One of the most common lies we tell ourselves is that everything is okay. I find myself another victim of that lie in this moment, the environment around me making it easier for me to accept that lie as everything which once bothered me is so far away now. The gentle rock of the waves against the boat feel calming to my anxiety from the past few days, my eyes drawn into the deep blue water of the sea as the thick mist ahead promotes no sign of clearing ahead. From plane to boat, the journey continues to the pack lands of Eternal Shadows, an elf steering the boat in the right direction as all I can see is mist in the distance. River was friendly the plane ride over, offering little conversations along the way as it seemed like he genuinely tried to get to know me better. Yet I was not able to get much out of him, still missing pieces of his past as I wonder how his past brought him to run a pack of elves and werewolves.
"If you look ahead, Evelyn, you will begin to see the pack grounds soon," River's voice calls out from the back of the boat, sitting beside the motor as he continues his side conversation with an Eternal Shadows pack member.
Following his advice, I look ahead of the boat, trying to see what lies behind the mist, waiting for my first sign of land. I try to search for any sign of a tree or even a wall, but as the mist begins to fall into the deep waters below, I see something much more than a simple tree or wall. Ahead of me lies a wall toppling three stories and built of white stone, a gate opening ahead for our small boat to drive through, and a rocky cliffside extending towards the end of the island as a palace takes up much of the inclined land. I expected much of this territory to be made of ruins from the past rulers of the land, but I only see new buildings.
Our boat goes through the gate, the doors shutting to the outside as I look to the harbor with colorful boats, from sailing to fishing to even small yachts. The harbor is built from stone and wood, shops located around the harbor on a long boardwalk which leads up to the main road of the pack land where shops, offices, and homes are located. The main road continues further to the main gates of the palace - an actual palace with turrets, ivy growing along the walls, grand windows to shine light in, and walls surrounding the masterpiece.
Looking over my shoulder to River, my shocked expression is no surprise to him as he begins to help tie the boat to the dock we have arrived at. A small party of five men greet us at the dock, dressed in pastel colors and greeting River with bows of their head. They treat him like some king...and this pack land resembles that of a king's own city. "Gentlemen, meet Evelyn Matlock, a member of Evercrest Ridge. She will be staying with us for a few days to tour the city."
The elves look back at me with questioning glances before returning their gaze to River. The first elf to speak is dressed in pastel blue, the language which leaves his tongue unfamiliar to my ears as another two men begin to unload the boat of our luggage. River responds to the elf in the same tongue, speaking it just as fluently as I begin to wonder about his upbringing.
Elven is one of the hardest dialects to learn, much yet master. Sure, I have never heard it spoken before, but for River to speak it just as well as an elf, it makes me wonder if he learned it since he was a child. What kind of child learns elven when they are a werewolf?
Reaching out his hand, River helps me out of the boat as it rocks gently back and forth. "I can show you around the city later once we get settled in the palace."
"Palace..." I comment, my voice almost a whisper, as if trying to recognize that this pack has a palace instead of a pack house.
"I hope you do not mind walking in this weather, I know it is a bit chilly, but the walk is not too long." Nodding, I follow River from the harbor as his small crowd of five elves follow us. With River and I at the beginning of the pack, I feel out of touch in this strange land, as if at some zoo exhibit, looking at the way of life this pack lives. As we begin to walk up the main road, I spot a few gardens behind houses, exotic plants being grown as I know they are being used for spells. There is a small forest behind the gardens, a few werewolves in wolf form running out of the forest as they recognize that their alpha has returned. The further River and I walk, the more people come out of their houses and look to their Alpha, bowing or curtsying to him as this is no way people would treat their alpha. Why do they treat him like a kind. River is not a king...yet. He may as well be after the crown which broke years ago in flame.
"Have you ever tried Elven food?" River asks me, breaking the awkward silence as we walk up to the front gates of the palace, a set of polished and intricately-carved doors almost thirty feet high. "No? Well, I will have my head chef prepare a traditional Elven meal for tonight." The doors pull open and a courtyard stretches out before us, the statue of a white marble tree carved with a full moon in the center, combining the race of elves and werewolves into one. Lavender surrounds the statue as it lies in the center of the courtyard, benches and flowers on the edges of the courtyard as the palace surrounds the courtyard, a wide staircase leading up to the front door.
