of their former lives. They just knew that their happiness would last forever, but it would be tested by the shortsighted elven High Council. They also knew that Kira's father, King Ciel, would not tolerate what they had done. He would try to make an example of them for sure.
There was a subtle shift that could be felt throughout the different races of Tuwa. No one could explain what exactly had changed, but they all knew that something for ill or good had taken place. An elf had broken their sacred laws by marrying a man, and an Elemental had violated the laws of her order. Everyone felt a permanent change in their hearts that was unmistakably linked to the events that unfolded on Mount Quang. The guardians felt the rift more profoundly than anyone else because of the severity of the violations made by the guilty parties. They would have to wait and see what would arise from these heinous acts.
CHAPTER 3
The sun burst brilliantly over the high peaks of Mount Quang to illuminate the new and partially completed structures. The elves, who had recently seceded from under King Ciel Tiranidrol's reign, had given themselves a new name so that they would be unique and separate from their woodland kin. They took on the moniker of high elves because of their new location on Mount Quang and also because they felt morally superior to those who remained behind in Renshaw. Mist clung to the mountainside as the light of this new day attempted to burn its way through the thick, moist barrier engulfing the entire snow-capped mountain.
Kira had been made queen, the rightful ruler of the high elves with Yukio at her side. He was a king in title only because only an elf can be a monarch over elves. The people had decided to hold uphold elven law with only a few alterations. Her sister was still a princess and was the next in line to the throne. While the people accepted General Yukio as the spouse of their queen, they did not like him because of his constant manipulation of everyone around him. Their attitude did not sit too well with the charismatic military man. He hid his displeasure so that he may be able to win the hearts of the people over in time. An envoy was sent out with Yukio at the head to the different nations of the free lands of Tuwa. He had been asked to act as an ambassador for the queen and the newly formed nation of high elves. He was the perfect choice for the job because of his connections with the leaders of the nations of men, giants, and dwarves.
All of the homesteads had been completed before the high elves moved from the Forest of Renshaw into their mountain home. The capital city of Alanderas encompassed much of the southern side of Mount Quang. Scaffolding surrounded many of the buildings in the central part of the city like great skeletal creatures. These structures had not been completed before the people moved in because they were for meetings and commerce. The dwelling places were the most important thing to have finished, and that was why they were all finished. Some of the residents lived outside the city while the majority lived within the protective wall around the capital.
The city looked beautiful and decadent, but it was also fortified against any potential assaults. High walls had been erected around the perimeter to provide a certain level of protection against unwanted intrusions or most aerial attacks. The walls were three times the height of the tallest elf. The width of these walls allowed a wagon to ride easily along the top. Naturally magic had been used to speed up the construction of these solid barriers. Trebuchets lined the top of the walls as the main deterrent against a siege. There were several areas where the elven archers could be posted with a reasonable amount of shielding. The main entrance had a gate that was half as thick as the defensive walls, which required ten elves on each side of the dual doors to open and close them. Alanderas was truly a mighty fortress that could not be easily taken from any direction.
The design used to build this enormous keep was patterned after the impenetrable dwarven strongholds. The queen and her family resided in a castle located at the very heart of the city. This building was surrounded by another massive wall that was twice as thick as the outer wall. The dimensions were double that of the first barrier in every respect. In addition to the trebuchets and archers, there are swordsmen and knights patrolling this inner perimeter atop the massive bulwark. There were catapults situated strategically behind the defensive barrier as an additional protection against intruders. The defenses were most impressive and awe inspiring to anyone who saw them. Those who did see these deterrents believed that no one would be able to penetrate the impregnable fortifications of Queen Kira's inner sanctum.
Queen Kira felt it was vital to have protection and security this intense. She did not know how the elves would react to the division she had caused. Also, she could not predict how some of the other races like ores and goblins would react to this new power in the north. They might view the high elves as being weak and possibly vulnerable to an attack. They might take steps to destroy them before they got an opportunity to grow. She secretly wondered how the other Elementals would react to the intervention of Mistress Kana. The only time a guardian got involved was to punish or destroy lesser beings. Her confidence wavered at this thought. She did not know if Kana would be able to protect them against the other guardians if they too chose to get involved or if they wanted to rectify the situation that the high elves had instigated.
General Yukio had a small group of high elven warriors with him to help protect the chairman of the high elven Council as they carried out their diplomatic duties. Bronwen Merindiel was the leader of the council and was a very close friend to Queen Kira. He was also a good friend the queen's father King Ciel of the elves. It had been a difficult choice for him to leave the Black Forest, but he knew that Kira's ideas and beliefs were more in line with his. He knew that the elven kingdom was headed down a path that would diminish their standing in the Tuwa over time. He could not bear the thought of such weakness when he knew that there was a better way. He truly felt that the queen was inspired in her actions. The fact that an Elemental was on their side brought him a great deal of comfort and resolution.
Chairman Merindiel had long silver hair that glimmered softly in the early morning sun as he rode along the eaves of the northern edge of the Black Forest. He had very dark skin that contrasted this shimmering silver mane. He was so dark that many of the elves referred to him as 'the dark elf.' Any person who had never spoken to this wise and gentle leader would probably assume that he was evil because of his ominous appearance. There were many of the high elves that distrusted him and worried that he would betray their new queen. This line of thinking could not have been further from the truth. Next to General Yukio, Bronwen was the most faithful and loyal supporter of the new monarchy. This skewed perception of the council leader would cost him dearly in the end.
'Where are we off to first, General Yukio?' the chairman asked airily.
'I have been absent from my responsibilities for too long, so we are going to make our first visit to Queen Daria,' Yukio replied. He had been gone for over six months without returning to Nairi since his initial report after his union. Queen Daria would want to have an update from her general. She would be very pleased to make an alliance with the high elves. King Ciel had denied an equal partnership with any race, so this was an opportunity for mutual trade and for developing a strong relationship that renewed old ties. He was confident that this first meeting would produce the best results out of all their visits.
'That sounds like the most prudent course of action of course,' Bronwen agreed. 'We could definitely use a strong ally like the people of Nairi. Their proximity will allow a new nation like ours to grow quickly and safely.' The chairman truly believed that this plan was a good one. I hope that Queen Daria is as accepting as the good general believes. His dark face hid his reservations while he put on a confident smile to shore up Yukio's diplomatic plan. It was still difficult for him to overcome his prejudices about men.
Queen Kira sat in the newly constructed council chambers pondering a course of action she would need to take if diplomacy did not work. She was fairly certain that her husband and the chairman would be successful as ambassadors for the high elves; however, she was worried about their last visit. She did not think her stubborn father would want to have anything to do with her or the elves that followed her. She stood up and began to pace around the open space where the council table would soon be situated in front of her throne. I certainly hope that we are able to ally ourselves with the race of men and dwarves; that way we will be able to withstand any retaliation from the elves. She shook her head at such a dubious thought. This was going to be much more difficult than she had originally thought.
The door to the hall opened slowly to admit a slight dark figure. After a moment, Queen Kira recognized her
