Time for Change

7

Lord Treren returns shortly holding a glass bottle about the size of a mini bottle of alcohol from the human world. Tyler looks at him curiously. "It is a restorative, I will need your assistance in administering it. This should wake her sufficiently for you to get her permission for the other. Are you certain that you are strong enough to work the other spell? The old ones were much stronger in magic than we are today and that is one of their spells."

"Yes, when the unicorns died so did our magical growth," Tyler says to himself. Really his people have been dying since the last unicorn died, but there is no help for it, he has to do what he can to help them. He nods once to Treren and holds Shelby upright enough that she won't choke on the potion. Although she might on the taste. He shudders on her behalf, those things are always nasty.

Just then Shelby shudders as well and shortly she opens her eyes and once more finds the elven king bending over her. "Why are you still bothering me?" She can't help but speak her thoughts out loud.

"You passed out once more. I brought you to Elvenhome to heal you." Tyler says softly, not wishing to irritate the human further. Before Shelby can say anything he tells her, "I can completely heal your illness, but only if you consent. The spell is long and difficult and hasn't been used by my people in over a century. I cannot guarantee that it will work, but if I don't you won't have long to live."

Although the king's words strike her with a great deal of fear she allows none of it to show. She closes her eyes to the mesmerizing eyes of the king. "And how much will it cost me this time? Will you take my life in servitude? No thanks king. I'll spend the few remaining years with my children before I die."

"You misunderstand me, Shelby. I find myself in need of your help. The healing will be a partial payment for that help." The king is desperate to get her to agree.

Shelby sits herself up from her semi reclined position and turns to face him. "What kind of help can I give to you? I am nothing and you are the most powerful man, or being if you prefer, in two realms."

The king sighs, this is a gamble and he hopes that it will pay off. "The stones that you returned to me are augury stones. They tell of the need for us to change or we will die in less than two of your human generations. They appeared to you and so you are a part of the equation, the answer if you will. We need your help or my people will die."

Shelby just stares at him in shock at his words before starting to laugh. "You have got to be kidding me? I am the answer to the elves not dying in two generations? My brother would love this. I am no one, how can I help save the high and mighty elves?"

"I don't know," the king's soft voice cuts through her mirth and stops it. She looks at the king that is watching her soberly.

"You aren't kidding." Now Shelby feels herself about to start hyperventilating.

"I wish I was. You have no idea just how hard it is for me to do this." The king mutters just loud enough for her to hear.

Tears form in her eyes, "This is hard for you king? Do you have any clue just what you are asking of me? Just how do you expect any of your people to listen to me?"

"You will have to be my wife for them to do so. You will need to move here with your children." The King states to the astounded woman.

"Oh hell no." Shelby retreats off the bed and once more keeps her eyes on the king and his councilor. "Your people would torment my children, there is no way I'd willingly allow that to happen to my children. I've already dealt with one spouse and abuse I won't put my children through that again."

"I will arrange for them to be treated like family, indeed they will be my children with our marriage. They will be prince's and princess's of my people, they just will never be allowed to rule." The king tries to reassure.

Shelby shakes her head, "No." Then once more darkness closes in upon her.

She hears from a long distance, "You must say yes or the healing won't take." She finds herself saying the word although she doesn't understand exactly what she is saying yes too. Then she falls completely into the black void of oblivion.

"I'm not sure Sire, she did give her permission, but at the same time she had refused earlier. There is only a fifty percent chance of the spell working," Treren says, white faced and nearly shaking in fear. The female is near death and if this spell doesn't work then they are doomed. Even if it does work there is no guarantee that the human will help them. Then of course there's the law and her kids and all the other problems they still have to deal with.

"Time's run out. I no longer have the luxury of debating the issue." With those words Taylor goes into his trance he needs to do the heavy magic. He is the strongest magic user of his day, if this doesn't work then there is no other plan. His people will die.

Tyler performs the spell flawlessly and finds himself flopping onto the bed next to the human, no Shelby, in exhaustion. "How long do you expect it will be before we find out if it works?"

Treren had watched his old pupil in amazement, he'd never seen so much magic worked at one time. "I imagine it will be rather quick. This girl was far sicker than you told her, though, you do know that right?"

"Yes, but I didn't want her to feel pressured into this. Now, I did this without her true willingness and I could have detrimental effects overall. I wish that hadn't of been necessary." Tyler says half asleep due to the exhaustion from the spell.

"Do you have a restorative ready?" Treren demands, there is too much to be done for Tyler to rest and restore naturally.

Tyler's words are slurred as he answers, "Top shelf in my lab. Blue bottle." He wonders why he put it in such an inaccessible place now. If he was alone he'd never be able to reach it to use. Next time he'll have to place it where he'll be able to reach it.

His thoughts are interrupted when he feels himself lifted and something placed in his mouth. He swallows automatically and all but hurls the liquid out of his body. He manages to keep it down and shortly he feels almost normal once more.

"Thank you, it's been some time since I've had to taste one of those things and I've forgotten how horrible they are." Tyler says as he sits up and finds himself looking at the human female and she's looking back at him.