Page 70 of Court of Aether and Shadows

"Vash'nor kel'eth, wise one. Princesa Le Delash’ Ruke Ve Kah”

Speak freely, wise one. The princess... how fares she truly?

The elder's face grew solemn, her voice lowering to a near whisper in the ancient language.

"Shal'ven ka'nor, my Lord. Ishlka L’avesa Ne Ke’athore. Desu Ru Thenao Delongta’ Esp tenado.”

She struggles, my Lord. The transition was... difficult. Her spirit remembers what her mind does not. The clash of worlds within her is... tumultuous.

That wasn’t good.

I could only assume her ‘human’ side was struggling to come to terms with letting her past self take full control. If both sides couldn’t come up with some sort of compromise, it would be like a war of mentalities, fighting for dominance.

Which could risk me losing my Queen in the process.

It didn’t mean I hadn’t become fond of the little Songbird. I just couldn’t process her acceptance of this form. At least, not the probability of it happening so effortlessly.

I felt a pang of guilt and worry at her words.

Maybe it was too soon. Had I pushed too hard, too fast? Was my eagerness to reclaim my queen causing her pain?

"Thy'lar vas'nor, elder,"I responded, my voice heavy with concern."Dezeus Le Vanorela de cruisa’nso nor Lantra Se"

Your counsel is valued, elder. What can be done to ease her passage?

The elder reached out, her gnarled hand coming to rest on my arm.

The touch, so casual and yet so daring, sent a ripple of shock through the room. Kaelon tensed, ready to intervene, but I stayed him with a look.

"Shal'ven thy'nor, Shadow Lord,"the elder said, her voice gaining strength.“Lo'vren sha'nera. Sha'vren thy'nera. Nethora sha'lin. Yel'varan tal'shira nai, fae'quen har'len tithan ve. Sha'vethra lan'sha na’tiren il’ven, nai sha'vren vel'ain ithara sul'nar."

Patience, Shadow Lord. Love her. Guide her. But above all, let her find her own path. The prophecy speaks of a queen who will bridge worlds. She must forge that bridge herself, lest it crumble beneath the weight of expectation.

Her words struck a chord within me, resonating with a truth I had known but had been reluctant to accept.

My queen, my Lirael, would need to come into her power on her own terms. That may include the potential of having two sides of her: the human, Sparrow, and my Queen, Lirael.

I could guide, could protect, but I could not force her destiny upon her.

"Your wisdom is appreciated," I said, switching back to the common tongue for the benefit of the others. "Now, please, take me to her. I give you my word, no harm will come to her. She is...everything to me."

The vulnerability in my own voice surprised me, but it seemed to have the desired effect. Elenore's posture relaxed slightly, and she nodded.

"This way, my Lord," she spoke up, gesturing for us to follow her lead.

As we moved through the small cottage, I took in every detail.

The modest furnishings, the lingering scent of herbs and magic, the faint hum of protective wards woven into the very walls. This place had been a sanctuary for my queen, and I found myself grateful for its humble comforts.

It carried similar traits to the mundane realms, which could be a good environment to awaken in for my Queen. She wouldn’t feel so frightened at the foreign territory. At least, not with these comforting walls.

The elder fell into step beside me, her voice once again taking on the lyrical quality of the Fae tongue.

"Shal'nor vas'eth, my Lord. Sha’len’ora shi’vren yel’thira das’han dos’tar. Anai’vestra, vael sha’ren ven’shira de sha’vael naras bal’tra shen’eth faran ithan, nai’rel ithra sha’daros vel’tir sha’vellian.

A word of caution, my Lord. The coming days will test you both. Remember, even the greatest of storms cannot uproot a tree with deep roots and flexible branches.

I nodded, understanding the metaphor.

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