" Uh..."
Edvi opened his eyes, looking up. The sky was dark. What happened? Oh, yeah. He'd passed out. Edvi looked around for a moment, and cursed. How was he supposed to find his way out of this dark corridor? Knowing Jordyn she probably ran like a frightened...
" You're awake."
Edvi whirled around, pulling his sword and swinging it, stopping right as it touched the soft flesh of someone's neck. He pulled it back as he recognized Jordyn's face in a moonlit patch.
" I tried to get you up, but you were unconscious."
" Why didn't you go and find the Prince?"
" I didn't want to leave you here."
" I'm much obliged. But, who's going to find us?"
" Well, I figured, I could leave by myself and find help, but that would be unlikely, since I can't defend myself and my shoulder's aching."
Edvi caught a flash of blood drenched tunic, and nodded.
" True."
" I figured, I'd be safer if I waited here with you, even if you don't like me, and only defend me because it's your duty."
Edvi winced. Jordyn continued.
" I'll just leave you to your thoughts, then. I don't want to be a burden."
" ...Where are you going?"
Jordyn stopped. Edvi got up, sweeping himself off.
" Are you trying to make me lose my position? You said so yourself, I have a duty to protect you. And I'm going to hold to that. Unless, of course, you WANT to leave, in which case I won't stop you."
Jordyn grinned. He still won't admit he isn't annoyed by me, she thought.
" Come then, Lady Fraidy."
" Lady Fraidy?"
" Suits you quite nicely." He grinned as she glared. At least they were back to normal, none of this self-piteous, 'me-oh-my woe is me, I'm lost'.
" Fine then, Sir Faint-a-lot, be that way."
Surprisingly, he laughed.
" Point taken. Come then, Lady, lead the way. The Prince is probably sick with worry."
******
When Elar saw Edvi come in, he immediately rushed to him.
" Edvi! Where's Jordyn?"
" Nice to see you too." Edvi motioned for Jordyn.
" Jordyn, are you alright?!"
He tried to inspect her wound, but she pulled aside. Prince Elar grinned to himself, then put on a false frown.
" Well, Jordyn, as much as I'm sure you would like to add to your collection of scars, you should get that looked at. Unfortunately," He found it nearly in impossible to keep a straight face as he clapped his hands together briskly," I've still got my letter to write. Mother will worry. Edvi, why don't you take care of it?"
Edvi started.
" Me? Why me?"
" It's not in MY duties as a Prince." He said innocently.
" So you push them on me?"
" Yes."
" Fine. Fine. The Prince ORDERS me to do so, so I shall."
" I'm not ordering you, Edvi." The Prince said with mock seriousness," It's just a STRONG suggestion."
Edvi glared at the Prince's retreating back, then turned to Jordyn with a sigh.
" Well, at least there's one step I don't need to take."
" What's that, pray tell?"
" You've already managed to rip your sleeve off on our short stroll."
She glared mockingly at him, as he sat down quietly and began to clean her wound with a scrap of cloth, dipping it in water. She kept herself from wincing by staring off in another direction. Finally she spoke.
" You know. For a guardian, you seem so...at ease with the Prince..."
" Oh?"
" It's like you're equals..."
" And what makes you think we're not?"
Jordyn whirled around, nearly throwing the bowl of water off her lap. He caught it deftly, with a look of displeasure.
" I suppose," Edvi snapped," It's because of my Guardianship. That's what most people assume when they see me. I serve a Prince, therefore I'm lower than he is."
Jordyn didn't speak.
" That's the problem, with you humans. Everything is automatically lower in your perspective. You see someone serving someone else, they're automatically lower in rank."
" That's because, most of the time, that's what it is." Jordyn murmured, thinking more of herself than of Edvitalon.
" Well, not in this case," Edvi murmured," No."
They were silent for awhile. Edvi finally looked up, after he'd swirled the water in the bowl for awhile.
" How many siblings do you have?"
" One," She murmured.
" The Prince has none."
" And you?"
" I..." He got up, putting the bowl on the lightstand near the door," Have 14."
" Fourteen?!"
