Page 67 of Under the Lion Star

“Hope your journey was smooth,” King Doran spoke, gesturing for us to take our places at the table. “This must be your lovely wife. It’s a pleasure, Queen Zialda.”

“The pleasure is mine, your grace,” I gave a slight bow, not wanting to show too much reverence so that he understood we were on the same level.

“This is my wife, Queen Aydra, and my daughter, Princess Kira.”

Both women gave deep curtsies, nearly mirroring one another as if they’d been trained to perfect the pose. We all sat, but Princess Kira had yet to look up from the hands she kept clasped in her lap. When her gaze darted from the corner of her eye, she looked not at me or Leor but at Doran, and a sickening nausea gripped my stomach.

She’s scared of her father.

“What you’re doing here is great,” Doran said, motioning toward Keldsfen. “Building something new in the place of tragedy.”

Leor tensed momentarily before nodding, “It will be a great start to opening trade between our countries. I appreciate you conceding the town to our territory.”

“After what my father did to Haerbor, it’s the least I could offer.”

“I’d like to ensure that neither of us make the same mistakes our parents did. New rulers for both Krannar and Fjorn mean we can have a fresh start. I’d rather have you as an ally than an enemy.”

“You and me both,” Doran nodded in agreement. “There is something I’d like to ask of you. It bears nothing against us moving forward but more of a personal favor.”

Leor said nothing, waiting for the Krannari king to continue.

“What happened here in Keldsfen was a tragedy, but it is what prompted the peace to begin,” Doran said. “However, I’d be remiss if I did not ask that you find the elf responsible and ensure someone so dangerous was not allowed to roam free.”

“The elf?” Leor said, but his leg bounced slightly against mine as if he were agitated.

“Ah, yes, I should have mentioned in my letters that we have a witness of that night. The only survivor from Keldsfen.”

“A witness,” Leor repeated.

“A young woman,” Doran continued. “While much of the town evacuated, a few stayed with the soldiers we had stationed here. One of them managed to escape that night and run to Krannol.”

Krannol was the capital city of Krannar and a decent journey from Keldsfen, especially by foot. I hated imagining what the poor girl must have felt as she fled her home after witnessing such an atrocity.

“And this witness is sure that it was the work of a lone elf? How many soldiers were stationed here? While I have the utmost confidence in my soldiers, it seems unlikely that one could cause such destruction in the span of a few hours.”

“She assures me it was just one. The girl watched the entire attack from that coop,” he pointed his finger to the farm behind us.

Leor did not move to look, but I couldn’t help it, wondering what sort of horrors the survivor witnessed while hiding inside the small wooden structure.

“One elf,” Doran repeated, leaving no room for argument. “Killed over eighty humans, even after they called their surrender.”

“I will look into it,” Leor nodded. “We have several soldiers who are a cut above the rest in terms of fighting prowess. You can imagine I am not eager to have such an elf roaming Fjorn if he poses a threat.”

“I figured as much,” Doran shrugged. “As I said, it is more of a personal favor to me than something that will impede our working relationship.”

“Is the woman okay?” I asked.

“She’s fine,” Doran replied, although it didn’t seem like he actually cared. “The elf got close to her. Seemed to think there was something special about her. I assure you, she is just an illiterate orphan, but I’d hate for him to come looking for her once more. Seeing what he did to the town, I imagine he is a rather unhinged sort.”

“Certainly,” Leor agreed, his spine rigid with tension. “I’ll see that he is found and dealt with. You can assure the woman that she is safe.”

Once the food was served, the conversation took a more pleasant turn. My attempts to engage with the princess, who I learned was only eighteen, were met with one-word replies and quick glances. The human king made his displeasure known, as he apologized for his daughter several times, going on to call her a disappointing heir.

“Make sure you have sons,” he laughed, speaking to Leor. “Daughters are nothing but trouble.”

“Any child with my queen will be a blessing,” Leor smiled, but it was forced.

He was treading lightly, choosing each word he spoke with the utmost care. The human king seemed none the wiser, continuing to joke at his daughter's and wife’s expense.

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