Sylfaena

  "Pray, allow me to carry you, sweeting," mother said at that time.

  I was in no position to act like a grown woman at the time, no, not after what had happened, so I let her baby me a little. Using various transportation magic she carried me, quite literally, back to Kurvania. Though she had tried to dissuade me, I'd resumed my duties as court wizard but a few months later. The sudden arrival of the queen of one of the elvish kingdoms caused something of a stir. Though diminished by her sudden expenditure of power she was still an awe-inspiring figure to behold. The entire court was in a profound state of awe when we arrived and even after mother had managed to suppress her aura of majesty that did little to snap them out of the trance she’d put them in. I sighed and lowered the temperature of the audience chamber - that did the trick.

  But my mother didn't stay overlong, only remaining until she was convinced that I would be all right on my own. I don't pretend to fully grasp the purpose of her pilgrimages but I do know that they are vitally important and even a delay as short of this could have dire consequences. I could see the sorrow in her eyes as she left but there was a hint of relief too. I know, Illiana was barely into her first century before you had to leave again and you'd wanted to spend more time with her.

  Wait. Illiana. Wasn't there something about my little sister that I-

  Gah! So much had happened, so much sorrow and fluster, that I had completely forgotten to tell her about Illiana's awakening as a chosen of Elianora! It was some time later when I remembered, at which point I sent another Transmission with thanks and with the news about my little sister's divine gifts. As per usual she responded in kind, which my spell allowed her to do, telling me that she would return as soon as she'd visited each shrine - and after a long rest in, of all places, huh? Why go there?

  Mother was always mysterious, seeming lost in a sea of wisdom - at least in public, that is. When at ease and not worried about one of her children she could be, um, surprisingly casual, actually. Indeed during the months where she was staying in Castle Kurvenberg I would often find her reclining on her side with a book and a bowl of nuts - she needed the rest after that miracle she'd performed, of course, but what would the people who revered her think if they saw their queen slacking off like this? Unqueenly behavior aside, it was hard to deny her power and beauty - I knew I had a long way to go before I could match her in either.

  Sixteen years had passed since that awful event. I had not been back to the University at all, but I had heard that the recovery was proceeding apace. After so long a time even the youngest students who were in attendance back then had graduated - though some chose to remain on as instructors. I heard they built a hall of remembrance with vividly detailed paintings of the deceased; some day I would need to visit that place, and leave a cup of tea under her portrait.

  Master Merlinda. I remembered her having an argument with her daughter and that slimy son-in-law towards the end of their visit; she was quite distressed, but hopeful at the same time. It would be nice to visit her grave, but, 'tis a long journey and I still couldn't teleport. Ironic, I know; to never have mastered my favorite teacher’s signature spell was one of my biggest regrets. Though those years seemed to me a blink of an eye, I’d been filling the time with work and with my own magical research which helped to push the worst parts of it from the forefront of my mind. I had cried a great deal at first, but thanks to the family I served and my mother’s care I was smiling again. I could now recall the good days, and I remembered Merlinda as the kind teacher who taught me so much.

  The reason I even began to think of that horrid time was because of what happened one day while conducting my duties, well, an extra one that I had taken upon myself that is. There I was, braiding Princess Katherine's hair, when I felt a twinge in my mind - I heard a string of words in Nenewyn's voice:

  "We are coming to Kurvania, meet us as soon as possible, we discovered something about the spellscourge, we must find Victor and Illiana soon".

  I knew I only had a moment to reply, "who is Victor? Nevermind, I suppose you'll explain, pray, meet me at Henry's Alehouse in the capital, I am available in the evening."

  Ah, when was the last time I saw my little sister? Not since I'd first started this job more than three score years ago - I wondered how she was doing lately. I also wondered if she had received a similar message. I smiled, full glad that I had somehow managed to teach Transmission Nenewyn when I returned from attending University. I supposed that she'd want to talk to me first. That way we could all be informed and be able to find a meeting place. Hmm, who could "we" be? Victor sounds like a human name. This was actually the first time in several weeks that Nenewyn had reached out, and it sounded serious. Just what was going on back home?

  "Done, your highness," I said.

  The princess, a human girl of sixteen summers beamed brightly, "thank you Lady Sylfaena!"

