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Chapter 2 - Chapter Two: The Royal Council of Elshavi Kingdom

A sharp, urgent voice cut through the fog:

"She's dangerous, Your Highness! Their kind must not be trusted or pursued!"

A soft, lilting laugh followed, light and teasing, almost childlike. A woman stepped forward, her eyes glinting like glass in the shadows. She had no wings, no shimmer of magic—but something about her presence radiated undeniable, terrifying power.

"These elders are playing tricks on you again?" she said with a smile.

"No matter what they say," she added, unwavering, "I will still love you."

Chains—thick, black, ancient—erupted from the ground, wrapping around her wrists and ankles. Iron cuffs bit into her skin, suspending her helpless. Her body shuddered as the weight held her fast.

A hollow, echoing voice tore through the darkness:

"Why?"

Then, everything turned to blood. Wings tore from the skies, fairyfolk fell screaming, forests splintered, and rivers churned black. Children wept, warriors collapsed, the kingdom itself shuddered beneath the tide of death. Crimson rivers spilled over marble floors and mossy roots alike, an endless flood of horror.

Amid the devastation, the woman's voice lingered, haunting and chilling:

"No matter what they say, I will still love you."

Aurivei bolted upright from his high, carved bed, sweat drenched, wings trembling. He looked around his royal chamber, chest heaving, eyes wide.

"It's that dream again..."

His wings flickered faintly, glowing and dimming like a heartbeat that had skipped—a warning he could not ignore. He drew a deep breath and retrieved a slender vial from a pouch at his side. Green-silver liquid shimmered as he poured it over his wings. The glow flared bright and steady, reigniting their strength, though the memory of the nightmare clung to him like a shadow.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady his racing heart. Each flicker of his wings reminded him that something had been wrong, that the vision had not been ordinary.

"Why does it feel so real... every time?" he murmured, voice low, almost swallowed by the silence.

The chamber was still. The faint hum of magic—the subtle scent of herbs from his vial—was the only reminder of reality. Yet, his mind carried the echoes: chains snapping, blood flowing, the haunting laughter, and the soft whisper that refused to leave him: "No matter what they say, I will still love you."

A sudden, sharp tap echoed through the chamber, loud against the stone floor. Aurivei's head snapped toward the door.

"Enter," he called, voice firm despite the lingering tremor in his chest.

The doors creaked open, and a fairy stepped inside. Her silver hair shimmered faintly in the torchlight, and her delicate wings—iridescent like dew on morning leaves—spread gracefully before folding together in a deep curtsy, a sign of utmost respect in the Kingdom of Elshavi.

In her hands, she carried a scroll, rolled and tied with a silver ribbon. With another small curtsy, she presented it before him.

"Your Highness," she said, voice clear and respectful, "this arrived for you tonight."

Aurivei's eyes narrowed as he took the scroll, scanning the elegant script of the council's seal. The familiar weight of responsibility pressed on him, heavier than any phantom from his nightmare.

"Three scouting groups gone in as many days," he murmured, almost to himself. "And no word... no trace... nothing."

The attendant spread her wings once more before folding them neatly, a silent gesture of support.

"Shall I lead the way, Your Highness?" she asked, voice steady, respectful, yet carrying a hint of concern.

Aurivei straightened, wings flexing lightly, the glow steady and full.

"Lead the way."

The fairy moved ahead, wings shimmering faintly as she guided him through the torchlit corridors. Each step echoed against the polished stone, their shadows stretching long against the walls. Though the nightmare still clawed at the edges of his thoughts, Aurivei kept his posture regal—the heir to Elshavi's throne moving with measured precision toward the heart of the kingdom.

At last, the Council doors loomed before him—tall and ornate, etched with the sigils of the first fairies. Two sentries pushed them open, the hinges groaning like a warning.

Inside, the chamber waited.

The round table gleamed beneath lantern light, its surface carved with rivers and forests—a map of their realm. Upon their thrones sat the Council:

Queen Sharzry, regal in silver and sapphire, platinum col eyes sharp as the edge of a blade.

Elder Allione, keeper of knowledge, his long white beard resting against robes inked with runes. His gaze carried the weight of foresight.

Elder Taktara, mistress of innovation, fingers drumming impatiently against the armrest, dark eyes restless with thought.

Elder Jaktresya, voice of culture, her robes embroidered with ancient tales, expression solemn and unreadable.

All turned as Aurivei entered. He inclined his head slightly, wings folding tight behind him.

"You summoned me," he said.

Queen Sharzry's voice cut through the chamber, cool and commanding.

"Prince Aurivei. The reports brought to us tonight cannot be delayed. Three days in succession, our scouting parties have vanished beyond our borders."

Murmurs rippled faintly among the elders.

Taktara leaned forward, voice sharp. "Explorers of the eastern wood. Skilled fairies, not prone to error. Yet not one has returned."

Aurivei's brows drew together. His tone was firm.

"What proof do we have of their fate?"

