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TA, 𝟐𝟗𝟒𝟎
THE BURDEN OF ROYALTY no longer weighed down on syrena's shoulders, no longer stopped her from fulfilling her dreams. she had broken the chains that bound her and she was truly free. eryn finally felt like herself. like she was a young elfling traipsing through the forest with her older brother once again, giggling as she hopped over the roots that delved deep into the soil.
some may label her former status as a blessing, but syrena had another word entirely for it. cursed. it wasn't always like that, though. she used to be happy. she used to find joy in even the smallest things. the beams of sunlight that seeped through the forest. the ancient trees that decorated greenwood. the wisps of wind that gently shook the leaves.
in truth, she was happy until her mother died. the elven queen was slain in the orc stronghold of gundabad. that day changed everything. when the group of elven warriors returned without their queen, the king was distraught. he became cold and callous, not once shedding another smile. syrena's father no longer loved her. it took years for him to even look at her, let alone speak a word to her.
she was always told she looked like her mother, and it used to be a good thing. so naturally she grew up cursing her features that resembled those of her mother.
but none of that mattered now. she was finally free from the confines of mirkwood. free to explore as she pleased. and that is what she planned to do.
the former princess sat upon her horse, ares. he was a beautiful brown stallion, with a hazelnut main, and deep black eyes. she and ares were cantering over the dewy fields of grass through the lands of middle earth, heading back to the camp where the rangers of the north resided.
she remembered the day she rode into a group of them, who were overwhelmed by a horde of orcs. it was the dead of night, and even syrena's elven eyes found it difficult to distinguish friend from foe. so she allowed her intuition to guide her. three of her arrows pierced the heads of the foul creatures, before she drew her sword to behead more of them. this allowed the four men to regain themselves and slaughter the beasts threatening their lives.
an amused smile painted on her face when she saw the looks on the men's faces, at their confusion. they were on their deathbed, yet their hearts were still beating. all thanks to a she-elf who just so happened to be passing. fate can be a funny thing.
they had questions, of course. they asked her who she was and why she helped them instead of turning a blind eye. thats what her father would have done, and many believed elves only cared for their own kin; the immortal race being too superior to help useless mortals, who would die anyway. so, in response, she told them her name was syrena and she was looking for a place to stay.
welcome arms accepted her into their community. they were weary at first, but they owed eryn their lives. many in the community had never laid their eyes upon an elf before. some weren't even sure they were real, instead just living in bedtime stories of the great battles of the past.
