A Bond of Light and Dark

"He is not allowed to go anywhere without supervision," Ailuin said, looking at Elayne as she held the dark elf child. He wasn't expecting her to have grown so attached to this boy so soon, but she was a mother. She must have felt maternalistic towards him. As much as he hated being suspicious of the boy, he wanted to make sure that he truly wasn't a spy. He was just trying to take care of his kingdom.

Fendrae looked up at Elayne and nodded, curious about this person that was mentioned. He was surprised that the elven king had decided not to throw him in the dungeons. It seemed Ailuin did not want to displease his wife. Ailuin nodded as she thanked him and turned his focus to Fendrae as he was placed down on the floor. Fendrae hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching Ailuin.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay and for not throwing me in the dungeon. Will I be able to see the princess again? She was really nice to me." He looked hopeful, his golden gaze staring up at Ailuin. Ailuin was quiet for a moment before he sighed softly and gave a nod. "Yes, but only with supervision." Fendrae bowed. "Thank you."

"Come on dear. Let's get you bathed and into fresh clean clothes." Elayne sung as she picked Fendrae up and walked away from Ailuin. Then entered an elven lord, Wistari Elatris, highly respected by the Miaharice Family and provider of the kingdom. "Your Grace, I apologize for the intrusion. I have very little time since I am master of provisions and crops. If it's not to much trouble...I would like to discuss something with you." He looked at Ailuin rather nervously. He wasn't a proud lord like Neivan nor did Wistari ever ask for much. He was quite a humble lord whom did not put himself before others.

Fendrae nodded and looped his arms around Elayne's neck as she picked him up and carried him away for a bath. Ailuin sat by himself in the war room for a moment before preparing to leave but paused at the sight of the Elven lord. "Of course, Wistari. Have a seat and tell me what it is that you would like to discuss with me." He smiled at the elven lord, finding him to be pleasant company. He was rather fond of the man. He didn't much care for Neivan, though.

Wistari hesitated before nodding respectfully and sitting down. "Your Grace...I admire you. I really do. It was a relief to me and many when you were crowned King. I knew you would outshine your father and restore order..." Wistari started with a troubled look on his face and got up to grab a pitcher of wine and pour a glass for both of them. "Its been fifty years since my daughter, Islyne, disappeared. She was so young...so beautiful. Lords begged me all over the kingdom to court her and she refused all of them. I wasn't against it, she was waiting for someone else..." Wistari looked at Ailuin. "I asked a few times for my daughter to your father if perhaps you two could court. But he was absolutely adamant to refuse my offer. He then would say 'your daughter is much too beautiful to be with my son'...see I only took it as a mere compliment first glance until she went missing. Do you see where I'm going with this? Pardon me your Grace, but that bastard stole my precious Islyne from me. Not ling after he threw my only son and heir to my lordship into battled which killed him! Front of line! A young lord who could barely brandish a weapon! Made my wife succumb to grief and she threw herself off the cliffs during our son's burial!" Wistari begun to cry. "I'm sorry my King but now that Taeral is in those dungeons! I need answers! I need my daughter to be alive or I can't live on!" He cried as his grief became too much to handle.

Ailuin couldn't help but smile slightly at the compliment. "That makes me happy to hear, Wistari. I appreciate your kind words. I have always done my best to try and be a better king than my father was." He then fell silent and allowed the lord to explain what he really wanted to talk about. He remembered Wistari's daughter vaguely but hadn't really known her all that well.

"So, you believe that my father took her away and did something with her?" He frowned at that, shaking his head slightly at the idea of another terrible thing that his father had done. "I had no idea he had caused your son's death or that he was behind your daughter's disappearance." He looked at Wistari seriously, a look of understanding crossing his features as he stood up and moved over to him to place a hand on his shoulder.

"You have my word that I will get to the bottom of this and find out what my father did with her. I pray that she is still alive, but I cannot promise that something did not happen to her. But I will personally look into this matter and find out answers." It seemed that Ailuin was going to need to pay his father a visit. He was not looking forward to it.