River leads me to the front door of the palace, two guards dressed in light charcoal blue and silver armor pulling open the door to reveal a marble throne room. A window allows sunlight to drown the room, the sunlight only stopping when it hits the throne in the center of the back of the room which is raised on a staircase above four feet from the ground. Tapestries are hung from the walls on either side of the throne room, detailing the creation of werewolves and elven kind. The throne room holds a set of doorways which lead off into the palace, guards stationed around the doorways as a small fountain runs into the floor of the room, a mosaic piece under the water as I wonder what the shallow fountain is for.
River instructs me to follow him, leading me down one of the hallways and up a set of stairs to the third floor. Opening a door, River informs me my bags will be dropped off and he will return in an hour, giving me time to relax for a bit. The room hosts a bed, dresser, fireplace, bathroom, and balcony which overlooks the garden below where those same exotic plants are being grown. "Let me know if you have any questions."
Just as River is about to leave, I forget to keep my mouth shut. "Why do you have a pack that treats you like a king? A pack land which resembles that of a palace - well, it doesn't resemble, it is a palace."
Stepping into my room, River shuts the door behind him quietly. "My pack offers me a great deal of respect."
"Packs treat alphas like how they treat my alpha. They treat kings like this," I reference, pointing to everything around me.
"Elves are different than werewolves, Evelyn. They treat their Alphas different than how werewolves treat their alphas."
"I don't buy it." River shrugs, not wishing to argue with me as he heads for the door. "You want to be king, don't you? I mean, I know I don't need to ask understand what is going on here. The werewolf kingdom has been shaky for a while and alphas have been rumored to be going after the title once more. It is only a matter of time before war breaks out or before intense political discussions begin."
Those golden eyes look me over, his arms crossed as he leans against the silver-blue wall of the room. "Smarter than you look."
"It's no secret alphas will either be killing one another or be making more strict treaties to get that title again. It is now clear to me that you want that title...and you already have a palace set up."
"Packs will soon be killing one another again for the title. When that happens, would you rather be part of a pack which has a treaty with a pack that has a plan to-"
"No one wants another war," I interrupt, "No one wants a king who forces his crown upon them."
River scoffs, shaking his head and he heads for the door of the room. "That is how kingdoms are made, Evelyn, by kings forcing their power and control upon those territories they want under their domain." River begins to open the door of my room. "Get some rest, Evelyn. Maybe later we can debate these discussions further."
Leaving me alone in the room, I walk to the balcony, the cold air blowing across my face as I take in a deep breath. Looking below to the garden, flowers line the walkways, a group of women stressed in lilac colors walking about the garden as they pick certain flowers from the bushes. Beyond the garden is a steep cliff leading to the ocean below, waves crashing against the cliff guards stationed on the stone walls as they look out across the sea. To the right of the garden is a green field, tall shrubs forming a fence as men and women dressed in simple armor as they practice their hand to hand combat. I watch as a tall and slender woman from below swiftly jumps up and wraps her legs around the neck of her battle partner, bringing him swiftly to the ground as she lands on her knees, placed on either side of his torso. It appears she has won the fight, getting off from the man as she helps him up. She's an elf. The way she carries herself, her body build, and how she moves, it all adds up to her being an elf. Elves are quick and light on their feet. Though they may seem like an easy target for a werewolf in wolf form to take down, they prove to be quite the equal as history puts it.
Heading back into the room, I make a quick change from my traveling clothes and into a fresh pair of jeans and sweater, my darker tones sticking out compared to the eternal and shimmering colors of this territory. My parents were not happy to hear of my departure, a quick phone call the only chance they had to get any information out of me. I received messages from Beta William and Gamma Erik asking me where I had gone off to, demanding I return back and take up my title as Alpha rather than skip town. But I am not their Alpha...not yet. I was not raised to be their Alpha either, so I owe them nothing but my decision when I have made it. Gamma Erik said I was running from my future, from my responsibilities, and from a fate the Moon Goddess laid out centuries ago, but I know I need this chance to get away from everything with Crimson Lock.
After an hour, a knock at my door draws me out of my thoughts and I soon find myself back in the company of Alpha River. "Ready?" He asks, motioning for me to follow as we walk down the hallway and back towards the throne room.
"Where to first?" I ask, looking around the palace to the tapestries covering the walls, silver and gold threaded into the sceneries represented.
