The Saintess and the Villainess

Chapter 75

Full-blooded elves in this world did not die natural deaths, Elyon explained. They were functionally immortal. They could be killed, and they did still age, albeit slowly, but left to their own devices an elf would never die from age alone.

That was why, when an elf was old enough that they could feel themselves starting to drift further and further away from this world, they would, at some point, choose to follow the "path of ruin," as it was sometimes called euphemistically.

"We must carry ourselves to the next world on our own two feet," said Elyon. "That is our burden to bear as a long-lived species. Many feel that our father, King Theodas, has held on too long, and that his selfishness in clinging to life is leading the heart of our kingdom to stagnate and rot in foolish delirium. They say he should have followed the path of ruin long ago..."

Elyon placed his hand on the pillar, and the expression in his eyes as he looked up at the stone was unreadable.

"Damn..." said Anne. That was pretty heavy. "What do you think?"

Elyon didn't speak for a moment. Then he took his hand off the pillar and looked back at Anne. "I think that's his decision to make," said Elyon, dispassionately. "As it will be yours one day, although you are far too young to seriously contemplate that as an option now. Actually, how old are you, exactly?"

Anne desperately tried to remember what age the Saintess had been in The Foundling's Wings.

"I'm not exactly sure... uh, since I was abandoned at the church steps as a baby I don't know exactly when I was born," said Anne, mentally high-fiving herself for the believable excuse. "I'm about twenty-six or twenty-seven, I think?"

Elyon shook his head sadly. "Barely more than a child."

"What even is the age of majority for elves?" asked Anne.

"Twenty-five," replied Elyon. "As young as that is. We don't mature that much slower than humans, although we age much slower than them. I believe Agis is something like ten years your elder, which I'm sure would seem like a large age-gap from a human perspective, but from an elven perspective that practically makes you twins."

"Huh, interesting... Oh, wait a second!" said Anne. "I just remembered, that's what I wanted to talk to you about!" Anne squared her shoulders and pointed an accusatory finger. "What the fuck is with the way you've been treating Agis?"

Elyon looked taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"He's your brother, not even your half-brother, your full brother. And in the past couple days you've barely even looked at him!"

"Ah, well—"

"And he says you've been ignoring him basically his whole life!" continued Anne, advancing on Elyon while waving an accusatory finger. "Do you have any idea how lonely he sounds when he talks about his childhood? And then you gave him this post as the rebel army leader, and he wanted to make you proud, but he feels like he's failed, and you don't seem to even care either way. What's with that?"

"Well, you see, it's just that—" Elyon looked a little panicked as Anne advanced on him.

"I know you don't lack compassion or a sense of justice!" said Anne. "You've done so much to try to help your half-siblings out of a bad situation. So why can't you show the same kind of consideration to Agis? And you seem to get along with Zaos just fine, so why not Agis? I just don't get it. What makes Agis different?"

"He's not different, I just—" Elyon stopped mid-excuse, staring at Anne with a pleading expression. Anne just continued to glare at him.

Elyon sighed, and removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. His expression softened as he regained control of himself. He no longer looked surprised or freaked out, just... sad.