The Elvish Princess

Chapter Four

The castle was buzzing with energy. Everything around the city was alive with excitement, along with elves from all over the kingdom. Rhenir glared out a window on the third floor of the castle, he still couldn't believe that he was being married to a human girl. A weak, lowly, ugly human girl. One that would never measure up to anything any of his own people could measure up to. Growling under his breath, Rhenir turned on his heal from the window, stalking off down the white hall.

Passing the throne room he could hear his father speaking to his mother and their advisors of something, yet even he could not hear them with his keen ears. He could make out a few words from his mother, '...they say...curious about the war...taught nothing...' but from his father he heard absolute silence. The rest of the Elders with them talked over one another, their voices all running together until the young prince became increasing frustrated again and continued down his path towards the garden where he knew his little sister would be. Of all the people in his family, Cahindea was always able to sooth his thoughts. She had a gift like many of the women in his family once had, a gift of reading the thoughts of others. Every time Rhenir had asked her to teach him she would smile and laugh, telling him that it was a secret and even if she wanted to teach him she didn't think she'd be able to.

"Rhenir," a floating voice came from behind him. As he turned his mother was coming towards him, three ladies maids behind her, handing things back and forth between them and their Queen as she asked for them, "You need to meet your father and brother in you fathers chambers, you must have your royal wedding garments made before the Princess of Lenad arrives."

He bit the inside of his cheek, plastering on a small smile for his mother as she stopped in front of him, "Come now Rhenir, do not look at me that way. This marriage will bring about peace for centuries, be happy about it. You will be written in history as the Prince that saved our kingdom, Aithondon."

Rhenir bristled, both with pride and annoyance at the name he would been given. The name in which he would be remembered by. A name which meant being the spear point of an alliance, an alliance and a husband. As he thought of this, his mother laid a hand on his shoulder before gliding past him, her ladies maids still bustling after her. Watching her go, the young prince grumbled to himself as he stalked off down the opposite way of the corridor from his mother to where his father and brother were. Passing guards and maids, stable boys and ushers, Rhenir barely saw any of them. His mind was in another place, seeing how ugly this human girl would be. A snarling smile, dull eyes, pockmarked skin, seeming horrid to the Elven eye. It would be horrid. As soon as he came upon the heavy oak doors to his fathers chambers he threw them open, knocking over one of the royal tailors assistants sending fabric flying in all different directions.

The tailor looked up from where he was standing next to his brother and sent a blood chilling glare in Rhenir's direction. Looking away from the tailor he had grown up with sheepishly, he gathered the fabric that he had rudely caused to fly around the room and handed them back to the tailors assistant with a hushed apology. As soon as the young elf exited the room, the tailor threw a pin cushion at Rhenir.

"Are you trying to dismember my apprentice!" he shouted in anger and question. 

"N-n-no sir, not at all. Please forgive me," Rhenir spoke, head bowed and eyes glued to the floor. If he feared anyone more than his father it was the royal tailor. Not only was he a close family friend that scolded the boys almost as much as his father, but being the tailor he could make you look like a complete and utter disaster if he so desired. 

"Good, now go sit over there and try not to ruin anything else," the older elf pointed to a chair sitting in a corner opposite of where his father was sitting, "Now let's see. Your mother has requested burgundy and gold as wedding colors and a letter came saying the Queen of Lenad requested gold and a dusty blue color," The tailor twisted his face in slight disgust before he masked it again with a neutral expression, "Unfortunately I do not approve of these colors, but your sisters insists that they go well together, and of course it is upon the two Queens requests...."