The Elven Bride (part five)

The Elven Bride and Newborn Prince
(Part Five)
By Wyatt Nelson


    The moon shone down from above as, Gwylen moved from the shadows, slinking toward the tall wooden gate that blocked the pass to Kaiah'Nor. As soon as he climbed that gate, he was home free. His heart was beating frantically in his chest, just as it had done the night he had kidnapped king Mathian's son. Now all he had to do was make it back to castle Kaiah'Nor and wait for Kasa'Kerrie. He had it all planned out. As she returned to the castle, he would tell her it had been him who had kidnapped the human child, saving her from a life where she would have to marry it. She would be so grateful, she would wrapped her arms around him, crying tears of gratitude, and he would hold her gentle, and whisper the words he had always wanted to tell her!
    Gwynlen was pulled from his fantasy as a hand shot out from the shadows and grabbed him by the collar of his bearskin vest.
    "Where is he, Gwynlen?" A voice hissed in his ear. "What did you do with the baby?" Suddenly, he found himself face to face with Kasa'Kerrie, her deep lavender eyes flashing dangerously.
    "Ka...Kasa'Kerrie?" Gwynlen gasped in surprise. "What are you doing here?!" Kasa'Kerrie released his shirt and stepped back, so that they were directly facing each other.
    "Where is he, Gwynlen?" She asked once more.
    "Where's who?" Gwynlen asked, straightening his collar. "Kasa'Kerrie, you're not making any sense! What are you even doing here? Does uncle know where you are?"
    "Gwynlen, you bloody fool!" Kasa'Kerrie suddenly shouted at him. He took a step back, stunned by her anger.
    "W...what?" He asked, confused and hurt by her tone.
    "Do you have any idea what you've just done?!" She demanded. "You kidnapped a baby! A baby prince! Right now you'll be lucky if you don't hang for treason!" Gwynlen looked like he had just be slapped.
    "B...but I did it for you! You said you didn't want to marry him! I was only thinking of you!" Gwynlen cried, close to tears.
    "No you weren't!" Kasa'Kerrie exploded at him. "The only one you were thinking of was yourself! The baby's innocent! Even more of a victim then me! Now, I'll ask you one more time! Gwynlen, where did you leave prince Norai'ah?" This was the last thing he had expected! He had thought Kasa'Kerrie would be happy, even grateful! But here she was before him, and she was yelling at him and calling him a fool, when all he wanted was for her to be happy! Why? Why was she doing this?! Did she really want to marry the human baby?! This wasn't fair! He had thought after this they could be together!
    "Kerrie..." Gwynlen pleaded, tears forming at the edge of his azure eyes. Suddenly, Kasa'Kerrie's face turned livid!
    "Don't call me that!" She screamed. "Only my parents call me that! Now, where is he?!" It was the final push. Gwynlen fell to his knees, crying uncontrollably, muttering over and over again,
    "Why? Why? Why?" until his sobs over took him. Kasa'Kerrie looked down at the pitiful sight, the anger which had filled her so completely before, now drained away as she was faced with the helpless Gwynlen, who had, in his own misguided way, thought he was doing something that would make her happy. She waited until the worst of his sobs subsided before crouching down on her knees and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
    "Gwynlen, I'm sorry." She said softly. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, but right now, the only thing I can do to save your life is bring back Norai'ah. Please, tell me where he is!" She begged. Gwynlen looked up into her lavender eyes, his face tear stained. He sniffed and spoke, his voice that of a small child.
    "I don't want you to marry him!" He whined. After a long silence, when it became clear to him that she wasn't going to say anything, he took a deep breath and told her. "I gave him to some people who said they'd look after him. I don't know who they were, both were human man dressed in orange robes. They took the baby and left west. That's all I know." The blood in Kasa'Kerrie's veins froze.
    "How long ago was this?" She asked quickly. "There's still a chance I can catch up to them!" Gwynlen hesitated before he answered.
    "Two days ago, just before I reached a small farming village."
    "Good, if I hurry then I still have a chance!" Kasa'Kerrie rose to her feet, and brushed off her traveling pants.
    "Wait a minute, you're not going alone, are you?" Gwynlen asked suddenly, his features set in lines of worry.
    "Of course I am!" Kasa'Kerrie said as though it were obvious. "You're staying here to pass a message along to the guards that father sent after me. We agreed that I'd travel faster alone, and that once I found you, I'd wait for the guards to catch up. Unfortunately I don't have time to wait, so you'll have to do it in my stead."
    "But it's dangerous to travel alone!" Gwynlen exclaimed. "I'm going with you!"
    "No!" Kasa'Kerrie snapped, causing Gwynlen to flinch back, his eyes wide and frightened. "You will wait here and tell the guards where I've gone! This is an order, Gwynlen! Do not disobey me!" Her tone left no more room for argument, and with one last warning look, she hurried off in the direction of where she had hidden her horse. Gwynlen watched as she rode off into the night, feeling scared and very alone.
*     *     *
    It was midday, the sky overhead was clear and the sun was warm in contrast to the slight spring breeze that blew the green buds on the trees. Countess Laviah stood at the top stair leading up into her red sandstone castle, looking down at the old man standing before her with a mixture of contempt and complete loathing.