"Thank you, your grace. Thank you for at least listening to me. Its much appreciated." He smiled and wiped his tears. "I'll send my best crops to your kitchen in gratitude. I must be on my way." He finished his wine as another person looked in but only to nervously hide. "Good day your grace." Wistari said as a rugged Callum with long messy hair and a beard looked around cautiously. "Ailuin..." He looked through every corner with paranoia before ducking so guards didnt see him. He put his mouth to his lips to hush Ailuin until there was silence. "Listen to me, the snow elves are trying to kill my family!" He whispered with almost crazy in his eyes. His hair was rather ginger and tossled. "That means yours too! Keep Elayne and the others safe. They have my father's bastard daughter, helping her try to reclaim my throne!" Callum said as he fidget nervously and twitched.

"Of course, you are most welcome. And I apologize for all of the trauma and grief that my father has put you through." He watched the lord leave and paused as he noticed someone came into the war room. He almost didn't recognize who it was until he heard the voice. "Ca--" He started but then stopped when Callum hushed him.

He looked at his brother-in-law with deep concern as he walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure? The snow elves have not left their icy lands in quite some time. Though, I have had had reports of snow elf activity." He frowned at this then focused on Callum's appearance.

"Callum, are you all right? You look....awful." He wasn't trying to be rude but the words came out before he could stop them. "I apologize, Callum. That was rude of me. But I am quite concerned. Do you want me to get Elayne or Quinton?"

"No! Are you insane?! Dont tell them! No one must know..." Callum looked about nervously. "There's a rat in my kingdom! I can't shift anymore! Someone is poisoning me and i need to know who!" Callum growled softly as he curled up in a corner and rocked back and forth. "Lyra cant get pregnant! It seems I'm infertile from what healers say! Oh ho ho! I know! I know that someone is poisoning me!" Callum goes on in a rant and laughs maniacally.

Ailuin stared at Callum, truly at a loss of how to handle this situation. What exactly was he supposed to do? Callum was seriously worrying him and he wasn't sure how to help him. He then heard footsteps and turned to see his mother peeking in, Elduin clutching to her skirts.

She glanced over at Callum and gasped, rushing over to him. "Callum? Good gods, what on earth happened to you? Ailuin, why are you just standing there?" Ailuin was inwardly relieved that his mother had showed up. He had honestly no idea how to handle this matter. "Callum, I think you should stay here for a few days."

"No! No! So much to do so little time. They will notice if im gone! Lyra and I can't be apart. Farwell my friends." He said before opening a portal and jumping in. Just before Clarabelle walked in and curtsied. "Your Grace, I will only make this quick. Madame Rosalind would like to see you at her new establishment. She refused to tell me exactly why." Clarabelle said as a guard dropped his spear and panicked as he hurried to pick it up but stared at Clara with his mouth agape. She merely turned and giggled at him with an innocent yet impish wave before turning back and nervously looking at Ilayana who seemed to not like courtesans much.

"Callum, wait!" Ailuin shot forward to grab Callum but before he could reach him, his brother-in-law had already opened a portal and jumped through. He reached the spot where it was just as it closed. "Dammit." He then turned and noticed Clarabelle walk in.

Why was he so popular tonight? Ilayana frowned at Callum's disappearance and then turned to see Clarabelle. She glowered at the young woman, a displeased expression on her face as she placed a hand on her youngest son's head as he once again clung to her skirts.

"She wants to see me?" As worn as Ailuin was, he knew that he could not refuse Rosalind's request to come see her. "Does she need to see me now? Or can it wait until tomorrow?" So much had happened in one day and he was ready to call it a night.