Allione's voice was low, measured like the turning of a page.

"None, save silence. No signal stones, no cries carried by the winds. It is as though the forest itself swallowed them whole."

The words hung heavy.

Jaktresya finally spoke, calm but laced with unease.

"Three days. Three groups. Gone. This is no mere misfortune, Your Highness. It reeks of something older—something cursed."

Aurivei's jaw tightened. The nightmare still whispered at the edges of his mind, its curse echoing like a shadow of truth. Queen Sharzry's gaze fixed on him, unwavering.

"The Council must decide how to act. And as heir to the throne, Aurivei, you will not sit silent in this matter."

"Queen Mother. Honored elders. I do not deny the weight of the millennium curse—its shadow lingers still over us all. But to claim it alone has stolen our kin is folly. Something more immediate is at work. And if we blind ourselves with fear of prophecy, we risk losing more than scouts."

The chamber fell into silence. The elders' expressions soured, pride bruised by the prince's words. Yet none dared to speak. By the laws of Elshavi, no elder may raise their voice while a royal delivers his bid before the Council.

At last, Queen Sharzry broke the stillness. Her voice rang clear as glass, heavy as steel.

"Very well, Aurivei. You speak with conviction, and I commend your clarity in this grave matter. But words alone cannot shield our people. As Prince of Elshavi, heir to the Kingdom of the Northern Lights, tell us this—what course will you take to unravel this mystery and bring our kin home?"

Aurivei straightened, wings flexing lightly, the glow steady and full. His voice rang clear through the chamber:

"It is a matter of time to face the uncertainties, Queen Mother, honored elders. I propose we seek where our missing kin's path ended, as marked here on this map from their last known location."

A murmur rippled through the council. Taktara's fingers drummed sharply against her armrest, her dark eyes flashing with irritation. Jaktresya remained calm, observing the prince with quiet attentiveness.

"This... this is reckless," Taktara finally spoke, voice sharp. "Our kin are already lost! To send more would invite needless danger."

Aurivei's gaze hardened, wings flexing gently.

"Who says that it is our kin who must brave the dangers within? If not me, then who will face them? To hesitate now is to accept their loss as fate. I will go—I am the one who will confront what lies beyond, not our folk."

The chamber fell into stunned silence. Every pair of eyes widened. Taktara's fingers froze mid-drum, Allione's jaw tightened, and even the Queen's sharp gaze lingered with a flicker of surprise. Jaktresya's calm composure remained, but the elders could feel the weight of the prince's words reverberate across the council. Shock, awe, and a mixture of fear and respect filled the room.

Allione's voice followed, low and measured, carrying the weight of centuries:

"Your Highness... I understand your motives. I see the courage that drives you to act. But the heir of this kingdom walking such a path—one without guarantee of safety—is a peril we cannot ignore. A kingdom without its heir... Elshavi would falter, perhaps fall."

He let the words hang, then continued, grave and deliberate:

"Creating another ritual to summon an heir is no trivial matter. Your Highness, Queen Mother, you expended your life essence to bring Aurivei into this world as the prince of this realm. The curse has already weakened us, testing the limits of what remains. To risk our one and only remaining heir on a path so dangerous is to court extinction."

Jaktresya inclined her head slightly, her voice calm and unwavering.

"If I may, Your Highness, I would be honored to aid His Highness in counsel, to guide him as he undertakes this path."

A heavy silence fell over the chamber. Taktara's fingers stilled mid-drumming, her frown deepening. Allione's eyes lingered on the prince, conflicted between the safety of the heir and the necessity of action.

Queen Sharzry's platinum colored eyes gaze swept the room, sharp and deliberate. Then, her lips curved into a subtle, approving smile.

"Very well, Aurivei," she said. "Elder Jaktresya shall lend guidance to assist you. The path is yours to walk, but wisdom and counsel shall not abandon you." She paused, her voice growing steady and commanding. "As for the elders, one must not forget that it is the duty of a royal to seek out his kin and lead them, while having the courage to protect the folk without doubt. Danger lies within this path, yes—but fret not. I am certain that all shall unfold as it must."

Her gaze hardened slightly. "This meeting is adjourned."

She then addressed the seated members with a swift finality. "Honored elders, I applaud your wisdom and I am afraid that this is all we can manage to discuss with the grave matters at hand. You may now return to your duties."

One by one, the elders bowed deeply, honoring tradition, and exited the chamber with grace, their robes whispering against the polished stone floors.

"Aurivei, remain in this chamber. We shall speak further."

With the last elder gone, the air in the chamber seemed to grow heavier, as though the weight of centuries of hidden royal secrets had settled around them

"Now, my prince, I summon you in a ritual as I was summoned. You have grown courageous but there is something I haven't shared regarding the disappearance of the folk. It is only you and I must have gained access to this knowledge." 

The Queen smiled, but Aurivei felt a chill. Something was amiss in the disappearance of the kin—and as he prepared to act, he realized, with grim certainty, that his instincts were right.

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