Their Bonds of Love

She put up the hood of her cloak as the snow became heavier. Eleri looked up at Cadwin Manor, hoping the snow was not as heavy where Aron and the guards were traveling. They didn’t need any delays, and they didn’t need to lose any fighters. She supposed they could shift if need be and travel on, finding someplace to put their mounts, but she doubted Aron would wish to trust any village to take care of the Cadwin horses.

As she stared at the house, the front door opened, and Conri hurried down the steps towards her. She watched him walk as the wind blew his thick black cloak with its golden rimmed sleeves. He practically had a new wardrobe, one fit for the Gildan king he was.

“Eleri, what are you doing out here? I went to speak to your father and Lord Ceci. I came back, and you were gone.”

“You left for some time, so I thought I would come out here and get one last look at the house and the estate. I thought I might visit my mother since we are to leave tomorrow.”

“You will have many more memories here. I will make sure we visit whenever you like. I will also have someone come and duplicate the portrait of your mother. We will hang it somewhere special in the palace so you may see it whenever you wish,” said Conri.

She took his hand and pulled him close to her. “I hope there are portraits of your own parents somewhere. I know Lord Fellen may have destroyed the ones in the palace, but maybe someone has their likeness.”

“Maybe some are hidden somewhere, but I will not hope too much. Surely if someone had any, they would have shown me by now.” She raised his hand and kissed it. “We should go see your mother now before the snow gets even worse.”

He took her arm and put it on his own, and they walked together towards the trees that led to her mother’s resting place.

“How are you feeling today, Eleri?” asked Conri.

She was quiet as she wasn’t sure what to say. She did not want to worry him, but the truth was she felt so heavy and tired that all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed. She would not do it. She would press through and appear as if everything were fine because that was the only way to go on. She could not give in to the darkness inside her that felt as though it would consume every part. She ignored the whispers in her head that sounded so much like Lord Fellen that she lived every moment in fear and dread.

She leaned into Conri as she walked, feeling the bond she had with him. Her magic swirled inside of her, pushing back the darkness just a bit. “I am better now that I am by your side,”

“Then I shall be with you every moment until we destroy this bond inside of you. I will kill him myself, Eleri. I will make him pay for what he did to my parents and how he has hurt the land, but mostly because of how he has tried to taint you.” He stopped her as they came to the edge of the small hill her mother was buried underneath. “I want you to know that nothing could ever destroy who you are to me. I know who you are, Eleri. Please tell me you will remember it, and if you start to forget, you will tell me to remind you.”

She leaned up and kissed him gently. “I only have to look at you to remember. Conri, I am trying to fight what is inside of me, but if I lose the battle, and I do something to try to hurt you or others in Niamhan, I don’t want you to feel guilty about anything you might have to do.”

“It won’t come to it. I know it won’t.”

“I don’t think it will either, but if it does, I want you to know I understand that gaining back the palace and Elathia is more important than me.”

He shook his head before pulling her into his arms. “Do not talk like this. I don’t want to hear it. We will find a way to save you and Elathia. You have to have faith that it will happen.”

“I will not give up,” she said as she rested her head against his chest. “I want to spend this life with you, ruling with you, perhaps even having a family one day.”

He chuckled slightly. ’We will have to have a family, Eleri, at least three children.”

“Three?” she asked as they separated.

He nodded. “One to rule over Elathia, one to be First Advisor and carry on the Cadwin name, and one to be a Moss and see to your aunt’s estate one day.”

She smiled. “I wonder if our children will be able to use magic.”

“I don’t see why not. You will be their mother, and you are full of the stuff. I am sure at least one or two will be proficient.”

“So three,” she said as they slowly walked forward.

“I said at least three. If we had one or two more, I would not be displeased.”

“Only you will not have to birth them, my king,” said Eleri with a small laugh.

“True, and I hate to think of you in pain or danger. We will see how it goes with our first one.”

“Not too soon,” said Eleri. “I would like to have a little time with you in the beginning, what I can get. I know things will be busy helping Elathia heal.”

