Chapter 11
While the acrobats finished their performance, Rylana and Jildarin followed the elven guards off the path, across grass and between trees, and to another path, a familiar one.
It led to the arch at the boundary of the enclave.
As on Rylana’s prior visit, two armed guards stood inside that arch, no sign of tranquility ribbons on their weapons.
Two hells, maybe this was a ruse, and the elves were taking her for an interrogation. But the veiled figure waited on the white pebble pathway beyond the arch, her entourage around her.
“That is Queen Fareesa,” Jildarin said with a hint of surprise.
Ah, maybe he hadn’t guessed that was who’d been watching the performance from under the veil. Maybe he’d only invited himself along to this meeting to protect Rylana.
As they walked under the archway, she touched his hand. She was tempted to hold it, but a lot of eyes were observing them. She didn’t need word of their closeness getting back to his clan where it would no doubt incense his aunt and mother further.
“This way, Lady Avandar,” one of the elven guards surrounding the veiled queen said. A couple of them looked at Jildarin and then toward Fareesa, but she didn’t say anything to suggest she objected to his presence.
Trailed by her guards, the queen led the way off the pebble path and toward the stream where Rylana had once listened to an elder explain Tranquility’s secret origins.
Glowing pale-blue orbs floated in the air around the trees, providing a soft illumination a little brighter than moonlight.
Their reflection rippled on the water as it meandered past mossy rocks.
When they reached the boulder where Rylana had perched during that meeting, the queen settled on it to face her and Jildarin.
The guards remained in the area but backed away to watch from out of earshot.
At least from out of human earshot. Those pointed ears might well be able to eavesdrop from that distance.
“Greetings, Queen Fareesa,” Jildarin said politely.
The elven queen pushed back her veil. “Fair evening, Lord Jildarin-grozanarav. It is good to see you again.”
Her voice was richer and deeper than Rylana would have expected; she might have sung the contralto part during the performance.
Her eyes were a rich green, and she had the same golden skin as Sylin.
Fareesa’s lush gray hair had a streak of blue in it and was twisted into a loose bun with locks left artfully free to hang around her elegant face, which was still quite beautiful, despite her years.
Beautiful and familiar. Her nose, her chin…
Rylana rocked back as her earlier realization that Sylin might have another relative in the area came to mind.
Was that too much of an assumption to make?
All the elves from the south had golden to brown skin, and Sylin’s and Fareesa’s eyes and hair were different colors.
It was more the full lips, defined cheekbones, and the appealing symmetry of the queen’s face that reminded Rylana strongly of her comrade.
She was surprised Zilek had suggested Fareesa was too old to be of interest to a suitor.
“Lady Rylana Avandar,” the queen said.
“Er, yes. Hello.” Rylana blushed and bowed, then tried to remember if elven courtesy demanded a curtsy or even dropping to one’s knees when meeting royalty.
Nobody had ever invited her to the elven court when she’d been in the south.
She glanced at Jildarin for guidance, but, of course, dragons didn’t partake in the customs and courtesies of other species.
He’d merely folded his arms over his chest to wait.
“You battled our kind during the Ore War,” the queen said and looked at Jildarin. “Both of our kinds.”
Rylana’s cheeks heated further. “Yes, that’s true.”
“She gave me this wound.” Jildarin touched the scar at his temple. “When she sought to drive a mithril arrow into my eye. A fateful head turning spared my vision.”
“You were attacking our human armies at the time,” Rylana muttered.
“And yet you have made her a partner in your business and, if my people’s intelligence reports are correct, allowed her to sleep in your lair at night.
” Did the queen sound more amused than judgmental?
It was hard to tell. She had a serious demeanor.
Perhaps the human equivalent of being in her mid-fifties, she wasn’t as old as Rylana would have guessed the royal leader over all the elven people would be, but she did exude a stately maturity.
“The war is over,” Jildarin stated firmly.
“Now, she runs my calculations and has battled beside me against threats. She hurled a bag of dwarven rock candy at the hireling of a treacherous rival who sought to use magical means to force me to shift into my dragon form during the middle of the Golden Whisk.”
