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She moved through the trees rather happily, though she knew what she had to do eventually. She sighed. It was spring and she was so bored. Gem knew what spring meant for herself though. She was Thirty One years old which meant she had to find her mate. By the end of the Spring.
God, no pressure, Mum and Dad, she thought sarcastically. Very few of the boys around her were interesting in the slightest.
She smiled though as Gaelira chuckled. I rise soon to decide a mate. Every spring I will rise.
Spring. The season of lovers and hope for the future. At 24 years, he knew it was time to start the search for the one he wanted to call his. Problem was that he already knew, but he wasn't sure she felt the same way.
With a sigh, he stood and strapped his sword to his hip and left the modest house he called home. He spotted the red head, the one he still needed to speak to. The one unknowing that he was her brother.
With yet another sigh, he crossed over the quiet path and knocked upon the door of the one he loved. Gem. Princess of the heart and of them.
She smiled as she headed towards the door surprised when someone knocked on it just when she'd reached it. Opening it, she smiled. "Oh hello, Auraka."
It was a little surprising, she'd not known that he was coming here this time. Things like this seemed constant, where he was involved.
He could not help the grin which appeared upon his features at the sight of her. Perfect, she was, in every way.
"Morning Gem," he greeted her.
"Are you free?" he asked, mind racing at his plan "to come fir a walk with me?"
He shifted slightly, waiting for a response.
"Sure." She knew that her parents liekd Auraka, but what if he was the one?
What would they think of then, for her to be with one of the Taror elves?
Not that she could hold it against him.
He smiled slightly, walking bit beside her and leading the way. He felt as if he hadn't seen her in ages, ever since she had returned, she had been busy with her duties.
Leading her towards the gates to the forest, he lead the ways along the path and to a quiet lake nestled in the middle of the trees. There was a small blanket down, a food basket and other such things resting upon it.
"Take a seat," he smiled, sitting on the other side and started pulling things from the basket.
"I'm sorry we haven't talked in a while. My parents have been training me to take their place a lot of late." She sighed as she walked. There was so much that had to happen, and she knew that some of it was not the easiest of things to learn about. "It'll happen for real soon, and I know that when it happens, things will change for me."
Moving into the clearing she smiled as she saw what was waiting for them. For now, she would not think about what was happening in her own life. The training was one thing, but the idea of being with him was something more to her at the moment.
He nodded slightly with a shrug.
"It's okay, I understand," he told her gently, handing her a plate with her favorite upon it. He had done his research.
She sighed as she thought about the things yet to happen. She liked him, and she knew that they would be the ones to take her parents place, though she hid this from her face. All of a sudden her eyes seemed to glaze over as she saw something.
***
Three dragons fought together, two of them were green and gold, the other a blue. She knew who each was, Bjart and Bizandra, the dragons of her parents. Rhothilion, Lindan Marcos dragon. All of a sudden Rhothilion snaked his head out, biting into the throat of his own brother.
"How dare you!" were the last words Zelphar said, as his dragon plummeted, lifeless towards the ground, several hundred feet below.
Bizandra roared, and attacked, but she also somehow met the same fate.
***
"Oh no..." Gem groaned, as she saw her surroundings again. That vision, had been painful.
Green eyes looked worriedly over her, wondering what was happening and what he could do to make it better. But before he could do much more then pull her closer, her sweating head resting in his lap, she came back around.
He heard her sigh of worry and pain, gebmtly brushing locks from her face.
"Gem?" he asked, hand resting lightly upon her cheek "are you okay love? Did you want to go home?"
"I'll be fine," she reassured him.
"Just a very painful to see vision, that is all."
He'd know from her face that it was one that was going to happen soon.
And it was not something that was going to be easy for anyone to know about.
To lose the king and queen was a terrible blow for everyone.
She knew that her parents were well loved and trusted by all the elves, and many of the humans.
Much to Lindan Marcos annoyance when it came to the human side of things.
A thing that the elves cared not about.
A hand traced her cheek, green eyes shining with emotion that was normally hidden. Love. Worry. Trust. A gentle smile appeared, his soft thumb rubbing the relaxing, comforting pattern.
They were close, heads almost touching. So, without thinking, he lent closer. His full lips brushing gently against hers.
She smiled though, knowing that though it nearly caused her to faint from the panic that her vision caused her, she managed to rein in that. When he kissed her though, she found herself able to kiss him back as well.