“I will always have time for you, my love. We will make time. We will even go on a wedding journey. We can say it is to tour the land, and while that may be partially true, I will actually use it to spend every moment with you without any palace business getting in the way.”

“Spring is a brilliant time to see the land,” said Eleri.

“Then we will leave as soon as spring comes. We can wait until next year if you wish. I do not want to rush you.”

“If it is possible, then I do not want to wait until next year. I want to have our wedding as soon as can be arranged after we take the palace. As long as you are sure.”

Conri smiled. “I have no doubts. I wish to make you my wife today if it were possible.”

They came to the rectangular slab with the moon engraved on it, and Eleri let go of Conri’s arm. She walked forward and stood in front of the stone.

“Hello, mother. I have not come as often as I should, but it has been busy. Conri tells me he and Efa came to speak with you, and I know father visits often. I’m afraid soon I will not be able to come for a while as I will be in Niamhan, in the palace. I will still come see you. Conri has promised to bring me to Cadwin Manor as often as he can.” Eleri touched the stone, brushing some of the fallen snow off it.

“I wish you were here with me during this time. It’s been so hard.” She felt tears gather in her eyes. “I sometimes feel that there is a dark shadow within me, threatening to take me over, and I have to do everything to fight it. I don’t want it to win. I can’t let it change me, and I am afraid it will if it has its way. I don’t want to be chained with him.”

Conri came forward and took her hand.

“Conri has been wonderful. He is our king now, and I know you would have loved him. Efa does, and I know you two agreed on all important matters. I am going to marry him, mother. We will go to Elathia and defeat all those who have hurt our land and those we love. We will not do it for revenge. We will do it because it is the right thing to do.

“Many are suffering in the land, and we will help them. I have not forgotten all you taught me about being kind and doing what is right. I hope I am becoming something like the woman you wished me to be. I know I have made many mistakes, but I never forgot who you wanted me to become.”

Eleri wiped at her eyes with one hand as she held on to Conri with the other. “I promise to take care of father. Although I am sure, Efa already promised you to take care of him and me. I hope you can rest at peace knowing how loved we all are. Every time I do a spell or feel magic within me, I can sense you.”

Eleri lifted her hand and closed her eyes, concentrating. When she opened them, a vine grew at the base of the stone, with a few bright pink flowers growing from it.

“I love you, mother,” whispered Eleri through her tears.

“Lady Cadwin,” said Conri, “I will not let you down. I will release Eleri from whatever this curse is Lord Fellen has over her. I am bonded to her by blood and magic, and so much more. I told you I loved her, and that loves grows more every day. I swear to you, she is safe with me.”

Eleri turned to Conri and buried her head into his chest as he held her. She let herself cry as he rubbed her back. She wanted to appear strong for everyone and especially him, but she knew he would not mind seeing her be weak for one moment. She was safe to cry with him.

Eleri and Conri elected to eat supper in the dining hall as most had moved on. Only her aunt, Grace, the Havens, and Emilia were left. Eleri sat next to Caerwyn and across from Conri as they waited for her father to appear. When he finally did, he held a letter in his hands.

“Who is that from, father?” asked Eleri as Lord Cadwin sat down.

“Lord Nevis,” answered her father. “It came just before I was walking in here, so I haven’t opened it yet.”

“Will you open it now or wait until after supper?” asked Conri.

“Open it now, father, and let us know what it has to say. We have so many already in place, and we need to know what is going on in the city before we leave,” said Eleri.

Lord Cadwin turned the letter over as if considering it.

“You should listen to your daughter, Ewan. We will have no peace at supper unless you open it,” said Efa as everyone laughed quietly.

“She is right, Lord Cadwin,” said Conri. “Let us see what Lord Nevis has to say.”

Lord Cadwin nodded and tore open the envelope. He brought out the letter and read it to himself first. Eleri could see that it was two sheets.

“He writes that Lord Fellen is aware we are making a move. He has fortified the palace with every guard he can find. He even called in Bren Farrow for a meeting, but Lord Nevis did not know what was discussed. He only says that Bren was more than agitated when he came out.

