Chapter 11 #2
“She had one of her loyal troops give me a drug that incapacitated me for some hours, and he had orders to slip in and kill Sylinesla while she was too young to fight back. That night, my daughter’s life would have ended, but my loyal maid stole Sylinesla from her room and took her…
Well, that has long been a mystery. My people were able to determine that they’d left our great elven capital and traveled into the mountains, but, at some point, the maid was killed by bandits.
Her body was eventually found. There was no sign of Sylinesla.
My people searched for her for many days, and I also went out to look, but we ultimately deemed it likely that she’d died in the elements.
She was only five years old at the time.
But her body was also never found, and I hoped…
It was a long time before I gave up hope that she’d survived. ”
“That’s incredible.” Rylana was more stunned that Sylin was the elf queen’s daughter than that she’d survived in the woods as a kid. Her comrade was scrappy and tough and had magic about her, magic that might have helped her befriend that wolf pack.
“During the Ore War, we were aware of the elven assassin who often killed our people,” Fareesa continued with a frown, looking at Jildarin again, “but nobody knew her name, and the way she struck… she never revealed her face to any of our kind, perhaps not even to those she slew.”
“Huh.” Rylana debated whether Sylin’s name had been known outside of the unit.
Maybe not. She hadn’t been an officer who’d gone with Rylana and Captain Maverick to the meetings with the leaders of the joint kingdoms. Mav had rarely even spoken of the fact that he had an assassin, instead keeping Sylin as a secret weapon.
“It wasn’t until she appeared here in Tranquility that two of our people, who happened to be near the docks when you arrived, spotted her.
Since there is a strong resemblance—” Fareesa waved to her own face, “—and since magic can hint of bloodlines, they immediately believed they’d found the long-lost princess of the elven kingdom.
One of those elves is faithful to my family, but the other is a Shaldona loyalist.”
“So, all this time, the elves who’ve been after Sylin haven’t been worried that she would assassinate you? They’ve just been after her because she’s your daughter and they preferred it when she was presumed dead?”
“Greatly preferred it, yes. After so many years, everyone had given up on the idea that Sylinesla might yet live, and the Shaldonas have been making plans for their rule. As I said, I always had the feeling that Arisla and her kin were willing to wait until I passed—since elves are long-lived, we are usually a patient people—but there was a poisoning attempt last year that it’s possible they were behind.
They may have grown tired of waiting. And Sylinesla’s reappearance…
Well, that is a further complication for them. ”
“More than a complication, yes?” Jildarin asked. “She would rule after you.”
“You should have been making Sylin fancy mushroom dishes,” Rylana told him.
“I did invite her to taste one of my preparatory meals with you and the dwarf baker,” he said.
“Yeah, but only because you wanted an elven palate to experiment on, not because of your reverence for her royalness.”
“Experiment? Really. You were simply asked to rate dishes. You weren’t pinned down on a laboratory table while a scientist used gnomish contraptions to monitor your physiological responses.” Judging by Jildarin’s thoughtful gaze, he might like the idea of doing that.
Fareesa watched their exchange but not with any hint of humor. She didn’t appear impatient or irritated but as though her focus was on another matter. Understandable.
“Is Sylin really a threat to their plans?” Rylana asked. “Since she doesn’t even like elv— er. Since she’s been an enemy of your people, and killed elves in the war, she wouldn’t be accepted as a ruler, even if she had the right bloodline, right? She couldn’t be.”
Fareesa smiled faintly. “There are many who would object to her for those reasons. There are others who would respect her as a warrior, much the way dragons do of their worthy enemies, and they would believe her particularly capable if she truly did grow up on her own in the forest. Not just the forest. My maid’s body was discovered deep in the Skyfang Mountains where dangerous predators abound.
In that area, even trained elven warriors rarely venture alone. ”
“Well, I can let her know you’re looking for her if I see her,” Rylana said, “but I don’t think she’s in town any longer.”
“If you would do so and give her that letter… I would appreciate it.”
Yes, Rylana had started to believe Layothlee hadn’t been the one to pen whatever was written in that envelope.
“I will. I’ll hazard a guess, though, that she might not have any interest in, uhm, being the heir or ruling the elf world, if that’s what you’re thinking.
” Surely, Sylin’s past would disqualify her from holding any kind of political appointment among the elves, much less being the heir to the throne.
Two hells, did elven rulers even have a throne?
Maybe they sat on a giant mushroom stool.
“At this point, I would be satisfied to speak with her and… see her again.” For the first time, emotion thickened Fareesa’s voice, and she gazed off into the woods across the stream.
“I can let her know.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, who is Layothlee to you?” Rylana asked. “Not a daughter, it sounds like, not if Sylin is your only child. But Layothlee said she thought they were related.”
“They are cousins, yes. Layothlee is my deceased husband’s brother’s daughter.
Since the royal blood, as your kind would call it, passes through my veins, Layothlee is not in line to inherit the Scepter of Aszwan.
Much to her relief, I imagine, though I have occasionally wondered if she chose a less than cerebral profession to ensure nobody tried to draw her into politics.
She’s quite bright, but she seemed to decide it was wiser not to have others know that.
Instead, she tosses herself about like a swallowtail butterfly drunk on nectar. ”
“She seems quite good at it.”
“Athleticism runs in that side of the family.” Fareesa waved dismissively.
“That is all I wished to speak with you about—far more than I would usually reveal to an outsider, but…” Her gaze shifted across the stream again, and was that a hint of moisture in her eyes?
She blinked, looked back, and nodded to them.
“Thank you, Lord Jildarin, for allowing me to steal you and your companion away from the evening’s entertainment. ”
It had been the evening’s most delightful kiss that the elves had interrupted, but Rylana wouldn’t admit that.
“It is not trouble to make time for one who was a prominent ally during the war.” Jildarin inclined his head toward her.
“Before you depart Tranquility, I would be honored if you would dine at my establishment. We’ve Plant Master Chalora installing a rooftop seating area and garden, and I’m perfecting my elven dishes. ”
“It will be difficult for me to convince my guards to allow me into a portion of the city that isn’t heavily secured, but I’ve heard about your new culinary passion and would be interested in tasting your dishes someday.”
Was that a rejection?
“Tomorrow?” Jildarin asked.
“Probably not.” Fareesa smiled gently. “Perhaps Layothlee would come. I will send her by.”
“I would prepare a meal for her, and for other elves as well,” Jildarin said, “but I would be especially honored if you would consider coming. I’m going to acquire enchanted morels.”
The queen’s eyebrows rose with interest. “I haven’t had those in a long time. They’re very rare and very delicious.”
“Yes,” Jildarin said, though he’d probably never had one himself.
Dragons didn’t even eat mushrooms. The food of their food, as they’d said.
“I will inform you when I’ve acquired them and developed a recipe suitable for royalty.
Then you can let me know when you would like to dine, and I will prepare the meal. ”
“That is an enticing offer. Of course, I would more likely be lured into overriding my guards—and my common sense—to visit your establishment if my daughter might be in the area.” She looked toward Rylana and raised her eyebrows.
Jildarin also looked at her, his eyes intent. Rylana could tell Sylin’s comings and goings and whether she could be located had suddenly become more of an interest to him.
“I’ll see if I can find her,” Rylana offered again. “She likes Jildarin’s food too.”
Too bad Rylana worried she’d finally succeeded in convincing Sylin to leave the area for her own good. She might already be gone from Tranquility with no plans to return until after the queen departed. As far as Rylana knew, Sylin knew nothing about her mother and her heritage.
“Amazing,” she murmured to herself.
“My mushroom dish most assuredly will be.” Jildarin nodded firmly.