He pulled away after a moment, absently licking his lips and grinning as the taste of her remained. Oh, he wanted to kiss her forever. But there where other things to do first.
"Gem?" he asked, gathering her attention "I have something to ask of you.....something big."
His eyes sparkled, waiting for her response.
She smiled at him again, knowing that there was only so much that she was able to deal with at the moment. Somehow though, she knew that there were things that needed her attention, but right now she only had one thing on her mind, finding her mate.
"Yes?" she asked, seeming somewhat confused.
"I know, as well as you do, that the time has come for us both to find mates. You, have the pressure of your parents and also the rest of the elven world making you chose, while I just wish to spend my days with someone," he said quietly, slightly nervous of what he was going to ask "and...Gem, I would love it if you would be that person."
He shifted away from her slightly, kneeling on one knee in the human fashion and bared her the ring.
"Princess Gemstarzah Vestelle Hawksong," he said formally "will you be my mate? And spend the days of forever with me?"
She listened as he spoke, but when he asked her the one question she had been waiting for, she smiled. "Of course I will, Auraka." The words seemed almost like she'd parroted them, she'd seen this coming and they were the words which she'd used in the vision of today.
He grinned, unable to stop the grin from appearing and kissed her again.
"Thank you Gem," he said, hugging her tightly and pressing his lips to her forehead.
"Now.." he paused, gazing down on her smaller form "what was this vision about?"
He hadn't seen her so worried before.
Gem sighed, thinking back quickly. The vision was only just in her mind still. "A fight between three dragons. Rhothilion, Bjart and Bizandra. Bjart and Bizandra los...." He'd know why she'd broken off at the moment, every elf knew who the riders of those two were. She shuddered, and one tear ran down her cheek.
"Oh Gem," he sighed, brushing away her tears with a gentle thumb "I'm sorry you had to see that....is there any way we could...change it? Stop it from happening?"
He paused, thinking quickly "could another take their place?"
"A while they've been planning to go and fight him personally, on their own. I don't think it will be stoppable." She sighed, it was a horrid part of her gift. "I can't see anyone managing to change their minds at all. I've been watching for someone able to, but no one can. They're leaving the night I'm crowned in their place."
She sighed. Now could Rhothilion come out on top though against the two strongest dragons his own age?
He sighed quietly, studying her in silence.
"What if...I tried speaking to them?" he suggested, knowing that her parents had always been fond of him, surprisingly because he was a Taror elf.
"I couldn't hurt," he said.
Her mind searched quickly to see if he would be able to convince them against it. Then she sighed sadly. “No, not even you or Drannor could, and Drannor like me is related to them by blood.” that was something that made her rather uncomfortable at the moment. She did not want to lose them, but she would anyway.
He sighed sadly, hand brushing her untamed hair from her face and kissing her forehead gently.
"Do you want to head back? You should spend the time you have left with them," he said quietly, giving her a quick hug.
"And tell them the great news," he chuckled lightly.
"You ought to be there for the second one, Auraka," she reminded him. "After all, you still need to deal with my dad about this. That's not going to eb easy for you."Gem chuckled though. Only three more days she would have with her parents, and for some reason, she found that she could not really get used to the idea of spending a lot of time with them. "I spend most mornings with them as it is. It's enough."
He grinned and nodded.
"I already spoke to him..." he said with a shrug as if it was nothing. He as if it was nothing, but he was glad that he had asked her father for permission, glad to know he was wanted within the family.
She laughed. “Good thinking, I think he would be furious had you not dealt with that before asking me.”
Though she knew that this would make things harder for her, it did not seem to matter at the moment. “At least you don't have to worry about any planning, unlike me.”
He chuckled lightly, messy her hair with a hand and flashed a grin.
"I said I told your father, you have all the fun of telling your mother....I asked him not to tell her yet, until I knew what you were going to say," he said "and i'd love to help planning...if im allowed."
She gasped at the words he said. “You had to leave me with the hard one, didn't you?” she sighed. Telling Luara was no easy thing. And to think that she was the one who had that job? “Anima.”
He chuckle lightly with amusement, kissing her cheek with a gentle brush of his full lips.
"I'll be with you," he told her, unable to stop grinning like an idiot.
