AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ChapterTwo
Farrendel disembarked from the boat that had carried them from the larger ship, his swords strapped to his back. Beside him, Iyrinder, the other elf guard chosen for this task, tightened his grip on his strung bow, his jaw set. Weylind and Sindrel stood in front of them, though with space left between them for Iyrinder and Farrendel to jump forward to defend them if necessary.
Across the tiny rock island, the humans from Escarland stepped from their rowboat. Among the men was a young woman dressed in a gown with a massive blue skirt that set off the fiery red of her hair. As the only female human among the group, she must be their princess.
As they neared, she glanced up at Weylind and smiled. A genuine smile that sparkled in her eyes and rounded her cheeks. As if she was pleased to be meeting elves on this island.
Who was this human princess that she would smile so? How did she manage to smile with such joy when facing those who were her enemies?
Her gaze swiveled past Weylind to land first on Iyrinder, then on Farrendel.
He stared back, frozen under her gaze. Should he attempt a smile back? Was this friendliness on her part a trick by the humans?
She blinked, shuddered, and hurriedly looked away.
He had scared her. He had not meant to. But he had been told his gaze carried the hard weight of the death he had seen and caused.
Farrendel stayed to the side as the official greetings were performed and the meeting tent and furniture were set up and arranged. The human king, a man with neatly trimmed auburn hair and hazel eyes, had brought with him seven guards, all of whom eyed Farrendel as if sensing he was the greatest threat there.
Farrendel could not spot any attempt at treachery thus far. Despite their edginess, none of the guards lifted their guns from their shoulders to attempt to take a shot at Weylind. Not that it would do them any good. Farrendel would incinerate the bullet before it came anywhere near his brother.
When Weylind took his seat across the table from King Averett, Farrendel positioned himself at Weylind’s back with Iyrinder standing behind Sindrel. Surprisingly, King Averett opted for only two bodyguards of his own and ordered the rest to stand outside the tent. Was it a show of good faith on his part? Or one of the human tricks of which Farrendel needed to be wary?
As a silence fell in the tent, Farrendel braced himself, ready to call up his magic in a moment’s notice.
In front of him, Weylind’s shoulders tensed a fraction, even as he remained silent.
The silence seemed to make the humans uncomfortable. The red-haired princess’s smile wavered. Beside the king, the human diplomat, a small man with brown hair, opened and closed his mouth.
In the center of the table, King Averett made a noise in the back of his throat, shifted, then faced Weylind. “We both know why we are here. The incidents lately have been deplorable, on both sides, and I have made it clear to my people, as I am sure you have to yours, that further action will not be tolerated.”
He had made it clear to his people? Farrendel’s jaw tightened. Escarland had been the one provoking these incidents. Surely this king was behind it, encouraging the raids even as he publicly denied them. Yet another example of humans saying one thing while doing another.
King Averett waved in the direction of the Escarlish shore. “I have the bodies of your two young elves to return to you with due honor, as I believe you have the bodies of three of my young men.”
The three Escarlish men had been killed when a party of ten of them had raided one of the elven villages near the river. An elf had been killed, and some of the young elf males of the village had retaliated with a raid of their own, ending with two elves killed across the border in Escarland. If raids like this continued, it would drag them to war whether or not they wanted it.
“The exchange will occur once our negotiations are complete,” Weylind said evenly.
It would do no good to negotiate for the return of the bodies now when this meeting could very well end in more bloodshed and bodies.
King Averett shifted again, a display of emotion no elf king would allow himself in front of enemies. Though, how much of this open emotion was real and how much was merely a disguise for the treachery he was planning?
When King Averett drew in a deep breath in preparation to speak, Farrendel braced himself. Whatever this human king said next would be the start of whatever ploy they had planned.
“Things have been unsettled between our two kingdoms ever since the end of the war. After a war between two human nations, normally we would seal the new treaty with a marriage alliance to guarantee peace.” King Averett gazed at Weylind, his tone and eyes unwavering.
What sort of trick was this? A marriage alliance?
Farrendel had heard stories of human kingdoms engaging in this practice. But he had thought those merely stories. Surely the humans were not so cold-hearted as to bargain their sisters and daughters away in heartless matches such as the ones told in the stories.
He allowed his gaze to flick to the princess. Was she the one her brother was offering for the alliance? Her smile remained in place. If anything, it had tipped higher, as if she found something in this conversation amusing. Certainly she would not be so relaxed and happy if she were the object of this proposed, forced marriage.
King Averett’s expression was wiped free of all emotion. “But that is a solution your kingdom hasn’t appeared open to exploring in the past.”
There was a challenge to his words. As if daring them to take him up on his offer. What game were the humans playing? Did they want Weylind to take the bait or not?
Perhaps it was the challenge that spurred Farrendel into speaking. Maybe it was his own desperation to prevent more blood on his hands. Either way, he surprised even himself when he blurted out, in Escarlish, no less, “Would a marriage alliance stop the raids?”