" Nine brothers, all older than me," He continued," two younger sisters, two younger brothers. I'm the tenth in line for a throne that I will never see."
" Fourteen." She murmured again, shivering involuntarily. Imagine that...having fourteen copies of her sister...
" Truth be told, your reaction proves exactly why this guardianship is above me." He murmured. Mistaking her reaction for disgust at his sudden proclamation. " Being tenth, I have no inheritance, but that of my title."
" But, I thought elves shared their inheritance equally."
" That's what most elves do. But, not MY father. No. He likes the HUMAN way. He wants the oldest to have the riches and the possessions..." Edvi mused.
" ...Such trifles are not worth your time...are they?"
He seemed to contemplate this for awhile, then took up the cloth again briskly.
" No. No, I care not for such silly things as medallions and chains. I would sooner die than don such ridiculous finery......and yet...I find it impossible to believe, that one person, could ever need so much..." He stared off into space, obviously not sulking over the treasure.
Jordyn looked down for awhile. She felt a bit foolish, judging his reasons for disliking her before she'd even known...No wonder he hated humans so much.
" ...so much...for just one person..." He definitely wasn't alluding to the riches. He dazed a little bit longer, than got up and wrung out the towel," Forgive me. I digress. I'll have the maid set up a bath downstairs, and have her call you when it's ready. I need to have a brief conversation with His Highness. In the meantime, you should change out of those rags you call clothes...not fit for a horse...wouldn't fit a horse, come to think of it..."
Jordyn sighed in disgust, and slammed the door, hearing a bark of laughter from outside. Sometimes, he just had to push her!
******
Prince Elar looked up surreptitiously as Edvi came down the stairs, whistling a tune. He practically pounced on his friend.
" Well, how did it go?"
" Well, it looks clean enough, and I think we caught it in time so that it won't swell..."
" Not, the wound, you insufferable...OH! Nevermind."
" Since we have a moment, your highness, I feel we need to speak about an urgent matter."
" What is it?"
Edvi motioned Prince Elar to the corner.
" Your highness, we have a bit of a situation here. I believe, that I owe you an apology...She is the one..."
Prince Elar practically fainted in horror.
" She is? I mean, I had a sneaking suspicion, but as you may have noticed, the last three..."
" Forgive me for ever doubting you.."
" Yes, yes, of course," The Prince waved him off,"...But, tell me, how did you come about this...conclusion?"
Edvi went into a short explanation about the man and his warning. Prince Elar went pale.
" So...We've found Calamarais." He whispered.
" From what I can tell, Calamarais is dormant. I don't believe he's made contact with his host as of yet, nor has he woken to feed. But, when he does..."
" Is there anyway...we can free the host without harming her?"
" Calamarais is sleeping, but I don't trust any kind of existing magic to be subtle enough. He may just awaken from feeling the touch of a spell."
The Prince walked around the table, then pounded a chair leg in rage.
" Why did he choose her? The prophecy said, he would choose a girl..."
" With a dark past..." Edvi finished.
" She doesn't seem to be one with a dark past, though her edginess towards the opposite sex may be a clue.."
" Perhaps..."
" Should we inquire?"
"...No. No. Not yet. First, we must make a side-trip to the Desertland."
" What?! But, there's only sand, and mountains there."
" Yes. But, there's also the temple of Grrega."
Edvi shot up in his chair.
" Grrega? You must be joking. She'll kill the girl!"
" We have no choice." Elar hissed, motioning him back down," We must take the risk!"
" But, GRREGA?! I think our chances with Calamarais alone would be less risk."
" Edvi. Grrega is the greatest sorceress of all..."
" SHE'S A..."
" SSSHHHH!"
Elar put a hand up to shush Edvi as eyes turned around to glare. He motioned silently for them to leave. As they walked back up the stairs, Elar whispered at Edvi's back.
" Edvitalon. From now on, keep a close watch on Jordyn. Closer than you have been doing. We need to get to Grrega's temple in one piece."
******
" 'ere you are dearie, nice warm bath wata for ya sores."
" Thank you."