She smiled. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, to be honest. I know my mother’s not going to be pleased about this, but I don’t think it’ll be too hard on me telling her. Oh she’ll likely yell at me, but I don’t really care. It’s my choice, after all.”
She chuckled. Things were not going to be easy, but what could her mother really do? Maybe she was worried all for nothing, who knew really.
He frowned slightly, looking at her questionly before speaking.
"Why would she yell at you? Hasn't she been telling you to get a mate?" he asked and his face cleared as he understood.
"I'm from Taror."
She sighed as she thought about this. “I guess so. It’s going to shock her anyway. Might as well get this over with.” It was not going to be fun at all. Things were going to be hard for her for the next few days, but she would get used to it. She had to, as the future queen.
He broke into a relieved smile, kissing her cheek.
"Good..." he murmered and sighed "did you want to start heading back?"
He grinned, pulling both her and himself to their feet and pulling the basket filled with food over his arm, holding Gem’s hand with his other.
“Don’t be such a drama queen,” he chided “it wont be that bad.”
He looked down fondly, squeezing her hand gently and was glad to see his ring upon her finger. IT looked perfect.
She sighed, shaking her head in amusement at his words.
"No, not too bad, but still." A thing to be worried about, in her case at that.
Smiling, she stood up. Then slowly she started back towards the town.
"And I'm not being one," she protested.
“Gem, you have every right to be, you are a princess after all,” he chuckled as they moved back towards the town, hands gripped tightly together.
“Its why I love you,” he flashed her his loved dimpled smile.
She sighed at his words. They were so true and she knew it. But she was not one for such things all the time. They were not things she was one to cause`. Smiling though she walked with him back into the city. There were so many things to do now, and she knew it. “I’m going to be very busy tomorrow. You might not see me till the actual day of.”
He frowned slightly at the mention of not seeing her for a whole day, but nodded with defeat.
“I guess..” he muttered.
"You'll see, the time will go quickly. It's just one small day." She smiled at him. Then she laughed as one vision came to her. When it cleared she remarked, "Nice, Drannor." That was a pleasant one, and she knew that it would not matter if she told Auraka. He'd likely be pleased to hear about it.
He sighed and nodded, a confused smile growing at her words about Drannor.
"What about Drannor?" he asked, rubbing his thumb over the back of her smaller hand "and time always seems longer when your away from me..."
He whispered it truthfully, knowing years seem to past for the moments without her.
"Drannor's going to propose, and I know another thing, Sahar is going to accept. I knew that she would be asked by someone, I saw that a long time ago, but now, I know who it was referring to. Till now the face of the man who asked her was a blur from me, hidden."
She laughed. It was a good day indeed for them all.
He frowned slightly, unable to stop the natural reaction to the thought of his baby sitting getting married. Hell, she was already pregnant with twins!
"So long as she's happy.." he said after a moment "and that Drannor continues being the good man I know him to be...he will be a good father."
“Drannor thinks that if he gets into that area that he might become his father. I doubt that though, it would be a waste of him really. I know what Wistari did to him once, and I know that Drannor tries very hard not to become like his father. That was not a good elf at all, though I know that I might lose my captain one day soon. Somethings happening to his mother, and, time is against us all there. Soon he'll get a messenger, and it would not happen to be a good message from him.”
She sighed. “it's not fair that one. He's going to be forced into something he's very much against.”
He nodded, falling back onto the grass and pulling her down beside him, her small head resting on his muscled chest.
"Gem...you know I would kill him before I let him turn out like his father...right?" he whispered to her, all serious. If he so much as laid a wrong hand upon his sister, he was a dead man walking.
He studied her blonde hair, his fingers playing with the tangled ends gently.
"Though, I doubt he will," he said after a moment, having met the man in question several times.
“Since you just said you might do that, I’ll be on the watch out for it. I won’t let you do that to my closest cousin.” She laughed though. “I doubt it. I've met Wistari once, and there is not a shred of him in Drannor. Else Drannor would not be in this city at all. Father would not have let in anyone like Wistari. All the Taror elves were banished once, though the reason eludes me.”
She smiled at him.
"Mostly because of him..." he muttered and sighed, staring at her with bright green orbs "and I wouldn't kill him..it would upset you to much, maybe just beat him up."
He chuckled lightly, kissing the top of her head gently.
The silence grew over the couple, as did the settling night.
"We should head back," he whispered, standing up and pulling her to her feet beside him.
