Elf Lords: 02 - Last of the Elf Lords
Read Elf Lords: 02 - Last of the Elf Lords Online
Authors: Richard Saunders
Last of
the Elf Lords
Richard E. Saunders
Stonegarden.net Publishing
http://www.stonegarden.net
Reading from a different angle.
California, USA
Last of the Elf Lords
Copyright © 2012 Richard E. Saunders
ISBN: 1-60076-282-4
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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First StoneGarden.net Publishing paperback printing:
June 2012
First StoneGarden.net Publishing electronic printing:
June 2012
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Cover art and design by Peter Joseph Swanson
Dedicated to Jim and Edna Saunders
Princess Megan—the seventeen-year-old daughter and eldest child of Queen Petra Sergius of Alexon—sat on the cushioned bench seat inside of the royal family’s enclosed carriage. Megan was daydreaming, while looking out through the opened curtains at the passing forest. Across from her sat her maidservant, Linda. The 19-year-old blonde woman was doing her best to sew a button onto one of Megan’s blouses, but the bumpy carriage made the task difficult.
Megan’s long blonde hair, button nose, rosy cheeks, and waif-like figure, made it easy to see her mother’s likeness, with two notable exceptions. Megan had her father’s eyes; a mixture of green and brown that sometimes changed shades, depending on the light, and her ever-so-slightly pointed ears, that were always concealed beneath her long blonde hair.
Many who met Princess Megan for the first time were awed at her age, for she appeared to be no more than fourteen or fifteen at most. Megan often resented her more youthful appearance, especially when most of her friends in the palace courtyard had begun developing into womanhood long before Megan did. It was only during this past year that the princess had finally matured and began filling out into a more womanly figure.
“Something troubling you?” Linda asked, finally finishing her task with the garment.
“No,” Megan answered, turning away from the open window, “I just wish that we were there already.”
Linda rubbed her backside, “I know what you mean. Even with cushions, this is hard to take.”
Megan smiled, “I wish that my mother would have let us ride horses instead.”
Linda shook her head, “Bite your tongue, Princess. I am sore enough as it is. My butt could not take riding a horse this far. Besides, your father would never have approved.”
Megan’s smile turned into a scowl, “You know better than to call me
princess
when we are alone,
Linda.”
“I am sorry, but I would not want one of the knights to overhear me calling you by your name alone.”
“Overhear you? With all this racket? I hardly think it possible, unless one of them has my ears.”
“You can hear pretty well.” Linda agreed.
“A gift from my father, my birth father that is.”
Linda frowned, “I am not supposed to know about that, remember?”
“You have been my maidservant for years, Linda. You are like a sister to me. I have no secrets from you. And Mother and Father know that you can be trusted.”
“Still, that is one big secret; that you are not truly the daughter of the Prince Regent, but the daughter of a half-elf. You had to pry the truth out of your parents, and I sometimes worry that they will exile me to Jahan and put me in the
Order of the Sisterhood
to keep me quiet if they ever find out that I know.”
“It is not as if my true father was not royalty.” Megan replied, “Landis is the son of my great aunt, therefore making him a Prince of Alexon too.”
“A prince who stole the legendary Sword of Alexon after impregnating your mother.” Linda reminded her.
“It was not like that,” Megan disagreed, “you know the truth. Landis needed the sword, so they contrived the stealing incident to cover my mother’s involvement. And only a handful of people—including you—know about his relationship with my mother.”
“Still, he never did return the sword, and you have never even met him.”
Megan looked back out the window. “True. And he supposedly does not even know that I am his daughter. Do not get me wrong, Linda. I love my father. He has raised me as his own, and treated me no different than my brother Alek. He
is
my father
,
but I would like to meet the man who gave me my elven heritage.”
“I thought you hated that heritage?” Linda accused.
“Only when I look in the mirror and see how small my breasts are compared to all of my friends,” she chuckled, “at other times it has its advantages. I can see better in the dark, and I hear exceptionally well. And it serves mother to have me at her side to determine if people are telling the truth, although she claims that this skill does not come from elves.”
“Where does it come from?” Linda inquired, understanding full well what the princess referred to. Megan Sergius had an uncanny ability to see through lies. The Queen would often have Megan sitting by her side when meeting with foreign dignitaries, or listening to citizens who came before her seeking justice or retribution. Megan’s abilities had proved very beneficial, and helped to advance Petra’s reputation for being a wise and just judge.
“No one knows for certain how I do it. Just as they do not know why I can do things that some would describe as magic. Some believe that it was passed through my mother from the sword when she carried it. It was a powerful and magical weapon, and she had it during the time that she became pregnant with me. At least that is what the sorcerer who examined me thought.”
