Artwork

Lanassa's pointed ears perked up at the princess's words. "A gift, you say? And for me?" She feigned modesty.

Mairwen reached for her bag and pulled out a small object wrapped in paper. A little red bow was affixed to the top complete with the jam left behind by tiny little fingers.

"Give it here!" All propriety suddenly went out the window as Lanassa snatched the present from Mairwen's hands.

"Mother! Protocol!" Ithel quipped, pressing his hand on his chest in indignation. His face was frowning but his eyes shone in merriment.

"Hush!" The redheaded queen shot her son an icy glare. "Clearly when a gift is given by an emissary, proper jubilation is acceptable, even encouraged. I was only doing the proper thing."

But the words had a sobering effect on the matronly elf. She smoothed her dress and sat back on her throne majestically.

"As protocol requires, I thank you for your most generous gift to myself as the mother of the reigning Monarch of the Elves. I shall remember this kindness and look forward to a long and healthy relationship with the people you serve." 

The princess dipped her head in a courtly manner. "Although we hope for the same, this is not an official royal gift. It is of a personal nature. Colvyr misses you very much." 

Taking the tag, she looked at the short letter written by Nanny. Mairwen had been apprehensive about letting the Queen's perceived rival make the note, but in the end, the result had been quite sweet. Nanny had known just what to say. A smile formed on Lanassa's severe lips. 

"Of course the little one remembers me. The young prince is the most thoughtful human to ever be born." The Queen Mother stated emphatically. 

The other humans did not dare to disagree. They all had a soft spot for Colvyr as well. Who wouldn't love the adorable heir of Valiant? Their responsive smiles were genuine. 

"May I?" Lanassa lifted the package. 

"By all means," Mairwen was possibly more anxious than anyone else. This had been her idea, after all.

The paper tore away and the Queen gasped. She held a grey stone in her hand. The Queen Mother remained silent long enough that the tension became awkward even for the king. 

Clearing his throat, Ithel rubbed the back of his neck. "A stone...from Valiant? How very thoughtful of the prince to send my mother a stone from his home. Please give him our most gracious thanks when you see him next." 

"Hush!" Lanassa said for the second time in as many minutes. "You are talking nonsense. This is not a stone." 

Ithel was perplexed. What else could be grey and stone-like if not a stone?

He soon found out. Lanassa turned around the object and her golden cheeks turned Rosy. "It is a precious work of art!" 

The hardened clay held two tiny handprints, which had been painstakingly procured, and was surrounded by precious stones of every color. 

"Colvyr picked the stones himself," Mairwen explained. "It can be placed in any garden and should withstand all types of weather." 

"Don't be silly!" Lanassa held up the trinket at arm's length to admire it. "I would never put this outside. It will be put in a frame and placed in my chambers. Such a priceless treasure should be in a place of prominence." 

"You are going to put hardened mud on your pristine walls?" Ithel's mouth hung open.

"Son!" Lanassa shot the king a warning look. 

"I meant no disrespect. I am just genuinely shocked. I did not think anyone would be able to convince you to bring and keep dirt inside the palace." Ithel quickly looked away to avoid another scathing glare. Instead, he silently sought help from the princess.

"Children tend to have that effect on others. Especially grandchildren, both related and adopted." Mairwen tried to smooth over the situation.

She glanced at the two men beside her, but neither seemed eager to help. The ladies were no better: Hanna seemed preoccupied with Zoltan's declining health, and Eira never spoke in these settings unless spoken to.

"Yes, Colvyr is most lucky to have your favor." The princess concluded, taking a big sip of tea to cover up her own discomfort.

"My son would do well to curry my favor also, unless he does not wish to have a matching artwork of his own little one on my wall." Lanassa's words sounded harsh but her tone was soft.

It was Ithel's turn to blush. The three women opposite Ithel immediately picked up on Lanassa's meaning.

"Calla is with child?!" Mairwen and Hanna exclaimed at the same time. Eira merely tilted her head in acknowledgment.

Ithel nodded shyly. It was unlike him to be at a loss for words.

"Are you sure?" Alaron asked, only to be elbowed lightly by his brother-in-law. "What? Unless elves look different than humans when pregnant, Calla was as slender as a reed last time we saw her."

Lanassa arched her brow at the Guardian. "Of course we are sure."

"It is still very early," Ithel added. "Calla needs all the rest and calm she can get. She has been feeling very poorly, and our lack of magical resources has made helping her quite difficult."

"It is more than just that," Zoltan spoke for the first time. Although he looked sickly, his voice still held its commanding presence. The room grew silent. 

Ithel furrowed his brow at his father. "What do you mean?" 

Zoltan took a few labored breaths. He shivered, and the dutiful son tucked in the blanket sitting on the former king's lap. In his wheeled chair, he looked quite frail. Lanassa stood and adjusted the back of his rolling throne to make him more comfortable as well. The invalid at last waved them off.

"I mean elven children are born with magic." Zoltan paused to collect his thoughts.

Mairwen wondered if it was his usual way of speaking or if it was very difficult for him to put in the effort to speak. As if reading her thoughts, Zoltan turned to look directly at the princess. His piercing gaze told her that whatever physical issues he was having, his mind was at the moment fully intact. 

"The elven people receive their magical prowess through their mothers. It is why Ithel and Brinn are so powerful. Lanassa is one of the best wielders of wind that I have ever seen. There are few, if any, among our people who can match her." Zoltan reached up and took Lanassa's hand. She had been methodically rubbing his shoulder to help him breathe easier.

"You flatter me, my husband," Lanassa was pleased with his assessment. She knew it was one of the reasons he had desired to marry her, and it was nice to know that he still held such a high opinion of her. 

"I speak the truth." Zoltan would not let the former Queen have any doubt. "But in speaking the truth, I will also speak my concern. If Calla continues to remain without magic while the child is within her, I fear the baby will be born unable to wield wind even if the magic is restored at a later time."

"That means..." Renat caught himself, hoping desperately that he was wrong about what the former king was implying.

"It means if the magic is not restored soon, we may have an heir to the elven throne who cannot use magic. I cannot tell you how much we would like to avoid this." Zoltan tried to sound dignified, but there was genuine concern in his voice.

While the elves did not feel love like humans did, they certainly felt affection and connection to one another. If a future monarch was cut off from the magic the nation shared, it could have dire consequences.

"Beyond that. I have a suspicion that without magic, the birth will be extremely dangerous," Lanassa left the rest unsaid.

Empress Zephyra had died in childbirth. It was an all too common among humanity.

Ithel's face became grim. "I suppose that brings us from pleasantries down to business," he sighed. "We have searched for the seed which Hanna indicated when she was last with us."

"I told you it was not here," Hanna looked at the king in confusion.

"There was no way for you to be sure. We did not want to leave any stone unturned in case the answer to our problems was in our midst." Ithel straightened his back in defense of his decision.

The elves were a proud people. Relying on others, even the word of the Fates, was still very hard for them. Despite their best efforts, they found themselves unable to deal with the current issue alone.

The king's broad shoulders slumped. "We did not find the seed nor any clue to its whereabouts. And we lost some good soldiers in our search. I do hope you bring better news. Is the seed with you?"

"No. But we do have an idea have of where it is," Alaron tried to sound upbeat.

"Have you come to get it then?" Lanassa leaned forward attentively as her hand still rested on Zoltan's shoulder.

"We have not, exactly…" Mairwen sighed as she saw the condemning looks of the elves. "Maybe I should start from the beginning…"