Elessaria barely felt the chill against her forehead where it rested against the glass. Her eyes were closed against the dark sky and the raindrops that streaked the window. Her delicate fingers clutched a crumpled sheet of parchment which she had read with a sinking heart and her slender arms were wrapped about her shins as she perched amidst the sapphire and gold pillows that cushioned the window seat of her bedroom apartment. The constant demands for the empath's presence at the royal courts of Alanterial had roused her suspicions. So, she had made it her business to delve deeper into the intrigue surrounding her homelands former ally. Eless had managed to intercept a secret message from King Koreth to the Elders of his court. It hadn't taken Eless very long to break the code; however, part of her wished the task hadn't been so easy.
King Koreth and his supporters wished to keep the Lady Fire of Evandar and her unique gifts for their benefit alone. They surmised the best way they could bind her to Alanterial was through marriage and thus fabricated a document to that end. They claimed the Elder Council of Evandar had promised Elessaria at birth to Prince Firian of Alanterial. Since Evandar had been destroyed nearly 4 decades earlier, Eless could not prove otherwise. In addition, several centuries prior, one of the elder's granddaughters had married into Alanterial's Royal Family and they planned on using that woman's lineage to force the empath to follow their decree — after all, Eless could not go against the wishes of her Elder.
Elessaria ground her teeth in frustration. There was nothing wrong with Prince Firian, but there was nothing right either. He was simply an average elven male in her eyes. While not overly arrogant or haughty, which was a pleasant surprise considering his status, he was not remarkably bright nor witty. He would make a suitable husband for almost any woman in Alanterial, but not her. The empath balked at the idea of being tethered to him and raged silently against their selfish plotting. Her parents and instructors had planned on her serving a multitude of lands and even many different races if her skills were needed. There were no existing records to save her. There was no one left to speak for her and a vague promise with no end in sight was not enough to protect Eless. In a fit of temper, she shredded the expensive parchments into bits and then hurled them across her room.
And then she wept...
....for her parents and the brutal death they suffered. ....for her people and their demise which allowed her to live. ....for the child she could not bear to term. ....for Nuage and the comfort his presence had brought her. ....for the disappearance of her heart sisters. ....for friendships made and then lost. ....for hopes and dreams that would never come to pass. ....for the breaking of her heart.
Eless choked back a sob by biting her hand where her thumb met the palm. She struggled to fend off the torrent of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her until she could no longer keep them at bay. Pressing the heels of her palms against her tear filled eyes, the empath was caught up in the moment, tossed upon the swirling, seething sea of her sentiments. It took all of her rapidly depleting strength to maintain some semblance of shielding as she shook under the onslaught.
Eventually her tears slowed and the intensity of the despair began to wane. They always did just like the night always fades even if the dawn is dark and gray. And for those who dreamed nearby, their waking moments may be laced with touches of melancholy without their knowing why.
King Koreth and his supporters wished to keep the Lady Fire of Evandar and her unique gifts for their benefit alone. They surmised the best way they could bind her to Alanterial was through marriage and thus fabricated a document to that end. They claimed the Elder Council of Evandar had promised Elessaria at birth to Prince Firian of Alanterial. Since Evandar had been destroyed nearly 4 decades earlier, Eless could not prove otherwise. In addition, several centuries prior, one of the elder's granddaughters had married into Alanterial's Royal Family and they planned on using that woman's lineage to force the empath to follow their decree — after all, Eless could not go against the wishes of her Elder.
Elessaria ground her teeth in frustration. There was nothing wrong with Prince Firian, but there was nothing right either. He was simply an average elven male in her eyes. While not overly arrogant or haughty, which was a pleasant surprise considering his status, he was not remarkably bright nor witty. He would make a suitable husband for almost any woman in Alanterial, but not her. The empath balked at the idea of being tethered to him and raged silently against their selfish plotting. Her parents and instructors had planned on her serving a multitude of lands and even many different races if her skills were needed. There were no existing records to save her. There was no one left to speak for her and a vague promise with no end in sight was not enough to protect Eless. In a fit of temper, she shredded the expensive parchments into bits and then hurled them across her room.
And then she wept...
....for her parents and the brutal death they suffered. ....for her people and their demise which allowed her to live. ....for the child she could not bear to term. ....for Nuage and the comfort his presence had brought her. ....for the disappearance of her heart sisters. ....for friendships made and then lost. ....for hopes and dreams that would never come to pass. ....for the breaking of her heart.
Eless choked back a sob by biting her hand where her thumb met the palm. She struggled to fend off the torrent of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her until she could no longer keep them at bay. Pressing the heels of her palms against her tear filled eyes, the empath was caught up in the moment, tossed upon the swirling, seething sea of her sentiments. It took all of her rapidly depleting strength to maintain some semblance of shielding as she shook under the onslaught.
Eventually her tears slowed and the intensity of the despair began to wane. They always did just like the night always fades even if the dawn is dark and gray. And for those who dreamed nearby, their waking moments may be laced with touches of melancholy without their knowing why.