Capítulo 385: Interactions and Ideas
Everyone froze in shocked silence at Lanassa's affectionate display. Only the former king seemed unmoved.
Zan embraced the elf tenderly, before taking her arm and kissing her hand. "Dear Lanassa, I am very happy to see you looking so well."
"She looks more beautiful every day. I truly do not deserve her," Zoltan answered politely as he wheeled his chair forward.
"Ha! You can say that again, considering you stole her right from underneath's Zan's nose!" Despite her pleasant smile, Hanna was done being polite. Her back hurt and, thanks to all the walking, so did her feet. Without waiting for the royals, she plopped down into a chair, daring them to educate her on protocol.
Aurora hid her grin while Colvyr openly laughed at something he clearly did not understand. Brinn herself was torn. She liked the Fate's sass but cringed at the implication.
Zoltan straightened his back. "Yes, well. It is very good that humans have shorter memories than Fates, or at the very least are more forgiving."
The Guardian nodded. "I refuse to ruin this delightful moment by dwelling on things that cannot be changed." Zan moved to the table and pulled out a chair for the elf which he held in highest regard.
Lanassa accepted the gentlemanly behavior and then motioned for him to sit beside her. Zoltan joined them, wheeling his chair up beside his wife, and the three fell into a pleasant conversation. It was all strangely civil.
With the tension out of the way, Alvar finally found the moment to complete his own greeting. "I am most glad to see you, Empress Aurora. And you too, Nurlan, my friend!"
"It is most excellent to see you, Prince Alvar." Aurora smiled at her friend's husband.
Colvyr babbled his own greeting with a "Hi" and a wave. He reached out his hands and attempted to jump into the elf's muscular arms. Alvar accepted the young prince happily.
"Come to Uncle Alvar. Auntie Brinn and I have a lot to teach you." He held the child out around the chest and swayed the little boy's legs from side to side. "How would you like to learn to fly?" The daring elf tossed the child in the air, causing Aurora's heart to skip a beat.
The child let out peals of laughter as he soared unassisted toward the ceiling before beginning his inevitable downward descent.
"Alvar!" Aurora called frantically, forgoing his title. "Brinn!" she yelled when the he-elf just smiled.
Brinn trusted her husband, but out of respect for the Empress, she placed a cushion of air under Colvyr. As gentle as a drifting feather, the child landed back in Alvar's hands. He swung the boy in a circle before tickling his chin.
Wiping the perspiration from her brow, Aurora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That is why Devrim told me that I was not allowed to leave you alone with my child..."
"He was perfectly safe!" the elven prince argued. "Look! He wants to go again!"
Indeed the toddler was already reaching upward and pushing his feet against Alvar's chest.
"Give him to me," Brinn snapped, taking the little boy from her husband. "At least I have the sense to only teach him naughty words. Isn't that right?"
"Mon-star!" Colvyr chirped happily as he slapped his hand against his aunt's palm.
Under Aurora's withering gaze, the pair stopped their antics. Or rather, the elf and child became more covert. Brinn whispered in the little prince's ear, and he giggled.
Seeing that his wife was trying to get a rise out of the Empress, Alvar quickly changed the subject. "I do wish the rascal Renat would have joined you. He must still be too busy enjoying the throes of marital bliss. I gave him some excellent marriage advice, you know."
Brinn rolled her eyes and coughed. "If it is anything at all like your regular advice then it is a wonder he is still married at all. What did you tell him?"
"I told Renat not to touch his wife's things," the he-elf grinned proudly. The two females listening eyed Alvar warily. Nurlan looked away, unwilling to help the other male.
Brinn tilted her head, "When you said 'things', what did you mean?"
"Princess Mairwen's possessions, of course. Specifically her hair brush…I learned the hard way that a lady does not like this."
Brinn giggled and kissed the he-elf on the cheek. "Yes you did."
Aurora sighed. "Alas, Renat is not here to corroborate your claim. He and Mairwen have gone on a quest all their own."
