Chapter 529: Getting Up to Speed
A myriad of delicacies was laid out on the low tables for the group to feast on at their leisure.
The group ate the delicious food; the elves had clearly spared no expense. It was interesting how the golden-skinned beings always had a feast ready at a moment's notice.
'Perhaps this is just how they eat all the time.' The Empress tried to think if she had had any less than luxurious meals while with the elves.
Even when she had taken a meal in her room to be alone, the food had been more than she could possibly eat. Just now she had been given a plate by Mairwen and had freed one of her arms from beneath her sleeping son in order to get some sustenance into her mouth.
She only needed to be careful not to drop crumbs on Colvyr's cherubic cheeks.
While Aurora ate and listened, Gela told his story as calmly as he could. Whenever he felt like he was going to be overwhelmed, Foxie comforted him with a rush of icy coolness across his neck. The blast of freezing temperature helped the white creature's dark eyes to refocus and continue.
Nothing was new about his tale, and based on the audience, Gela's focus was on his transformation and time in the enemy's camp. The Empress tried to glean as much as she could from the second telling, but she found no glaring surprises. As such, she ate quietly without adding anything to his words.
On the other hand, Alaron was slightly suspicious of the former assistant at first. But Gela's descriptions of both Livie's camp by Oblivion and Taran's small city by the lake were in line with what he and Renat had experienced. Everything checked out. In the end, he accepted the bear-man as another of Taran's victims.
When Gela had gotten to the spot where Aurora had found him and joined him, he decided to conclude his part of the meeting. It was just as well. His stomach was rumbling and he hadn't eaten while he spoke to try and preserve some appearance of humanity. With his speech complete, he graciously accepted a plate and fed both himself and foxie.
"I can't believe Taran sent voyagers to the far south. There is a reason humans shouldn't go there. Those fools were lucky to get out alive, especially after encountering a snow bear." Reyan mumbled. "That place is more dangerous than trying to cross the barrier without any magical help." As Reyan was the only one who had been to the bottom of the world, the rest could only take the winter fairy's word.
"Then I understand why he was reluctant to send a second group. But surely he did not think that using Gela's blood would yield the same results..." Zan was trying to make sense of the nobleman's choices.
"I think Taran is willing to take any and all avenues to get what he wants," Gela answered after swallowing a large mouthful. "You will never find a more determined person."
"It's clear you don't know Her Majesty well yet," Alaron chuckled. "I thought I was the most stubborn, and yet she still managed to prevail."
"I am going to assume you meant that as a compliment, Guardian," Aurora said carefully. Not everyone in the room knew of the man's true identity.
Since Alaron was not being secretive about his face, Ithel clearly knew the man's identity and if Lanassa did not, it was because she did not wish to know. Because Reyan did not ask any questions when Alaron miraculously appeared earlier, she assumed that he, too, had figured out that Alaron was alive and well.
The magical creatures, being well acquainted with how Guardians were selected, did not seem bothered by Alaron's return from the land of the dead.
But Gela, Jaymes and Frode did not know the fallen prince. For their own safety, it was best that things remained that way.
The white-haired Guardian dipped his head respectfully. "It was a high compliment, I assure you. I would never dishonor my ruler."
Aurora shook her head with a small smile. 'That boy always could talk his way out of almost anything.' "Then honor me by telling me of your journey. I am most anxious to hear all of the pieces that are missing from this puzzle."
Renat and Alaron took turns explaining all that had happened. Perhaps it was because of all their recent time together or their mutual connection to Mairwen, but the two spoke seamlessly, passing the story back and forth as if they had been doing it all their lives.
They were so flawless in their presentation that Mairwen felt no need to intervene even when they were describing her injury from the lizard or her breakdown in Oblivion.
Although the princess had been the one to experience each of those things, the males had put things in such a kind yet honest way that there was really nothing to add.
"I am truly sorry, Prince Renat, for my part in your misfortune." Gela released a contrite growl as he spoke. His stomach had been filled during the report, but now his heart felt empty.
"It is not your fault, Gela." Renat did not blame the white abomination in the slightest. "The blame falls squarely on Sir Taran's and Lady Livie's shoulders."
Aurora nodded solemnly. "Indeed, Taran has gone to a great deal of trouble to bring about this drastic change. He has done almost an impossible feat and raised an army. While I get what he is doing, I just don't understand why he is doing all of this."
"Taran wants power. And he has something he wants to prove, that is obvious." Alaron himself had had those ambitions once. He did not have to meet the man face to face to know the motive.
"It's deeper than that," Gela sighed. "And I am sure even I don't know its true depths. But I got a small insight whenever Livie and Taran spoke in front of me. Of course they often thought I was unconscious, but really I just did not want to suffer any more of their torture, so I pretended to be asleep."
"What could Taran possibly want if not power?" Mairwen asked the question they were all wondering.
"Something far more potent: recognition. I gather that Sir Taran's father is a hard man." Gela spoke uncertainly until he saw Aurora nod.
"He is. Although I do not know him well personally, he has a reputation for being both as charismatic as he is harsh." The Empress had heard that getting on the wrong side of him was problematic for those above his station and deadly for his subordinates. But up until now she had dismissed them as exaggerations.
"Yes, well, it seems he is even more strict with his children. Taran's older brother was a bright star in the military and their Baron Gauss's favorite. Their father was certain he would be running the military someday."
"But he died in Cafer's war instead," Mairwen said, remembering when Taran had shared that detail at their first meeting.
"Yes. And their father did not take well to the news. Baron Gauss blamed magic users for the death of his son and nothing any of his other children did would comfort him. His golden child was dead, and nothing else could replace him."
"So you're telling me this whole mess is all because two brats have some daddy issues?" Brinn rolled her eyes.
" I wouldn't put it quite like that, but that is the gist." Gela blew out his furry cheeks. "And it is quite a mess…"
"What is it with you humans? You aren't happy so you need to go and take over the world?" The plucky former spymaster knocked her fist against her skull softly as if to ask if anyone was home.
Although Alaron, who was clearly one of the ones being targeted, was amused, the elven princess received a stern look from her mother.
"Not everyone has the luxury of hiding for dozens of years in the wilderness and then suddenly becoming a spymaster to escape their dreadful mother…" Lanassa said blandly.
Brinn choked on the drink she was sipping. When she recovered, she decided it was far safer to change the subject than continue to risk her mother's verbal barbs.
"Yes well, I must say it is a shame you couldn't wrest Dania from Taran's clutches in the end. You got so close!" Brinn pursed her lips. "Things would be much easier with the chef who was concocting this miraculous monstrosities were removed from the enemy."
Mairwen noticed the boy in the group stifle a sob. She tuned to look at him fully for the first time.
The princess realized that in the excitement of Gela entering, the young man and the older one with him had not been properly introduced.
Because of all the information being passed around, Mairwen had barely given the green-eyed boy more than a passing glance, figuring he would be named at the proper time.
But that time had not yet come. And his reaction to Dania's name was strange, almost like he knew the person they were speaking about.
The boy shut his eyes, blinking back tears of sadness for the lady just mentioned. When he opened them, his green eyes turned a deep blue before settling into a sullen grey.
Mairwen had already seen those eyes twice before. She had discovered the final member of the sibling trio.
'Jaymes!'
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone