Chapter 27:Ready

After cleaning up, Atheline left for the palace since he would be the first to meet the king.

He walked down the palace’s pristine hallway and came to a stop in front of a large door.

He knocked.

"Come in," the king’s commanding voice came through the door.

The guards standing by the door pushed it open and Atheline walked into the king’s office. The office was unbelievably large but most of it had been occupied by the massive library and a part of the world tree root.

At the centre was the king behind a pile of documents. The king, Winster Velcro was a good-looking man. Blonde hair, paired with green eyes and a face that hadn’t aged a bit despite being almost four hundred years old.

Even seated he carried the aura of a king that demanded respect and recognition without even asking.

Atheline genuinely respected the man. He has been on the throne for over two hundred years and he has managed to keep the prideful high elves at bay while expanding and growing the kingdom.

"Atheline my child, how have you been?" The king asked without looking up at his documents.

"I’ve been well your majesty... How have you been?"

Atheline bowed and took a seat in the chair opposite him. King Winster stopped writing and looked up at him with a kind smile on his face.

"Your strength has increased again, I wish my son were as talented as you," he said.

Atheline forced a small laugh. Solaris was very talented in his opinion. He was a Fire Aether controller.

’I guess parents will never be satisfied with their own children’s results’

"Thank you your majesty, it was all due to father’s teaching."

The king laughed out loud.

"Let’s forget about that," he said and stopped laughing his face turning serious, " as you’ve already guessed, I called you because the next dark elves envoy will be coming tomorrow. As you already know you and Solaris will be responsible for their welcome and I wanted to know if you’re fully prepared."

Atheline nodded. He had already been briefed about it by his father a week ago.

"Yes your majesty, I know how important this alliance is and I do not wish to bring shame to our kingdom," Atheline said solemnly.

He could feel the king’s tension and it was starting to affect him.

"Good, I trust you more than my son to handle this, make sure there is no mishap. I’ll be sending you with some palace guards to receive them and escort them."

"Yes, your majesty."

The king nodded and waved Atheline away.

"Thank you for coming child but I won’t be able to entertain you any further."

"Yes, your majesty."

He stood up and left the office. Glancing back he witnessed the king’s tired and resigned face before the door closed behind him.

Atheline walked on the sidewalk as he headed to the world tree when he spotted Solaris leaning against a few trees in front of him.

Their eyes met and the prince waved at him. Atheline quickened his steps and came to a stop a step away.

"How was your talk with father?" Solaris asked directly.

Atheline knew immediately that he had been waiting for him.

"Nothing much his majesty wants us to welcome tomorrow’s guests."

Solaris eyes twitched.

"I really don’t want to do this... I’ve never been in this close contact with them," he complained and turned to walk down the sidewalk.

Atheline walked beside him while listening to his complaints.

"By the way, what about the other races?" He suddenly asked.

"They should also arrive this week three days after the elven envoy."

Solaris nodded.

"I wonder how lively it will be, we rarely get to interact with the other species. "

"That’s mainly because we’re separated by the ocean but if you go to the borders you will find that each species has integrated well with the others," Atheline said.

"We should go to the beast or human continents after the wedding, I heard they have the best cuisines especially humans," Solaris said and licked his lips.

Atheline nodded. He also wanted to travel but his parents had said that until he reached twenty and here he was. He could finally leave the elven continent and go to explore other species he had only read of in the books.

"Have you had any contact with Elydrah?" The prince asked.

The future groom’s face came to mind. Atheline nodded.

"I’ve had people watch him, he hasn’t tried to escape again. He seems to have resigned to his fate."

The prince sighed heavily.

"Finally, I had thought that man-child was going to try another escape. I can’t imagine what the elf queen would do if she finds out he tried to run, several times at that."

Atheline chuckled nervously at that thought.

"Do you think she might come after me for letting him escape?" He said the moment that thought crossed his mind.

The prince was quiet for a moment then shrugged.

"Don’t know if she does, we’re both doomed," he said but his voice curried a joking undertone.

He didn’t take what he had said seriously but Atheline did.

They both came to a stop in front of the barrier that prevented anyone from going too close to the world tree and sat on the seats distributed near the tree.

’

This hits different ’

The breeze and the rustling from the leaves were much different from those of normal trees. It felt alive as though the world tree was touching them itself.

Atheline didn’t even know how old the tree was since from its vague history it said that it had been there from the beginning of time.

He took a sip of the tea the servants brought the moment they sat down.

"I found a talented student in the academy i plan to introduce him to my father today," the prince suddenly said after a bout of silence.

Atheline leaned forward in interest.

"Is it that girl you were training?"

Solaris shook his head.

"No, he’s pretty unremarkable at school but there was an incident that made him quite famous."

"What happened? You’ve swamped me with all your work now I’m missing the gossip."

The prince chuckled.

"His name is Caius.."

"Wait, wait your highness Caius as in Caius Therlner?"

Prince Solaris looked at him wide-eyed.

"Do you know everybody in the kingdom Atheline, how do you even know him?" He said in exclamation, whole shaking his head.

Atheline chuckles.

"Don’t exaggerate it to such proportions," Atheline said dismissively, "So what happened?"

He had been too preoccupied to keep his eyes on the protagonist.