    "Imagine my surprise when I received a letter from one of the two daughters that I had thought forgotten about me. I mean, not so much as a word in twenty years, and then suddenly a note asking for a favor? Well, how could I refuse such a request!" Despite being an old man, duke Emeran was strong and fit, with broad shoulders and a barrel-like chest, he stuck to a strict exercising regiment everyday, and believed in living an active lifestyle. Countess Laviah's lip curled with open distaste at seeing this over muscular pig again.
    "You needn't have had to come all this way!" She said with scorn. "You could have just sent a letter in reply."
    "But it's been over twenty years since last I saw you, and I wanted to see how much my pretty little daughter had grown!" Duke Emeran said with a grin.
    "If I had had any other choice, I wouldn't have asked for your help to begin with, but you owe me, father!" The last word was spoken sarcastically, as though she no longer thought of this man standing before her as her father. The duke stepped back, with a mock hurt expression on his face.
    "You say that to me, even though I was the one who raised you after your mother died? Really, Laviah you've changed!" He said as though shocked. Countess Laviah offered him a cold smile.
    "Yes, I suppose I have changed." She said with a hint of satisfactory to her voice. "I should probably thank you for that father, for marrying me off to that womanizing drunkard for a few gold pieces and a bit of land! If you had never done that, I would probably still be the meek, obedient little girl you raised. A pity, isn't it?" She said, sounding as though she thought of it as anything but. They had a brief battle of staring into each others eyes, but the duke finally admitted defeat. He shrugged and half turned away from her, skillfully suppressing a shudder under that malicious gaze.
    "Very well, you win then." He said with an easygoing smile. "The reason why I showed up at your doorstep unannounced was because I wanted to introduce you to my best agent." He snapped his fingers twice in rapid secession, and walking from the edge of the forest twenty-feet away was a young woman with pale short blue hair and hazel eyes.
    "Her name is, Ahvia Loklan, a half elven pickpocket I picked up on the streets. She can handle whatever task you give her." The old man said with a smug smile. "Originally I was going to use her to track down baby Norai'ah, for the king, but after getting your letter, I thought I'd loan her to you. And besides, I have others to find the prince for me." Laviah looked at him scornfully.
    "Ever the ambitious one, aren't you?" She said with disgust. Duke Emeran just wagged a finger at her knowingly.
    "You're not one to judge, lady Kressway. After all, whereas the king just thinks your husband died of an illness, we both know different. And if he were also to hear of some of the things that have been going on behind his back, I don't think he'd be so forgiving, do you?" The implied threat was clear, and now her father had something to hold over her. Well, she thought as the old man climbed onto his horse and rode away, duke Emeran was getting old, and it wouldn't appear suspicious if he happened to pass away in his sleep, perhaps from a terrible sickness...or lack of oxygen.
    "Come inside." Countess Laviah said to the half elf agent. "Let us speak of your job."
    "Yes, my lady." The woman said, bowing low before following the countess inside the old stone building.
*     *     *
    The two kings sat in the study silently thinking about the report they had just heard a few minutes ago. The messenger, one of the guards they had sent after Kasa'Kerrie, had been dismissed and taken to get a meal and then some much needed rest, as the poor man had half worked himself into the grave to deliver the news as soon as possible. That Kasa'Kerrie went on ahead after prince Norai'ah was something neither of them found especially surprising, nor all that pleasing. Now they had two heirs missing.
    "I can't believe Kasa'Kerrie would do something so irresponsible!" King Morann voiced at last, speaking both their thoughts aloud. "This puts us both in quite the position if something were to happen. I thought I had brought her up with a better sense of responsibility!" Morann sighed regretfully.
    "She's worried about me son, although I didn't think she'd take it this far." Mathian said thoughtfully. "I can't begin to imagine what she's thinking."
    "She should have waited for the guards to catch up." Morann added. And then he paused. "Unless she thinks Norai'ah's life is still in danger, although there's no proof of that, it's entirely possible, so I guess I can understand why she left after him in a hurry."
    "Yes." Mathian agreed darkly. "I don't like to admit it, but it seems a little too convenient that a couple of robed figures show up out of nowhere and offer to take a baby off your hands. But even if that's the case, there's no one more worried about my child then my wife and me, but it's too dangerous for your daughter to get mixed up in!"
    "Yes, but at least the guards had enough wit about them to send someone to catch up to the princess. The others will go on ahead at a slightly slower pace, and two will stay behind to guard over the prisoner, Gwynlen." Morann paused and hesitated before continuing. "I know this isn't the best time to bring this up, but are you going to punish him for his actions? He stole your son, but he thought he was doing it for Kasa'Kerrie." King Mathian looked at his old friend with a stony glare.
    "As long as my son is returned unharmed, I am willing to overlook this matter as long as he stays away from me, my family, and Delguard." He stated, with little emotion to his voice. Personally, the father in him would love nothing more then to grab the weaselly elf by the throat and strangle him, but the diplomat in him was willing to trust in his friend to best deal with the offender, in light of their long standing friendship and possible relations in the near and distant future. Of course, it all depended on whether or not his son was unharmed.
    King Morann inclined his head respectfully, to show he understood what the king was thinking, and he agreed with it. Gwynlen had been a fool, and one that had commited an act of treason against the Delguard royal family, but he was still family, and Morann had no desire to see him killed. But he would also not start a war over him either. Especially not with the Delguardian people.
    "Now, I suppose all we can do is wait and see if my daughter can bring your son home." Morann said with another sigh. King Mathian didn't respond, but his silence spoke for itself as he stared almost sightlessly at the far wall, hoping that his son was safe and all right.
*     *     *