Chapter 1
Alone figure stand at the edge of the grand hall, surrounded by the eerie silence of the elf queen's castle. The flickering torches cast an otherworldly glow on the ornate tapestries, making him feel like an outsider in this alien world. His wife, the Queen, sits upon her throne, her piercing emerald eyes fixed on him as she speaks:
"Attend to our son, Jaron, for he requires your presence now."
Jaron hurries through the winding corridors, passing by the queen's guards who watch him with an air of curiosity. As he approaches the nursery, jaron hears the soft murmur of a gentle voice, belonging to the elf maid, Elara, who is tasked with caring for his child. Jaron pushes open the door and steps inside, where Elara turns to face him, a look of concern etched on her face.
"Ah, Jaron, thank the gods you've arrived, the young prince has been... restless."
Elara's expression turns grave as she says,
"He's been having dark visions, Jaron, and his behavior has become increasingly erratic. The queen's healers have been unable to determine the cause, and I've grown worried for his safety."
She glances around the room, ensuring they are alone, before adding,
"I've seen him speaking to shadows, and he's begun to exhibit... unusual abilities."
Elara's voice drops to a whisper as she says,
"The prince speaks of a great darkness that threatens to consume our world, and of a figure in black who whispers terrible things in his ear He's seen glimpses of a destroyed castle and of the queen's own downfall. The visions leave him shaken and disturbed."
She hands Jaron a small, leather-bound book,
"I've been recording his episodes and the things he says during them. Perhaps you can find some meaning in his words."
Jaron asks to see the prince .
Elara nods and steps aside, revealing a small, ornate bed where the young prince lies, his eyes closed. She whispers,
"Be gentle. He's been through a lot."
As Jaron approaches, the prince's eyes flicker open, and he looks up at him with an unnerving intensity. The queen's voice comes from the doorway,
"Jaron, I see you're attending to our son. I expect you to uncover the source of his visions and put an end to it."
Jaron asks his baby what he sees and is amazed by the intelligence of a young child.
The prince's gaze drifts off, and he says,
"I see a castle in ruins, and the queen's crown broken. A figure in black speaks to me, saying 'the time of darkness is near'." He pauses, then adds, "I see you, Father, standing alone, with no escape from the shadows."
Elara's eyes widen, and she whispers, "That's new. He's never mentioned you before." The queen's voice interrupts, "Enough, we don't need to hear more of this nonsense."
The queen's expression turns cold, and she says, "I've already told you, Jaron, the healers have found nothing. There's no need to pursue this further." Elara steps forward, handing you a small, rolled-up parchment,
"I've made a note of the symbols the prince draws after his visions. Maybe you can find some meaning in them."
The parchment contains crude drawings of a broken crown, a black tree, and a symbol that looks like a cross with an arrow pointing downwards. The prince's voice interrupts,
"Father, I remember something else. The figure in black said,'the keystone is hidden where shadows fall'."
The queen's eyes narrow as she takes the parchment from Jaron, her gaze scanning the symbols. After a moment, she hands it back, her voice firm,
"These are nothing but the ramblings of a child. I will not have you wasting your time on this, Jaron. You have duties to attend to." She turns to Elara, "
See that the prince is prepared for the evening's festivities. We will not let his... episodes disrupt our plans.
" Elara nods, but her eyes seem uncertain as she glances at you, then back at the queen. The queen's guard, a tall elf named Thalion, steps forward, "Your Majesty, shall I escort the prince to his quarters?"
Jaron pulls the queen closer for a kiss, as well as asking for them to spend the night together.
The queen's expression remains cold, unyielding to your gesture. She does not return your kiss. Instead, she pushes you away, her voice firm,
"We have duties to attend to, Jaron. The evening's festivities will not wait."
She turns to leave, expecting you to follow. Thalion steps forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword,
"You will accompany the queen to the grand hall, Jaron." Elara's eyes meet yours, a fleeting glance, before she turns to tend to the prince. The queen's voice echoes from the corridor,
"Come, Jaron, we have guests to attend to."