“Lord Fellen knows the land is unstable, and there have been moments of unrest in the city as the people there are fighting the royal guards. Lord Fellen is concerned about losing too many guards and has put strict rules in place. Any found guilty of public disturbance will be killed on sight.”

“Who decides if they are guilty?” asked Eleri.

“The guards who witness the event,” said Lord Cadwin darkly.

“So any guard can kill any citizen of the city with no question asked? If a person looks at a guard wrong, he could be killed immediately?” Conri huffed angrily.

“That is what it sounds like, your majesty,” said Eleri’s father. “There is also unrest in many villages close to Niamhan. The village leaders have asked for guards to come help, but Lord Fellen will not let any go, saying he has none to spare.”

“I hope Selven is successful in convincing those he knows to have the people fight for us,” said Caerwyn.

“He has been gone for some time with no word,” said Efa. “He left almost two weeks ago.”

“Selven knows what he is doing,” said Caerwyn. “He is not a good correspondent. We will only know if he is successful when the time comes.”

“Anything else, father?” asked Eleri.

Her father did not answer. He read the bottom of the first page and then turned to the second. His eyes narrowed as he read down the message. When he reached the end of the writing, he put the pages down and hung his head.

“What does it say?” asked Eleri.

He looked up at her and was quiet for a few moments before he picked the pages back up. “Lloyd Farrow came to see Bren one day last week at Argenta House. He was not allowed in, but he left something he wrote for Bren to look at. Lord Nevis paid off the servant of the house as there is no caretaker there yet. The servant said that Lloyd Farrow could barely talk but kept saying Bren was wrong. He was misleading the people. He then gave the servant this piece of paper and told him to give it to Bren.”

“What does the piece of paper say?” asked Conri.

“It is a copy of the prophecy of the queen that I have never seen. Lord Nevis thinks it is what Lloyd Farrow believes it really says.”

“Lloyd Farrow would know more than anyone,” said Emilia. “He speaks the old language it was written in.”

“What does it say?” ask Eleri.

Lord Cadwin took a deep breath and read each line slowly.

“A time of loss and uncertainly looms ahead. A crown lost, all hope dead.

The goddess mourns and grows in wrath for her people who refuse to follow the path.

A new hope comes from the line of crimson. A red rose born in the right season.

A beauty born under the waning crest. One with both the Gift and power blest.

United only with the golden wolf with a bond strong, can she truly become the queen and right the wrong.”

“That is a little different, but not much,” said Eleri as her father stopped. “It is about a golden wolf, after all, Conri.” He smiled at her.

“I am not done,” said Lord Cadwin, his voice laced with dread. “There are two more lines.” He looked at Conri before staring at Eleri as he spoke.

“Chosen by the goddess, blest by the light. A great sacrifice she makes to lead the land back to the right.

Tears of a king will be shed in a time of great sorrow, but it leads to the right end, the light of tomorrow.”

Eleri looked at her father as she tried to understand what he was saying. Conri took the paper from her father’s hands and read over it. When he was done, he threw it down and looked at Eleri.

“You will not be going anywhere near Niamhan. You will stay here with the few guards that are left. You will lock the door to your room and not come out.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Eleri. She thought over what her father had just read. “You think I am to make a sacrifice?”

“I think you might be the sacrifice, my dear,” said Lord Cadwin quietly.

Eleri stood up slightly and grabbed the paper in front of Conri. She read over it again. “This stupid prophecy continues to haunt me even when I am determined it will not ruin my life.” She crumbled it up and threw it in the middle of the table. “I am determined still. Sacrifice could mean many things. I will not live in fear over some silly words written down by some woman hundreds of years ago.”

She stood up abruptly. “I find that I am not hungry. I will go to my room and prepare to leave tomorrow.” She fled the room, going towards the stairs, feeling tears start to prick her eyes. As she climbed up to her room, she put her hand to her mark as it pulsed painfully.