He eased into the room and closed the door behind him.
"Hello Lady Dessa" he breathed as he gradually advanced on them. Dessa began backing away towards Tallia's crib.
"You aren't supposed to be in here right now. I'm trying to put the baby to bed" she said sternly though she was still backing away.
"Oh you'll be putting her somewhere much worse when I get through" the intruder snickered "You'll be putting her in a grave." A chill shot through Dessa as she heard the familiar sound of a dagger being drawn from its sheath. The assassin was just a few steps from where she clung to her child, and just as she was going to turn and run for the dagger in her bedside table he lunged at them. Dessa jumped back trying to dodge the slicing arc of his dagger but it nicked Tallia's cheek leaving a thin line of blood on her fair skin. Dessa threw up a hand and blasted the assassin with a stream of fire just as he reached out to grab her. He screamed in pain as the flames engulfed his head and shoulders. Dessa skirted around him and stated running for the door – Tallia crying in her arms. The assassin regained his senses quicker than Dessa expected, and he turned flinging his dagger at the queen. The dagger sunk deep into her low back and blood began seeping down her white nightgown as she braced herself against the doorframe. The assassin staggered towards Dessa and the infant princess, but as soon as Dessa had felt the cold metal on her skin she began letting out blood curdling screams as her last attempt to rouse the guards and save her daughter.
The guards burst in the room as they responded to the queen's screams. One of them caught her as she began sliding to the floor.
"I need a healer!" he yelled down the corridor at a new recruit who nodded and stumbled into a jog. The other guards rushed the assassin and subdued him as Allindor and the court wizard came into the chamber just a few minutes later.
"Dessa…" Allindor whispered when he saw his daughter and wife covered in blood. The court wizard Mathias placed an aged hand on Allindors shoulder, gently pulling him away.
"Let me tend to them, sire. You have the man responsible for this atrocity to deal with." Allindors heart had felt as if an ice spike had pierced it when he saw his two greatest loves bloody and slumped in the arms of a royal guard, but when he was reminded of the cretin that dared to harm the queen of Valenwood, his wife, in their own home his heart pounded with a fiery hatred that spread from his chest and slinked down his arms to his hands where blue lightning began to crackle menacingly. He rose and turned towards the assassin who, though pinned to the floor by three guards, continued to struggle under their weight.
"Pick him up" Allindor whispered "I want to see his face." Maneuvering him into a kneeling position the guards struggled to keep him restrained. Allindor approached the assassin slowly, his boots softly scuffing on the tile as he stopped in front of him. He hesitated for a moment before clutching the cowl that kept the man's face a mystery. Allindor drew a sharp breath as the cowl was removed and the black eyes of his cousin stared back incredulously.
"Looks like I chose the wrong side after all, eh cousin?" Arlas breathily chuckled as fluid from his burns dribbled down his face. Frozen in place, Allindor stared at Arlas as his skin prickled with shock.
"Too bad I didn't practice knife throwing with you more often Al" Arlas sighed as he licked his burned lips. "It really would have come in han-" Allindor ended Arlas' sentence early as he clamped his still crackling hand around his cousin's throat. The king's eyes were large and glowed like fire as he snatched his cousin off the floor and held him dangling at arm's length. Arlas sputtered and clawed at Allindors hand.
"I will watch every one of you worthless miscreants burn" Allindor snarled as lighning seared its way through Arlas' body. The bright electricity arced across him as the shadows of his death danced across the walls of the queen's chambers. He writhed and sputtered as the lightning burned his skin and ate away at the Nightshade symbol tattooed at the base of his neck. The king dropped his cousin's lifeless, charred body to the floor.
"Remove his remains" he ordered the guards coldly. His chest burned as he turned towards Dessa and Tallia with tears in his eyes. He let out a soft, steadying sigh before asking about his wife.
"Is she…how is she?" Mathais peered up at his king with sorrow.
"The dagger was poisoned, my lord. It prevented me from being able to heal the Queen properly. I tried using an antidote – the most powerful one I had in my disposal, but I think the weapon may have been enchanted to prevent its effectiveness. I'm afraid Queen Dessa didn't survive." Allindor clenched his jaw and put a hand over his mouth as tears spilled down his cheeks. He felt numb at his core, but at the same time a pain that threatened to rip his chest in two washed through his body. He fell to his knees and picked up one of his wife's slender hands, pressing her cool skin to his forehead. A single sob wracked its way out of his chest.
"The princess yet lives, your majesty" Mathais said softly. The king paused, then placed his wife's hand on the floor beside her and petted the top of her head, her beautiful blonde locks strewn about her. He kissed her gently whispering "I will protect Tallia, my love. I promise you." Mathais then placed the little princess in her father's arms.
"She was only slightly harmed. She'll bear a scar just under her left eye, here" the old court wizard said as he pointed at Tallia's fresh scar, still slightly glowing from the restoration magic. Allindor clutched the mewling Tallia to his chest, his little princess, as tears spilled from their matching amber eyes.