Jordyn sank into the wooden basin, wincing as hot water swirled around her shoulder. Her ragged tunic and pants had been taken away. She looked at the soap, but grimaced. Lye. She may have been a peasant, but even that wasn't fit for her skin. She sufficed with scrubbing hard with nails, and dunking several times, coming up gasping in the chilly air. On her fourth or fifth down, a maid came in carrying a pile of clothing. Jordyn looked at it and nearly swallowed the water she sat neck high in. A dress? For her?
" There must be some mistake. I can't wear that."
" What? Too ugly for 'ou?" The maid arched an eyebrow.
" No, no! It's lovely. Too lovely..."
" Oh. I see. You're not used to livin' it up, are 'ou?"
Jordyn decided to change the subject, uncomfortable with the victorious look on that maid's face.
" If you'll pardon my asking, where are we?"
" Why, every'un knows that. We're in North Kyrria, right up next to the border. There's a desert to the west somewhere, and Arelia is over to the east side. The fens are a little more to the south 'n...*A/N: I'm making this all up as I go, I don't remember much of what was what...so you'll have to excuse me..*"
" I see."
The maid nodded, and as she turned the corner, Jordyn heard a few slips of gossip pass between her and another person, another maid perhaps.
" She's the scrawniest thing I ever saw!! No shape whatsoev'a! Could'a been a sparrow, she's so flat!"
" I don't know what the Prince sees in her..."
" Or that elf..he looks promising...think he'll want a little company tonight?"
Two voices burst out into hysterical giggles, then faded as they chattered towards the main kitchen. Jordyn murmured in the dim light, drying her hair. Flat? She sighed, and when she'd finished with her hair, she found that under the dirt of the road, and several years of mistreatment, it had actually been a light golden blond. Straight, which served her purposes, it fell to about her arms, the edge short and ragged. Upon dressing herself she looked down, and was satisfied to see that she filled it just fine. It was a relatively modest dress, thank goodness, of a strong off white, and made of a thick but supple wool. She gave a twirl, feeling it rustle softly against her. She'd never been allowed to wear anything so nice. A short red tunic went over the top of that, off-setting the white, and making her outfit altogether more casual. After adjusting the sleeves, she slipped on the soft boots that went with it and as she walked out, saw her own reflection in the mirror. What she saw was a slim girl, with fairly pale skin from all the time she'd been stuck indoors. Everything about her was petite, and delicate like a doll made of glass. She wasn't exactly as robust as those maids were, but what difference would that make? With that thought to reassure her, she blew out the candle in the bathing room and padded softly outside.
Her hair tied back loosely, she yawned, and stretching her arms walked towards the stairs that led to the room to their quarters. Oblivious to the many glances that the occupants of the inn snuck at her, she pondered her way up the stairs. As she reached the top, Jordyn heard hysterical giggles, and saw the maid from before come running out of the Prince's room...what was she doing in there? The door slammed behind her, and furious muffled words came from behind the door. For one moment, Jordyn suppressed the urge to check on the Prince, but curiosity got the better of her, so she calmly knocked on the door. There was some frantic murmuring and suddenly someone banged on the door frame.
" HE'S NOT INTERESTED!! GO AWAY WENCH!" Edvi's voice rang sharply.
" Oh, so I'm a wench now? You really know how to make a girl feel special."
Frantic footsteps scrambled towards her, and the door immediately flew open, with Prince Elar's apologetic expression at it's mouth.
" Jordyn! I'm sorry, Edvi didn't mean to..."
" I'm sure he most certainly did. And you should be glad of it too. Couple of barmaids aren't worth your time." Jordyn retorted, more to herself than to the Prince.
" Thank you." Edvi motioned to Jordyn, almost as if toasting her remark.
" You look lovely, Jordyn!" The Prince said abruptly," Doesn't she look just the angel, Edvi?"
" I see you've ditched the horse clothes." The elf murmured.
Jordyn sighed, and turned to leave.
"...This suits you very nicely." Edvi added as he stretched.
Jordyn swiveled around, but Edvi had already put himself up to the task of getting his clothes ready for a bath.
******
" That was embarassing." Elar sighed as he shut the door.
" It was a perfectly honest mistake."
" Honest, maybe, but definitely not one we're going to forget that easily."
