Seth the Stranger

Chapter 6: A Father, a King, a Hero, & A Martyr

So...this is a bit awkward to deal with. We're on our way to Clearwell and with it Deadcross Cemetery. That just happens to be the final resting place of the last King of the High Elves. Listening to Tian I kept quiet for awhile nearly half of the trip. However the silence was deafening and I had a lot of questions. So I made the only offer I could think of that sounded nice, "If you want Zee...we could go and pay our respects."

Zanera looked at me then down at her mount Downy as we ride, "I'd like that. I'd like to make sure he is still at peace."

"What happened to your Father?" I dared to ask.

"He...fell in glorious combat." She says sadly.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I apologize.

"I apologize for not stating it sooner. In elven cultures we have a matriarch system so Queens are the Higher authority. You may have guessed with my Mother." She explains.

"I know talking about lost loved ones is hard. I miss my parents, remembering their deaths has kind reopened the wound for me." I confess.

"I can imagine. And it is mostly because my mother has occupied my mind for some time, with the council nearly full of men, one would think they would have shown him more respect. He was a good man. Though I now see the burden of his crown, Eedelia had to fulfill his family role as my father's duty was to the crown, though he did his best to try and be there for me when it counted. He was honest, & made no excuse for his actions. He taught me the valuable lesson of owning up to your mistakes, even if you continue to make them. Though with knowing the tales of my mother, I wonder if he was truly my Father or merely my king." Zee sighs heavily thinking.

Tian places comforting hand on her, "Even if he was just your king, he clearly loved you enough to take care of you and saw to it you were in good hands."

"True."

"I do have one other question if you don't mind me asking." I requested some what hesitantly. I already feel bad bringing up the subject.

"Certainly."

"If you're the only member of the royal family. Why are you just a princess, shouldn't you be queen by now?" I ask.

Zanera shakes her head no, "Not until I'm married. As such...while I have a great deal of influence, there are certain matters that I can't deal with until I'm queen. There hasn't been a single queen of the High Elves for a long time."

Now I was a bit confused,"So wait it's against the rules to be Queen unless your married? But you can change the laws can't you?"

Zanera again, "Unfortunately, as I said certain matters including changing certain royal edict laws such as my marriage are forbidden for the princess. Only the queen could change it."

"Wait, so the only way you can change it, is to get married?" I pieced together.

"Or find my mother, Yes. You can see the problem with it." She finished.

"THAT'S STUPID!"

Zanera could only shrug, "Well in honestly no one had considered the possibility that my mother would simply vanish. But I agree."

Tian was also taken aback, "So no loop hole?"

Zanera again shakes her head no, "Sadly. And these members are quite stuck on tradition. Now you understand the...outburst I had when we first met. I've been forced to endure this paradoxical issue until one of three things should happen: I marry, Mother returns, or I take my throne by force. Tempting as the third option is, I fear the repercussions of such an act. And the less I act like my mother the better."