Chapter 15: The Dragon Countess and the Unicorn Keeper
"Thank you, councilman. And again, my apologies for my tardiness, some Skinner tried to mug us. I'm sorry, but I can't differentiate verbal directions very well since I'm since blind, though I usually navigate quite well." Ahnaliese replied to Councilman Cirdan.
He had proceeded to lead her not realizing that she was without sight. Once she made him aware, Cirdan felt bad that he had not realized and hurried off the way he did. âOh, my apologies Countess! I should have attended to you better.â Cirdan began to physically guide the Countess by the hand to the Grand Hall.
"Actually skinning is what I came here about, apparently there have been many lower-class citizens of my land disappearing while the dragon skin and Roc bird trade has gone up." Ahnaliese began as the group entered the Grand Hallâs large double doors.
âHmm⊠Skinners⊠This is indeed a criminal group whose activities have not reached my or the councilâs ears in quite some time. And to think the Countess encountered skinners in Anaon as well! I am most grateful that you are well! I apologize for our landâs dangers. I will personally fight to see that the Seelie council addresses this issue with the utmost urgency Countess. You indeed have my word.â Cirdan spoke in a tone of great concern.
They soon reached the three Mer Royals who were still being introduced to more nobles by Ingwe. They definitely stood out among the crowd as they were very tall and they floated slightly above the ground as they were positioned upright, their beautiful tails curled and flailing in the air making a slight noise of blown wind as their fins batted the air. Cirdan was able to gain the attention of Merilwen who tapped Aearion and Aranhil. âExcuse me your majesties, however I have a very distinguished guest to introduce to you and the council. The Dragon Countess of which I spoke of before has arrived.â Cirdan gently held Ahnalieseâs hand as he addressed the group.
"Hello your majesties, I am Countess Ahnaliese Catherine Nicolette of Deva" Ahnaliese addressed the group.
Aearion, Aranhil, and Merilwen turned toward the Countess and her companions. They could pick up on her special aura. It was different than the aura that one felt from an Elf, Magician, or Dryad. The aura of a Dragon was only slightly similar to a Merpersonâs aura however they emanated more of a warmer aura than Merpeople did, you emanated a colder aura. Aearion was the first of the group to speak, being the Prince and highest in ranking among the three.
âHello Countess Ahnaliese! I am Prince Aearion Turin, son of King Vehiron of the central Morenion Kingdom. It is a pleasure to meet you. I have very rarely had the opportunity to meet a Dragoness! This is indeed an occasion to remember.â Aearion was excited. He wanted to continue his peopleâs past of good relations with the Dragon race.
âGreetings Countess Ahnaliese and companions. I am Aranhil Rinion , Duke of Ilaria the Western Sea. I hope that we have good negotiations in tomorrowâs council meeting.â Aranhil spoke calmly. He had seen a few dragon people in his day. However, they do not often appear near the ocean shore.
âSalutations Countess Ahnaliese. I am Merilwen Vanamarilla, Pearl Princess of Airemana the Eastern Sea. I hope to learn more about the land from your perspective as a Dragoness. This is indeed a strange and wonderful place. I can only imagine what itâs like for a dragon.â Merilwen greeted the Countess with a great pleasant smile and a bow.The other council members gathered to greet the countess as well.
A few moments later, the doors to the grand hall opened and in walked a large, beautiful white unicorn accompanied by an elegant and princely young man. One of the servants announced the arrival of Faramire Elessar, Prince of the Unicorn Keepers. The Unicorn Keeper was of a refined nature and many of the Fae present were surprised to see the reclusive Prince of the Unicorn Keepers present at the Seelie ball.
The Unicorns are a special form of magical being. They are powerful and intelligent. They dwell in the northern reaches of the Wylds called the Pale Crystal Wood. Pale Crystal Wood is almost always shrouded in moonlight. They are protected by a magical race of beings known only as Unicorn Keepers. They are inseparable from their Unicorns. The Keeper and Unicorn share a special magical bond that unlocks strong power. They are of the more sophisticated beings of the wylds and much of Arcadia has only heard not seen a Unicorn or itâs keeper with their own eyes. Unicorn Keepers have been known to place curses and cast spells on those who threaten the Unicorns and will fight to the death to defend them. Many of the wylds residents know not to trespass in the Pale Crystal Wood for fear of being eternally cursed by a Unicorn Keeper. The Unicorn Keepers themselves are a distant form of Fae, but more so a forest Nymph.
Voices and whispers echoed throughout the Ballroom. âWhatâs a Unicorn doing in here?! Itâs a creature of the WyldsâŠâ one she-elf gasped. Another voice whispered, âFirst Merpeople, then Dragons, now Unicorns and their guardian nymphs. This is truly an eventful evening!â. âI see the Seelie are expanding their range of communications. This could bring good things.â Another nobleman spoke. The murmurs continued and the Unicorn Keeper walked forward paying the banter no mind, he was focused.
Being from the Wylds of Arcadia his customs were different and so was his manner of speech. His dialect was somewhat strange to the Arcadian ear yet completely understandable and regal. He bowed on one knee and so did the unicorn to the councilmen, the countess, and the Mer royals. He rose from his knee and spoke. âO blessed Moonlight, thank you for this occasion, under your grace, to meet with the voices of Arcadia.â Faramire spoke to the heavens before he addressed the group.
âBlessed eve, I am Prince Faramire Elessar of the Unicorn Keepers. It is indeed an honor and a Privilege to be present here tonight. I hope that Eldeen the Unicornâs presence does not put you off. I am aware that it is uncommon for a being of a unicornâs nature to be present in a Ballroom setting, however he is no mere creature of the Wylds. He is just as much a diplomat as I. So once again, I implore your understanding.â Faramire spoke calmly in a voice that seemed to float on the airwaves.
