Old Grudges

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"You, elf." A gruff sounding human man was seated in a tavern in the human village of Earlestown. It had once been a bustling market place, a meeting place for merchants and scholars. But now... It was lucky if a handful of hunters passed through on their way elsewhere. The people here lived close to the neighbouring kingdom that boasted that is was the seat of all civilisation, Elven, of course. The exact border was somewhat of a foggy issue, meaning battles often broke out over ownership of land. Elves passed through, most of them simply wishing to look down upon what they considered the uncivilised and rather boring humans, before returning to their own cities of silver.
"Elf?" The dark haired female asked, spitting that one word back at the man who had called it to her as she walked past his table. "You do not address the other women here as 'human', so not call me by my race either." She added rather haughtily.
"Well la-di-da! Ain't you just lady of the manor!" The man sneered, banging his glass down on the creaking wooden table. "Your kind aren't welcome here! You never will be! Get your knife ears back to your own side of the border!" 
The elven woman sighed heavily and with silent and sudden movements, she was in front of the human, her ornate elven dagger slammed into the chair all too close to his privates. "Do not test me, human. I have no humour for your kind this evening."

Abalas had no idea he was a changed man since meeting Iris. She had taught him to trust people, and that was perhaps most dangerous of all.

"You hate elves too, but once again I just saved your life." Dahlia remarked as she jumped off the troll and back to the ground.

The elven castle was covered in dark storm clouds that could be seen from a great distance. It looked every bit as cursed as it had become. The sounds of war were already echoing from the courtyard and Abalas would have no trouble hearing it the closer he got.

"You're not an elf. There's no way an elf would have missed signs of a troll like that." Saul said as he began gathering what gear they had that wasn't broken.

Abalas set his horse loose a small distance from the palace, electing to enter on foot and perhaps go unnoticed for a little longer. His primary goal was to find Rothain first.

"Oh? And just what am I then? A stinking human with misshapen ears?" Dahlia snorted, picking up her bow to inspect it.

The throne room was filled with elves that were malevolent and hissing at one another. It had been the same in nearly every room. until that point there had been no sign of either Rothain in or the royal family. 
Eirwen was seated on the throne as if she belonged there, Andaer was at her side. Above their heads sat the djinni, smiling wickedly as it fed off the hatred that permeated the room. 
In the center of the room, fighting an impossible number of warriors, was Rothain. The guardsman was covered in blood and was desperately trying to stay on his feet. He knew what would happen if he didn't.

Saul couldn't believe the state of the elven castle when they reached it. He'd been there once as a child and certainly didn't remember it looking like that. "Are you sure this is the right place?" He breathed, glancing at Dahlia.

"This is how you rule my court?!" Abalas' deep voice boomed out across the fighting from where he stood in the doorway.

Dahlia nodded from where she was crouched behind a tree in the garden around the castle. "Don't you feel it? something is causing this."

The entire hall went dead silent. All movement ceased save for the elven prince who rose to his feet at the throne. "This is the tournament that you requested." Andaer said darkly. "It is not my fault that you have come late, father." 

"I don't feel anything except for coming rain." Saul said, frowning as he saw the state of the garden. "Last time I was here I saw the most beautiful roses. Rainbow colored...I don't see them anymore. This entire place is dead..."

"This is your tournament?" Abalas scoffed. "I expect this of a human, but not you... my family."

Dahlia nodded solemnly. "The roses... were my mother. They grew near her grave." She whispered, wishing for just one of those rainbow petals in that moment."

"We have not been family for sometime." Andaer said, smoothing down the front of his ornate suit. "It is not my fault that you didn't seem to notice this." His dual colored eyes swept over the bloody crowd below him and he waved a hand. "There is nothing wrong with my tournament. Just because it does not meet up to your standards does mean it is not serving the purpose." 

"At least you got a place to mourn your mother." Saul said, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "My father had mine burned at the stake for giving birth to Iris. He claimed there was something horribly wrong with her and it was all her fault."

