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“A what?” Kent asked.
“But she is fae,” Raven protested.
“Truly?” Lord Piro tilted his head slightly as he peered closely at the top of my head. “Perhaps… ah…now I see it. Nature magic mixed in with the elven mind magic. Intriguing. You, my dear, are an interesting mix of magics.” He glanced at Lord Greyson. “You were correct.”
“What do you mean?” I straightened, pressing my clasped hands to my stomach as unease pricked at my senses.
After glaring briefly at his friend, Lord Greyson met my gaze. “My wife and I noticed that you weren’t interacting with the plants around you as a nymph typically would. Some discreet inquiries led to some discoveries about your mysterious past.” Noting my alarm, he inclined his head toward Kent. “Considering your role in our future king’s life, it seemed wise to investigate further.”
“You investigated me? Why? I am nothing. A nobody.”
“Everyone is important,” Lord Piro argued.
“Kent’s mating mark says you of all of us are not a nobody to him,” Lord Greyson declared.
Kent gripped his forearm. “How did you—” Kent suppressed his outburst, turning to glare at Raven instead.
“I told no one,” the young Dullahan protested.
Lord Piro snorted in amusement. “It is more of a question of what Greyson doesn’t know. He is the world’s biggest busybody.”
And Lord Greyson didn’t have the decency to even blush. He shrugged instead. “Knowledge is power. The more I know the better I can plan. Now back to the matter at hand.” He leveled his intense gaze at me. “I sent a trusted employee to ask tactful questions that turned up some information that might interest you.”
He crossed to his desk and spread the document he held on top of the scattered pages there.
Lord Piro stepped back and motioned for me to approach the desk. “Come and look, Lady Rue.”
“I am not a lady,” I protested instinctively.
Greyson motioned for me to take his place at the desk. “An oversight that will be rectified soon. Kent, I need to speak to you.” He drew Kent aside as I focused on the official-looking documents on the desk.
The largest appeared the most important. Heavily flourished calligraphy spiraled across the gossamer-thin parchment. I struggled in my attempt to read it before I realized I didn’t recognize the language.
“Do you read Elvish?” Lord Piro asked from high above my bent head.
“No.”
“Then it is fortunate that I do.” Lord Piro leaned closer, dwarfing me in his shadow as he focused on the fancy lettering. “This document signifies that Hadenori Juston Silenion is the firstborn son of his father, Killnori Juston Silenion of the house of Heron, prince of the Solhelm Elves, and possesses legal claim to all the honors that such status merits, fiscal and physical.”
Not quite sure who Hadenori was, I shifted my attention to the next document, a simple note in a shaky hand followed by a signature. This one was in Common, and I had no trouble reading what it said. “I, Warlord Hermion the Stalwart, signify that I witnessed the legal binding of Hadenori Silenion and Mari of the Evertrees Tribe in holy marriage.” Lord Piro muttered a few words in a language I didn’t understand. I felt the power of the spell before I noticed the signature below the statement glowing a brilliant blue.
“The witness’ oath is binding and true.” Lord Piro uttered a single word, and the glow cut out.
The last document was a humbler missive. Only a few inches in length and even less in width, it appeared to be a leaf. The words on it were etched in a silver ink that glinted in the firelight. “This night, the seventh of spring tide, Mari of the Evertrees Tribe bore her first child of her bound husband, Hadenori of the Twilight Elves. Her issue is a girl child named Rue. So witnessed by me…” The name that followed was in a language I didn’t know. I glanced up at Lord Piro. “Do you?”
“I don’t know the ancient writing of the winds, but I suspect that signature belongs to the Lady of the Lyras in the far southeast where the lowlands are moist and green. Judging by the witnesses on these documents, your parents traveled widely.”
“They did.” Lord Greyson rejoined us. “From what my agent could gather, your parents were on the run from a Twilight elf who had been trained as a stalker.”
“But why?” I asked.
“That is a question my sources haven’t been able to answer.” Lord Greyson glared down at the documents I leaned over. “At least, not yet.”
Chapter Fourteen
Kent
“You summoned me.”