"What interests you the most?" River asks, turning around to face me as he comes to a stop in the middle of the throne room. "We have an observatory, library filled with records of both elf and werewolf, beautiful gardens, market place-"
"No pack has this many features. You have a palace. Do you expect you will be the next Alpha King when they has not been one for almost twenty-two years? No one will accept you as their king without bloodshed. Can our werewolf kingdom really afford to lose more packs...werewolves. We are less than a third of what we were twenty-two years ago all because King Zion was filled with rage-"
"There are those who still feel a sense of loyalty to King Zion."
"You were never around when he was in rule," I comment, raising an eyebrow at River's stern words. "Our loyalties should not lie with those whose time has passed."
A brief moment of silence lasts between the two of us before River decides to put aside our differences, the two of us walking down a wide hallway, windows running along one wall as sunlight fills the room, a closer view of the garden on display. A circular staircase lies ahead, both leading up and down. "Taking the stairs down leads to the library. The library is under the garden, all the way to the cliffside. Going up is to the observatory. Take your pick."
I walk ahead of the Alpha, heading up the stairs as the winding stairs continue for four flights until we wear a room where the spherical ceiling is painted with golden stars upon a dark background. A telescope stands in the middle of the room, growing in size to the ceiling where it can revolve and split open. Celestial golden objects are placed around the room as decoration, books placed on a desk, and an alchemy station beside a tightly-shut window. "Very impressive," I comment, looking around the room as I gaze to the ceiling. "What purpose does it serve?"
"Not everything needs a purpose to be useful."
"Then what purpose does this palace serve? The throne room? All for glamourous looks?"
"Why did you come here, Evelyn?" River asks, looking to me from across the observatory. "If all you are doing here is to ask questions and be on edge, then why visit a pack land hundreds of miles from your own?"
My jaw tightens. "To relax."
River chuckles to himself. "Some way to relax then. Do yourself a favor, Evelyn, and try to ask less questions. Try to enjoy your time here more. My pack picked this territory because of its beauty. Enjoy the beauty around you," River insists, pushing a button as the ceiling begins to open up and the telescope begins to rotate around. "We should be able to see Jupiter tonight. Would you like that?"
"I would."
Smiling, River instructs me to follow him, leading me back down the stairs and towards the gardens. "My pack warriors will be having a celebratory dinner tonight. Guests welcome. It will be taking place in the central dining hall. Feel free to stop by around eight, grab a drink, meet some elves."
Accepting the invite, River leads me around the palace for another hour before being called away for pack business. Leaving me alone to the palace, I head back to my room, taking my time as I look to the tapestries lining the walls on my way back. Small silver plates are hung under a few of the tapestries, detailing the scenes taking place and the history behind them. One tapestry which stretches ten feet long shows the scenery of a forest with silver string woven into the leaves. Elves are present in the scene as a man wearing a crown faces them, bestowing to them a child.
Further down the tapestry, it shows the child from the king growing as he lives among the elves. I know what this tapestry refers to, for the old Alpha Kings would send their children to live with the elves for portions of their childhood. It was part of a deal struck up centuries ago to promote peace between our two species. Tapestries down the wall are from around this time period when werewolf and elf became friend and would cease attacks.
Soon enough, I've made my way back into my guest room, walking back to the balcony as I take out my phone, a list of unanswered texts awaiting me from my family and Beta William and Gamma Erik. Holding my breath, I begin to read through them, telling me how reckless I am being to visit Eternal Shadows without formal notice.
I waste away the rest of the day between the bed and the balcony, every so often gazing at my phone for new social media updates as the hours tick by. By the evening, I watch the sun set over the horizon as I hear staff beginning to set up for the dinner. I watch as the warriors training on the green patch begin to leave for the evening, upbeat classical music beginning to play as I decide to head down for the evening rather than be stuck board in this room. Grabbing the nicest thing I brought to wear, I head down to the dinning room.
The music grows louder as I can hear chatter. A woman passes by at the end of the hall, her lilac dress sweeping the floor in an effortless fashion as I immediately stop in my steps and look down to my black jeans and tall black leather boots. Pulling the plum and double-breasted wool coat around my body tighter, I step into the room, immediately feeling out of place as men dress in suits and women in beautiful dresses - both short and long. Pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, I walk around the edge of the room, taking in the atmosphere as a few heads turn my way with puzzled looks.
Soon enough a drink is in my hand as I stand in the doorway leading out to the garden. Conversations occur all around me as I lean against the doorway, watching the silver moon hanging up in the sky.
"Not your kind of party?" A voice calls out from behind me, catching my attention as I spot a familiar face from weeks ago.
