The Incomplete Crown Of Bethmoora

Chapter 14

Why did they want to hunt you down? What have you done and what do you plan to do for them to torture you and capture you in such away?

"I must recover our birthright for the elves and all magical creatures of Bethmoora. I must claim the surface of the Earth and return to it like it was always our destiny. It's not just a matter of honor and justice, it's about our health. Our druids sacrifice themselves every day exposing their skins to small doses of sun rays to tend to the minuscule forest we've been able to plant here underground where daylight filters enough through the skylight to reach our trees, plants and flowers. This is all the flora we have left on which our potions, ointments and cures depend. Humans have destroyed the forests, oceans and air in their infinite effort to produce more factories and industries and pollute the world with useless material objects. The planet dies slowly and we die with it."

The Prince brought the golden spoon loaded with peas and caramel carrots in rosemary and oregano to his mouth. He chewed calmly and tried to control his agitated breathing. Rage was burning his chest once more, boiling in his veins and swelling his aorta artery with an insatiable thirst for vengeance. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Loreto's shaken face. She hadn't touched her plate in minutes. She watched him closely, like a hellish mutant creature. He cleaned his mouth with the cloth napkin resting on his lap, drank a sip from his glass and faced her.

"We're gradually fading away. We weren't conceived for underground life. Thousands of years underground has forced our organisms to adapt to these surroundings," he gestured around before Loreto's astonished look. "Exterminating all humans is the only solution. We need space and time to slowly expose ourselves to the sun and heal. This," he pointed at his face, "is not our original form. This is the result of eons underground."

Loreto exhaled a sigh, revealing her shock. She sat still with her forearms resting at each side of her plate, her food growing cold. Her jaw out of place, her gaze gone into a random spot in the air. Pale. The Prince would never cease to surprise himself at how ignorant common humans were, those who didn't occupy a position of power in their societies, to the irreversible consequence of their actions. They may not have been directly responsible for the policies which caused the planet to cry for help, yet they were accomplices to take part in economies of massive consumption of which they were both slaves and gears.

"Is it true you killed your father?," she suddenly said in a thin thread of faltering voice. She slowly turned her pupils towards him until she met his gaze.

She was shaking. The Prince could listen to her thoughts loud and clear. There was no evil in her heart, she was an open book hence so was her mind. And in that moment there was only one emotion in Loreto Clair. Dread. He had to suppress the guilt for scaring her in such away and the urgency to assure her she would result unharmed from everything. He wouldn't have the heart to exterminate her, especially after what she had done for him. She was tiny and fragile, yet her spirit was giant. She had shown courage and nobility in acknowledging her mistake and helping him escape the agency's torture prison.

"I had to," the Prince said with his gaze fixed in front. "His weakness was to blame for having condemned us to our current situation. I defended myself from his guards when he gave the order to kill me and, by extension, my sister. It was him or us."

Loreto swallowed hard. The little color in her face abandoned her. She coughed in her fist and cleared her throat.

"And what if there was another way out? A month ago I didn't know about the existence of magical creatures, let alone of elves living side by side with us in this world. What if you introduce yourself to the world as the Prince of Elves and negotiate a peaceful solution to your people? The entire world would be just as fascinated with you as I am, you'd have people's support if you explain the situation."