Chapter 34:
[Noraes’ POV]
A quill in his hand, a bottle of ink at his side, scrolls scattered lazily across his desk, throbbing that constantly ached his hand as he wrote, and yet still he was far from being finished. The candlelight was dim by his side, yet there was enough light to continue on. Many scrolls needed to be drafted and it felt like it would take all night in order to complete them all. Noraes wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to make it. For many nights he hadn’t been able to sleep through the night, nor had he been able to hit his pillow at a decent hour. There were so many things to do now that the king was dead. A week passed since the demise of the great lord, and the work hadn’t stopped in the slightest.
He knew he was top three that the people would choose for king, and yet he didn’t know the decision would come so swiftly. His mind still couldn’t comprehend the thought that he had been chosen over Admiral Jarreyn or Earl Dresct whom had practically been the king’s right hand man. Scrolls seemed to come to him to no end where he had to choose this and that, and never a moment of rest. He needed to appoint a duke in his place, a captain of the guard, council, and even treaties. Everything needed to be resigned and resealed with the new king to do any good in the land. There were to be no issues between the old king’s rule and the new, and so to make certain that everything was in compliance – all orders had to be relooked at and resigned. Noraes’s eyes felt burnt out of their sockets with the reading, writing, and signing that he had to do.
Some of the old orders he had changed and stamped, in order for his council to take a look at and agree to the changed aspects. His hands felt numb, his eyes blistered, neck stiff, and his mind near insane. He hadn’t dared move his things over to the castle yet, for he wanted everything in order before he made the transition. Besides, he wanted to head into the city and greet the people with his presence before being admitted into power. Secretly he had always wanted to rule, a passion craved at him to leadership. He wanted to be a just, kind, and compassionate king if it were possible. When the scroll announcing him had been delivered, it came with ten guards to protect him, which he hastily sent away in respect for his privacy. There was no way he would be able to focus on all the scrollwork he needed to do with ten guards breathing about him at all times.
He finished the last scroll on his table, a scroll that asked permission to form an alliance with the cities on the north side of Calthoria against the evil creatures of the land. If there was one thing he wanted, it was no wars between humans. There was too much happening in the land for a few power staving men to start a rebellion. When he was finished he dropped the quill on his desk, creating a small round ink stain on his cherry wood desk. He tasseled his medium length dirty blond hair away from his eyes and sighed heavily, feeling at the large round mole above his eyebrow, and stretching his arms as high as he could get them.
A knock at the door startled him and he turned to stare at it. Nobody should be coming to his door this time of night, unless it be assassins or a message that couldn’t wait. He waited patiently as he stared at the door, feeling for the dagger that was tucked inside his satin blue cloak. The last important message that should have come was the death of the king, unless of course the people started an outrage to him becoming king. Noraes got to his feet carefully and sauntered his way to the door. He held his hand on the doorknob for a long moment before sucking in his breath and opening the door.
Outside it was storming, rain poured down like a stampede of antelope through an open pasture, lightning burst through the sky like a cloud of flickering fireflies, thunder forcefully beckoned all around him. In the center of all the chaos stood a woman clasped in plate mail, holding herself up with her hands clasped to the doorframe, blond hair drenched in rain that cascaded all down her petite frame.
“Starlyn?” He asked bewildered.
“Noraes.” She said feebly with a smile.
“Please come in.”
“Thank you.”
Starlyn stepped inside, welcoming the warmth of the woodstove, but shivering nonetheless. Noraes disappeared for a moment and came back with a blue towel that he draped over her. He helped her dry her hair and armor before she took it off one piece at a time to set next to her hammer. She stayed in her under armor, thick brown leather that cushioned her, before grabbing a blanket and cocooning it around herself.
“You don’t look so well; can I get you some soup?” He asked.
“Please.”
He turned away from her and began chopping vegetables for a small pot, making only enough to please her because he wasn’t hungry. Still, he remembered to only put vegetables in hers unlike one he would have made for himself. While he didn’t mind a vegetarian diet, he still rather enjoyed his meat. Potatoes, carrots, and celery were the majority of the vegetables that he was able to find for the soup, and quickly put the pot on the fire.
“Is everything alright?” He asked.
She looked pale, paler than an elf usually should, and he grew concerned for her wellbeing. He wondered what brought her so far away from the battle, especially by herself without Searon or at least some accompany of guard. Her figure looked diminutive, even for an elf, and it distressed him. She scrunched her fingers and barely noticed him as her teeth clenched in pain.