"Asger," I greet, remembering him from the party hosted by my Alpha Edward. Asger is Hand of the Alpha within Eternal Shadows, the equivalent of River's Beta. Those lavender eyes staring back at me. "Nice to see you again."
"It has not been too long," Asger comments, standing across from me as he gazes to the moon above. "Funny how our species each praise the same moon in the sky. You see it as the goddess who created your kind. Us elves see the moon as part of the celestial unknown, housing the stars and moons, our ancestors alive in the light above as they offer us blessings."
"How do two species work within one pack? You both have different religions."
"Our gods lie within the sky as well, same as your goddess," Asger informs, taking a sip of his mead. "Besides, our Alpha is a strong individual, one who can weld the differences of our our pack to make it stronger. What brings you here, Miss Evelyn? All the way to Eternal Shadows?"
"Your Alpha extended an invite the other day." Looking over my shoulder, I search for a sight of River, only to spot no familiar face.
Asger lets out a soft laugh. "An invite? You must be very special then. We have not had guests for a long time." His words cause questions to fill my head. "Tell me, Evelyn, how do you find our pack so far?"
"Charming." Looking back to the garden ahead, the moonlight falls upon the earth. "I did not expect such an extravagant territory though."
"This pack is half elf. We desire a territory which can serve honor to our ancestors and gods. A beautiful palace which honors them will bring us fortune." I never thought of it like that, that elves would believe their territory could itself be like a shrine.
"How did a pack of half elf come to be?"
"You like to ask questions," Asger comments, offering me a half smile as he looks down to the drink in his hand. "Tapestries serve a good purpose to answering questions of the past...of history. Perhaps take some time to venture around the palace later, you may find those answers."
Asger leaves me as he is off to grab another drink, my own glass soon becoming empty as I wonder just how many tapestries there could be here to offer answers. Looking around the dinning hall, ancient weapons of the elves are mounted to the walls, bows crafted from ivory tusks and infused with the dust of gemstones, shields both lightweight and excellent for defense, and long swords made of light metals with ruins etched onto the blades. I look to the people around me, wondering just how many of them are elf. Pointy ears after pointy ears, these men and woman basking in the moonlight as they seem to glide around the room, seeming nothing like warriors as laughter fills the air. Elves were once the most divine creatures on this planet, the other supernatural beings even bowing down to them and not wishing to do them harm. But being born an elf will always have its drawbacks, for the lure of an extended life also means the scarcity of younglings. In the Years of a Thousand Songs, a time period in which the elves basked in their eternal greatness, they did not breed, rather turning to academics as their numbers began to dwindle down, allowing for attacks from dwarves, orcs, and even werewolves.
Yet here the elves are, forming a pack with wolves as Asger has pointed me towards the tapestries to find my answers. "How long are you staying?"
My new friend in this unknown land has returned, another glass of mead in his hands as I watch those lavender eyes almost shimmer in the moonlight. "Not sure. River was not too specific on the length of my stay."
"If you ever need something to do, let me know. I can often be found wandering the halls of this palace." Asger and I continue the evening with conversations of old stories, tales of our packs which formed them. Soon we find ourselves exploring the halls of the palace, Asger explaining to me the significance behind a few tapestries and how to interpret those with elvish ruins.
I soon find myself away from the elf as he is called to attend to matters with the pack. Continuing down the hall, look to the tapestries which detail the same scene I had looked at before with the king offering his child to the elves. Passing another tapestry, the colors change as the tapestry appears new, the fabric not worn like the others, and the colors of red and orange showing a palace on fire as the elves flee their home for a forest covered in snow. This tapestry shows the day my mother, Lily Maxwell, burned down the palace and died within it. I continue down the hall, looking to the tapestry which shows the elves in their new snowy environment, the silver moon hanging in the sky as once more, a man - but without a crown - offers a child to them. I watch as the last tapestry on this wall details the child growing up under the care of the elves, becoming a young man as I watch the child learning to use magic and fight. Who is this child? River? No...werewolves cannot harness elven magic, at least to my knowledge. Besides, only the child of royal blood is taken in by the elves, and King Zion's wife perished with their unborn child before the fall of the kingdom.
"Learning some history?"
Spinning around on my heel, I meet the golden eyes of the man I was just thinking about. "Just trying to learn more about your pack."
"Not much to learn from artwork here," River insists, trying to pull my attention away from the current tapestry.
"These look new compared to the others. What child did the elves raise?" I ask, motioning to the current tapestry with the child growing up under the care of the elves.