"Good thinking," she said, though she would not forget the things said today. There was so much to remember, but she knew that in time he would. Everything was good now. She was completely happy.
Standing, she walked back towards the city, her smaller hand still in his.
Giving her hand a warm squeeze, he lead the way along the twisting path deep in thought. Finally, things seemed to be falling into place.
He had the girl of his dreams, a future before himself. He had found his sister, found her happy and mostly well.
He sighed quietly, more content then he had been in a long time.
She smiled as she walked. Everything was falling into place, as she had seen it would. That made her very happy at the moment. There were so many things that could happen to her. None of them though would ever part her from him. Never!
He squeezed her as the gates appeared, walking though with merely a nod to one of his Hawkblade friends before heading up the pathway towards Gem's home. The sooner they did it, the sooner Gem would relax and not worry about so much.
He kissed her brow, pausing before the door.
"Ready?" he asked, eyes sparkling with amusement.
As they reached the house her heat beat seemed to pick up, and it took some effort for her to calm herself back down. Why on earth was she so nervous. This was not something that she was used to being at all.
“As ready as I'll ever be,” she squeaked.
He chuckled, kissing her finger tips before pushing the door open and pulling Gem in behind him.
"Zelphar and Laura?" he called, head peering into a few doors as he searched for her parents.
"Gem and I would like to speak to you," he said, flashing Gem and smile and almost laughed at how nervous she was.
“Be there in a minute,” Zelphar called from one of the many rooms. “Meet you in the study!”
Gem grimaced. She was not so sure that things were going to be all that easy. Sighing though, she headed through the house, leading him through the hallways up to the study. She was nervous, but she did not understand how to get over her nerves.
"Sure," he called back, leading the unwilling Gem into the study and sat on the couch, pulling Gem onto his lap and buried his face into her hair.
"Breath," he whispered, kissing the back of her neck and chuckled, waiting for her parents to come.
"Its not like its a death sentence."
“how many of those have I given out in the past?” more than once, one was for her own cousin. Not the best thing to say, but it got her the point across. Slowly she managed to calm down, only just fully calm when her parents came in.
“Good to see you again, Auraka,” Zelphar said, smiling.
Laura smiled as well, she knew her daughter though and knew she was nervous.
He flashed Gem a small sad smile, knowing it to be true.
"You to Zelphar and Laura," he said easily, completely at ease with the family. His soft green eyes landed upon Gem as he hugged her tightly onto his lap, not embarrassed to show his affection in front of her parents.
"Gem and I were wanting to tell you something," he told them, looking for Gem to speak.
"Something we think that you'll both be pleased about," she added, looking at her parents. They both seemed amused that she had finished his sentence.
She paused though, not really looking forwards to what it was.
"What is it?" Laura asked, smiling at her daughter. She knew Gem would be a fine queen one of these days, if she was not so easily made nervous.
"We're getting married."
Her mother gasped in surprise.
He flashed the king and queen a warm smile, nodding his head at Gem's words.
"I proposed today...and for some reason she said yes," he chuckled, brushing a piece of hair from her cheek and looked towards the aging couple before them. He hoped they would be like that in years to come.
Looking to Laura, he spoke once more.
"That is...if you'll have me."
"Did you think you would have to ask?" Laura asked, smiling at him. "I knew this would happen someday. You two weren't exactly hiding it. I already knew you'd come and tell us someday."
Gem blushed. "Thanks, mother."
Zelphar gave a short laugh. "I knew he was going to ask eventually, he already sought me out before today happened."
"You were in on it?" Gem asked, rounding on her father.
"Yes. He did the right thing by asking me first. Some would not bother with that little tradition. I'm glad he did, and i know he's worth you, else I'd have said no."
He laughed at Gem's face, kissing her forehead with sparkling orbs and nodded his thanks to Laura.
"Then I thank you for allowing me to have your wonderful daughter," he said and rose an eyebrow at Gem.
"I already told you I asked your father, Gem," he said with a playful smile "is age getting to you already."
He acted natural, feeling as if he was part of the family and not before the king and queen of his kind.
“I didn’t believe you at the time,” she replied, blushing bright red. Her mother and father laughed.
“NO one lies when we’re involved, you know that,” Laura said. There were so many things she could have said, and it was the one that told her off most.
