Chapter 36 – The Council's Decision
The great hall once again shimmered with the glow of crystal lights embedded into the wooden walls. Tonight, the elders of both the Forest Elves and the Dark Elves sat together, the heavy air between them no longer filled with hatred, but with the weight of something greater: the future of their race.
Valdyn sat at the central seat, Sylwen on his right, Nymeris on his left. His infants had been entrusted to attendants, though their soft cries sometimes echoed faintly from beyond the chamber—gentle reminders of what this council was meant to protect.
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An elder of the Forest Elves rose, his long white beard trembling as he spoke.
"For centuries, our greatest weakness has been birth. Even before the Ragnarok War, our race faltered because of dwindling children. Women bore one child, perhaps in a hundred years, and rarely more."
His eyes fixed on Valdyn, sharp and piercing.
"But you, golden-haired child… you have brought forth five heirs in mere months."
A Dark Elf elder added, his voice gravelly.
"That is no coincidence. It is a sign. The ancestors have chosen your path as our answer."
Murmurs rippled through the chamber. The word "ancestors" spread among them like an invisible thread binding two clans long divided.
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At last, a Dark Elf matriarch rose. Her voice was calm, yet carried an air of solemnity.
"If we hesitate, our race will vanish. So I propose something—not for pleasure, but for survival."
The hall quieted as her words fell.
"Each clan shall choose three women of pure bloodlines. They will bear the children of Valdyn Thalorian. Not as wives. Not as harem. They will be known as the Vessels of the Ancestors—sacred bearers for the future of our kind."
The words fell like thunder. Some elders gasped. Sylwen instinctively gripped Valdyn's hand tighter. Nymeris narrowed her eyes, weighing the reactions of all around.
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"Six women…" one Forest Elf elder muttered.
"This is madness," whispered another.
But the white-bearded elder shook his head.
"Not madness. Sacrifice. The ancestors demand that we offer a future for our children's children. Will you turn away from a chance laid so clearly before us?"
Valdyn's voice cut through the tension.
"And what of them? Are these women to be forced?"
The matriarch answered firmly, meeting his gaze without wavering.
"They will be chosen from families who understand sacrifice. They will come willingly, with the blessing of their kin. This is not for desire. It is for our people's survival."
Silence blanketed the chamber, heavy with the weight of what had just been proposed.
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Valdyn finally rose to his feet.
"If this is your decision, then I will not refuse. But I swear one thing: every child born of me will be protected with my life. They are not numbers. They are not tools. They are my blood, and they will be the foundation of our rebirth."
His voice rang through the chamber, clear and unwavering. Some elders bowed their heads; others closed their eyes in solemnity. For a moment, it felt as though the ancestors themselves listened from the shadows of the hall.
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At last, Queen Serenea, who had remained silent until now, stood. Her voice was sharp, resonant, filled with authority.
"Then it is decided. Six women shall be chosen. They will not be called wives, but the Vessels of the Ancestors."
Her gaze shifted to Sylwen and Nymeris, her tone unyielding.
"But before this path is taken, one thing must be established. Our people cannot move forward without recognizing true queenship. In three days' time, under the roots of the World Tree, Valdyn Thalorian shall wed Sylwen Aeloria and Nymeris Veyra in sacred ceremony."
The two women exchanged brief glances, then lowered their heads in acceptance.
Valdyn drew a deep breath. Tonight, his life was no longer his own. It belonged to the destiny of all Elves.
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Outside, fires burned high, marking the close of the council.
Yet Valdyn found no sleep that night. He stood on the balcony, staring at the moon suspended in the dark sky.
Three days… a sacred wedding. And after that… the heaviest night of my life.
His emerald eyes gleamed, hard with resolve. Whatever awaited him, he knew this was only the beginning of his true path.
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