Page 60 of The Night Prince 3
Her mouth popped open. “Well, I know that’s… I mean if Ailduin for a time–a short time–worked with Vex–”
“More cycles together than apart,” Snaglak contradicted her.
She blinked. “You’re saying–”
“The truth. Aravae and Kindreth were inseparable for far longer than they’ve been apart,” Helgrom cut in.
“But that would mean a whole swath of our history has been obscured! That can’t be true. Can it?” She looked between them all for confirmation.
Her brother’s upper lip curled. “The Glass Scholar and his ilk hide more books than they put on the shelves.”
“They what?!” Elasha’s eyes flashed. “You’re saying he’s purposely hiding things–”
“Things he thinks are dangerous. That the Radiant Council thinks are dangerous,” Darcassan answered. “And maybe it would be in less capable hands or a more narrow mind, but really to keep it from the royal family is absurd!”
“Does Father know?” She tugged anxiously at the collar of her tunic.
“Probably, but he’s not very interested in history. Well, not this sort. Uncle doesn’t know. Father said it was… Well, it doesn’t matter. The orc is surprisingly right about our shared history with the Kindreth,” Darcassan answered. Then he stomped a foot. “Which makes all of this talk about stealing from Illithor nonsense! Ailduin helped craft that city! Many of the great works–and likely weapons–are his and, therefore, ours!”
“Ailduin and the Aravae lost Illithor,” Helgrom said with a finality that had the twins going quiet.
“You were telling us about why the Draesiwen lost Xrdatha, Helgrom. I”m sorry we got off track,” Elasha said quietly.
Helgrom chewed his inner cheek. “We went against him, because what Vex wished to do would be to destroy everything he had built. It was against the Night King’s own interests. But he was too angry–trying to prove a point–that he would not listen.”
“What point?” Darcassan frowned.
“That would take too much time to explain. Just know that the Draesiwen king and Vex were like brothers. They had seen and done so much together.” Helgrom stared off into the distance. “Vex had granted the Draesiwen king eternal life so that they would never be parted so for him to go against Vex… it was not something he did lightly. He only acted because he knew not to would lead to ruin. And it did.”
“Vex could do that?” Elasha’s eyebrows rose. “Give eternal life?’
“That? That is nothing compared to the other wonders he can do, Lady Elasha,” Helgrom told her with both a touch of awe and grimness in his face and voice. “You think you know the full power of magic, but you do not. Not until you have seen Vex or Ailduin cast it.”
Both Aravae considered this, but they didn’t look like they completely believed what Helgrom was saying. Snaglak sighed and considered sniffing his finger again. Surely, a little sniff wouldn’t be noticed…
“So the Draesiwen King believed doing what Vex wanted would harm him and so he refused?” Elasha asked.
A grunt from Helgrom. “He believed that Vex would see reason given enough time. But time ran out. And then–”
“Then Vex attacked Xrdatha?” Darcassan quickly got in as if he would win a prize.
“No,” Helgrom repeated that single word with a baleful look at the Aravae. “When the other allies of the Night Elves saw that there was a breach between the Draesiwen and the Kindreth, they took advantage. They attacked the Draesiwen. And Vex… he simply did not come to our aid.”
Something about the finality of that statement caused Elasha to let out a slight gasp and put a hand to her lips. Her eyes were large and shimmering with tears.
“Dwarves kill lots,” Snaglak put in, thinking that would soothe her. “Many cycles, blood ran. Many cycles, dwarves battle on the walls. Dead piles tall as towers. Easy to use as stairs to get inside.”
She looked at him, appearing more alarmed. He blinked at her. Did she want to sniff his finger? Maybe he should offer.
“You sound like you were there, Snaglak,” Elasha said uncertainly.
Snaglak said nothing.
She looked back at Helgrom. “Were–were there orcs at–”
“At the battle? Oh, yes. Orcs are at every battle, Lady Elasha,” Helgrom chuckled without rancor. “That is their purpose: to fight, to kill, to die.”
She licked her lips. “But you do not seem to have any…” here, her eyes flickered to Snaglak, “any bad feelings towards the Kindreth or the orcs.”
