Going Home

Nadiya sat next to Frey in the cabin of the magic carriage as they left the gates of Runia for a town that bordered close to the Urwani elvish forest. She rested her head on her arm as she lazily stared out of the window, not excited by the prospect of returning home. Frey glanced at her before retraining his eyes on the road.

"Not happy about going back?"

"It's not that but... I feel like I don't belong there. In the elven forest, I mean."

"Oh? Why do you think that?"

Nadiya was silent for a bit, debating whether to disclose her feelings or not. After a few seconds, she began to speak again.

"The Urwani clan are... conservative, even for elves. Father and mother both lean towards progressiveness but aren't prepared to do anything about the others."

"And you would have them try to force the others to change?"

"No, not force them but... I don't know, try to convince them at least. It's better than doing nothing."

Frey stared at Nadiya for a while before gently shaking his head and returning his focus to driving.

"If there is one thing I've learnt in the last 28 years of being a ruler, it's that hearts and minds don't change so easily. Elves have long lifespans, many of your elders remember a time when humans and elves were at war with one another. Younger elves will tend towards progressiveness, that's how the world works Nadiya."

Nadiya sighed but didn't respond further. She had often been regaled with stories from her grandfather of his war heroics and had even grown up thinking humans were not a civilised species. She believed this until she was taken to Runia with her family to spend some time with the Runewalkers. She saw the street lights, the bustling city business district with its twenty-story buildings, the intricate workmanship of craftsmen and women plying their trade and the well structured and laid out city.

She realised that day that humans had progressed so much from the stories she had heard from her grandfather, that the things he told her no longer held true. She got lost in Runia during the trip and found herself in a dark alleyway, alone and confused. Three gruff looking men approached her but instead of harassing her or trying to kidnap her, they escorted her to a soldier station where they alerted her family at the Runewalker mansion and she was taken back with her family. Those savage and vicious humans that her grandfather spoke about didn't exist in Runia.

From that moment onward, she realised just how backwards the elven way of life was. The wooden huts, relying on fires to keep them warm and to keep the paths lit at night. The lack of progress the elven people made from the time of war to now became apparent to Nadiya and she hated it. If they refused to change, they would lose everything to time. They may have gone toe-to-toe with humans many hundreds of years ago, but now that they had these fast vehicles, advanced weaponry and developed society, they would face a reckoning as they had never faced before.

To her, her goal was clear. If she ever wanted the elves to advance, she would have to take up the role of high queen and impose change on them. This was the reason she had left the clan, to begin with before the Unbound attacked her. Yet she couldn't help but feel a little grateful for the attack, as she would never have met Kye without it. She played with the necklace that hung around her neck as she looked back on her short but sweet memories from the past few weeks. She felt that Kye would grow up to be an amazing person and that, with the both of them, they might be able to change the elven people for the better.

Her thoughts of her future with Kye were cut off as she saw the glowing lights of the border town come into view. She sighed internally and prepared to get out and greet her parents who were, no doubt, already waiting for her return. They pulled up at the forest side of the town and got out. Immediately as she stepped out of the magic carriage, she felt the force of her mother rush into her and pick her up in a tight hug.

"My sweet little girl! Are you okay?! Are you injured anywhere?!"

Nadiya felt the air being squeezed from her lungs under the force of her mother's hug.

"I won't be fine if you don't stop squeezing me so hard!"

She managed to squeeze out and her mother let her go, instead standing behind her and gently patting her head as her father walked up to her and Frey. Her father looked at her before confirming she was okay and addressed Frey.

"Frey my old friend. How good it is to see you again."

"I could say the same Melthis, if only it was under better circumstances."

The two bumped shoulders together and firmly gripped each other's hand in a bro hug. A sign of how deep their friendship was.

"I hear it was your son who helped her out during the whole ordeal, is the young man with us now?"

"No, he was still recovering from his wounds so he stayed back. My wife would have killed me if I let him come with us."

"Hopefully his assistance didn't cost my Nadiya anything else..."

Frey tilted his head in confusion before catching on and laughing.

"Hahahaha, no, Kye isn't like my other two. He's my pride and joy."

"I wasn't aware you had another son?"

"He was the one who was unfortunately crippled. He got better recently and has been continually showing up his older brothers with his skills."

"Well, if that's the case then I suppose we can finally unite our families as we planned."

"Darling, do you not think that's a bit premature? If Nadiya doesn't like him then why force her into such an agreement."

"I-I'm okay... with that I mean."

The three of them turned to Nadiya, whose face was burning red with embarrassment, with a look of surprise but soon the two fathers laughed together.

"Seems as though the deal has already been sealed. What did your boy do for my daughter to like him that much?"

Frey wryly smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"Well... Thel tells me he's basically a younger version of me..."

Nadiya's parents both nodded at the explanation. After all, Frey had been their friend for many years, they had personally seen him make women fall for him with minimal effort.

"Well, regardless of feelings, it's in the future. For now, I'll take my daughter back so she can prepare to become to ascend the throne in a few years time."

"Wait, I was selected?!"

"Yes. Now your real training begins, my dear."

Nadiya smiled slightly and nodded obediently. Not only was her position as High Elven Queen now secured, but her family was also in talks to secure her a marriage with the man she loved! Nadiya felt her smile widen once she imagined her future, yet there were many things to accomplish first. Now was not the time to get lost in fantasies, there was a lot to prepare before she was High Queen.