Avalyne Series 02: The Easterling (11 page)

‘
I thank you for your offer but I have to decline,’ Melia said politely, feeling less intimidated by him now that she knew what he was about. She had no wish call to satisfy his curiosity about Easterling women if that was his purpose For all she knew, this could be an ill conceived way for him to determine her loyalty to his brother or was it a game of brinksmanship between brothers? Whatever it was, Melia had no wish to be caught in the middle of it or  for that matter betray the Prince.

‘
Because of Aeron?’ Hadros asked pointedly.

While he would have like to have
bedded her, he was not terribly disappointed that she refused him especially now he knew there was his younger brother to consider. Despite both Melia and Aeron’s protestations that their relationship was platonic, Hadros could tell  that Melia’s refusal almost certainly had to do with Aeron.  Besides, there were many others  would oblige him if Melia was unwilling.

‘
No,’ Melia stated more hastily than she should have.

She saw his eyes
narrow in calculation and knew immediately that he did not believe her. Melia cursed inwardly at her inadvertent revelation and said nothing for a few seconds as she gathered her thoughts, trying to find an answer that would  convince him that she and Aeron were just friends.

‘I have no desire to bed an elf. It is dangerous.’ She said finally.

‘
Only if you love him,’ Hadros returned smoothly.

Melia could offer him no answer in return.

Instead, they maintained their silence as they continued walking towards the hall, two former antagonists finding an odd sort of neutrality. They had achieved the understanding in the last few minutes that led  to the realisation that in their mutual dislike they had more in common then either expected.

‘Has anyone ever told you that you are a very vexing elf?” She
declared, resigning in this game of verbal chess they were playing.

‘
As often as you have been told that you are evasive," Hadros replied like a gracious winner, ‘I believe that places us on equal footing.’

‘
Equal?’ She craned her neck to look at him and noted that he was smiling at her wryly. ‘I thought elves were better than mortals in every way.’

‘
We are but it’s impolite to repeat it in mortal company.’

Despite herself, Melia laughed.
‘I see now where your brother gets his ego.’

‘
Oh it is a family trait,’ Hadros grinned, ‘You should meet our father.’

****
**

When Melia
entered the hall in Hadros’ company, Aeron could not help feeling a little disturbed by the sight of them together particularly when they appeared to be getting along. It was a far cry from the antagonism displayed when they had met earlier that day in the woods. What was worse, Aeron recognised the familiar gleam in his eyes as he regarded Melia and tensed. He had seen Hadros wear it when he was attempting to woo some maid at court  into his bed.

The idea that Hadros might have similar designs on Melia tugged jealously at
Aeron. 

The celebration was modest in comparison to some of the feasts that
Aeron attended during his lifetime but the atmosphere was warm and entertaining. Gavril was always an amiable host and though it was clear that he enjoyed entertaining. Despite being Lord of Eden Iolan, he still conducted his gatherings as if he were still the captain of the Forest Guard and they were light hearted affairs devoid of ostentatious formality. Aeron often wondered if Gavril would be happier if he were still a soldier instead the leader of his own realm.

Even before
Hadros delivered Melia to his arm, Aeron could hear the speculation running through Gavril’s court at who she was to him. Was she simply a friend or more? No doubt, there would be much gossip and rumour mongering about what the Prince of Eden Halas was doing in the company of a mortal female, particularly an unattached female. He knew that for many years, especially at Halas, there were those who questioned why he had not presented any maid as his favourite. Unlike Hadros who seemed to have a different flavour every month and Syannon who was happily married.

Aeron’s reasons for remaining unattached
were due entirely to his parents.

He did not think the match of Halion and Syanne was well made.
Although the span of his parents’ marriage stretched across millennia, they never seemed suited to each other. The affection between them was certainly lacking and Aeron wondered if they simply tolerated each other. If there was love between them, Aeron never saw it.

He did not even think they were bonded but he had never dared to ask his mother.  Once an elf found their soul mate, the bond between the two would last for all time, even after one of them were dead.
Some elves were known to die after the loss of a mate while others moved through life a shadow of their former selves.

While
his parents produced children and ruled Eden Halas together, Aeron was certain that neither were happy. It made him more selective about who he chose for his own mate because eternity was a long time to be trapped in a loveless marriage.

If Melia noticed the stir
being seated next to him had caused, she did not show it. Instead, she remained silent during the first hours of the feast, adding to the conversation only when addressed directly. Aeron suspected that she was somewhat overwhelmed by the company of so many of his people when it was entirely possible that Arianne was the first elf  Melia had ever encountered. Most mortals went their whole lives without encountering the elves let alone be allowed into one of their cities behind the Veil.

Despite  Melia's
desire to remain a quiet observer in the proceedings, she was undoubtedly the centre of attention. As strange as the elves might seem to Melia, she was similarly a source of great interest and fascination because  of her Easterling heritage. The first contact the Western Sphere had with the peoples of Rayan and the Chaldeans took place during the battle of Astaroth. Before that, none had ever come this far. Melia was most likely the only Easterling female that any of them have seen.

Unfortunately,
Melia’s heritage was nowhere as fascinating to the court of Eden Iolan as the nature of her personal relationship with him. After all, there had to be something between them for her to be travelling with him alone. Aeron supposed it did not aid matters that he paid such close attention to her while she sat next to him during the feast. He made the request to keep her close because he knew she would be nervous in such unfamiliar company. She was by nature a solitary creature, slowly becoming accustomed to having people in her life again.

