'You know as well as I do that my dispute with your sister is well grounded in elven law, as well as steeped in our traditions,' the king replied smoothly. 'No elf is permitted to mix or marry with anyone from the lesser races. Why your sister wants to bring death upon herself is truly beyond my comprehension.' His face was unfathomable as he looked down at Kishi. Why must my children vex me so? What have I done to them to justify their obstinance?
'Not to mention how your sister's illicit union diminishes the elven standing that has been respected and revered by the peoples of Tuwa for centuries! Now death will be introduced to the elven people like never before!' King Ciel raged on. He was clearly concerned that Kira's actions were part of something much bigger and more sinister in nature. He could not allow the situation to get out of his control; he would do whatever was necessary to prevent the elven nation from being ripped apart by members of his own house.
The king's feelings were beginning to surface, and he was no longer making an effort to hide his disappointment. He was furious with the pair of them because of their purported belief that love and choice are factors in marriage. This entire situation is a front for something else; this marriage is merely a catalyst for their secret plans. If it were not for the powerful magic his daughters possessed, he would use forceful means for finding out what they were really hiding from him. However, he could not use his power on them because of their training. He simply could not afford the backlash from the people if he chose to use other means of discovering the truth. As such, he was left to use political means to uncover their real intentions.
'Sir, I hate to interrupt, but we really must be off. The meeting is in about two hours, and it will take us almost that long to get to there,' interjected one of the king's guards boldly.
The king stood there looking at his daughter with a much deeper understanding of how she felt about him … inwardly his heart was breaking. He knew that she disagreed with Kira's choice, and he was clearly bewildered about his eldest daughter's stance in this matter. He had felt that Kishi would be on his side when Kira broke elven law, but now it was clear that she too had betrayed him. He sensed that she was somehow a part of the conspiracy against him.
'Kishi, please be on time for the meeting. It is very important,' the king asked clearly dejected about their interaction.
'I will be on time, but do not think that you will somehow win my support in this pointless venture,' she retorted. She gave him a look that was filled with both anger and sadness.
Kishi felt her body temperature rising even though the spring morning was quite cool. Her temper was always just under the surface these days, and she was growing weary of being told what to do and how to think. Today that would all change, and nothing would ever be the same. She would do what she wanted regardless of what her sister chose to do. Her father, the king, would not have the satisfaction of using her as leverage against Kira. He would be on his own in that meeting and would be sadly disappointed in both of his daughters, though for very different reasons. The poor fool.
Kira sat in her bedchamber staring out the balcony with a look of someone who was a keeping a secret so sweet that she would soon burst if she did not reveal it. She had a twinkle in her deep brown eyes as she thought of what would take place later at the elven High Council. Ifher father only knew ofthe plot against him … He would be livid! A smile of fierce pleasure crept across her face at the idea of finally revealing her plans.
The princess felt happier than she had been in years as a result of her recent marriage to the man, Yukio. She had decided that now was the perfect time to unveil her true intentions to the elven leadership. She knew that the joy she was feeling was a mix of her feelings for her husband and for the plans she had been working on for months. She knew that revealing her true intentions would likely mean a revolt of some kind. While a revolution would bring tragedy and death, it would lead to the freedom they yearned for.
Princess Kira had an elegant, slim body like her twin sister, Kishi. Her long brown hair swished slightly as she walked to the balcony and began to pace back and forth. She too was a very powerful sorceress, but she did not like to use her power to get her way or enhance her capacity with magic the way her sister did. Instead, she relied on her womanly wiles to get what she wanted, which had worked very well on her husband and several other failed suitors. However, the welfare of the elven people was desperately important to her, and that made her drastically different from Kishi, who cared only for herself.
She sighed pleasantly as she turned to look at her husband who was resting peacefully on their bed. He was an enormously built man whose stature resembled most of the elves, though a bit more muscular. He was taller than his new wife by a few inches, which was not a common occurrence since elves were almost always taller than men. He had long reddish-brown hair dangling loosely over his silk pillow. He had several scars on his back from the many wars and battles he had fought in service to his queen. He had the look of man who had been made by difficult circumstances and one who could withstand a great deal more than most.
General Yukio stirred at the sound of his wife's incessant pacing and sat up on one elbow to look at her. He thought that she was very beautiful and had such youthful-looking skin that it was difficult to believe that she was several hundred years old. I am truly blessed by the gods for such a treasure. She is a prize far greater than any jewel or horde of treasure. I will not allow her father to ruin our plans. If he should pose a threat, I will end his reign.
As the general rubbed his bleary eyes, the morning light illuminated the red mixed with the brown in his eyes as he gazed up at his wife. It has been said of him that while in the throes of battle his eyes burned red as though they were on fire. The intensity of his look could pierce the most accomplished magician's magical web and penetrate any mental barrier. He was a fierce warrior and a good man to have on your side when things were going wrong. If he were against you, the gods themselves would not be able to protect you from his wrath.
'What is vexing you this early in the morning, my love?' he inquired in his deep, husky voice.
'I am going over our plans to make sure that what we do today plays out as we have foreseen,' she replied after a long moment of thought. She was pinching her lower lip as she nervously continued to contemplate.
She stopped pacing and stared out over the balcony's edge without seeing anything in the distance. She knew she should feel some guilt about what she was thinking, but her father's obstinance had only cultivated her aversion to his wishes. I cannot wait to see my father humbled! These were not typical feelings a daughter should have toward their father. Then again, her father was the king of the immortal race of elves and had never really been a true parent by any stretch of the imagination. He cared more for his kingdom and himself than for his own blood. If mother were still alive, things would be dfferent. I would not have to take such drastic measures against my own father. She would have made him see reason. Mother would want me to go forward; she was always able to see the big picture.
King Ciel had lost his beloved wife five years to the very day when she was waylaid by a pack of savage wolves as she journeyed along the southern edge of Renshaw. The king had forgotten about this as a result of the current political turmoil. Kira and Kishi, on the other hand, would never be able to forget such a traumatic day. These two sorceresses blamed their father's lack of military skill and unorganized home guard for the tragic loss of their mother. Neither of them could ever feel safe again within the forest, and that was one of the reasons why they both must leave. The council convened by their father actually played into their hands without him being any the wiser.
'Yukio, you must get ready for the meeting,' she said playfully over her shoulder. 'I think that this will be a day long remembered in the history of my people, so you need to look your best.' She turned to look at her husband and gave him a quick smile as the sun silhouetted her slender figure.
After several moments, General Yukio reappeared from the closest dressed in his military uniform he wore when meeting with royalty. His medals shined and glistened as he walked up to his wife on the balcony. Out with the old and in with the new. He was going to be the first king of the elves from the race of men. A male elf always ruled the kingdom, but that was going to change now that he was part of the family. He would have liked to force the change, but he could not doubt the brilliance of his wife's plan. It was going to work.
'Well, we should not keep the aged council members waiting,' he said with a sly grin. He took her arm in his, and they left Tiranidrol Castle together. They had an hour to get to the sacred Edrdne Minyatur, the sacred meeting place where the elven High Council met. That was on the other side of Tarisdell, the capital city of the elven nation. The city was located at the heart of the ancient and enchanted Black Forest, also called Renshaw, so they took their time to enjoy their last day in the remarkable woodland. They would be sad to leave such a beautiful place, but their new home would be just as breathtaking with views that could not be found anywhere else in Tuwa.
The Earane Minyatur was silent aside from the shuffling of feet as the members of the High Council took their