" We? If I recall correctly, ELAR, it was you that told me 'They're back! Quick make them go away, Edvi.' It's no fault of mine.."
" You know, Edvi, I don't know why you insist on being called by that ridiculous name."
" Because it IS my name."
" Well, as elvish as it sounds, Edvitalon, I think there's a better way to break your name down. What about Vital? Or Talon?"
" I like my name just the way it is..."
" I can just see it...Edvi the Conqueror. What a lovely title."
" You mean what a lovely title it would have made..."
" Now Edvi, don't start getting pessimistic with me."
" And don't start nagging me like an old housewife..."
" What's gotten into you?"
" Nothing. The fact that I've just been reminded of the worst days of my life..."
" Edvi, why in the world did you bring up your story if you knew it would cause yourself grief?"
" I don't know. It just seemed to pop up unexpectedly while I was talking to the girl."
" Strange. You've never told that story to anyone, but me. Why tell her, if you dislike her so much?"
" I guess in some way I wanted her pity...and I wanted to get her off my back...I thought that if she saw I wasn't rich, she'd leave me alone..."
" I'm afraid," Prince Elar laughed," That you'll find she's not like other girls."
" And HOW would you know that?"
" Well, I talk to her."
" Really. In that case, I will find some other way to deter her."
" WHY are you so absolutely set on pushing away every girl that comes your way??"
" Correction. Every human girl..."
" You're just as bad as she is when it comes to men, you know that?"
" She's AFRAID of every man she meets. I'm not afraid of her. And I'm not pushing them away. I'm just trying to see what their true feelings towards me are. Personalities tend to about-face when there's money involved."
" Edvi. She's not that way. Get to know her a little."
" I will not get to know her a little..."
" Edvi..."
" I WILL NOT BE LIKE MY FATHER!" He cried out fiercely," I WILL NOT BE TAINTED BY HUMAN 'MORALS'. I WILL MARRY INTO PURE ELVEN BLOOD, I WILL MARRY THE TRADITIONAL ELVEN WAY! Nothing will ever change that..."
Edvi opened his eyes, looking up. The sky was dark. What happened? Oh, yeah. He'd passed out. Edvi looked around for a moment, and cursed. How was he supposed to find his way out of this dark corridor? Knowing Jordyn she probably ran like a frightened...
" You're awake."
Edvi whirled around, pulling his sword and swinging it, stopping right as it touched the soft flesh of someone's neck. He pulled it back as he recognized Jordyn's face in a moonlit patch.
" I tried to get you up, but you were unconscious."
" Why didn't you go and find the Prince?"
" I didn't want to leave you here."
" I'm much obliged. But, who's going to find us?"
" Well, I figured, I could leave by myself and find help, but that would be unlikely, since I can't defend myself and my shoulder's aching."
Edvi caught a flash of blood drenched tunic, and nodded.
" True."
" I figured, I'd be safer if I waited here with you, even if you don't like me, and only defend me because it's your duty."
Edvi winced. Jordyn continued.
" I'll just leave you to your thoughts, then. I don't want to be a burden."
" ...Where are you going?"
Jordyn stopped. Edvi got up, sweeping himself off.
" Are you trying to make me lose my position? You said so yourself, I have a duty to protect you. And I'm going to hold to that. Unless, of course, you WANT to leave, in which case I won't stop you."
Jordyn grinned. He still won't admit he isn't annoyed by me, she thought.
" Come then, Lady Fraidy."
" Lady Fraidy?"
" Suits you quite nicely." He grinned as she glared. At least they were back to normal, none of this self-piteous, 'me-oh-my woe is me, I'm lost'.
" Fine then, Sir Faint-a-lot, be that way."
Surprisingly, he laughed.
" Point taken. Come then, Lady, lead the way. The Prince is probably sick with worry."
******
When Elar saw Edvi come in, he immediately rushed to him.
" Edvi! Where's Jordyn?"
" Nice to see you too." Edvi motioned for Jordyn.
" Jordyn, are you alright?!"
He tried to inspect her wound, but she pulled aside. Prince Elar grinned to himself, then put on a false frown.