"You said he was a diplomat, can he... Can he speak, your majesty?" Ahna approached Prince Elessar.
Suddenly the Eldeen the Unicornâs horn began to glow of a bright golden light. A voice began to echo calmly in Ahnalieseâs subconscious. The voice was deep and soothing to the ear. It was Eldeen communicating with the Countess telepathically. âThere are many ways to âspeakâ honorable Countess. However, how a Unicorn speaks must indeed be a curious matter to many I suppose. I therefore do understand why you ask. A Unicornâs voice is heard in the heart. This is how we communicate, if not through the Keepers that guard us.â Eldeen answered Ahnalieseâs question.
Lolindir Fefalas stepped forward toward the Unicorn Keeper and inquired, âI was not made aware that the Prince Elessar, the fabled Unicorn Eldeen, and the Countess of Deva would be present this evening.â
Ingwe quickly butted in, âI invited them. They had concerns to bring to the council regarding various matters of importance and I thought, âwhy not just have them for the Festival of Unity? Invite them to attend the council meeting as well.â I didnât think to trouble you or most of the other councilmen with knowledge of my spur of the moment decision. I didnât think it would be problematic.â Ingwe was glad to see that the countess and the prince of the Unicorn keepers could attend.
Lolindir then asked, âWell then, would you mind sharing with us something of these matters of concern?â He was most curious as to what brought them to speak with the Fea council.
Faramire looked to Eldeen a then stoked his mane before he began to speak. âWe, under the great moon of the Pale Crystal Wood, have noticed a more frequent trespassing of our wood in the Wylds by Orcs and Feral elves. They carry weapons as if prepared for war. Crossing through the Pale Crystal Wood allows one to reach the Wizard Tower and Spire Rock with greater ease. A unicorn was captured and we were not able to recover her. These Orcs and Feral elves were definitely on an assignment. They were focused unlike the usual occasional trespasser. I felt the Seelie should know and be ready to intercept in case of a threat. We Unicorn Keepers are not prepared for an all-out war. We of the wood would like to request that the Seelie look into this matter.â
Lolindir focused his eyes in on the prince and responded, âThis is indeed a curious matterâŠâ Then he looked over to Mablung who seemed upset at the Prince of the Unicorn Keepersâ presence. However Mablung tended to carry an angry disposition most of the time so it was difficult for anyone to clearly pinpoint his true source of irritation. Lolindir then smiled at Mablung, who didnât return the gesture, and then turned to Countess Ahnaliese. âSo Countess what concern do you wish to address at tomorrowâs meeting?â Lolindir asked with a rising intonation that captured his curiosity.
"How dare you decide the line between civilized and feral!" The giant green man shouted. The other guests in the room were slightly startled by the sudden outburst. However once they realized that all was okay they resumed their previous conversations.
The countess then addressed the half-orc. "A'ka'no, I know this must be hard for you but please careful to not say anything you'll regret."
The Half-orc rebutted, "More like you'll regret." he stomped off.
Faramire remained calm in disposition. He had seen many an orc in the Wyld where the Pale Crystal Wood was located. He did not mean to insult the half-orc or anyone else, but the issue at hand needed to be explained as it was. Eldeen, the unicorn, nudged Faramire reassuringly on the shoulder.
The countess continued, "I'd like to address the issue of skinners who kill intelligent beings for their parts", she sounded mostly calm but emotion could be heard in her voice.
Lolindir frowned. âSkinners? What a disgusting bunch of low lives. Yes this is a problem. I wonât have them running about Arcadia skinning people and selling their disgusting wares if I have any say in it. If someone tries to sell a skin to me Iâd have them jailed on the spot for merely repulsing me.â Lolindir responded as if vexed by the mere thought of skinners.
Cirdan stepped forward, âWell Lolindir since you have such momentum, why donât you aide the Countess in spearheading the plea for a crack-down on the skinner issue?â He grinned knowing Lolindir wanted nothing to do with the issue but he would be perfect for enforcing the campaign against skinners.
âMe? This sort of campaign seems more so up your, Voronwe, or Ingweâs cobblestone pathway not mine. Why would you think me perfect for such a task?â Lolindir sneered.
âWell youâre most efficient and Iâm sure this matter will be best taken care of for the Countess and her people if you handled it with your own capable hands.â Cirdan reassured Lolindir with a smile only a politician could give.
âWell, you bring up a good point⊠Tomorrow, if the council decides that this issue is to be addressed under our watch then I shall volunteer to spearhead it.â Lolindir said to Cirdan with a snide smile. He was usually selfishly motivated and almost always gained something personally from his council work. However this was one of those rare occasions where the pale raven haired elf magician was doing something for reasons outside of himself. He turned to the Countess, âYou can count on me to see that this problem be nullified given the council wills it so.â He gave Countess Ahnaliese a bow with a hand over his well-defined chest.
Aearion Turin was enlightened hearing about some of the land dwellers issues. He was reminded of what his father would tell him about the land above the waterâs surface and how much turmoil it was in. It was for this reason the Merpeople divorced the land and left it to its own fate by diminishing into to sea. The Treaty to be signed annually was for the sake of allowing the Merpeople to be a neutral party in Arcadiaâs struggles.
âWell Prince Aearion, Princess Merilwen, Duke Aranhil, you three appear to be very tired. Ingwe why donât you allow them to call it a night and rest for the meeting tomorrow?â Voronwe suggested.
âOh you are right! My apologies my guests! Itâs so easy for me to get caught up in a social gathering. Countess Ahnaliese you must be weary of travel too. I will have someone escort you to your quarters if you will it. Prince Faramire you and Eldeen as well.â Ingwe spoke loudly with a grand smile. He was so happy to have everyone gathered together.