Home Soon, Love (Book 1)

47 Careful Who You Call Prince Part 1

The faint sound of nearby voices grew louder as my vision slowly came back to me. 

Out of habit, I jumped to my feet and scanned my surroundings. My fists were clenched hard and ready to fight off whatever was needed as I observed my location. I stood in the middle of a grassy arena. The stone steps circled around the earth platform I was atop, vines taking over its surfaces. Trees leaned over the small arena and shielded the sunlight above as if wanting to watch the action performed here with a good view.

Among some of the seats of the arena was Theodred and Lobelia, followed by two men I had not met yet. I relaxed my hands and took a deep breath to calm my alerted nerves. 

"Latalia Jones, daughter of Belethuil and Chastine." a man with pale blue eyes and long silver hair stood and moved to the grassy 'stage' I stood in. "My name is Briadalin and I am to teach you to master your element and how to not lash out" I hung my head in shame, remembering what had happened before I passed out.

"Why did I pass out while running?" I asked the man who looked of great age and wisdom. "First let me explain why you lashed out on the field" the young elven man that I had not known in the room stood, yet did not move from the arena seating. 

His appearance was a tad hard to see with the trees shading us from most of the sunlight. 

"You were using your daggers for the first time after your transformation without knowing the dangers. 'Tis why I took them from you until you learn the lesson" he practically spat the words with such haste towards me.

"Latalia, focus on me and ignore him. Jhaefinel, leave." Briadalin dismissed the man who huffed in annoyance before exiting the arena. 

The man turned back to me with a look of forgiveness. "You may have realized that when summoning water like our breed of elves can you, the water flows from a nearby source. Sometimes whether there is no water around, or your emotions are too strong, you draw the water from your own self. If you do not replenish the water after every time you siphon it from yourself, you will pass out like you did on the field." it all made sense.

Briadalin laid his hand on my shoulder and lightly squeezed it for reassurance, making sure he kept my attention. "We have bigger things to focus on in the meantime. Lobelia and I can teach you to control your summoning and how to control whether or not you draw from yourself." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I thought long and hard. 

"How long was I out?" My eyes darted around the arena, the exchanged looks of uncomfortable friends tossed around the room like a hot stone.

"Just a few hours" Theodred chimed in. I let out another deep sigh and weighed my next words heavily. "Then let us practice now and not stop till I am a threat to no one, including myself. Even if it means I do not return to my room tonight to rest." I walked to my bag of belongings I had spotted across the grassy ground. I went through the items and pulled out a few bottles of mine as I heard a secretive dialect of elvish being whispered just yards behind me.

I held the bottle up in the sky to make sure I had grabbed the correctly labeled, but remembered all light from above was blocked by the trees. "I see you struggle Latalia, allow me to help" I turned to Briadalin and watched Lobelia join the man's actions. They held their hands up to the air above, fingers twitching in graceful patterns as a hushed chant was spoken. The canopy of trees moved back with the force of one pushing aside a chair: expected and steady. "Thanks" I turned back to my previous focus and replaced a retrieved item.

THEODRED POV

I watched from my seat as Latalia concocted some liquid from her various vials. She downed the liquid like water and stood up straighter, assuming it was to give her strength back. I hadn't realized how long I had stared at her beautiful face till she smiled in my direction. Her cheeks turned the color of the flowers I occasionally supply her with.