"I do not know," River insists once more, his voice stern as he tries to usher me away. "Have you had a chance to enjoy the food? The skewered squid was prepared by our best chef. Very delicious."
Shaking my head, I allow River to lead me away from the tapestries and back towards the small party. River hands me one of the metal skewers with the foreign meat, informing me this squid comes from the best fishermen in the area. With a skewer in my hand, I begin eating at the meat, listening as the music stops and one of the elves pulls out a lute while another grabs a harp. As the music begins to play, one of the elves begins to sing to the music in a language I cannot understand. "It's a song about the creation of the supernatural kind," River comments, offering me a glass of spiced wine as many of the audience members begin to stop their conversations and listen to the angelic voice singing.
"Very beautiful."
"Indeed," River comments, glancing down to me as the music continues.
Soon enough, I find myself gravitating away from the party, River in line with my steps as we wander around the courtyard of the palace. Our conversation ranges from the architecture of the palace to how our packs differ in tradition. "Evercrest Ridge still places an importance on mates," I comment as we near the front gate of the palace. "Some of my classmates found their mate when they were in secondary school, but many of us still remain unmarked. My parents have stressed that mates are not all someone young should worry about."
"They are right," River comments, "mates are something of the past which was enforced. I mean, over the decades, individuals have come to realize choosing your partner has much more significance than letting an old tradition decide your future. Not many mates are happy."
"My parents are mates," I inform, the two of us stopping in our tracks, "and they are very happy together." River comments how they are one of the few mate pairs to be happy still together. "They were young when they met and married shortly after. Makes me believe mates can still be a wonderful thing."
River shakes his head, wanting to debate with me the subject of mates. "Mates can drive one another mad. The only reason why mates are romanticized is because of ancient religion and tradition."
"Were your parents mates?" I ask.
A short silence falls between the two of us. "My father had a mate originally, but he rejected her and soon after met my mother. Their bond was stronger and not forced."
"I am not saying if you find your mate you immediately have to marry them," I state, wanting to make my point clear. "But mates can still be a wonderful thing. You should not just turn down your chance with someone because you oppose old traditions."
River shakes his head. "Mates are a dying tradition, Evelyn. Soon enough, I hope many of the old traditions die as a new kingdom paves the way for new traditions to from which are not outdated."
I decide to leave the conversation at that, the two of us walking further down the courtyard as I can hear the music in the distance stop. "Who were your parents? Were they from one of the packs which perished?"
"Something like that."
River surrounds himself with mystery, unwilling to open up about his past as he still holds strong beliefs I want to know why he believes. Asger may have some of my answers. Why does River protect who he is like this? Is he afraid of something from his past coming back, that people may view him differently, or is he just this extremely reserved? His pack is loyal to him, meaning they trust him, so they must know bits and pieces of who he is.
A hand is gently placed upon my arm, pulling me to a stop softly as my eyes gaze up to those beautiful golden eyes which seem to glow in the moonlight. Facing me, River takes a step closer towards me, a small gap between us as he parts his lips. "Have you..." He takes a pause, unsure of if he wants to ask me whatever he has in mind. Removing his hand from my arm, the chilly air surrounds us, moon dust falling from the sky as time seems to move slowly around us. "Have you ever blamed your parents for who you are...what decisions you have made?"
His questions makes me think back to when I found out who I really am, the daughter of a man and woman who changed this kingdom and made themselves an enemy of so many. "I have always known my parents to do what they thought best...even if I disagreed with it." River nods softly. "They have done things which have made me wonder how they could ever keep things from me or do things," I begin, thinking back to how my parents never told me I was their adopted daughter. "But I know they did what they thought best. Parents have their faults too, they are not perfect. They mold us into who we are, whether it be for better or worse."
"So many things have changed since I was a child. Sometimes I wish to blame my parents, but I know they did what they thought best to protect me from this cruel world." Protect him from what? From the harsh reality of the world or from something greater?
I don't push River further, knowing he would not give me those answers anyway. I simply stand still, listening to his words as I wonder what his parents were protecting him from and who his parents are. "The world is a cruel place, but parents do their best." As those words leave my mouth, River closes the distance between the two of us, goosebumps forming across my arms as his arms wrap around my small frame and his lips meet mine. My fingers run through his hair as one of his hands moves up to cup my face, fingers brushing softly against my blushing cheeks as I feel as if magic is in the air tonight.