"I..." Clarabelle said uncomfortably as she was kind of stuck in Ilayana's gaze. "She just told me to tell you that she wanted to speak with you. Alone... She didn't feel safe talking about...you know...stuff around the castle. She figured you could...sneak in?" Clarabelle said before looking over at Elduin curiously and smiled at him with a dainty wave before looking at Ailuin. "There was also one other thing...well i wanted to ask you. The Lord that you had me sit with when i first came here...well...could you perhaps...send him this? I couldn't remember his name...i see so many men so its hard to remember names...get them drunk ebough and they usually remind you without asking...thats what Ros says. Anyways, the betting on my ascension as a full fledged Courtesan is in a week. He seemed interested...thank you, your Grace." She curtsied and gave him a letter.

"Very well. I will go and see her." Ailuin said and glanced at his mother from the corner of his eye, hoping that she wouldn't cause a scene. He knew exactly how she felt about Rosalind and Clarabelle and their line of work. Elduin smiled at Clarabelle and waved at her but stopped as his mother gave him a sharp look and tucked him behind her.

Ailuin perked up as Clara mentioned Elas. "You mean Elas?" He was surprised to hear that Elas had been interested. He was normally quite grumpy and didn't want anything to do with women, especially after Zaleria had rejected him. "I will try to deliver it to him, but I cannot promise that he has not already left. He does not stay long in the castle these days."

"Yes! Elas! That's right! Well...it would be good for business if a lord was the highest bidder. Anyway, i take my leave. Should i tell Madame you'll think about it instead of confirming? She would understand." She asked a she stared at Ilayana. "I should take my leave...i apologize for offending with my presence...." Clarabelle ran off with a hurt expression.

Ailuin shook his head. "No, no. I will go and see her right away. Thank you for delivering the message, Clara." He then looked at his mother when the girl left. Ilayana looked at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "What?" She huffed, clearly not ashamed of how she had behaved. Of course, Ailuin wasn't about to call her out. He didn't feel like arguing with her. "Nothing, mother. If you will excuse me, I have business to attend to."

She scowled at him, clearly not pleased. "Business? You mean going to see that whore?" Ailuin looked at her and glared slightly. "Do not refer to her in such a manner. She has a name and yes, I am going to see her, regardless of how you feel on the matter. Excuse me." He then left before she could say another word, making his way to where Rosalind's new establishment was.

In the new pleasure house, it seemed much more spacious than the last. Many courtesans were sitting on the laps of elven guards off duty and dancing for the elven men. Rosalind was in her office and counting coins while the girls were hacing fun with the bew clients. There was numerous faint moaning coming from upstairs in the rooms. Alduin was sitting in the back of the pleasure house and playing with another bastard boy as they clashed wooden swords as another maiden of purity was watching and clapping with a giggle at the boys. She was much younger though than Clarabelle and clearly not ready to seduce men yet.

Ailuin acquired a hooded cloak along the way and put it on so that he could leave without people knowing who he was. It didn't take him long to reach the pleasure house and he stood and observed it for a moment before heading inside to find Rosalind.

Inside people were dancing, cheering, and having a good time. Clarabelle was even singing and playing a small harp while a pretty red head was playing a wooden flute. Rosalind was just finishing up her work and put her money inside a secret vault deguised as a book shelf. Rosalind smiled as she left the office and walked down to the bar for a refreshing drink. Their bartender was a minotaur and had plenty of muscle to kick out a pest. She drank by herself and sighed as the sweet drink pleased her taste buds. She was wearing a dark red velvet dress, her thigh exposed from the slit of her dress.

It seemed that the establishment was rather nice and well run but it didn't surprise Ailuin. This was Rosalind who was in charge, after all. He smiled slightly before spotting her as she came down the stairs and headed to the bar. He moved to approach her, keeping his hood low so none of the guards would realize that their king was here.

He slid up beside her and glanced at her. "Madame, you wished to see me?" He murmured, knowing that even though she couldn't really see his face, she would recognize his voice. Or so he hoped.

