Chapter 16
The Elf studied me before nodding his head, seeming satisfied with my answer. He pulled back his hood, and I took in a deep breath because the male before me was the High King of the Elves, which lead the ?ren to remove his hood as well. "It is good to see you again," he said.
I furrowed my brows and cocked my head. I didn't remember if I had met him yet or not, but a part of me thought that I did a long time ago.
The King nodded his head, a look of sadness appearing on his face before he changed his expression to contentment. "You don't remember, do you?"
Silently, I shook my head. I thought back through my training and figured out that SN meant S?lan N?ran, which meant High King. "But... I do think I know what SN means, N?ran," I said, hesitantly.
"And, that is?" he asked, shifting in his seat. He stared at me with golden-green eyes filled with knowledge and power, and I felt more intimidated underneath his gaze than I did with the ?ren, even though the ?ren was a step underneath him.
"'S?lan N?ran,'" I replied. "'High King.'" I didn't ask why he was upset about me not remembering him. I did not know if I wanted to know why I felt this sense of dread as if something bad had happened.
The High King nodded his head. "That is correct," he said.
He studied me, and I knew that he picked up on the thought about me, not knowing if I wanted to remember him or not.
"You will remember in time. I just thought you would be able to break through the block.
However, it seems that you need some work. "
The Dwarf scoffed and rolled his eyes. "That is why there should not be a Human with this dragon," he muttered, dissatisfied. "Humans are stupid creatures."
"Enough," Jonah warned, narrowing his eyes at the Dwarf. "Remember what I had said before the meeting, Frion."
The Dwarf, Frion, scowled and narrowed his eyes at Jonah. He didn't say a word to the man but mumbled something underneath his breath and back down.
I bit back a scoff of annoyance, having caught what he had said and looked at Jonah. "Why is everyone gathered and wearing hoods?" I asked. "I am sure that they are important to this meeting?"
Jonah scowled and pulled his gaze away from the Dwarf.
"Yes," he said. "If you would like to remove your hood, please do so.
We can discuss names and races later. Someone needs to get going.
" He gave me a playful smirk, and I scowled at him because if he had wanted me to leave earlier, he would have brought me back sooner.
All but one removed their hoods, but the one that didn't remove his hood didn't bother me. No, it was the Crowned Prince that was smirking at me.
I turned towards my mentor and gave him a look. My whole body grew tense because not only did one prince know about my "nightly" rituals but the Crowned Prince as well.
"He knows about us," the High King said. He nodded his head when I looked at him, and I could tell that he was also dissatisfied.
"You were the one that had suggested him knowing about us," Jonah said. He set his jaw, and I knew that he was not in the mood to argue with another Elf.
"I am sure that he is stating he is not comfortable with him knowing what she is hiding if it had fallen into her possession," a female with dark brown hair and purple eyes said. She turned her gaze to me and smiled, bowing her head. "I am Rosaline," she said. "I am the Witch Queen."
I smiled and bowed my head, feeling relaxed by her presence. I was sure that most of the members here were respected by their own race, which was why they were here. Why there were two Elves; however, I didn't know,especially since the ?ren seemed as if he wasn't supposed to be here.
"I... don't mind stepping out," Prince Mark said. "I understand that you all are still wary of me, especially you." He looked at me, and I could tell that he was sorry about yesterday.
I sighed and nodded my head. "You can stay," I said, knowing that the others might not argue with me.
"However, I would like it if there is a way that you won't remember unless you are here or near someone that mentions it first. I am sure you know about some of the secrets that are hidden from. .. the kingdom?"
"I know that you are talking about my father, and yes, I do," Price Mark said. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "Because my brother was in the forest yesterday... is there a way that I can tell him?"
I shook my head, no. "If he finds his way here, then one of us will tell him," I replied.
"Or if he finds you," Rosaline said. She smirked when I looked at her and winked teasingly. "I think he had taken a liking to you."
I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted by the Dwarf, and I couldn't help but feel grateful.
