The Queen of Elysium

Chapter 21 - The Queen's Council

Elissa stares at her hands, a slight lingering blue glow between her fingers as the orb winks into nothingness.

"You are the Light!" Celestia's voice breaks her reverie and she turns to face her grandmother.

She doesn't get the chance to formulate a response, when a familiar power signature slides sinfully around her and Morpheus appears next to them.

"Remind me sister, what are the words of the prophecy your mother made?"

Celestia gives him a fleeting look of peevishness and then intones, "A union of the noble houses of the north and the south will begat the golden one, to herald a golden era. The King of Avalon, Guardian of the Light of Elysium, will hold the Light to banish the darkness once more."

Morpheus does not say anything, merely looks at Celestia and raises an eyebrow.

"Regulus! My son is needed for the the prophecy to be fulfilled." Celestia blanches and places a hand over her mouth.

Elissa feels slightly queasy. "The gods have him."

Celestia goes even paler if that is possible. "Then we had better pray for a miracle."

Morpheus leans against a tree, one ankle casually crossed over the other. "Or perhaps Elysium just needs a king who is strong enough to face Hades."

Though his words are directed to Celestia, his gaze swings to Elissa, letting her know that he would be willing to stand against his own brother. However, she is not sure that she is willing to pay his price.

Deciding that now is not the time to think about such things, she makes the excuse of needing to sort out her Council. After promising Celestia to include Altair, she makes a quick escape.

The first person she seeks out is Darish, as she trusts him completely and gets his agreement to be her secretary. She wryly smiles to herself at how different the palace will find him compared with Lucifer's weaselly fellow.

Next, she enters the palace in search of the Dwarven King and bumps into the last dwarf she expected to meet.

"Dwin!" Surprise rings in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

Dwin is looking rather resplendent in a dark green velvet jacket, a clean white shirt and polished boots. His blond beard is combed and plaited and there is not a speck of dust in sight. It is a far cry from when she first met him in the mountains only days after arriving in Elysium.

He gives a low bow. "Your Majesty, I am here for your coronation."

"Is Garvi here too?"

"No." He guffaws. "He would never have made the journey. My father is part of the king's court."

She shakes her head in amusement, recalling Garvi's distrust of the 'outside'. I really must talk to the king about that tunnel. "So what does your father do?"

"He is the Royal Treasurer."

Ooh. Her ears prick. "So," she strings the word out and casually enquires, "Could you ever see yourself taking after your father?"

His friendly face falls and he pull at his starchy collar. "My brother is set to succeed him. I am just the second son."

Her heart goes out to him and unconsciously her magic reaches out to soothe him. Without meaning to, she gets a sense of the depth of his self-doubt, always trying to make his father proud, but never succeeding.

"Will you be my Treasurer?" she blurts out.

He looks at her as if she is just a shade short of crazy.