Heart Over Sword
Chapter 227: Princelings or Ducklings?

Chapter 227: Princelings or Ducklings?

Loraven led them to a secret tunnel in the mountain. There were many, but this one, she knew the humans would not remember the twists and turns. In the heart of it was heated pipework that acted like roots towards the palace above. Ongoing fires made the slightly rocky terrain warm beneath their feet and surroundings.

Though the mountains were covered in snow, their elven magic kept it like that. Heated floors and rooms kept those warm, but the snow and ice sculptures in the palace remained standing, never melting. Loraven could see the men trying to figure out how they were toasty inside the walls of snow and rock.

Loraven did not need to ask the princelings or King Thalinal why they were there. When a new ruler was approaching their coronation, as part of their succession, the crown prince must venture to the elven lands. It used to be tradition before the wars, and now that there was peace between the kingdoms, it had returned. Though it was not expected, the new ruler would also venture every five to ten years to dine with the elves and vice versa.

The elves had signed in the treaty they would only venture to the human realms every fifty years, to which the King’s at the time agreed. They didn’t want to see them as much as the elves didn’t want to visit the filthy kingdoms.

"*Are you going to stay, Loraven?*" Thalinal asked as he removed his gloves and threaded his fingers through his straight white hair.

"*Why? Do these tunnels scare you?*" Loraven jested with a smirk as she patted the King on the chest.

"*Not nearly as much as your parents,*" Thalinal muttered quietly with a smirk.

Loraven nodded in agreement. They scared her too sometimes, though she would not say that to someone who she was meant to be enemies with. But she could never be enemies with Thalinal. Not since the death of Lúthien, his whole world.

When she was younger, before tension began to thaw between the two elven kingdoms, Loraven used to visit the Flori palace. There she became friends with Lúthien, who had not long become Thalinal’s wife. Her parents wanted Loraven to get closer to the Queen of Flori. All to make strong connections and to gain some information on the Flori. She never did report anything they could use.

Loraven paused after feeling the stares of men following her quiet steps. She supposed her departure might make a scene, especially when her behaviour had been rather cold from the start.

The she-elf backtracked and stopped before Prince Selvin, bowing her head slightly. "I will take my leave now. The palace guards will accompany you once your clothes are dry and are well before arriving at the palace."

"Now, she acts polite," Prince Osian muttered sarcastically, stalking past her. "Thanks."

Loraven bit her tongue at that, her finger tapping on the hilt of one of the swords at her hip. "Thank you for acting as our guide. Will you be okay, Lady Loraven?" Prince Selvin asked. Loraven blinked, confused by the question and the concern behind those tropic blue eyes.

This man was just being polite. Loraven’s eyes glinted in amusement. "I will be. You do not need to concern yourself, your highness." She turned away, leaving the light and chatter behind her and to the cooling, dark tunnels that would lead to a secret passageway.

"If a girl like that can take down trolls and that squid monster thing, I’m quite certain a few dark tunnels won’t harm her," Osian patted Selvin on the back and sat down on a warm rock. He watched the she-elf leaving, her hips swaying from side to side in those breeches, her silver corset tight beneath the fur collard cloak wrapped around her shoulders and falling behind her.

With hair as dark as night and warm honeyed eyes, though they were more like iced honey from the way she would look at the human men so sharply. Still, even in clothes like that, and her hair a mess, wildly so, she seemed particularly beautiful, more like a deadly beauty.

He could understand why Selvin seemed so besotted by her. Selvin still acted appropriately, as expected of his position, but those like Osian, who knew him well, could see how his eyes followed her, looking for her when she had been too far ahead leading the party away from the blizzard.

Unlike the woman, Eleanor, who their parents wanted to marry Selvin off to, Loraven was wild, carefree and possibly a little unhinged.

She took down three trolls and that squid thing while laughing!? Was that just the Lyvarian way? Though, Osian noted how King Thalinal didn’t seem surprised by the woman’s antics. How did a ranger, a rogue, like herself know the Florian King?

"You are thinking out loud again, brother," Selvin nudged him. "I will remember not to tell you my secrets when I become King."

Osian laughed it off though his cheeks had reddened. "You are right, though. Loraven is quite the temptress. I do wonder what she would look like in a gown," Selvin said thoughtfully.

Osian snorted, "Ravishing, I’d say, brother. But do not get your hopes up anytime soon. Can you really see a woman like that dressing herself up?"

Selvin watched the empty dark tunnel warmly. "I think we will find out sooner than you think, brother."

"Please, she is probably riding a dragon or something by now." Osian shook his head as he removed his boots to warm his toes on the heated ground.

There might be something Selvin had seen that Osian did not. Selvin was like that. He could read people quickly, see things before others and was more aware of the world than their parents had taught them.

Outside of their studies and training, Selvin’s hobby was that of a forbidden nature. He liked to read about the elves. They always fascinated him, or so he claimed to him and their father, who had thrown so many books into the fire and scolded him many times. If others found out the Crown Prince had been reading such things, he would need to be punished accordingly.

Selvin continued those studies anyway. When Osian finally asked him one day about his fascination, his brother responded, "Why would I not be, brother? There is so much we could learn from them to improve our people’s lives. I want to make our treaty stronger. History shows that working with them has always benefitted us in the past."

Of course, that was the real reason behind his readings. Selvin wanted to make changes for the better of their kingdoms. There was such animosity between the two. Though Osian could see why especially after this trip.

They did not like humans. Their frosty personalities and almost killer instincts towards them were apparent.

But Selvin, his brother, was going to change the world. Osian looked at him fondly. He would follow him anywhere, even to this abysmal place.

One of their guards rushed to them, bowing his head and delivered a message. "The guards are here to escort us now."

Selvin and Osian glanced up to see the palace guards in icy blue uniforms that were not like any armour they had seen before. There was no metal, and their movements were not restricted. Only some fur was wrapped around their front partially, with silver leather strapped on their left side with sheathed daggers, bows, and quivers behind their backs. Much like how Loraven had her swords by her right hip, the Lyvarian guards did the same.

The Princes, King Thalinal and their guards followed the Lyvarian palace guards down another tunnel. After more walking, the princes finally arrived at a set of guarded silver gates. "This is not the normal route to the palace, but the blizzard has made that impossible for.. humans." One of the guards announced, bowing their heads before the large gates slid into the cave walls.

Selvin and Osian stared at the black icy floors and walls in awe. It was done like-so that it looked like the ice had captured fallen stars from the skies. They twinkled, bringing a soft light into the hallway.

A she-elf, shorter than most they’d seen so far, approached them and bowed her head. "Welcome, princes of Dunhurst. I am Lady Alaya. You must be tired, please. I will show you to your rooms so you may rest. Tonight we will feast and meet your hosts."