Linda remembered the mage who had been called to examine the princess four years earlier, “That man scared me. I thought for sure that they were going to take you to the Tower of Lonia to become a wizard, and that I would have to go as your servant.”
“They offered, but mother was adamant in her refusal, she wouldn’t even consider it.”
“I suppose that your elf blood may help in Shoal. At least you will be immune to
the sickness.
” Linda suggested.
Megan nodded, “That is what mother believes.”
“That won’t help
me
much.” Linda speculated.
“Relax. No one has come down with it in the palace.” Megan assured her.
“All that effort to keep the royal family safe from the sickness, and they still cannot escape the sting of untimely death.” Linda mused.
“It is a shame.” Megan agreed, thinking back to the reason why they were on this journey. “I cannot believe that Thenamin and Donald are dead.” She was referring to Thenamin Sergius, Duke of Shoal, and onetime advisor to the Queen, and his son-in-law, who had both recently died in a tragic accident when the wheel on the wagon they were riding in broke off, causing the wagon to flip over and throw both men to their deaths. With Thenamin Sergius’ daughter, Sylvia, now a widow and mother of two young children, and with her mother long departed, Queen Petra had thought it prudent to send Megan to assist. The princess was wonderful with kids and had always gotten along well with Sylvia, so it was a natural decision to make.
Megan bounced in her seat as the wagon hit a rut in the road. “I miss the cobble-stone streets of Alexon.”
“You are not alone there.” Linda agreed.
Megan tilted her head, “What was that?”
It took Linda a moment to hear the sounds that Megan’s part-elven hearing had already detected. “The knights are sounding an alarm!” She proclaimed in fright.
Megan began to lean forward to peer out the window only to be knocked out of her seat when the carriage bounced chaotically, Linda screamed as the princess fell onto the floor and the wagon tilted precariously, causing the maidservant to fall against the side. The carriage righted itself momentarily before bouncing anew and teetering in the other direction. This time it toppled over onto its side. Megan and Linda tumbled into each other as the carriage slid to a halt.
“Are you okay, Megan?” Linda inquired as she clutched her upper left arm with her right hand, fearing she may have injured it during the crash.
“What happened?” Megan wondered aloud as she climbed onto her hands and knees.
The sound of someone climbing onto the carriage caused both young women to stop and look up. Megan reached for the dagger on her belt.
The carriage door, which was now above the women, was thrown open. The worried face of one of the Knights of the Crown—the Order of Knights of Alexon sworn to protect the royal family—peered down at them. “Are you injured, Princess?” The man asked.
Megan rose to her feet. “No, I do not think so.” She recognized the dark haired knight as Eli Tuttle, a knight who had been hand selected by her father for this trip.
“We must get you out of there now.” Eli announced, as he extended his arm down to her.
Megan helped Linda to get up. “You first.” She said.
“No Princess, you first.” Linda objected.
“We need to get you to safety, Princess.” Eli insisted.
“Then get Linda out of here first!” Megan demanded.
Eli reluctantly motioned for Linda to reach for his hand, “Very well.”
Linda clasped hands with the knight. The knight pulled the maidservant up through the door. As Linda climbed out of the carriage, Eli reached for the princess. Megan took his hand and felt her body lifted, almost without effort, out of the wagon.
Megan looked about before climbing down from the carriage. She saw the bodies of the driver, and the knight who had been riding alongside of him, lying back on the road. Three other knights could be seen sprawled on the ground in the distance, all felled by arrows. Megan saw riders racing towards them. There were several knights waiting, with swords drawn, to defend the princess.
“We must get you onto one of the horses and get you to safety!” Eli instructed.
Megan was scared and confused. When she hesitated the knight grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him. “We do not have time to waste!”
Linda followed along behind Megan and the knight. “Who are those men?”
“Bandits, no doubt!” Eli answered.
“Why are we fleeing?” Megan asked, “Bandits are no match for Knights of Alexon.”
Eli led Megan to a pair of saddled horses. “My thoughts precisely, but my orders are to take you to safety.” The sound of detest at running from the battle could be heard in his voice. Eli did not want to flee, but his orders were clear and his duty was to protect the princess at all cost, even if that meant leaving his brothers in arms to fight without him.
Megan swung up into the saddle of the horse that she assumed—correctly—had belonged to one of the knight who now lay dead in the roadway behind them. “Come Linda!”
The maidservant began to climb onto the horse behind the princess. When she struggled in doing so, Eli placed his hands unceremoniously against her rear end and pushed her up onto the animal.
“That way!” He pointed in the direction that they were headed before riding into the ambush.
Megan kicked the horse into a run before Eli had mounted his own steed. He looked back for a quick moment before riding off after the princess. “Fight well, my brothers.” He whispered.
Megan dared not look back as they fled. The knight caught up with them and took the lead. “Keep up!” He shouted as he rode past.