  I smiled, she was the second princess of this kingdom; like myself she had multiple siblings. We sometimes talked about how similar and how different having brothers and sisters was between elves and humans. Our people are so different in many ways, but strikingly similar in other ways. Of course Katherine also wanted to hear stories about Valyrian, I sighed, that applied to every human who knew he was my little brother. I made it a point to not volunteer that fact if it could be helped. I was glad to be a bit obscure, all things considered, as being a third princess myself meant I was less likely to be front-of-stage as the bards say. That having been said, I'm not above telling embarrassing stories about Valyrian from back when he was a little princeling, before he became a legend.

  Yeah. I loved the family I served. At the time I saw Katherine’s cute little smile I thought that there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could tear me away from them. Especially not right now with all of the political machinations going on, corruption in the nobility, potential threats from the outside, espionage, and of course the youngest royal children were always getting into mischief. The furthest afield I needed to go on a regular basis was to a little graveyard a day’s march away from Kurvenberg -’twas that graveyard that made me want to become the court mage here, actually. But that’s a story for another time.

  Magic was my passion, of course, dear Archmage Merlinda had cultivated that in me. At the risk of repeating myself, ten and six years is not that long of a time, especially for an elf, though to someone who had only lived that long it must seem like an eternity - it is literally the longest stretch of time Princess Katherine had ever known. But for me the wound ran deep, though time and friends had been a worthy salve for the pain only answers could induce it to mend. Yes. I still had many questions about the events of the Spellscourge, though I hadn’t thought of them for a long stretch of time.

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  Merlinda; I still wore her ring as a keepsake - on a chain around my neck. We'd received no reply from her next of kin, no one could collect any of her personal effects, thus was the ring delivered by adventurers, unto me, the one she named her favorite student. I shed many tears that night, too, for I knew that her daughter must also have caught Spellscourge and receiving her ring made that knowledge feel absolute. The finality of it all stung; it…it also reminded me of something else that happened to me, centuries before - a beloved one’s legacy denied.

  Nenewyn’s message brought those feelings back to the surface, but I’d grown stronger since then and was filled with resolve. That night I put on my usual travel attire: a formal white blouse with a cravat, a knee-length black pleated skirt, black boots, a red cape, and a tall pointed hat with a broad brim. I wasn’t registered with the adventurer’s guild, but I supposed that I looked like the very image of a wayfaring mage. Henry's Alehouse wasn't a very high-class place, to say the least, but nor was it a puke-filled dump full of vagabonds and criminals. Illorien would scoff at it, but Valyrian might love it - and just as soon as I thought of his name and reached the door, I could swear I heard-

  "Then I spun around, and their flaming corpses dropped!"

  There was raucous laughter from within and clapping. Surely not? I entered, and sure enough, there was my younger brother, fully armored, sitting at a round table with a barwench on one arm, and a large tankard of ale in his other hand.

  "All right, all right, now let me tell you about the time that-"

  His eyes met with mine and he stopped talking, dropped the girl and spread his arms, "Sis! So good of ya to join us!"

  Of course I gave him a big hug, "Valyrian! It's been so long!" I'd missed him more than I had thought.

  "Yeah! Lots has happened, oh boy have I got some shit to tell ya."

  That's when I noticed that Nenewyn was there, along with a green-haired elf that I'd never seen before, and, huh? Someone else who I knew never went abroad…

  "Elder brother?"

  Illorien nodded, slowly, "Aye. But I shall not tarry long. Our brother and I must needs return to Tor Anaura ere the others proceed into peril."

  Ah, Valyrian seemed annoyed, muttering something about guard duty.

  I said, "Could they not have taken you there first?"

  Illorien smiled, and nodded, "But then, dear sister, I would have missed an opportunity to see you!"

  When did he become so warm? He was so detached before. I wasn't complaining by any means, I was just, surprised and touched is all. Naturally my other brother and Nenewyn also got hugs out of me. I’ll admit to being somewhat more affectionate than is usual for my age. I guess that's one major thing I have in common with my little sister - I think she actually gets it from me, hehe.

  "Ah, forgive me," I said, to the green-haired one, oh, a woodborn. "I do not believe that we have met."

  "We have," she said. "You have merely never seen me before." Suddenly she stood erect and saluted, "Third Princess Sylfaena, I am Chiyorielle of the Shadar'kethal. At your service, your highness."

  I tipped my black, broad-brimmed pointy hat, and said, "you are one of Lord Hanzorian's subordinates? I see. If the Shadar'kethal are involved this must be a serious matter indeed."

