Fires of Ruin (War and Deceit #3) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,17
poisoned at the daily evening balls. Vaeril knows a little of what happened in the great hall, but I’ve never been able to tell him all of it.
“There’s a celebration tonight,” he replies, as he leads me towards the door, but I pull him to a stop with a frown.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“It was a last-minute decision by the queen.” The way he says this implies that this isn’t the first time she’s done something like this. Thinking back to my encounters with the elven queen, I have to admit that she does seem quite impulsive despite the graceful, cool-headed persona she tries to emanate. “A homecoming for me, and a celebration at the new alliance between the elves and the people of the mountain tribes,” he continues, his voice even, but I can tell there’s something off about him as he avoids my eyes.
“You don’t want to go.” I realise then that he’s just as adverse to going to this as I am, although I think his reasoning not to attend is different than mine.
“This is just a celebration of my failure.” His voice is bitter now, and my heart aches for him.
“Vaeril…”
I’d known he felt guilty that he’d been caught, that he could never return home, bound to serve his enemy, but he got away, he returned home! I suppose those thoughts were never going to just disappear overnight, I think to myself as I watch his face. Although the queen shouting about his failure in front of witnesses was never going to help. My anger rises again as I remember her reaction earlier this afternoon.
“I am looking forward to seeing my old friends however,” he admits, reaching for the door and escorting me out into the hallway. “Your mountain friend will be there too.” His voice is tight, even though he tries to hide his dislike for my friend. Usually I might scold him, but right now I don’t care, my excitement rising at the prospect of seeing Tor so soon.
“Tor will be there?” My smile lights up my face as I fall into step with him, making our way through the quiet halls.
“Yes,” he replies quickly before changing the subject, pulling me closer so our hips brush as we walk. “Tell me what you’ve been up to this afternoon.”
“Naril and Eldrin took me down to meet some of the sea elves,” I respond carefully, not wanting to say anything that might offend any listening ears.
Of course, Vaeril immediately picks up on my discomfort and narrows his eyes on me. “What did you think?”
I think back to my trip this afternoon and the caves they live in. There was such a stark contrast between how the high elves live in the palace and the caverns that the sea elves reside in. I understand they need to be lower so they can access the ocean easily, but they live much more simple lives than their counterparts above them. I can’t help but wonder how much of that is by choice. Their caves have beautiful carvings all over the walls. I spent hours exploring the caverns, hearing the stories behind the pictures. The sea elves I met were all ambassadors and their families, and they seemed really pleased to tell me their stories. I got the impression that the high elves don’t visit often.
“It was not what I was expecting,” is all I choose to say, aware we are no longer in the relative safety of my rooms.
“They do look quite different from the high elves.” He responds with a nod of his head.
He’s right, they do. The sea elves are shorter than the high elves, but still taller than me. Their skin is a dark ebony, almost blueish in the light of the sun. They have broad chests and striking yellow eyes, their pointed ears poking from their dark braided hair. Vaeril had been right when he said they had webbed fingers and toes, but what he hadn’t explained was that their hands and feet are much bigger than those of the high elves. They have long, elongated palms and fingers that form a point. They remind me of the paddles used in the harbour at Arhaven, but that’s not what I meant when I said it was unexpected.
“No, I don’t mean them, they were lovely.” I pause, trying to think how to explain it without offending anyone. “The palace is beautiful, every inch of it is perfect, yet the sea elves almost live in poverty.”