"Can we see what my brethren had given her and leave?" he grumped. "We don't need these stupid humans to know every small detail about us," he muttered underneath his breath in his language.
I made sure to keep my mouth relaxed, but I really wanted to set my jaw and say something to him in his tongue. I had no idea if he knew that I knew his language, but I could not tell him that I did.
"I think that she knows your language, Dwarf," the person, a male, with the hood over his head said.
"I think that you might want to quit whatever you are saying before she lashes out at you.
I am surprised she hasn't done so already.
" He glanced at me, and I could tell that he was curious about why I didn't show him that I knew what he had said.
However, he was fine with me, shrugging and not answering.
"Moving on," I said, changing the subject. I reached into my basket and pulled out the note that was given to me. "I don't want you to think that I had stolen what I am going to show, so I hope you accept this note as proof," I smirked at the Dwarf because I had said the last part in his tongue.
The Dwarf scoffed and read the note before looking up at me with hard eyes. "What did they give you?" he asked. "And, how did you learn my tongue?" he asked, switching to his tongue.
I didn't reply but smirked as I reached into my basket. "They gave me these," I said, handing the pouch to Jonah. "I don't know what is in it. I didn't look."
Jonah took the bag from me, opened the bag, and dumped it out to reveal rubies, sapphires, and other jewels that the Dwarves mined. "Hmmm, I think you made a friend," he said, putting them back into the pouch and handing it to me.
I hesitated but nodded my head, taking back the pouch.
"I was doing the right thing," I admitted.
"I didn't expect anything in return." I cleared my throat and licked my lips as I placed the pouch back into my basket and took out the blanket.
"The next thing that was there was this," I added and unfolded the blanket to reveal an egg.
Jonah's face was a wave of emotions when he looked at the egg in my lap.
It changed from sadness to fear to contentment before turning blank as he pulled his gaze to me.
His gray eyes were hard, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"Do you know what it is?" he asked, his voice void of any information.
I looked at the egg and ignored the urge to put my hand on it again. "It's a Dragon's egg," I said, looking up at him. "Isn't it?"
Jonah nodded his head but stayed silent.
"It is," the High King said. "Have you felt a connection to it, yet?" he asked.
I looked at him and then looked at him. "It felt warm," I said, furrowing my brows and tried to think what had happened back in the cave.
"It had felt warm when I picked up, and I felt whole.
Um..." I paused and cleared my throat, looking at the egg.
"When I placed it down again, I felt like a part of me was missing? "
"Pick it up, again, and close your eyes," the High King said. "Tell us what you hear."
Looking for guidance, I looked at Johan because he had been my guide and mentor through all that I had been through. I trusted the High King, something wanting me to focus on an issue that I didn't recall, but that didn't stop me from wanting the reassurance from the man I trusted with my life.
"Do as he said," Jonah said. His voice had a rough edge to it, and I had no idea if I was the only one that picked up on it or not. He didn't want me to do it for some reason. He didn't want me to seal my fate, whatever my fate was.
I hesitated but nodded my head. Taking a deep breath, I picked up the egg and instantly felt completed. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the egg ignoring everyone around me. I could feel their stares on me while they waited for whatever to happen, and I prayed that it would happen soon.
As soon as I thought that, I had this feeling of something intruding in on my inner thoughts, waking up memories that I had long forgotten or those that had been changed by an outside force.
I wanted to look into some of these memories, like the one about the night my father had been killed, but I wasn't able to because of the speed that this force was moving at.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but maybe it had been a matter of minutes, the force was satisfied in what it had seen and pulled away, muttering the word,"Shilan."
I opened my eyes to notice that everyone was blurry, and almost everyone was in front of me, with Jonah being in front.
I could not hear anything, but I knew that Jonah was trying to say something because his lips moved with no sound coming out.
No, I could only hear this ringing sound in my ears, and I was not too fond of it one bit.
I opened my mouth to say something, but I didn't get the chance as the world started to spin around me. The world turned faster and faster until finally, everything went black.