“I know, but I don’t have to believe them.”
“She has a point, Laura,” Zelphar said. “We’re glad this happened though for both of you.”
God, no pressure, Mum and Dad, she thought sarcastically. Very few of the boys around her were interesting in the slightest.
She smiled though as Gaelira chuckled. I rise soon to decide a mate. Every spring I will rise.
Spring. The season of lovers and hope for the future. At 24 years, he knew it was time to start the search for the one he wanted to call his. Problem was that he already knew, but he wasn't sure she felt the same way.
With a sigh, he stood and strapped his sword to his hip and left the modest house he called home. He spotted the red head, the one he still needed to speak to. The one unknowing that he was her brother.
With yet another sigh, he crossed over the quiet path and knocked upon the door of the one he loved. Gem. Princess of the heart and of them.
She smiled as she headed towards the door surprised when someone knocked on it just when she'd reached it. Opening it, she smiled. "Oh hello, Auraka."
It was a little surprising, she'd not known that he was coming here this time. Things like this seemed constant, where he was involved.
He could not help the grin which appeared upon his features at the sight of her. Perfect, she was, in every way.
"Morning Gem," he greeted her.
"Are you free?" he asked, mind racing at his plan "to come fir a walk with me?"
He shifted slightly, waiting for a response.
"Sure." She knew that her parents liekd Auraka, but what if he was the one?
What would they think of then, for her to be with one of the Taror elves?
Not that she could hold it against him.
He smiled slightly, walking bit beside her and leading the way. He felt as if he hadn't seen her in ages, ever since she had returned, she had been busy with her duties.
Leading her towards the gates to the forest, he lead the ways along the path and to a quiet lake nestled in the middle of the trees. There was a small blanket down, a food basket and other such things resting upon it.
"Take a seat," he smiled, sitting on the other side and started pulling things from the basket.
"I'm sorry we haven't talked in a while. My parents have been training me to take their place a lot of late." She sighed as she walked. There was so much that had to happen, and she knew that some of it was not the easiest of things to learn about. "It'll happen for real soon, and I know that when it happens, things will change for me."
Moving into the clearing she smiled as she saw what was waiting for them. For now, she would not think about what was happening in her own life. The training was one thing, but the idea of being with him was something more to her at the moment.
He nodded slightly with a shrug.
"It's okay, I understand," he told her gently, handing her a plate with her favorite upon it. He had done his research.
She sighed as she thought about the things yet to happen. She liked him, and she knew that they would be the ones to take her parents place, though she hid this from her face. All of a sudden her eyes seemed to glaze over as she saw something.
***
Three dragons fought together, two of them were green and gold, the other a blue. She knew who each was, Bjart and Bizandra, the dragons of her parents. Rhothilion, Lindan Marcos dragon. All of a sudden Rhothilion snaked his head out, biting into the throat of his own brother.
"How dare you!" were the last words Zelphar said, as his dragon plummeted, lifeless towards the ground, several hundred feet below.
Bizandra roared, and attacked, but she also somehow met the same fate.
***
"Oh no..." Gem groaned, as she saw her surroundings again. That vision, had been painful.
Green eyes looked worriedly over her, wondering what was happening and what he could do to make it better. But before he could do much more then pull her closer, her sweating head resting in his lap, she came back around.
He heard her sigh of worry and pain, gebmtly brushing locks from her face.
"Gem?" he asked, hand resting lightly upon her cheek "are you okay love? Did you want to go home?"
"I'll be fine," she reassured him.
"Just a very painful to see vision, that is all."
He'd know from her face that it was one that was going to happen soon.
And it was not something that was going to be easy for anyone to know about.
To lose the king and queen was a terrible blow for everyone.
She knew that her parents were well loved and trusted by all the elves, and many of the humans.
Much to Lindan Marcos annoyance when it came to the human side of things.
A thing that the elves cared not about.
A hand traced her cheek, green eyes shining with emotion that was normally hidden. Love. Worry. Trust. A gentle smile appeared, his soft thumb rubbing the relaxing, comforting pattern.
They were close, heads almost touching. So, without thinking, he lent closer. His full lips brushing gently against hers.
She smiled though, knowing that though it nearly caused her to faint from the panic that her vision caused her, she managed to rein in that. When he kissed her though, she found herself able to kiss him back as well.
