Gorm loved Muriel. He loved her beauty, and the desire to possess her burned ever stronger in his heart.
But Gorm quickly discovered that he loved Muriel hopelessly. But still, he kept his eyes on her, and he waited.
Waiting for time to grant him a chance to have his way. But as the days passed, and Gorm realized that Muriel would never be his, love transformed into hatred.
Muriel became afraid; she could sense his anger, and she did everything to stay away from him.
But as long as she remained in the castle, Muriel was safe. For not even Gorm dared to lay a hand on someone under the protection of the high king.
Gorm's family on his father's side had been friends with the elves for countless years. And when some of the human chieftains gathered for war against the elves who lived south of Vanaheim, it was Gorm's father, Olmod - the earl of Vendland, who warned the elves.
The elven prince took precautions in time, and when the human army arrived, all the elves had hidden away. When the elven prince eventually decided to seek refuge in Alvheim, Olmod asked the prince for permission to accompany them.
Olmod's lineage was highly esteemed among the elves. And as a reward for all the services they had rendered, the elven prince granted Olmod's wish.
The journey to the secret land was long and arduous, and many suffered. But the light elves were a proud and resilient people, and their courage and hope burned fervently in their hearts.
Olmod and his wife Ingegjerd had a son, Gorm. The same year they arrived in the green meadows and beautiful forests of Alvheim, Elisif gave birth to a little daughter, Miri.
Ingegjerd was a very beautiful woman, and Olmod loved her with all his heart. But Ingegjerd had a secret that her husband did not know about.
Gorm was not Olmod's true son. Before she married, Ingegjerd had a brief and intense relationship with another man.
This man was an experienced charmer, and Ingegjerd, who at the time was both inexperienced and naive, had allowed herself to be seduced. But after a while, her beloved grew tired. And shortly after Ingegjerd discovered she was pregnant, he left her for another woman.
Ingegjerd was desperate. It was a great sin to have a child out of wedlock. The punishment for such was death.
Olmod had long been in love with Ingegjerd. He had no inkling of Ingegjerd's terrible dilemma. And when he proposed to her, Ingegjerd wasted no time in seizing the opportunity.
In this way, she saved not only her own life but also that of her unborn son.
Olmod was highly beloved by the light elves. And after he came to Alvheim, Olmod began to serve Lysandrion - the high king of the elven people.
The king greatly appreciated him, and as a sign of his loyalty and noble spirit, Lysandrion made Olmod a knight.
But even in the hidden realm, Olmod could not escape his fate. He faithfully served King Lysandrion for many years, but when Gorm was fifteen years old and little Miri five years old, illness and old age weighed heavily on Olmod.
Eventually, he passed away, and all the inhabitants of Aldeigjuborg mourned deeply for the noble knight.
Miri was as fair as an elf child. Her hair was as golden as the lilies that grew in the grass where she played in the meadows, and her voice was as soft and beautiful as all the birds that sang in the trees.
Miri had a gentle heart. She gave her love to trees and flowers in the wilderness, and she was a singer and a maker of songs. Wherever she was, she performed one good deed after another. And the elves called her the lark.
But Gorm was less beloved than his sister. He had dark hair like his mother, but his mind was not as steady. He resembled his true father more. The fire that burned in him could be both sudden and fierce.
Just like Olmod, Gorm was also one of the king's knights.
King Lysandrion noticed the gradual change in Gorm. He was no longer cheerful. He was quiet and gloomy. And the glow in his cold eyes made people shy away from him.
Both Lysandrion and Ametys were concerned, but they hoped that with time, wisdom would heal his silence and cold heart.
But they were wrong. Gorm carried too much of the darkness within him. And even though his mother and the elves did their best to teach him goodness, he chose his own grim path.