"Your tournament, you say?" Abalas mused coolly. "Then why do you not take part?"

"Silly human superstition." Dahlia breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from the flowers that had once brought her much comfort. Saul was right, there was nothing but death here now.

Andaer sneered at this, giving his father a disdainful snort. "The winner fights me for the kingdom. That's fair enough I think." Above him the djinni chuckled wickedly. 
Rothain let out a shuddering breath, leaning hard on his sword as he continued to stand. His relief at the sight of his king would be reconizable only to the elder man.

"He was right. Iris did look funny. I remember that much. She was misfigurred. Her ears were shaped wrong..." Saul was lost in the thought. "My Father had the healers cut them but the scars are still there. Maker's bones...the thought never even crossed my mind...it's no wonder he hated her. She isn't my full blood sister..."

"Then take a good look at your future king." Abalas purred, making a sweeping gesture in Ruthann's direction. "You really think the length of time he fights will make it easier for you to cut him down?"

"She was elven?" Dahlia asked uncertainly. "Is that why you hate my kind?" She added, wondering if maybe Saul had always had the subconscious realisation of what the truth about Iris was.

"A wood elf will never be king. I can promise you that." Eirwen finally spoke up, her dark eyes sparkling with hate. The djinni had almost completely taken her over. "They are nothing but cannon fodder. That one even more so than most."

"Iris is human . She must be. Your father would have recognized one of his own kind. And besides, half breeds never survive. It's not possible." Saul argued as he watched the castle. A lone elf was riding a slow moving mule, a gunny sack slung over its back. They were coming from the opposite direction, looking as if they truly didn't want to be there.

Abalas smiled and looked over at Rothain. "He will beat you, all of you, and then he and Dahlia will take the throne together!"

"I don't think you understand how strong some things are." Dahlia breathed as she took to watching the mule. "He isn't from the palace..." She murmured.

The dijinni moved it's clawed hands and Eirwen stepped foward, laughing darkly. "And what becomes of you, winter elf? Are you that ready to die?"

"Looks like a mudland elf." Saul said, moving closer to get a better look. "those are as rare as your father. what is he doing this far north?"

"I am willing to do what is right, my queen." Abalas replied with a dramatic bow. "You should know this, given that I took pity on your dirt poor lowlander origins."

Dahlia gave a bitter snort and shook her head. "Don't bring up my father's ancestry to his face... He loves to talk about how high and mighty his forefather were."

"So you admit that you choose death." Eirwen hissed. "Just like I did. It's too bad you bet on the wrong elf to win. But then...you were always good at being wrong."

"Sounds like him." Saul chuckled. "Such a snob. I can't believe my gentle and loving sister would get near him." He muttered, watching the mudland elf talking to the inner sanctum guards. "Isay he saying he has a gift for the king?" He whispered to Dahlia. "Is that sack bleeding?"

"I suppose you are correct, I did afterall choose you, once." Abalas sneered, even casting a glance upwards to the dijinni.

"Can't believe, or don't want to? You're a damn hypocrite, you know that?" Dahlia hissed before moving silently through the trees to get closer to the other elf.

"I gave you the chance to escape, your highness." Though it was Eirwen speaking, the words were not her own. "I let you leave with the girl and yet you are here again. was she not good enough?"

"I have it." The elf said, his ink black eyes locked in the guards at the door. His hands shook wildly. "The queen said if the human was brought back...my family would be spared. Please...give them back to me..."

"She was more than you ever were, your highness." Abalas sneered. "She made me realise that Rothain deserved better than what you cultured would do when he got here!"

The guard glanced past the other elf to the bundled package he had brought with him. "Leave it here and I will inform the queen."

"And where is she now?" Eirwen asked, making a show of looking around the room. "You didnt...leave her behind to play hero. Did you?"
Rothain saw the way the warriors were beginning to posture and moved toward his king. He raised his sword as he stood on front of the elder man. "Hero...thats a word that must be tough for you to say, your grace." He muttered, glaring at the former queen. He was dead on his feet, but he would die that way rather than let down his king.