“Starlyn?” He asked, “Are you ill?”
She looked up, “I do not have much time I’m afraid. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to do…”
“It’s okay,” He said, “I’m here.”
Noraes walked close to her and embraced her in a hug, one so warm and welcoming that she hugged him tightly back, exposing what was left of her elven strength. The gesture hurt him slightly, but he dared not say a word, comforted in her touch. He wanted her to talk, to divulge what the reason was she had for showing up to his household, but he dared not ask. She needed affection and time before she would tell him anything, and he could see that.
The soup was boiling and he reluctantly stepped away from her warm embrace. He walked over to the pot and checked the vegetables to make sure they were thoroughly cooked. When he was satisfied he put a helping into a bowl and set it before Starlyn. She barely let it reach her before devouring it with such a hunger that Noraes had ever seen. He wondered how long it had been since she had a proper meal. The road couldn’t have been a pleasant place to travel for an elf through human villages and cities.
Starlyn looked dazed as she finished the soup and swayed back and forth in her seat. Noraes walked around the table and slid a chair by her side to hold her steady. She leaned her head on his shoulder and clutched at her stomach, whimpering in agony. He held her other hand tight, worry blatantly on his face.
“Are you alright Starlyn?” He asked, “You don’t seem so well, did you eat too much?”
She turned to face him; tears trickling down her face, sorrow in her deep blue eyes, and need in her lips. Her hand brushed against his cheek where it lingered for a moment before dropping back to her side.
She closed her eyes and let the pain overcome her. When she opened them her glare bore deep into his soul. “I’m expecting.”
Noraes pondered her words for a few minutes before they sunk in and his heart caved. He tried to swallow but the lump in his neck seemed stuck between breaths. Sweat glazed his brow as his eyes widened and yet still speech would not come. Minutes passed that felt like hours but neither moved the slightest inch. He still remembered the time he shared with the elf when she and his brother had come to visit, and yet it felt like so long ago. His eyes wavered from her eyes to her stomach where both of her hands clutched. Her gaze didn’t follow his, but continued to stare at his expression that matched the white of a ghost.
The time Noraes spent with her was unlike anything he ever experienced. Even though it was only a short while, he developed feelings for the elf that he had never expected, feelings that he knew he would never be able to feel for anyone else. In his mind, she was the one, the one that he was supposed to be with. Back then the timing was off, she had a war to fight, a sister to find, and he had matters to attend as the duke of Legain. He didn’t suppose the time had gotten any better for the two of them, Searon was still off fighting a war somewhere, Noraes was now the king, and Starlyn had wandered back into his realm with the most unexpected news he could have ever received.
“You are with child?” He asked the obvious question.
“Yes.”
“And it is…”
“It is yours. I have only been with you Noraes. When I first met your brother I kissed him, intrigued by the race of humans, and vulnerable. But I have only lain with you. I grow weaker with each passing day, and I am not sure if I will be able to survive this.” Starlyn said.
Noraes blinked, blinked again, and stared at her dumbfounded. “Elves do not grow weak.”
“Not with elven children. Never have I known an elf to bare a human child, and I’m not sure if it is even possible. It is killing me Noraes. I have nowhere else to go, nobody else to ask. You are the father, and you deserve to know. If you do not wish for this burden all you have to do is say the word and I will leave.” She said.
“Burden?” Noraes asked in a hoarse whisper.
His world seemed to be spinning all around him and he felt dizzy, dizzier than if he’d emptied an entire barrel of whiskey by himself. He wasn’t sure what to make of the situation, but he felt sick and got to his feet. With his first step he nearly stumbled and had to grab hold of the table to steady himself. Starlyn got to her feet and held him stable, appearing more worried about him than herself. He looked to her with open jaw as he saw two of her in front of him. When the two shapes finally stopped shifting and he could only see one of her he grabbed both of her shoulders. Tears plunged down her face, twisting her expression into torment.
Starlyn’s face looked devastated, horror struck by the simple reaction of Noraes. She seemed terrified by his silence, and her entire body seemed to shiver uncontrollably. Noraes noticed when reality came back to him and so he stepped closer to her and dragged her into his arms. He held her tight and stroked her long blond locks through his fingers. His fingers found her chin and lifted it up so he could look down into her dazzling blue eyes. Her knees seemed to buckle under her as he pulled her to him for a kiss. All of his desire, all of his passion that he hid away for her after all those months, came crashing back through him and into the kiss that pressed hard against her lips.