Brinn's interest was piqued. "A dangerous mission? And you let her go?"
"I don't know about dangerous, but it is important. Besides, have you ever tried to stop Mairwen from doing something she thought was right?" Aurora tilted her chin down and looked meaningfully at Brinn.
The she-elf chuckled. "It would be easier to demand a mountain to move, I know."
"I would have preferred she come with me, but she is a married adult, as Alvar was so kind to point out…" The Empress blew out her cheeks in resignation.
"They grow up so fast…" Brinn lamented. To her it was yesterday that Mairwen was five and Aurora was sixteen. Both women had grown up much faster than she would have liked.
"Are you mortals going to talk all day? Zoltan already told you I am unforgiving, so you better come to the table before you find out what an angry Fate can do," Hanna grumbled.
"Is there a protocol for where to sit?" The Empress inquired of the Queen Mother.
Lanassa gave a wry smile. "Forget protocol. We are alone…but etiquette dictates that we alternate male and female in order of importance. I assume all of you can figure out the rest on your own."
In fact it was much more difficult than it should have been to figure out where Fates and Guardians should fit into the hierarchy, and with Hanna refusing to move, it made the maneuver that much more complex.
At last, Aurora was situated next to Ithel and across from Calla. It wasn't ideal, but it also was not unpleasant. The lovely Queen looked at her apologetically. Clearly, she was uncomfortable but had not yet learned to stand up to her mother-in-law to assert her own will.
"It is very good to see you again, Queen Calla," the Empress broke the ice. "I am most grateful for the dress I am wearing. You have outdone yourself."
"You mean because it isn't the sickly yellow-green of the last gown I selected?" Calla's face was unreadable.
"Absolutely! Though you did set a very low bar for yourself. Almost anything would have been an improvement. What foresight you must have! For now I appreciate every little favor you bestow." The Empress smiled broadly to show that there was no ill will.
Calla started evenly at her dinner guest. "Then you will be most happy to know I have not altered your chair or poisoned your food. I hope you can note these improvements as well."
The Empress gasped. "What a welcome change! You are truly a queen befitting the royal crown. And I do not say that just because you are possibly the most gorgeous creature I have ever seen (don't tell Hanna!)."
Calla could hold her frown no longer as the corners of her lips turned upward. "You are bewitching as always, Your Majesty." The queen lifted her glass in Aurora's honor.
"Calla, dear, if you are going to make a toast, please make sure you gather everyone's attention first," Lanassa scolded.
Emboldened by her interaction with the Empress, the young Queen tilted up her chin. "I was merely honoring the Empress in my own way, but if you would like to join me, Your Majesty, I am happy to oblige. A toast to the Empress!"
The others followed suit. "To the Empress," they repeated. The fiery haired woman looked down the table, ready to view the scowl on Lanassa's face. Instead the redheaded former queen nodded her deference and approval to her daughter-in-law.
Aurora marveled, 'Lanassa is actually willing to let someone else hold the power? Will wonders never cease!'
——————
The doctor made his way through the palace with Bukuri to discuss treatment options with the elven healers. Already Phileas was filling in the willowy elf on what he had noted about the wounds. Bukuri listened intently, trying to absorb every detail he spoke. As such, they slowed to a stroll.
"I'm not sure what to do," Phileas concluded. "Human medicine is not working. Healing water seems to be the only thing that will help. But I nearly ran through the supply given by the elves and was unable to make real progress."
Bukuri altered their course and brought him into a large store room. She pointed to six large, lined barrels full of water. "The next shipment was supposed to head toward you today along our shipping lines, but I am afraid things got jumbled with your anticipated arrival. Do you still wish it to go to the palace?"
"Yes, please send it. That's enough water to drown a myriad of human diseases…" Phileas's voice trailed off. "How quickly can we get more?"
"Almost immediately, why?" Bukuri noticed a change in the man, but could only guess what had sparked it.
Phileas's voice became excited as his eyes twinkled. "I want to run it by your healers first, but I think I have an idea…"
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