The House of Nobility

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As Altheia and Ruadan walked into The Elders sanctuary, Altheia couldn't help but look around her in amazement. Was Brion ever going to stop taking her breath away? It was sunny and chilly at the same time in the sanctuary, there were trees everywhere, light illuminating every aspect of the room and in the middle of the room stood the roots of a tree, floating and spinning around. The tree itself showed any color you could imagine, sometimes it looked like there was purple on it, sometimes the tree looked like it was blue, but the shimmering leaves made Altheia's eyes see spots. They were so bright you had to take your eyes off them but you also couldn't at the same time. It was like the leaves wanted to suck you in and keep you there like tree sap.

"Ah," a booming voice from behind them said, "so you've noticed the leaves already?

Altheia and Ruadan whipped around, there before them, on a high dais to the side of the room next to a giant Oak Tree sat three men watching them.

"My deepest apologies Lord Balfor," Ruadan spoke solemnly with a bow, nudging Altheia to courtesy as well, "I did not see you there. I come with Altheia Evans, Emrys and Ella's daughter. I was told to deliver her to you."

"As you were," Lord Lochru said, he was the one on the right of Lord Balfor.

"You took your time to do so, however, and this cannot be ignored," Lord Cain indigently, he sat on the left side of Lord Balfour. Together, these men formed a powerful triangle, one that radiated power as they stood together.

"Patience Lord Cain," Lord Balfor spoke, raising his right hand in a signal for Lord Cain to calm himself, "Altheia was just awakening as we sent Ruadan, Brion is a mysterious place... Altheia needs to acclimate to her Kingdom.

It was as Balfor spoke the word Kingdom that made me grab Ruadan's arm in shock again. Ruadan stepped to the side in order to get out of my reach. Why did he keep doing that? I needed the comfort, didn't he feel the heat too?

"I'm sorry, Lord Bal-Balf-Balfor," his name was so hard to pronounce it took me a second, "but why did you say this is my Kingdom? I'm not a ruler, I'm not a Princess, I just want my parents back. " A shiver went down my back as I said this, it was almost as if there were eyes on me that I couldn't see... "I'm nobody special. I promise you that."

I could tell from that response that Lord Balfor would be a kind man, he chuckled quietly to himself as I said that.

"My dear sweet Princess," he said Princess with such power that I almost believed I was one, "but you are our Princess. The fact you deny it means that you are ready to embrace it and all the sadness that comes withit."

"Well, now, not to be rude but I definitely don't want it... sadness? I have enough sir." I said dignifiedly.

All three of them chuckled at that one.

"My dear, you are in fact our Princess, it was written in the stars that you were destined to come to us this way." The Lord to Lord Balfor's left said this.

"My apologies, let me introduce my brethren. This," Lord Balfor gestured to his left, "is our seer Lord Lochru, and this," Lord Balfor gestured to his right, "is Lord Cain. Together we symbolize all balance within Brion and help the royal family. Though you have been gone so long, we have been acting-- within reason -- in your absence."

"It is destined that you be here, the stars speak it and so it must come to pass," Lord Lochru chillingly spoke again. "There is no denying my sweet child, it is time for you to take your place and in doing so you will bring light and hopefulness back into our Kingdom."