Faer

1

Shrivera and Aiduin Coffeey sit anxiously in their suite at the birthing center. Shivera curled up on the bed dizzy from the adrenaline drop after childbirth, and Aiduin sitting in a chair beside the bed holding her hand and practically vibrating. The two young elves would love to say they knew which midwife brought their first daughter through the door but as soon as that beautiful head of auburn hair and marvelous emerald eyes came through the door everything and everyone else in the world fell away. Love and adoration bloom in both elves eyes and hearts. The elf passes Shrivera the tiny baby and escorts herself back out of the room. Little Marlowe Coffeey curls into her mother's arms and grabs a hold of her father's finger.

Eighteen years later nearly to the hour, Marlowe Coffeey walks out of her room and plops down on one of the beautifully widdled chairs in the dining room to sip at the cup of morning tea that Shrivera brews for her every morning. She's a near clone of her mother sans her milky skin, straight hair, and tiny nose. She adopted her father's wide nose and curly hair, and her skin is a beautiful combination of her mother's nearly paperwhite and father's honey brown. Aiduin comes through the door with a wicker basket full of fresh fruit, meat, and other food for breakfast. When their second daughter Maxine sashays into the dining room completely dressed, her usual skirt and t-shirt, today a pretty blue and white combo, and whistling Marlowe glares in her direction "It is too early for your energy Max" her mother glares at her. "Be nice to your sister Marlowe, it's not her fault your grumpy in the morning". Marlowe grumbles at her mother but says no real words only sips grumpily at her tea. "Be nice to your mother Marlowe" her father says chuckling, setting the basket on the counter, and leaning in to kiss Shrivera. Both Coffeey children pretend to throw up and make gagging noises in their respective spots. "I'm gonna go get ready, I don't wanna smell like vomit when I meet the queen," Marlowe says standing and beginning to drag herself to her room. "How do you know she'll pick you? Huh?" Her little sister Maxine taunts stealing a strawberry from the basket on the counter. "Because she would be stupid not to," Aiduin says over his cup of tea before winking at his eldest daughter.

She hears her mother start to argue with him, the usual argument, working for the queen is dangerous, we'll never see her, etc. Marlowe sits in front of her mirror and sighs at the mess of hair on her head. She glances around her room and notices an outfit laid out on her bed. She knows it was both her parents from the mix of a green skort, pink satin bustier, white calf socks(her mom) and pink combat boots and a green bomber jacket(her dad). Her mother's style and the practicality of her father. She struggles with her hair first, as it is the most time-consuming part. After about 35 minutes of attempting to tame her curls that she gets a mostly neat half ponytail with pieces free in the front to frame her face. She doesn't bother with heavy makeup or jewelry; she promised herself she wouldn't make a big deal about today. She only throws on mascara and lip gloss and puts on her everyday jewelry. A necklace from her best friend Warren, a ring from her mother and father, and a ring her sister made for her. She gets dressed and checks herself out in the mirror, she wouldn't make it a big deal but she wouldn't embarrass herself if she was chosen by the queen today.

When she walks back into the dining room Warren is sitting at her table. Warren is strangely tall for an elf, around five foot eleven, and is about as wide as her front door. His hair is such a dark brown it's almost black and his eyes are about the same color, his teeth are completely straight and pearly white, he wears nothing but black and is the happiest and most polite male elf their age that Marlowe knows. They've been best friends since they were 2, and they both think it's surreal that they'll be assigned today, every elf in the kingdom dreams about this day. They've waited forever and it's here, finally.

On the fifth day of every year in Cernender, the sixth for Curwe, and the seventh for Akhura, every elf that turns 18 that year is called onto a stage in front of their entire clan and presents their ability to their royal, a board of elders, and the elvish queen. They will then consult and decide in which clan that elf's ability would be the most useful. The elves leaving their born-in clan are given 24 hours to say their goodbyes and pack their things unless the queen believes their ability would be most useful in the royal township. If chosen by the queen, the elf is escorted to their home to say goodbye and pack a bag and are taken to transport wagons that night to travel with the royal entourage to the next clan's assignment day and then back to the palace to be assigned within the township.