Rylana had no idea if the elven queen, who was visiting from afar and presumably didn’t travel the world attending cooking competitions, knew what that was.
But when Fareesa said, “I see,” there wasn’t any hint of confusion in her voice. Nor did it suggest that she appreciated a defeat of foes by dwarven candy. “In truth, it is her comrade who interests me more.” Fareesa faced Rylana again.
“Because you’d like to see her killed?” Rylana asked, though she didn’t know if the queen had anything to do with that or if her overly zealous subjects had taken it upon themselves to clear the city of all possible threats.
Fareesa winced. “Certainly not that. But I am aware that some desire to ensure she… remains lost.”
“Lost or dead?”
“Assassinations are not something elves condone, especially not of our own people, but if she is who I believe she might be… someone tried to kill her many years ago. If not for my deceased maid, she might never have lived past age five. I’d like to think that killing her is not the ultimate goal of those people now, but if we were to…
establish a relationship, it is possible an ambitious individual might be disgruntled enough to do so.
They’ve had so many years to plan for a future where they rule. ”
“I may be the one who’s lost.” Rylana pushed her hand through her hair and looked at Jildarin to see if he was nodding and following along without trouble. After all, he’d met the queen before and been an ally to her people in the war. He might know all about whatever this was.
But he didn’t look that illuminated. He didn’t appear that curious either. Maybe he was busy debating if Fareesa liked enchanted morels.
The queen shifted her weight on the boulder and gazed toward her guards. They remained a respectable distance away. After a thoughtful moment, her focus returned to Rylana.
“It is not our way to discuss our internal politics and… situations… with outsiders, but Layothlee hasn’t succeeded in locating Sylinesla. You are the only link to the one I believe is she.”
Rylana thought about mentioning that Sylin was more linked to the coffee shop but only twitched her fingers to invite the queen to continue. Jildarin might not be curious, but she was.
“When next you see her,” Fareesa said, “I would appreciate it if you told her that I would like to speak with her, even if only for a short time. I will have Captain Tassani ensure that she is not attacked if she deigns to meet with me. Now that I’ve arrived and learned about the situation, I’m attempting to get the local warrior elves to leave her be.
Captain Tassani and some others have agreed—he, in particular, didn’t quite believe the line handed down from some of the elders here that Sylinesla represented a threat to me—but others…
Let’s say merely that they agreed with their mouths but not their eyes.
They are loyal to the leaders of the Shaldona line. ”
Rylana made the continue gesture again, not sure where this was going.
“The Shaldona elves also have royal blood,” Jildarin told her, “and believe they are more suitable rulers for their people. One of their generals was an important leader during the war.”
“As he’ll tell everyone who will listen,” Fareesa said.
“It’s his sister who would inherit the rule of our people, were I to pass without an heir.
Now that I’m beyond my childbearing years, and the only babe I bore disappeared decades ago and has been believed to be dead all this time…
” Fareesa extended her hand toward Rylana.
“Wait.” Rylana rocked back. “Are you saying Sylin is your daughter?”
“I have to meet her personally to be absolutely certain, but I believe so.”
“And, if so, she’s a princess?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t believe she’s teased me for years about coming from a wealthy family and being spoiled.”
Fareesa smiled faintly.
“She made fun of our castle’s gargoyles.
She called them pompous. I never could tease her back, at least not about being spoiled, because she said she grew up in the forest, raised by wolves.
Is that… a true story?” Rylana hadn’t doubted that Sylin had been orphaned, but she’d never been certain all the details of her childhood had been factual.
“And, if so, how did she end up alone in the woods?”
“Arisla, the Shaldona sister that I mentioned, was more ambitious than most of her kin, even back then.
She had been assuming, when I was slow to produce a child, that she would eventually rule the throne.
When I had a babe, she was… displeased. And began scheming.
And finally acted, intending to ensure that my daughter would not be around to rule after I died.
She was content to wait for me to pass of natural causes, but she intended, after that, to return rule of the kingdom to her family. Starting with her.