" Well, Jordyn, as much as I'm sure you would like to add to your collection of scars, you should get that looked at. Unfortunately," He found it nearly in impossible to keep a straight face as he clapped his hands together briskly," I've still got my letter to write. Mother will worry. Edvi, why don't you take care of it?"
Edvi started.
" Me? Why me?"
" It's not in MY duties as a Prince." He said innocently.
" So you push them on me?"
" Yes."
" Fine. Fine. The Prince ORDERS me to do so, so I shall."
" I'm not ordering you, Edvi." The Prince said with mock seriousness," It's just a STRONG suggestion."
Edvi glared at the Prince's retreating back, then turned to Jordyn with a sigh.
" Well, at least there's one step I don't need to take."
" What's that, pray tell?"
" You've already managed to rip your sleeve off on our short stroll."
She glared mockingly at him, as he sat down quietly and began to clean her wound with a scrap of cloth, dipping it in water. She kept herself from wincing by staring off in another direction. Finally she spoke.
" You know. For a guardian, you seem so...at ease with the Prince..."
" Oh?"
" It's like you're equals..."
" And what makes you think we're not?"
Jordyn whirled around, nearly throwing the bowl of water off her lap. He caught it deftly, with a look of displeasure.
" I suppose," Edvi snapped," It's because of my Guardianship. That's what most people assume when they see me. I serve a Prince, therefore I'm lower than he is."
Jordyn didn't speak.
" That's the problem, with you humans. Everything is automatically lower in your perspective. You see someone serving someone else, they're automatically lower in rank."
" That's because, most of the time, that's what it is." Jordyn murmured, thinking more of herself than of Edvitalon.
" Well, not in this case," Edvi murmured," No."
They were silent for awhile. Edvi finally looked up, after he'd swirled the water in the bowl for awhile.
" How many siblings do you have?"
" One," She murmured.
" The Prince has none."
" And you?"
" I..." He got up, putting the bowl on the lightstand near the door," Have 14."
" Fourteen?!"
" Nine brothers, all older than me," He continued," two younger sisters, two younger brothers. I'm the tenth in line for a throne that I will never see."
" Fourteen." She murmured again, shivering involuntarily. Imagine that...having fourteen copies of her sister...
" Truth be told, your reaction proves exactly why this guardianship is above me." He murmured. Mistaking her reaction for disgust at his sudden proclamation. " Being tenth, I have no inheritance, but that of my title."
" But, I thought elves shared their inheritance equally."
" That's what most elves do. But, not MY father. No. He likes the HUMAN way. He wants the oldest to have the riches and the possessions..." Edvi mused.
" ...Such trifles are not worth your time...are they?"
He seemed to contemplate this for awhile, then took up the cloth again briskly.
" No. No, I care not for such silly things as medallions and chains. I would sooner die than don such ridiculous finery......and yet...I find it impossible to believe, that one person, could ever need so much..." He stared off into space, obviously not sulking over the treasure.
Jordyn looked down for awhile. She felt a bit foolish, judging his reasons for disliking her before she'd even known...No wonder he hated humans so much.
" ...so much...for just one person..." He definitely wasn't alluding to the riches. He dazed a little bit longer, than got up and wrung out the towel," Forgive me. I digress. I'll have the maid set up a bath downstairs, and have her call you when it's ready. I need to have a brief conversation with His Highness. In the meantime, you should change out of those rags you call clothes...not fit for a horse...wouldn't fit a horse, come to think of it..."
Jordyn sighed in disgust, and slammed the door, hearing a bark of laughter from outside. Sometimes, he just had to push her!
******
Prince Elar looked up surreptitiously as Edvi came down the stairs, whistling a tune. He practically pounced on his friend.
" Well, how did it go?"
" Well, it looks clean enough, and I think we caught it in time so that it won't swell..."
" Not, the wound, you insufferable...OH! Nevermind."
" Since we have a moment, your highness, I feel we need to speak about an urgent matter."
" What is it?"
Edvi motioned Prince Elar to the corner.
" Your highness, we have a bit of a situation here. I believe, that I owe you an apology...She is the one..."
