The Queen of Elysium

Chapter 17 - Tartarus

Shaken, Celestia takes a seat and places her hands on her lap to hide their trembling. The thought of Hades and worse still, his father, hits her like a punch to the stomach, winding her just as effectively. For hundreds of solars she has avoided any mention of their names. Certainly no one in Alfheimr dares to speak of them.

Exerting icy control over herself, she responds in a level voice, "He is dead."

"Clearly not dead enough," Morpheus practically growls back and places a protective arm around Elissa.

Celestia's mind flickers back to when Elissa was in Alfheimr and her eyes narrow; this is not the first time that he has acted protectively around Elissa nor shown her favour. She had dismissed it at the time, for he is so apt at playing games, but now there is a niggling doubt in her mind.

Morpheus derails her thoughts with his next words. "He says that he has a message for his little sister. That he is waiting in Tartarus and will have his revenge."

"He is no kin of mine," she snarls, then has to chide herself for her outburst.

Morpheus smirks, which she finds so typically annoying of him, and says, "Darling, your blood speaks differently."

She clenches her jaw and rubs her arms, conscious of the taint carried within her veins; contaminated by his family.

Morpheus turns to face Elissa and in a petulant move, Celestia balls up a black silk dressing gown and throws it at the back of his head. Before it can strike, he reaches up a hand, neatly catching it and drapes it around his shoulders; all without once looking back at her.

"Who is Hades?" Elissa queries.

Thankfully, Morpheus answers. "My older brother. Our father was the Dark King." He swings his silver gaze away from Elissa and back to Celestia. Unwittingly, she shivers for he has the same eyes as them, though not their malevolence.

"If Tartarus is a threat to Elysium once again, then Elissa needs to understand what came before," he points out and she dearly wishes that he was not right.

She takes a deep, slow breath, filling herself with calm before starting.

"The light elves lived in harmony with the other races in Elysium. The queen of the light elves was widely hailed as the epitome of beauty and light, and loved by all who met her. She was known as the White Queen.

Meanwhile, the dark elves colonised the neighbouring realm of Tartarus. The Dark King held utter dominion there, ruling over all its races. But that was not enough for him and his eye turned to Elysium.

The White Queen, hopeful for a peaceful resolution, acted as emissary and led a mission to Tartarus. The Dark King had her escort brutally slain and he ..." Her throat constricts and her eyes close, as if they could shut out the painful truth. "... he defiled her and sent her back implanted with his dark seed. Her light was dimmed and her soul irrevocably tainted, yet she insisted that the life inside her was sacred and bore a daughter.

The enemy's forays into Elysium became bolder and bloodier, until the seven kingdoms of Elysium united, forming the Royal Council, a council of war.

Hostilities raged on; the Dragonites defending the skies, the Atlanteans the seas and the united army holding the line and repeatedly driving back the Dark King's forces. But Hades led a brutal attack, leaving the ground slick with the blood of the fallen; to this day it is a desert, for nothing grows on that desecrated ground.

Elysium was on a precipice and in danger of falling, so the White Queen created the Light of Elysium into which she poured her magic and a portion of her very soul. Thor, the golden-eyed King of Essentia, led a final crusade into Tartarus.