Chapter 22: A Grand Arrival

The royal carriage drawn by four strong ebony stallions rumbled down the winding forest trail as young Eric eagerly pressed his freckled nose to the glass window pane, watching the scenery roll by with great fascination.

After many days and nights spent jostling along bumpy rural roads, winding through wild plains and remote villages, the landscape had gradually begun to shift into something far more wondrous and unfamiliar than anything the sheltered boy had laid eyes upon before.

Gone were the sweeping grassy meadows filled with plump grazing sheep, humble thatched roof cottages sending thin tendrils of smoke spiraling up from their brick chimneys, and babbling brooks glittering under the warm sunlight.

In their place now loomed towering, ancient evergreen trees so unimaginably tall that their heights were obscured by the swirling silver mist that shrouded their upper branches. The massive trunks were as wide around as the span of Eric's childhood home. Fronds of emerald moss trailed from the gnarled bark, and the earthy scent of untouched wilderness permeated the still forest air.

Eric gasped aloud in wonder as through the gloomy mist-veiled forest gloom appeared structures seemingly organically grown straight from the colossal tree trunks themselves. Ethereal spiraling staircases wove gracefully around the great trees, leading up to arched wooden doorways and delicate leaf-strewn balconies carved seamlessly into the very wood.

"The breathtaking elven tree cities from your enchanting bedtime stories!" Eric exclaimed to Lady Ellara in hushed excitement. "They're real, just like you said!"

Lady Ellara smiled indulgently down at her cherished only son, her heart swelling with a mix of nostalgia and joy at his unfettered delight. "Yes my child, exactly as I described from my childhood. Though it has been so very long, this place is just as I remember."

Before long, the towering trees parted to reveal an even more dazzling sight that stole Eric's breath away. A towering opulent palace that seemed crafted from pristine ivory marble veined with shimmering gold and studded with an array of vivid gemstones rose majestically before them. The resplendent structure was flanked on all sides by dozens of ornate white-stone buildings with soaring arched windows, as well as bustling marketplaces teeming with elves going cheerfully about their daily errands.

All those ethereal people - for they could be nothing other than elves, Eric thought - paused in their tasks to turn and stare in unconcealed wonder and curiosity at the grand royal carriage bearing the bold, proud crest of House Emberhart rolling into their city. Eric gazed back with equal awe at their delicately pointed ears, flawless smooth skin, and lithe graceful movements that set them apart from any race of beings he had ever encountered in Valonaria.

As the Emberhart family passed through the palace's intricately wrought arched gates of silver filigree into a lavishly adorned courtyard, a contingent of elegant elven stewards garbed in flowing robes of emerald and gold glided forward with rehearsed grace to greet the new arrivals.

But young Eric only had eyes for the regal couple standing tall and straight-backed atop the grand staircase at the palace's entrance, clad in richly vivid and jeweled finery. Though he had never before laid eyes upon his maternal grandparents, in his innocent heart Eric immediately knew without a doubt that these two radiant beings could only be the Lord and Lady of Evermore themselves - the rulers of these sprawling elven lands.

Lord Feywood cut an imposing figure in his voluminous robes of deep forest green and silver accented by an intricately wrought mithril circlet resting upon his long, chestnut hair that fell well past his broad shoulders in softly curling waves. Though clearly advanced in years if the myriad of fine lines etched around his intensely gazing hawk-like amber eyes were any indication, Lord Feywood stood with flawless tall posture exuding quiet power and dignity.

Everything about the man, from his shrewd yet kind eyes to his slow purposeful gait whispered of a gifted leader who had ruled his kingdom for decades with wisdom and compassion. His rounded sea-shell pink ears marked him unmistakably as human, yet Lord Feywood conversed authoritatively with the elven stewards in their lyrical native tongue.

At Lord Feywood's side stood Lady Feywood, appearing somehow even more elegant and ethereally lovely than Eric's vivid childhood imagination had pictured his mother in her youth. Garbed in an intricately embroidered gown of lustrous violet silk and mithril threads that complemented her porcelain fair complexion, Lady Feywood's flowing cascade of lustrous raven locks tumbled well past her slender shoulders, remarkably untouched by any strands of silver despite her mature age.

Her melodic voice carried clearly like exquisite windchimes as she added her own warm greetings to the newly arrived guests. Everything about Lady Feywood's presence, from her musical laughter that reminded Eric so powerfully of his mother's comforting embrace to her mesmerizing emerald eyes that sparkled with deep wisdom and kindness, marked her unmistakably as the lady of this kingdom, beloved and respected by highborn and commoner alike if the adoring looks cast her way were any indication. The elegant tapered points of her ears marked her heritage distinctly as elven.

Eric stared on with a racing heart and wide eyes full of childish joy, awe, and deep comfort at this long-awaited reunion, a major milestone in his young life. Though he did not fully grasp the intricate historical significance tying these two influential noble houses together, in his heart Eric knew without doubt that this fated meeting marked the beginning of an important new era for the Emberhart family.