He pulled away after a moment, absently licking his lips and grinning as the taste of her remained. Oh, he wanted to kiss her forever. But there where other things to do first.
"Gem?" he asked, gathering her attention "I have something to ask of you.....something big."
His eyes sparkled, waiting for her response.
She smiled at him again, knowing that there was only so much that she was able to deal with at the moment. Somehow though, she knew that there were things that needed her attention, but right now she only had one thing on her mind, finding her mate.
"Yes?" she asked, seeming somewhat confused.
"I know, as well as you do, that the time has come for us both to find mates. You, have the pressure of your parents and also the rest of the elven world making you chose, while I just wish to spend my days with someone," he said quietly, slightly nervous of what he was going to ask "and...Gem, I would love it if you would be that person."
He shifted away from her slightly, kneeling on one knee in the human fashion and bared her the ring.
"Princess Gemstarzah Vestelle Hawksong," he said formally "will you be my mate? And spend the days of forever with me?"
She listened as he spoke, but when he asked her the one question she had been waiting for, she smiled. "Of course I will, Auraka." The words seemed almost like she'd parroted them, she'd seen this coming and they were the words which she'd used in the vision of today.
He grinned, unable to stop the grin from appearing and kissed her again.
"Thank you Gem," he said, hugging her tightly and pressing his lips to her forehead.
"Now.." he paused, gazing down on her smaller form "what was this vision about?"
He hadn't seen her so worried before.
Gem sighed, thinking back quickly. The vision was only just in her mind still. "A fight between three dragons. Rhothilion, Bjart and Bizandra. Bjart and Bizandra los...." He'd know why she'd broken off at the moment, every elf knew who the riders of those two were. She shuddered, and one tear ran down her cheek.
"Oh Gem," he sighed, brushing away her tears with a gentle thumb "I'm sorry you had to see that....is there any way we could...change it? Stop it from happening?"
He paused, thinking quickly "could another take their place?"
"A while they've been planning to go and fight him personally, on their own. I don't think it will be stoppable." She sighed, it was a horrid part of her gift. "I can't see anyone managing to change their minds at all. I've been watching for someone able to, but no one can. They're leaving the night I'm crowned in their place."
She sighed. Now could Rhothilion come out on top though against the two strongest dragons his own age?
He sighed quietly, studying her in silence.
"What if...I tried speaking to them?" he suggested, knowing that her parents had always been fond of him, surprisingly because he was a Taror elf.
"I couldn't hurt," he said.
Her mind searched quickly to see if he would be able to convince them against it. Then she sighed sadly. “No, not even you or Drannor could, and Drannor like me is related to them by blood.” that was something that made her rather uncomfortable at the moment. She did not want to lose them, but she would anyway.
He sighed sadly, hand brushing her untamed hair from her face and kissing her forehead gently.
"Do you want to head back? You should spend the time you have left with them," he said quietly, giving her a quick hug.
"And tell them the great news," he chuckled lightly.
"You ought to be there for the second one, Auraka," she reminded him. "After all, you still need to deal with my dad about this. That's not going to eb easy for you."Gem chuckled though. Only three more days she would have with her parents, and for some reason, she found that she could not really get used to the idea of spending a lot of time with them. "I spend most mornings with them as it is. It's enough."
He grinned and nodded.
"I already spoke to him..." he said with a shrug as if it was nothing. He as if it was nothing, but he was glad that he had asked her father for permission, glad to know he was wanted within the family.
She laughed. “Good thinking, I think he would be furious had you not dealt with that before asking me.”
Though she knew that this would make things harder for her, it did not seem to matter at the moment. “At least you don't have to worry about any planning, unlike me.”
He chuckled lightly, messy her hair with a hand and flashed a grin.
"I said I told your father, you have all the fun of telling your mother....I asked him not to tell her yet, until I knew what you were going to say," he said "and i'd love to help planning...if im allowed."
She gasped at the words he said. “You had to leave me with the hard one, didn't you?” she sighed. Telling Luara was no easy thing. And to think that she was the one who had that job? “Anima.”
He chuckle lightly with amusement, kissing her cheek with a gentle brush of his full lips.
"I'll be with you," he told her, unable to stop grinning like an idiot.
She smiled. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, to be honest. I know my mother’s not going to be pleased about this, but I don’t think it’ll be too hard on me telling her. Oh she’ll likely yell at me, but I don’t really care. It’s my choice, after all.”