Jaron follows the queen, Thalion walking beside him, his eyes fixed on jaron. The grand hall is filled with elf nobles, and their faces turn towards the queen as she enters. The queen takes her place at the head of the table, motioning for you to sit beside her. The feast begins, with servants bringing out dishes of roasted meats and steaming vegetables. The queen's advisor, a tall, thin elf named Lyrien, speaks up,
"Tonight, we celebrate the prince's naming day and the upcoming harvest festival."
The queen raises her cup,
"Let us toast to our son's health and the prosperity of our realm."
The nobles echo her toast, their eyes watching Jaron.
Lyrien turns to Jaron, his voice low,
"The prince's naming day is a significant occasion, Jaron. It marks his transition from infancy to childhood. The queen has chosen a name that reflects our realm's history and power."
He glances at the queen before continuing, "I have prepared a ceremony to take place during the harvest festival, and it will solidify the prince's position as heir." The queen interrupts,
"Lyrien, tell Jaron about the guest we will be hosting during the festival." Lyrien's expression becomes guarded,
"We will be hosting the dwarven ambassador, Kragnir. He brings gifts and proposals for our realm's consideration."
Jaron sits down and is disturbed by his son cries. Jaron speaks to Elara, saying
" I know I'm a stranger to this world, but after these years, I found something better, and that's my son ."
Jaron continues
" At first, I wasn't interested in all of this, but then my son came to the world, I thought that I'll be able to talk to him. Tell him fantasy stories and sing to him."
Elara sees that Jaron is in pain and comforts him by giving him a hug. With sorrow eyes, Elara says
" I understand everything. The atmosphere of this castle used to be cold till u came."
Elara, holding his hand, continues
" Even though after the prince was conceived, you and the queen never had physical contact again. You neither raised your voice nor were you indignant. You just focused on the better things with your son. I know that you've been starving due to not being satisfied with your sexual desires. "
Jaron smiling and a little embarrassed said
" I don't care about that the queen blessed with my son, even though I got emotionally attached to her in the process.
To me, the night that my son was conceived, I not only gave her my seed but also my heart and soul. My heart beats for her as it does for me."
Jaron, with a cold stern look, said
" Even though I love her, I'll even risk the entire world for my son, but the fact that she doesn't show an ounce of worry for her son is disgusting. "
Elara, with a deep gaze in Jaron's eyes, she said,
" You don't know the true persona of her Majesty, you never been to the outside world, and once you've escaped here one day, everything will be revealed. "
Thalion sees the two discussing something. Thalion, with curious, went closer to listen. Elara noticed that Thalion was standing behind them with a gaze full of contempt. Elara hand signaled Jaron to warn him that someone is behind them. Jaron, with a side eye glance, saw Thalion behind them . Thalion realized that he was discovered because the two stopped their entire conversation.
Thalion eyes with contempt said
" You better not be gossiping about her Majesty. Elara, you should not be bad mouthing your aunt. You should remember your father sold you to the queen after losing in a gambling game.
The queen saw that you had an ability to see a person's potential and nurtured you to be better. So, as you know slaves should not be rude to their masters. Jaron, don't get comfortable because the queen's your wife very soon. I'll make her mine. "
Thalion walked, and as he did, his footsteps echoed on the castle walls. After he was gone a considerable distance, in complete shock, Jaron asked
"The queen's your Aunt?!"
Elara confirmed and said,
" My father and her Majesty are brother and sister."
Jaron was shocked and wondered why she didn't tell him. After considering he thought maybe her father is such a bad person, she doesn't want to remember him or him face. Elara, with a sad face, said
" My Father and her Majesty had another game. My father one this one."
Jaron curiously asked
" What did they wager??."
Elara laughing, said
" The name they're going to give the prince came from my father . I wouldn't be surprised if the prince dreamt of him because he's been brewing something for a long time. "
Jaron, angry, shouted
" they're not going to allow me to name my own son because of a game. More importantly, to someone I've never met before. "
Elara stopped him, advising him to stay quiet because they could behead him . Elara said
" Right now, it'll seem like treason, and you'll be discarded , killed easily. "
Elara advised Jaron to go to the party and smile.
Authors note : the story will be fast paced for these beginning chapters. Don't worry it'll get better it moves on