Time for Change

16

Lord Treren finds Tyler back at the palace in his lab. "What happened Sire?"

"She wants us to overturn the oldest of our laws. She says that the greatest unrest against us is the half elves aren't allowed their heritage here." The idea of half elven being allowed here makes Tyler sick, as it does most of the elves.

Treren watches Tyler carefully. "Did not the stones say that she is the key to saving us? What use is throwing the key away just because you don't like what you find when you turn it in the lock?"

Tyler looks at Treren like he's lost his mind. "Just what the hell are you saying?"

"You were willing to marry a human to save your people, yet you are unwilling to do what is necessary to save them. She is right, it is a great injustice that we have perpetuated. No wonder there is such hatred on the earth plane. You need Shelby in order to save us, we need to listen to what she says in order for her to save us. Turning the key into the lock and doing whatever is necessary. Either we listen to her words or we perish, which do you wish for your people? You knew ahead of time that there would be things that we wouldn't want to do, that's why you needed to marry her. Prove to her that you really mean to keep your word and save your people."

Tyler looks at his friend, "The people will demand me removed from my throne if I do that."

"Then it will no longer be your concern about your people will it? You were only willing to marry her to spite your mother's plans, not to save your people. Face facts, Sire, that is the true reason you were willing to marry the human." Treren says while watching Tyler closely. He isn't wrong, Tyler hides it well, but there is something the king feels for the human, something that he won't even admit to himself.

Tyler turns to his councilor with anger in his eyes. "Are you saying that I don't care for my people?"

Treren narrows his eyes at his king. "If you truly care about your people you will do whatever is best for them no matter how you feel about it. You were willing to do that when it came to marriage, but only because it kept you safe from your mother's machinations. When push came to shove you balked. You truly won't do whatever is necessary to save your people, proving Shelby correct."

Tyler wants to shove everything off the table but that would be disastrous. Some of the items were highly explosive.

Treren decides that now is a good time to leave.

"Find her for me. I will talk to her once more." Tyler says as Treren leaves the room.

"As you wish Sire." 

Shelby makes it home and can find the strength to do no more than crash on her couch. She closes her eyes and finds herself reliving the events of he past couple of hours. It still blows her away that the elven king claims that he wants her help but refuses to do anything when she gives him her ideas. She falls into an uneasy sleep with those thoughts.

Shelby is awakened by the doorbell ringing on her apartment door. She struggles up to answer it. She doesn't get many visitors and isn't expecting anyone now either.

She opens the door and can only stand there blinking trying to get her brain to work properly. Once she is sure that it is she goes to shut the door on her unwanted visitor.

Tyler puts his hand up to keep the door from shutting. "Can we talk before you shut me out?"

"There is nothing more to say King. Please remove your hand from my door," Shelby doesn't have the strength to force him to remove it.

Tyler reluctantly takes his hand off the door and lets it fall to his side. "The council is even now changing the law about allowing half elven children into Elvenhome. There will, however, be conditions to them being allowed inside. This is especially important seeing as how they are the largest reason being behind the unrest..."

"That's nice king. You've taken your first steps in changing. Keep up the good work. Goodbye." With this Shelby shuts the door. The dizziness takes her by surprise and she blacks out before hitting the ground. Or rather before she hits her head on the furniture before hitting the ground.

Tyler is just about to leave when he hears the commotion inside. He knocks to make sure everything is okay but when he doesn't hear anything he opens the door. He finds Shelby unconscious with a nasty cut on her head that is on top of the painful looking knot forming there as well.

Tyler picks her up and takes her to her couch. He smiles with more than a little wickedness as he kisses her. He could heal her without the kissing, but he doesn't want to turn down the chance either. He doesn't know why he likes kissing her so much, he just does.

Tyler's smile soon turns to a frown when Shelby wakes and finds him in her house. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you fall and thought you might want or need some help," Tyler defends himself. This isn't how he expected her to wake up.

Shelby looks at him like he's lost his mind, "What are you talking about?"

Now it's Tyler's turn to look at her like she's lost her mind. "You fainted again and I healed you." Shelby shakes her head in denial.

"Sometimes I wonder how people are so afraid of you. You're an idiot king. That's not what I was referring to."

"Then enlighten me, just why am I an idiot and to what were you referring?" Tyler demands growing irritated by this human.

"Why have you come back to talk to me? You're an idiot because..."

Tyler narrows his eyes in anger, "Be very careful about your next words, Shelby."

Shelby has no desire to anger him further. She shrinks back into her couch as his anger comes off of him in waves. Tyler is far too close for her comfort.

Tyler watches as the blank face comes over her and she shrinks back from him. He closes his eyes and takes a step back from her. He'd forgotten all about what her ex had done to her. "I'm sorry, Shelby, I didn't mean to scare you." But that's a lie and they both know it.

Tyler lets out an expletive softly as he runs his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I came here to ask you to give this another chance and not to scare you. I apologize for doing so. And I apologize for the lie I just told you. We do need your help Shelby. You were just doing what I asked of you at the store. It is me and my prejudices that-" Tyler stops and takes a breath.

"My council and I are willing to accept the marriage contract as you've stipulated. I accept the stipulations that I couldn't put in there. Is there anything else you wish to put in there before we sign it?" Tyler says with bated breath. If she doesn't accept his wording then he's not sure what he's going to do.

"You don't want this, king. You made that very clear to me. There will be no contract. I won't go through this every time I tell you or ask you to do something to help your people. I don't deal with stress very well and that will make too much for me to handle. Find someone else to help you. There are hundreds if not thousands of human females that would love to help you." Shelby says before closing her eyes. The stress of dealing with the king is making her have another headache and the light is starting to bother her eyes.

Her eyes fly open as she feels the lips of the king on hers once more. She pushes the king away from her and jumps up and goes behind the couch. She's trapped, the king is blocking the only way out of the apartment. She feels her chest tighten as the anxiety grabs hold.