Prince Elar practically fainted in horror.
" She is? I mean, I had a sneaking suspicion, but as you may have noticed, the last three..."
" Forgive me for ever doubting you.."
" Yes, yes, of course," The Prince waved him off,"...But, tell me, how did you come about this...conclusion?"
Edvi went into a short explanation about the man and his warning. Prince Elar went pale.
" So...We've found Calamarais." He whispered.
" From what I can tell, Calamarais is dormant. I don't believe he's made contact with his host as of yet, nor has he woken to feed. But, when he does..."
" Is there anyway...we can free the host without harming her?"
" Calamarais is sleeping, but I don't trust any kind of existing magic to be subtle enough. He may just awaken from feeling the touch of a spell."
The Prince walked around the table, then pounded a chair leg in rage.
" Why did he choose her? The prophecy said, he would choose a girl..."
" With a dark past..." Edvi finished.
" She doesn't seem to be one with a dark past, though her edginess towards the opposite sex may be a clue.."
" Perhaps..."
" Should we inquire?"
"...No. No. Not yet. First, we must make a side-trip to the Desertland."
" What?! But, there's only sand, and mountains there."
" Yes. But, there's also the temple of Grrega."
Edvi shot up in his chair.
" Grrega? You must be joking. She'll kill the girl!"
" We have no choice." Elar hissed, motioning him back down," We must take the risk!"
" But, GRREGA?! I think our chances with Calamarais alone would be less risk."
" Edvi. Grrega is the greatest sorceress of all..."
" SHE'S A..."
" SSSHHHH!"
Elar put a hand up to shush Edvi as eyes turned around to glare. He motioned silently for them to leave. As they walked back up the stairs, Elar whispered at Edvi's back.
" Edvitalon. From now on, keep a close watch on Jordyn. Closer than you have been doing. We need to get to Grrega's temple in one piece."
******
" 'ere you are dearie, nice warm bath wata for ya sores."
" Thank you."
Jordyn sank into the wooden basin, wincing as hot water swirled around her shoulder. Her ragged tunic and pants had been taken away. She looked at the soap, but grimaced. Lye. She may have been a peasant, but even that wasn't fit for her skin. She sufficed with scrubbing hard with nails, and dunking several times, coming up gasping in the chilly air. On her fourth or fifth down, a maid came in carrying a pile of clothing. Jordyn looked at it and nearly swallowed the water she sat neck high in. A dress? For her?
" There must be some mistake. I can't wear that."
" What? Too ugly for 'ou?" The maid arched an eyebrow.
" No, no! It's lovely. Too lovely..."
" Oh. I see. You're not used to livin' it up, are 'ou?"
Jordyn decided to change the subject, uncomfortable with the victorious look on that maid's face.
" If you'll pardon my asking, where are we?"
" Why, every'un knows that. We're in North Kyrria, right up next to the border. There's a desert to the west somewhere, and Arelia is over to the east side. The fens are a little more to the south 'n...*A/N: I'm making this all up as I go, I don't remember much of what was what...so you'll have to excuse me..*"
" I see."
The maid nodded, and as she turned the corner, Jordyn heard a few slips of gossip pass between her and another person, another maid perhaps.
" She's the scrawniest thing I ever saw!! No shape whatsoev'a! Could'a been a sparrow, she's so flat!"
" I don't know what the Prince sees in her..."
" Or that elf..he looks promising...think he'll want a little company tonight?"
Two voices burst out into hysterical giggles, then faded as they chattered towards the main kitchen. Jordyn murmured in the dim light, drying her hair. Flat? She sighed, and when she'd finished with her hair, she found that under the dirt of the road, and several years of mistreatment, it had actually been a light golden blond. Straight, which served her purposes, it fell to about her arms, the edge short and ragged. Upon dressing herself she looked down, and was satisfied to see that she filled it just fine. It was a relatively modest dress, thank goodness, of a strong off white, and made of a thick but supple wool. She gave a twirl, feeling it rustle softly against her. She'd never been allowed to wear anything so nice. A short red tunic went over the top of that, off-setting the white, and making her outfit altogether more casual. After adjusting the sleeves, she slipped on the soft boots that went with it and as she walked out, saw her own reflection in the mirror. What she saw was a slim girl, with fairly pale skin from all the time she'd been stuck indoors. Everything about her was petite, and delicate like a doll made of glass. She wasn't exactly as robust as those maids were, but what difference would that make? With that thought to reassure her, she blew out the candle in the bathing room and padded softly outside.