Still, he would be lying he did not admit
he enjoyed having her seated next to him.

****
**

‘
Tell us of Nadira Melia,’ Miriel, a young maiden asked once the meal was done and they were waiting for evening's entertainment to begin. The question drew a general rumble of interest from those present and Miriel’s inquiry originated from a place of genuine curiosity.

Melia swallowed thickly, wishing she
was not singled out in such a manner. She was still trying to accustom herself to their ways and she did not wish to be the focus of everyone in the room. However, there was little she could do to avoid it since Miriel was waiting for a response. Meeting Aeron's gaze, she saw his encouraging smile and supposed that if she was capable of fighting Berserkers and a Primordial from Sanhael, she could face answering a simple question about her homeland. Besides she sensed no malice in Miriel's question for she appeared young even for an elf and waited with rapt interested for Melia to speak.

‘
Well,’ she spoke after thinking up a suitable answer. ‘My father's tribe were originally of Rayan but we broke with them five hundred years ago and journeyed north towards the Castellan Sea. We had peace with them for many centuries until Balfure decided he wanted us to join his armies. When we refused, Balfure set Rayan and our neighbours against us. To many of the Easterlings, Balfure was an ally. He showed us how to reclaim water from the air and how to survive when the desert when our tribes were  young.”

‘
It is hard to imagine him as being benevolent,’ Gavril remarked. ‘Not after what he wrought in the west.’

‘
I agree,’ Melia answered. ‘It was a means to an end. We understood his aid came at a price and once he had the devotion of the others, he indoctrinated them with hatred of all things  in the Western Sphere. He had them believing that if they did not defeat the kingdoms of the west, the West would come for them.  My people were not swayed by Balfure’s lies but we paid the price for it. Our refusal to submit resulted in the Rayan becoming determined to conquer Nadira and we have been war ever since.’

‘
That is a terrible fate,’ Gavril declared with genuine distress because he knew what it was like to be embroiled in a conflict that never seemed to end. He could not imagine that for his people or any other for that matter, simply because they wished to be free. ‘It is a wonder your people were able to survive.’

‘
Our survival came at a price,’ Melia said sadly and continued her explanations. ‘When the Rayan were allied to Balfure, their raiding parties included Berserkers and many of our women were taken and despoiled. After a time, it was decided to protect us, we should remain hidden always.’

‘
How primitive!’ Miriel gasped, unable to imagine such a life where she would have to remain cloistered away from the eyes of all. ‘Was it this way for you?’

‘
Yes,’ Melia nodded slowly, remembering those days when she would only be allowed out of her home in the company of her father and he was more tolerant than most regarding the treatment of women in Nadira. ‘My father spent some time in the west so he saw that it was possible to raise daughters differently which is why he taught me how to defend myself. In our lands, women may not fight or use weapons because Berserker raiding parties would kill anyone with a weapon and it was believed that if we were not bearing arms, we would be safe from that fate at least.’

‘
That is a shame for I have seen enough women in combat to know they can carry themselves in battle as well as any man. Celene of Angarad is equal if better than most men in combat,’ Aeron remarked, remembering the Lady of Gislaine in a battle.

‘
As I said, it was for our protection to begin with,’ Melia explained, having never really considered the traditions of her homeland so deeply until now. ‘However, as time went by it became an excuse for men to have their way and have absolute command over their women.’

‘
If we were to attempt such practices here, I do not think we would survive the night,’ Gavril said laughing and receiving resounding agreement from those at court by the chorus of nods and soft replies. ‘I think it would grieve me if I did not have the counsel of my lady during the times of ages past.’

Gavril
tried to hide the sadness in his eyes and it was opportune when the elven musicians began to play their instruments for the entertainment of those present. When the sweet melody of their song filled the air, it distracted everyone from the Lord of Eden Iolan's sorrow over the loss of his wife.  She was taken in childbirth and Lord Gavril mourned her still. It was a common misconception among the younger races that elves were completely immortal when in fact they could succumb to serious illness, injury and unnatural death.

Gavril did not allow his melancholy to hinder the mood of the evening and prompted
his people to enjoy the music. Very soon some maids were invited to the floor by their suitors to dance.  Once this celebration of life bloomed around him, Gavril's cheer returned to the table. The Prince was glad for this. In his youth, the Lord of Eden Iolan had been far more approachable than his father and many a time Aeron had come to him for counsel.

Aeron turned to Melia to invite to dance
he realised, much to chagrin, that someone had beaten him to it. His eyes searched the floor in front of him and found much to his annoyance that she was dancing. With his brother.

Hadros had his arm about her waist, his fingers entwined in hers and
they were moving in concert across the floor amongst the other couples. What was even worse was that Melia appeared to be enjoying his company. Wasn’t it this morning that he had called her a barbarian and worse yet, Aeron’s whore?

Seething with jealousy that she c
ould forget a slight so easily, Aeron watched the couple with growing irritation. He could not help but feel incensed at the radiant smile she was giving his brother as they moved across the dance floor with perfect rhythm. Even his brother’s typical arrogance appeared diminished and there was real warmth in his eyes when he looked upon her. Hadros seemed enchanted and Aeron bristled at the continued contact his brother had with Melia’s waist.

He bore it for as long as he could but when the music paused, Aeron was on his feet and striding across the floor towards them. Tapping Hadros’ shoulder before he and Melia could resume dancing, Aeron did his best to ensure that he showed his older brother
no sign of jealousy. His efforts were in vain and Hadros flashed him a smug smile of knowing when he stepped aside for Aeron.