Elf Prince - Protected by the Elf Prince Part 3

Chapter 7

Elluin

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After receiving word from King Armaros, I made my way to my father's guest room.

I had so much on my mind in the last several days. In Limbos, I felt something stir within me when Isilme and I were accidentally taken there. When I had to carry her after she sprained her ankle. She was so light and airy, so fragile in my arms. Naturally, I felt anxiety when the portal closed behind us. But at the same time, I felt a nauseated relief as I realized I may have had a chance with her. The short time I spent with her felt like months in comparison to being in Oira Londe.

Honestly, I felt stupid for giving her that necklace I made for her on the spot. I did it after remembering the stories of how my parents met on a hunt. My father presented my mother with a pendant of a similar fashion. Then came the mystery of how Isilme got the canteen back. Even after returning with her, Isilme hadn't been honest about how she got it back. She suggested that it had been in her bag with her diary, but I knew for a fact it was in the horse's saddle bag when it ran off.

However, she did come through with saving my father from the dark poison. Just like she promised me. If she could do that, there was a chance that she could save my mother, too. I had to trust Isilme, to believe that she knew what she was doing.

Then, there was the trip to the Ilphas Shrine. This time, I had to make the journey without my father. I had often trained inside the shrine for months at a time and knew the words to get inside. It was always the responsibility of the leading Ilphas member to carry the key to the shrine.

Finally, I reached the door of my father's guest room and knocked.

"You may enter." His voice answered.

I opened the door. My father was sitting at a desk, looking over something on a piece of paper. He stood up as I walked in and closed the door behind me.

"You called for me, father?" I asked.

"Yes," said Father, "It's about the Ilphas shrine. You must first travel with me back to the castle to where the map room is located. There lies the answer to where the shrine will be located at dawn."

Father then went back to the desk and slid open one of the drawers. He searched around inside for a moment, took something out, and shut the drawer again. It was a brass necklace with a fire ruby pendant imprinted with the Ilphas royal crest. The same one that Father always wore. Until he was attacked and poisoned by the Darkness, he never took it off.

"Take this." he said, "Guardian Cydall gave this to me when I took the Ilphas throne as king. This will help locate the shrine along with the spell I will teach you."

He held out the necklace to me, but I hesitated. Most people in my clan knew that the king would present this necklace to the one he wished to wed, just like what my father did for my mother the night of the hunt. However, that wasn't the reason I hesitated to take it.

"But Father," I said, my voice cracking, "To... To take this now..."

"I understand what it means." My father said, "But I think the time for ceremonies can come later, given what we fight against."

According to the ancient ways, this necklace could only be worn by the ruler of the Ilphas clan. That meant that if I were to take it now, it meant I would need to become the next king of the Ilphas Clan. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that title. To take on the responsibility so soon and lead an entire kingdom. There was still so much I wanted to do.

My father then gave a melancholy stare. "...and despite appearances, the Darkness that plagued my body has taken its toll. I will still be there by your side to guide you."