"No!" The elf cried, wringing his fingers together. "I was given an order! She'll kill them if I disobey her! There has been enough of that today already."
"She..." Saul breathed in Dahlia's ear. "Am I right to assume he means your lovely stepmother? What the hell is going on here?"

"You think it up to me to dictate what Iris should do?" Abalas asked coolly. "Tell me, dear wife, what was the final straw that forced you to call up on the djinni and his dark magic?"

The guard merely laughed. "You think we're going to let a mudelf into the palace? Let alone anywhere near her majesty?"
Dahlia was shaking her head. "I don't know... But this is low, even for her."

"I am not your wife anymore. Remember?" Eirwen sneered, touching her short black hair. "I went to the creature when I grew tired of the favor you showed that Fae bitch and that worthless wood elf over your own children! It has been here for years and you never noticed!"

The mud elf ran to the gunny sack and pulled it back ever so slightly. A tumble of sunlight blonde hair streaked with blood fell out. "I have the king's mistress! As ordered! Let me in!" He all but screamed.

"Perhaps I showed them favour because your children are as venomous as you!" Abalas roared. "A kingdom cannot be ruled through fear, as I know you would wish it so!"

The guard was quick to open the door and step aside. It had been made common knowledge that the Queen wanted any means of making the king suffer.

"I have been doing an excellent job. Wouldn't you say?" Eirwen said, returning to her seat on the throne and sitting down with dramatic flourish. "You always said I was lacking something, dear heart."

Saul grabbed Dahlia and pushed her toward the donkey As the mud elf pushed it forward, the young woman would disappear on the opposite side. When they were far enough ahead he attacked the guard at the gate and stripped him of his clothes, following close behind when he'd changed.

"A heart." Abalas sneered. "You think anything you do is of your own choice, woman? It is the djinni influencing you!"

"That's not going to fool them." Dahlia breathed when she saw Saul in the uniform. "Here..." The young princess reached up and pulled the human king's hair loose from its binding, using it to cover his ears.

"Perhaps it was the something I was lacking." Eirwen breathed, turning her head away. She knew her fate and it was far too late to change it. "It helped me To kill your Fae and soon it will rid me of both the boy and you." she waved a hand at the warriors who began to descend on the king and guardsman.
Rothain tossed his sword to Abalas and moved to pull his blade out of his belt loop. He had only a moment to realize it was gone before the first of three soldiers were thrusting their weapons into his midsection. 

"The blonde hair isn't going to give me away?" Saul chuckled. "Do you know any illusion spells? Maybe I should just not try to conceal." He muttered as they followed the mud elf And his donkey.

Abalas began slicing through the guards when he realised what had become of Rothain. He couldn't afford to react to the pain that losing Darla had caused him, it would cost them all if he did.

"I never wanted to be anything but what I am, so no. I do not know any illusion spells." Dahlia breathed softly, ignorant to the fact she wasn't actually what she thought.

Rothain was still standing, fighting off the guards with his bare hands. He was running off adrenaline and nothing more. The moment it stopped, he was sure he would stop as well.

"What kind of elf doesn't want to learn magick?" Saul snorted. " you aren't normal. I hope you know that."

Abalas reach the younger man's side and kicked away another guard who was about to run him through. "Run, you foolish boy!" He hissed at Rothain. "A dead man cannot rule a kingdom at my daughter's side!"

"You think I should want to look like someone else?" Dahlia asked thinly.

"I'm not running." Rothain whispered, trying his best to swallow the blood that was threatening to seep past his lips. He would show no weakness in front of his king. No matter what. 
He grunted as he picked up a fallen man's sword. "I am not king either. That title still belongs to you..." 

"Well...maybe it would have helped you to marry that idiot ass kisser your father keeps trying to stick you with." Saul suggested. "Maybe if he looked like someone else, you wouldn't keep running away from him."