The Elf King - Rathilion

Chapter 4

-Valindra-

So many people had arrived. All the lords, ladies, and their daughters had to be here. Good thing the king’s castle was so big that it could easily accommodate us all in the big ballroom. People were already drinking and chatting away.

Many of the daughters wore dresses just like Hella’s—very revealing—but that wasn’t that surprising, and not only because I knew they wanted to catch the king’s eye. No, it was normal for our dresses to be this revealing. We were comfortable in our bodies and showed it off, but besides an open back, I didn’t show more skin.

My dress was golden and reached from my toes to my neck, covering my arms too. I had put my hair up, adding a little gold that sometimes caught the light from the big chandeliers, but mostly I stayed in the corner, just like I had promised my father, sipping a little wine.

I sighed, looking around at the many people, all hoping to impress the king, and a smile spread on my lips. I couldn’t wait for the night to end so I could be further away from the king and his parties.

“I’m so nervous,” Hella said, coming over to me. When she said her dress covered the important parts, she had been right, but barely, yet she looked beautiful. There was no doubt.

“Why?”

“Akina really is stealing all the attention out there,” she remarked, crossing her arms.

I scanned the room for our older sister and spotted her laughing with some other lords. Yeah, if she didn’t catch the king’s attention, she had certainly already ensnared others in her little web.

“Wow, that was fast,” I commented.

“Yes! And if she already has all the lords wrapped around her finger, then what happens when the king gets here?”

I smiled down at my sister and placed my hand on her shoulder. She slowly turned a little more toward me, letting her arms fall while looking up at me.

“Hella, you are beautiful, smart, and funny. Don’t let Akina knock you down,” I reassured her.

She smiled a little, and I saw her cheeks grow a little red, but I wasn’t lying.

“I know!” Hella said. “But I am still nervous!”

I just chuckled a little and let my hand fall.

“I understand, but don’t be. You got this,” I encouraged her.

She smiled a little bigger before looking me up and down.

“You look beautiful too,” she complimented.

“Thank you,” I replied, sipping some more wine.

“Are you really going to stand in the corner the whole night?”

“Father’s orders,” I informed her, not that I was very upset about it.

“You don’t want to dance with me?”

“I’ve got two left feet, you know that,” I replied.

Hella chuckled a little and pushed some of her loose hair behind her ear.

“Right.”

“Go!” I encouraged her. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be right here.”

She nodded and then walked over to our mother, who was chatting with some lords and ladies too, but then suddenly the doors at the other end of the room opened.

I couldn’t see over all the heads, but I knew it was the king who had arrived. People started to whisper amongst themselves and talk about how handsome he was, while I just turned my side to them all, drinking a little more wine. Maybe I should get my cup refilled. I could use it tonight.

-Rathilion-

Everyone had really turned up. Not that it surprised me. Anyone would want their daughter to be queen, and I was polite as I walked through the crowd, greeting people and telling them to go back to the party. I wasn’t the best at being the center of attention, but now that I was king, I was going to experience it a lot more, especially at events like this.

A few lords and dukes did catch me, starting a conversation with me and presenting their daughters to me. They truly did their best to impress me, and it wasn’t because they weren’t beautiful, but I could practically see the mask they had put on for tonight, hoping to be what I wanted. I couldn’t see who they truly were, and the more masks I looked at, the more irritated I got.

Eventually, I had to get some air, seeking toward one of the balconies and then leaning against the railing with my back. I looked at the big crowd that had gathered, wondering if this was a mistake. How would I ever find a queen if no one could just be themselves?

I sighed deeply, just as I caught sight of something gold suddenly lighting up in a dark corner. Some people had moved slightly, making it appear, and I noticed it was a dress that was wrapped around a beautiful creature. She had long golden hair that matched the color of her dress, which had an open back. She stood facing away from me, but then it seemed like something caught her attention, and she turned her head toward me, but not looking at me.

It was then that I noticed she had a long scar that started from right under her left eye and then all the way down her neck and ended at the top of her shoulder. It looked like something an animal had made, and while it certainly gave her a little rough edge, there was no denying she was beautiful, and she had these extraordinary purple eyes.

But what stood out to me was that she stood all by herself, far away from many of the others, yet she did not look lonely. Perhaps she was bored, but she didn’t look sad, as if she were in need of company.

A lone soul. That was what she was.

I walked a little closer to the party, resting my arm against the doorframe, and studied her through the mass of people.

She looked a little nervous, as if she didn’t know what to do with herself, and her hands were wrapped tightly around the cup in between them. It made her knuckles turn white, which was quite clear against her golden skin. She was something else, wasn’t she?

I smiled at the sight of her, but even though her beauty caught my eye, I couldn’t say if she wore a mask too. I would have to talk to her to find out, but I didn’t move right away. No, I stayed a little longer watching her and the way she pushed those loose strands of hair that had gotten loose behind her ear all the time, like they wouldn’t leave her face alone, no matter what she did.

She played with her dress too, adjusting it as if she didn’t feel comfortable in it. She looked around the room at the many people, studying them, but it did not look like she wanted to join them. She seemed to prefer the corner, for some reason.

I pushed away from the doorframe, walking into the crowd again. Many sought my attention once more, but I did my best to evade them or inform them I would return shortly. I was compelled to discover who this person was and why she stood alone in the corner. It was far more captivating than the rest of the party.

As soon as I approached her, she noticed me, tilting her head back, her purple eyes widening. She seemed scared, yet she stood with her back straight, unmoving.

“Do you not speak?” I inquired after a prolonged silence.

“S-Sorry?”

“You haven’t uttered a word since I arrived,” I observed.

Ordinarily, everyone else would engage in conversation with me immediately, yet this one remained unusually quiet. She slowly shook her head, perplexing me.

“I... don’t have anything to say, my King.”

“No?”

She nodded, and her beautiful golden locks brushed against her face as she pushed them aside.

“Then why did you come to this party if you have nothing to say to the host?” I pressed.

“Trust me, if I could, I would leave,” she replied.

Her voice trembled slightly. She seemed aware that speaking to me in this manner was inappropriate, yet she persisted. Why attend my party only to be rude?

“What is your name?” I inquired.

“I have a name,” she replied enigmatically.

“Then what is it?”

“I am not going to tell you.”

Her hands trembled around her cup, likely fearing the consequences of her rude behavior.

“I am the king,” I reminded her, taking a step closer and offering a somewhat mischievous smile. “And I requested your name.”

“You’re king, yes, but the name is mine, and I will give it to those I believe deserve it,” she declared, straightening her back. “Excuse me.”

She then placed her cup on a nearby table and hurried away from the ballroom, leaving me even more intrigued. I couldn’t resist following her to discover why she was running from me, unlike others who wanted me to chase them.