She chuckled. Things were not going to be easy, but what could her mother really do? Maybe she was worried all for nothing, who knew really.
He frowned slightly, looking at her questionly before speaking.
"Why would she yell at you? Hasn't she been telling you to get a mate?" he asked and his face cleared as he understood.
"I'm from Taror."
She sighed as she thought about this. “I guess so. It’s going to shock her anyway. Might as well get this over with.” It was not going to be fun at all. Things were going to be hard for her for the next few days, but she would get used to it. She had to, as the future queen.
He broke into a relieved smile, kissing her cheek.
"Good..." he murmered and sighed "did you want to start heading back?"
He grinned, pulling both her and himself to their feet and pulling the basket filled with food over his arm, holding Gem’s hand with his other.
“Don’t be such a drama queen,” he chided “it wont be that bad.”
He looked down fondly, squeezing her hand gently and was glad to see his ring upon her finger. IT looked perfect.
She sighed, shaking her head in amusement at his words.
"No, not too bad, but still." A thing to be worried about, in her case at that.
Smiling, she stood up. Then slowly she started back towards the town.
"And I'm not being one," she protested.
“Gem, you have every right to be, you are a princess after all,” he chuckled as they moved back towards the town, hands gripped tightly together.
“Its why I love you,” he flashed her his loved dimpled smile.
She sighed at his words. They were so true and she knew it. But she was not one for such things all the time. They were not things she was one to cause`. Smiling though she walked with him back into the city. There were so many things to do now, and she knew it. “I’m going to be very busy tomorrow. You might not see me till the actual day of.”
He frowned slightly at the mention of not seeing her for a whole day, but nodded with defeat.
“I guess..” he muttered.
"You'll see, the time will go quickly. It's just one small day." She smiled at him. Then she laughed as one vision came to her. When it cleared she remarked, "Nice, Drannor." That was a pleasant one, and she knew that it would not matter if she told Auraka. He'd likely be pleased to hear about it.
He sighed and nodded, a confused smile growing at her words about Drannor.
"What about Drannor?" he asked, rubbing his thumb over the back of her smaller hand "and time always seems longer when your away from me..."
He whispered it truthfully, knowing years seem to past for the moments without her.
"Drannor's going to propose, and I know another thing, Sahar is going to accept. I knew that she would be asked by someone, I saw that a long time ago, but now, I know who it was referring to. Till now the face of the man who asked her was a blur from me, hidden."
She laughed. It was a good day indeed for them all.
He frowned slightly, unable to stop the natural reaction to the thought of his baby sitting getting married. Hell, she was already pregnant with twins!
"So long as she's happy.." he said after a moment "and that Drannor continues being the good man I know him to be...he will be a good father."
“Drannor thinks that if he gets into that area that he might become his father. I doubt that though, it would be a waste of him really. I know what Wistari did to him once, and I know that Drannor tries very hard not to become like his father. That was not a good elf at all, though I know that I might lose my captain one day soon. Somethings happening to his mother, and, time is against us all there. Soon he'll get a messenger, and it would not happen to be a good message from him.”
She sighed. “it's not fair that one. He's going to be forced into something he's very much against.”
He nodded, falling back onto the grass and pulling her down beside him, her small head resting on his muscled chest.
"Gem...you know I would kill him before I let him turn out like his father...right?" he whispered to her, all serious. If he so much as laid a wrong hand upon his sister, he was a dead man walking.
He studied her blonde hair, his fingers playing with the tangled ends gently.
"Though, I doubt he will," he said after a moment, having met the man in question several times.
“Since you just said you might do that, I’ll be on the watch out for it. I won’t let you do that to my closest cousin.” She laughed though. “I doubt it. I've met Wistari once, and there is not a shred of him in Drannor. Else Drannor would not be in this city at all. Father would not have let in anyone like Wistari. All the Taror elves were banished once, though the reason eludes me.”
She smiled at him.
"Mostly because of him..." he muttered and sighed, staring at her with bright green orbs "and I wouldn't kill him..it would upset you to much, maybe just beat him up."
He chuckled lightly, kissing the top of her head gently.
The silence grew over the couple, as did the settling night.
"We should head back," he whispered, standing up and pulling her to her feet beside him.
"Good thinking," she said, though she would not forget the things said today. There was so much to remember, but she knew that in time he would. Everything was good now. She was completely happy.