Her hair tied back loosely, she yawned, and stretching her arms walked towards the stairs that led to the room to their quarters. Oblivious to the many glances that the occupants of the inn snuck at her, she pondered her way up the stairs. As she reached the top, Jordyn heard hysterical giggles, and saw the maid from before come running out of the Prince's room...what was she doing in there? The door slammed behind her, and furious muffled words came from behind the door. For one moment, Jordyn suppressed the urge to check on the Prince, but curiosity got the better of her, so she calmly knocked on the door. There was some frantic murmuring and suddenly someone banged on the door frame.
" HE'S NOT INTERESTED!! GO AWAY WENCH!" Edvi's voice rang sharply.
" Oh, so I'm a wench now? You really know how to make a girl feel special."
Frantic footsteps scrambled towards her, and the door immediately flew open, with Prince Elar's apologetic expression at it's mouth.
" Jordyn! I'm sorry, Edvi didn't mean to..."
" I'm sure he most certainly did. And you should be glad of it too. Couple of barmaids aren't worth your time." Jordyn retorted, more to herself than to the Prince.
" Thank you." Edvi motioned to Jordyn, almost as if toasting her remark.
" You look lovely, Jordyn!" The Prince said abruptly," Doesn't she look just the angel, Edvi?"
" I see you've ditched the horse clothes." The elf murmured.
Jordyn sighed, and turned to leave.
"...This suits you very nicely." Edvi added as he stretched.
Jordyn swiveled around, but Edvi had already put himself up to the task of getting his clothes ready for a bath.
******
" That was embarassing." Elar sighed as he shut the door.
" It was a perfectly honest mistake."
" Honest, maybe, but definitely not one we're going to forget that easily."
" We? If I recall correctly, ELAR, it was you that told me 'They're back! Quick make them go away, Edvi.' It's no fault of mine.."
" You know, Edvi, I don't know why you insist on being called by that ridiculous name."
" Because it IS my name."
" Well, as elvish as it sounds, Edvitalon, I think there's a better way to break your name down. What about Vital? Or Talon?"
" I like my name just the way it is..."
" I can just see it...Edvi the Conqueror. What a lovely title."
" You mean what a lovely title it would have made..."
" Now Edvi, don't start getting pessimistic with me."
" And don't start nagging me like an old housewife..."
" What's gotten into you?"
" Nothing. The fact that I've just been reminded of the worst days of my life..."
" Edvi, why in the world did you bring up your story if you knew it would cause yourself grief?"
" I don't know. It just seemed to pop up unexpectedly while I was talking to the girl."
" Strange. You've never told that story to anyone, but me. Why tell her, if you dislike her so much?"
" I guess in some way I wanted her pity...and I wanted to get her off my back...I thought that if she saw I wasn't rich, she'd leave me alone..."
" I'm afraid," Prince Elar laughed," That you'll find she's not like other girls."
" And HOW would you know that?"
" Well, I talk to her."
" Really. In that case, I will find some other way to deter her."
" WHY are you so absolutely set on pushing away every girl that comes your way??"
" Correction. Every human girl..."
" You're just as bad as she is when it comes to men, you know that?"
" She's AFRAID of every man she meets. I'm not afraid of her. And I'm not pushing them away. I'm just trying to see what their true feelings towards me are. Personalities tend to about-face when there's money involved."
" Edvi. She's not that way. Get to know her a little."
" I will not get to know her a little..."
" Edvi..."
" I WILL NOT BE LIKE MY FATHER!" He cried out fiercely," I WILL NOT BE TAINTED BY HUMAN 'MORALS'. I WILL MARRY INTO PURE ELVEN BLOOD, I WILL MARRY THE TRADITIONAL ELVEN WAY! Nothing will ever change that..."