Rosalind smiled at him and stood up after finishing her drink. She then hugged his arm and escourted him upstairs to a room before locking the door. "I'm glad yiu came...Ailuin...i wanted to keep you away but...i can't...I want you..." Ros said to him before pulling him into a kiss and a moan as her fingers tangled into his hair.

He followed her upstairs to a room and lowered his hood once he was inside and the door was locked. "I came as soon as I was able. What did you wish to speak to me about?" He then fell silent as she explained that she had wanted to keep him away but couldn't. He wrapped his arms around her, tugging her towards him and met her kiss.

He reached up with one hand to tangle his fingers in her red hair, the other hand resting on her back. He couldn't help but be turned on from the kiss since it had been a long time since he had gotten to kiss her or be intimate with her.

Tears streamed down Ros's face as she kissed him and leaned into his embrace. Ros was the kind of woman who is cautious, clever, and quite a tease but with Ailuin she felt differently. She felt like Ailuin would never hurt her and would do everything in his power to keep her safe. His lips were soft and gentle against hers. He wasn't rough and callous like other men were. He was attentive and wise whicj filled her with desire for him. Ros gently pushed him to sit down. With a sigh. "Ailuin...i want this but i cant help feeling this isnt right..." Ros said as she rubbed her forehead. "Clara told me how your mother treated her...do you think she's going to spare me any kindness?" Ros sighed and sat beside him.

Ailuin enjoyed the kiss, savoring the feeling of her lips against his own. He allowed her to push him down to sit on the edge of the bed, not protesting the end of the kiss. It was obvious to him that she had a lot on her mind and he was willing to listen. He frowned at the mention of his mother's treatment of Clara.

"My mother's behavior towards Clara was uncalled for, I do agree. I will not make excuses for her but she was born as an elven noblewoman. There were no such things as pleasure houses in the elven lands, not until you came around. Though, there may have been some in the past that I am unaware of what." He paused, knowing he was on the verge of rambling.

"What I am trying to say, it is nothing she is used to. It will take her time to get used to it and accept it. She loves me and I know she does not approve of you, but I am confident that once she gets to know you, she will love you. Even if she does not, I still want to be with you but I will not allow her to treat you terribly. You have my word." He turned towards her and cupped her cheek, looking at her lovingly.

"I swear that I will not let my mother come between us if you wish to be with me. However, I do understand your reluctance to be with me and I will also understand if you choose to remain friends with me. I do, however, want to be a part of Alduin's life regardless of our relationship." He pulled her towards him and onto his lap, holding her close to him. "Just give me time to warm my mother up to the idea of you."

Something told Ros that she shouldn't do this but when she looked at Ailuin, temptation got the best of her. "I must look for a woman to replace my status as madame. That could take time. All my girls are rather new at this business or came to me from other establishments so I don't quite know who is responsible to take charge yet." She sighed as she leaned into his embrace. "Now... enough with business...I've missed you." Ros smirked as she pushed i'm back and straddled him. "Let's have some fun..." She giggled at him with a lustful grin.

Meanwhile, Elayne was in Fendrae's new room and sifting through some stuff while ordering the guards to fetch things and move stuff. "We'll need to get you some new clothes...I'm not letting you dress in rags." She sighed as she looked a Fendrae and thought about what she would design for him. "What about dark purple? i think it would look nice on you? Maybe blue or green?" she smiled as she looked at him.

Ailuin nodded, happy that she was really considering being with him. It would not be an easy road, but he loved her too much to walk away from this. "Take as much time as you need, Ros. I know how to be a patient man." He smiled at her, a gentle look in his green eyes as he gazed at her with utter adoration. He couldn't help but laugh as she pushed him back and straddled him. He pulled her in for a kiss, not hesitating to oblige her.

Fendrae was standing uncertainly in his new room, watching her as she sorted some things. He was unused to being in such a bright room as the dark elves lived mostly underground, much like the snow elves. He had finally taken off his cloak and was dressed in some fine, yet simple clothing that was black. "I like purple." He was then quiet for a moment as he looked at her. "Are you going to be my new mother?"