  Valyrian said, "Yyup, we've got quite the party here - and you know how much I love to party, sis," Then he shouted, "Yo, barkeep!"

  He casually reached into his magical haversack, pulled out a comically round burlap sack, and chucked it at the barkeep - panicked, both Nenewyn and I instinctively used telekinesis to slow it down so that it came to a gentle halt upon the bar itself. Have a care, Valyrian - you might have broken something or even killed that poor man had we not intervened!

  Valyrian said, "We're rentin' this place for the night, clear the place out except for the dames."

  The bartender looked inside the bag, and seeing the glow of what must have been forty pounds worth of gold coins immediately complied. Every patron left, while the serving girls remained. I prayed that the gold in question was from dragon treasure and not taxpayer coin.

  "Don't worry," Said my incorrigible little brother, "None of them know the elven tongue. Yet."

  Sure enough, the woman he had his arm around didn't understand a thing he said, and yet was still cooing at him even as he waggled his tongue obscenely towards her. Sigh, I wondered if I was already an auntie to some half-elf. Actually, that sounded lovely. I could do something nice like bake cakes, teach magic or-

  No! Sylfaena, focus! There are serious matters to attend to now! I sat down, and partook of the ale offered - but not before using what little pattern magic I knew to change its flavor to be less hoppy and more sweet.

  At length, I said, "Brothers, Nenewyn, Miss Chiyorielle. Thank you for coming to visit. Pray, tell me in detail what is going on."

  Valyrian put his legs on the table and took a swig of ale. What followed was an unbelievable tale, but I knew that while my brother was full of bravado and bluster he was no liar - he had even been known to correct bards and storytellers when they gave him too much credit. Someone had tried to murder my little sister, and my older brother, all for the sake of starting a war with our nearest neighbors. But then a man named Victor appeared and put an end to their plans; summoned from another world, they say, and our father had proof. Victor had singlehandedly vanquished the assassins as they cornered her, then brought her home in his special chariot capable of going even faster than mother's wind-walking. Then he orchestrated a trap, which involved saving some hostages and having Valyrian disguise himself as Illorien - because they were planning on attacking him while he was on one of his unguarded trips to the wine-

  O Elianora's tits! He was still doing that?

  I bonked Illorien on the head, "I told you that was a dumb, dangerous idea, dummy!"

  "I'm sorry," said Illorien, tearfully; Nenewyn and Chiyorielle were holding back laughter but Valyrian let out a hearty guffaw and pounded the table, much to the amusement of the human girl.

  I allow myself one outburst every ten years or whenever my brothers do something ridiculous, whichever comes first. After the dust had settled I let Valyrian continue. I gathered from Valyrian’s story, and from comments by Chiyorielle and Nenewyn, that this Victor was some sort of tactician, and that this secret organization called the Black Order was responsible for the assassination attempt. They also had planned to kill the queen of Cara and blame us for it! The nerve!

  "So, to make a long story short," said Valyrian.

  "Too late," I retorted.

  "The two of 'em drove off in the Cadillac to deal with that."

  I slammed the table, "And you just let our little sister run off into peril with a man whom she had only known a handful of days?" My face grew hot with anger but, also, from thoughts of the potentially carnal implications.

  "Relax, relax," He was smiling and not in his usual rakish way, "I trust him to protect her - and he earned it."

  He was sticking his thumb out, upwards, well that's a new one. But his face. That look he gave actually gave me confidence. I may say a great deal about how foolish and frivolous my little brother can be, but I also know he is capable of being serious and focused at need. I smiled. Very well, Valyrian, I defer to your judgment. I bade them continue.

  Over a month after they left Hanzorian received a letter informing him of their success, and also providing vital clues. One of the men who tried to hurt Illiana was called Wylt, and he had an old master named Nurven; very well, I followed. Get to the point, little brother, or else you get the zappy. When he explained the next sequence of events, and the results of Hanzorian’s deductions, my eyes widened. My entire body trembled with shock. Tears dripped onto my skirt. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This couldn't be true, it can not be! It beggared belief, but at the same time, I trusted Nenewyn and Valyrian. Through the haze of my feelings a beacon of resolve was lit - I knew what had to be done. Yes. For I, Sylfaena Ardenalia tael Anaura, Third Princess of Anaura, there was but one correct course of action.

  "I...I'll make arrangements to take a leave of absence."