Chapter 4: The Prince and the Elf

"Who is he?" Opelli asked, doubtful eyes cast down at the man before him. "And what does he want?"

Below her, shivering, and looking truly shaken, was Captain Virgil.

They stood in the King's throne room. It was early morning. The king had yet to rise.

Corvus stood on one side of the empty throne. Soren on the other.

Virgil let out a low sigh, as he collected himself.

"He was scarred...it was almost impossible to identify him, but I am fairly certain...it was Azrael."

Opelli's eyebrow rose.

"Azrael? The king of the chain islands? He's dead. The elves left no survivors."

"I had thought so too." Virgil agreed. "But then I saw what remained of his face...it was him. He's alive. And he...made it extremely clear that he blames King Harrow for what happened."

A throat cleared behind him.

"Hi. Soren. King's guard." The armored doofus introduced. "I've been around a while, who is Azrael? Feel like I would've remembered a guy with a messed up face walking around."

Opelli sighed.

"You would have to pay attention first. He wasn't scarred when he last visited this castle." She explained. "Azrael was the King of the Chain Islands to the south, a battlemage who used dark magic and his well trained army to strike at elves along the Xadian border. One day he attacked an elven city, and slayed their high mage. The elves assembled a mighty force to retaliate. Azrael came to King Harrow, begging for aid." She closed her eyes for a moment, as she remembered back. "He refused."

"What?" Soren asked. "That doesn't sound like him. He wasn't really the...refusing help type."

"The king had his reasons. They will not be disputed here." Opelli said swiftly. "The elves destroyed his islands. Nothing survived. I have serious doubts that Azrael could have, even with the dark magic he used." She turned to Virgil. "However...if what you say is true...we should at least prepare for a possible attack. Send more troops to patrol the Katolian border. If he's back...he would likely come here."

"The king must be warned at once." Corvus stated.

"No." Opelli replied, turning to look at him. "No. He is overwhelmed as it is. We must deal with this ourselves."

Corvus turned to eye the counselor skeptically.

Opeli saw his glance, but ignored it, turning to the blonde crown guard.

"Soren, your loyalty is still not beyond question. But if this truly is Azrael we're talking about, I need you to lead a mission to find him."

"No problem." Soren replied with a smirk. "Wait. Not...beyond question?"

"Your sister is currently the most wanted fugitive in the five kingdoms, AND Xadia. Your father committed multiple counts of treason before his death at the storm spire. Forgive me, Soren, if you have not yet earned our full trust. Even if you have the King's."

Soren's normally happy expressions sank at the mention of his father, and particularly his sister.

"I...understand." He said, looking away.

"Consider this a chance to prove yourself." Opelli said, putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Find Azrael. Or whoever this masked man is. Eliminate him, and return. You will make Katolis proud."

Soren nodded firmly.

"Wait...eliminate? Like...don't even try to just capture him?"

Opelli let out a sigh, as she looked at the shaken, truly rattled looking Captain Virgil.

"He has some kind of weapon with him. He's too dangerous. Too powerful." Virgil stated, the weight of his losses clearly affecting him. "He slaughtered my crew, and then he had the refugees slaughtered without mercy. Do not hesitate." He snarled, eyes locking with Soren's.

"The captain and I are in agreement." Opeli added. "If Azrael is alive...we cannot take the chance of capturing him, and bringing him here. If you have an opportunity...you must kill him."

The sun had barely started to peek over the horizon, as Rayla stealthily opened the wooden door to her room, and crept inside.

She did so because it was not her own room.

It was Prince Callum's room as well.

She crept on tip toes toward the massive bed. She could hear his gentle snores coming from the far end of it.

She came to the edge, and slowly, gently, shifted herself onto the bed.

It sank down, the extremely soft material giving way under her, and immediately stirring the other habitant of the bed. She grimaced.

"Long night?" Callum asked, turning and rolling over to face her. "I was wondering when you were coming to bed..."

Rayla collapsed onto her side of the bed.

"I wasn't tired. Just...figured I'd make mah self useful and keep patrolling. Let you get your sleep."

Callum's eyes looked upon the stressed out elf with concern.

"Are you...okay?" He asked.

Rayla let out a sigh.

"Are you?" She asked, turning to look at him with worried eyes. "After our talk earlier, I didn't know if...I just wanted to give you space."

"Rayla, this is your room too. I don't need space from you. I don't...want space from you. I'm fine." Callum replied. "I don't really...love it. But you've gotta do what you've gotta do. And I won't get in the way."

Rayla covered her eyes and let out a frustrated moan.

"I'm not tryin to hurt you like this." She said, turning and pulling closer to him.

"You're not. I'm fine." Callum replied simply.

Rayla's eyebrows flattened.

"You're a terrible liar."

Callum let out a sigh of his own.

"I'm not...I'm not gonna get in the way, Rayla. I'm not." He repeated. "If this is something you have to do, then..."

"Callum...I will do everything in my power to come back to you." Rayla insisted. "I'll do whatever I have to do..."

"So promise me." Callum said, looking into her eyes.

"I...I can't...I can't break promises, Callum. Ive let enough people down, you're the last person..." she paused, covering her face with her hand again. Then she let out a frustrated grunt and threw herself face first into her pillow.

She grumbled something muffled into it, her shoulders sagging.

Callum looked over, watching her shoulders heave as she breathed deeply into the pillow.

He reached out, and ran his hand along her white hair.

"I love you too." He replied, leaning in and kissing one of her pointy ears.

She brought her hand down at lightning speed, and clamped down on his.

For a split second, Callum thought perhaps he had made a mistake, and now he was about to lose his hand as a result.

A fair price, he supposed.

But as soon as her hand clamped down, she locked her fingers around his, and held on tight.

Callum moved in closer, and wrapped himself around the troubled moonshadow elf, as the morning sun began to peek in through the stain glass windows.

Authors note:

I am going to try to keep posting regularly, two times a week, so that I can get this story out there as soon as possible. I can say that it is going to be 39 chapters long, so if I stick to posting every Friday and Sunday, it should be a matter of months until it is finished. Thank you for all the follows and reviews, they are much appreciated! More to come on Sunday!