Standing, she walked back towards the city, her smaller hand still in his.
Giving her hand a warm squeeze, he lead the way along the twisting path deep in thought. Finally, things seemed to be falling into place.
He had the girl of his dreams, a future before himself. He had found his sister, found her happy and mostly well.
He sighed quietly, more content then he had been in a long time.
She smiled as she walked. Everything was falling into place, as she had seen it would. That made her very happy at the moment. There were so many things that could happen to her. None of them though would ever part her from him. Never!
He squeezed her as the gates appeared, walking though with merely a nod to one of his Hawkblade friends before heading up the pathway towards Gem's home. The sooner they did it, the sooner Gem would relax and not worry about so much.
He kissed her brow, pausing before the door.
"Ready?" he asked, eyes sparkling with amusement.
As they reached the house her heat beat seemed to pick up, and it took some effort for her to calm herself back down. Why on earth was she so nervous. This was not something that she was used to being at all.
“As ready as I'll ever be,” she squeaked.
He chuckled, kissing her finger tips before pushing the door open and pulling Gem in behind him.
"Zelphar and Laura?" he called, head peering into a few doors as he searched for her parents.
"Gem and I would like to speak to you," he said, flashing Gem and smile and almost laughed at how nervous she was.
“Be there in a minute,” Zelphar called from one of the many rooms. “Meet you in the study!”
Gem grimaced. She was not so sure that things were going to be all that easy. Sighing though, she headed through the house, leading him through the hallways up to the study. She was nervous, but she did not understand how to get over her nerves.
"Sure," he called back, leading the unwilling Gem into the study and sat on the couch, pulling Gem onto his lap and buried his face into her hair.
"Breath," he whispered, kissing the back of her neck and chuckled, waiting for her parents to come.
"Its not like its a death sentence."
“how many of those have I given out in the past?” more than once, one was for her own cousin. Not the best thing to say, but it got her the point across. Slowly she managed to calm down, only just fully calm when her parents came in.
“Good to see you again, Auraka,” Zelphar said, smiling.
Laura smiled as well, she knew her daughter though and knew she was nervous.
He flashed Gem a small sad smile, knowing it to be true.
"You to Zelphar and Laura," he said easily, completely at ease with the family. His soft green eyes landed upon Gem as he hugged her tightly onto his lap, not embarrassed to show his affection in front of her parents.
"Gem and I were wanting to tell you something," he told them, looking for Gem to speak.
"Something we think that you'll both be pleased about," she added, looking at her parents. They both seemed amused that she had finished his sentence.
She paused though, not really looking forwards to what it was.
"What is it?" Laura asked, smiling at her daughter. She knew Gem would be a fine queen one of these days, if she was not so easily made nervous.
"We're getting married."
Her mother gasped in surprise.
He flashed the king and queen a warm smile, nodding his head at Gem's words.
"I proposed today...and for some reason she said yes," he chuckled, brushing a piece of hair from her cheek and looked towards the aging couple before them. He hoped they would be like that in years to come.
Looking to Laura, he spoke once more.
"That is...if you'll have me."
"Did you think you would have to ask?" Laura asked, smiling at him. "I knew this would happen someday. You two weren't exactly hiding it. I already knew you'd come and tell us someday."
Gem blushed. "Thanks, mother."
Zelphar gave a short laugh. "I knew he was going to ask eventually, he already sought me out before today happened."
"You were in on it?" Gem asked, rounding on her father.
"Yes. He did the right thing by asking me first. Some would not bother with that little tradition. I'm glad he did, and i know he's worth you, else I'd have said no."
He laughed at Gem's face, kissing her forehead with sparkling orbs and nodded his thanks to Laura.
"Then I thank you for allowing me to have your wonderful daughter," he said and rose an eyebrow at Gem.
"I already told you I asked your father, Gem," he said with a playful smile "is age getting to you already."
He acted natural, feeling as if he was part of the family and not before the king and queen of his kind.
“I didn’t believe you at the time,” she replied, blushing bright red. Her mother and father laughed.
“NO one lies when we’re involved, you know that,” Laura said. There were so many things she could have said, and it was the one that told her off most.
“I know, but I don’t have to believe them.”
“She has a point, Laura,” Zelphar said. “We’re glad this happened though for both of you.”
