For days now, the constant grinding of wooden wheels rotating on cobbled roads had driven Erdudvyl towards the brink of insanity. It was a relief when the clip-clop of the hooves from their escort had gradually got louder as they bunched together due to a traveller passing outside.

Even Chrys' endless talking about nothing of relevance was a relief, but after several days of travel, even the talkative handmaiden was finding the travelling difficult to feel motivated.

It was hot as well, hot and humid. Sometimes, when the sun was at its highest it was difficult to breathe in the small cramped compartment of the carriage, and despite warnings from the escort, Loldirr had repeatedly opened the curtains to get some fresh air.

Erdudvyl was thankful for Loldirr's rebellious streak. She knew the curtains were drawn for security reasons, but being able to briefly glimpse the outside world almost encouraged Erdudvyl to follow in Loldirr's insubordination.

The trees, the rolling hills, even the small smelly villages were so different to what she was familiar with that everything felt alien to her. There was such simplicity to human architecture, such a beauty to their landscape that for once she didn't feel pity for them, but a small bout of envy.

Erdudvyl knew it wouldn't last. Soon they would be in Lionmane, to face the most infamous Emperor of the realms of men, Emperor Arnaud III. At that point, she knew she would remember why she felt discomfort around the affairs of humans.

"I heard the Emperor has fifteen wives, what would you do with fifteen wives?" Chrys asked, briefly regaining her motivation.

A smile swept across Erdudvyl's face, she never seemed to feel any discomfort around her new human companions

"One wive, fifteen concubines. Though it is said he only really spends time with one now." corrected Erdudvyl.

"Pig." commented Loldirr, who seemed more aggravated the closer they got Lionmane.

"I agree, I never understand your humans need for a supreme leader who has the ability to use women as he sees fit." Erdudvyl commented a flash of anger flew over her face.

"So you don't have an Emperor or King?" Loldirr asked.

"No, we have a system in which various elves are bred in order to one day lead. Every elf gets to choose the leader for a certain time period, normally ten winters, in which they are held accountable for their actions to the other bred leaders." explained Erdudvyl as she tried to manoeuvre herself in order to gain some much-needed blood flow to her posterior.

"So everyone gets to choose who leads you?" Chrys asked "That is crazy. How could that ever work? It must be chaos!"

Erdudvyl tried hard not to get offended by the question, after all, she had worked out that Chrys had an inability to filter what she wanted to say. "It is successful. We spend a fair amount of time for the leaders to tell everyone why they should be chosen, and plenty of time for each person to make an informed decision. In my lifetime, we elves have seen prosperity and never experienced war."

"That's not bad, " Loldirr commented, "I suppose during that time, humans have probably seen about thirty wars."

"Two hundred and twenty." Erdudvyl smiled with a hint of arrogance.

Both Chrys and Loldirr looked at her with surprise on their faces. "How is it possible that we have so many in that time?" Loldirr asked.

"That's because this will be my three hundredth and fiftieth winter coming up." she commented while looking out of the open curtain.

"Wait, what?" Chrys responded a lot louder than she intended.

"I'm still young by elven standards, we can live up to three thousand winters, though that is rare. Normally two and a half thousand." she smiled especially watching Chrys' reaction to that information bomb.

There was a brief silence in the carriage, just enough for the grinding wheels to be noticeable once more. It was then that Loldirr looked up to Erdudvyl and commented: "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Erdudvyl replied.

"I knew you gave up a lot to go on this quest with us, and I assumed that you would have likely received exile for joining Ethelston and I. Does that mean you can't return home for the next two thousand winters?" Loldirr asked, her voice cracking under the strain of the insight into Erdudvyl's loss.

"Exile, yes. But not just home. I'm forbidden from all elven cities." Erdudvyl responded, her eyes glistened as she responded, a small sniffle escaped her nose. She took a deep breath in order to maintain her composure.

As she looked away, wiping the tear that was escaping down her cheek she was shocked as Loldirr leant over to her and threw her arms around her in comfort. Instead of regaining her composure, it seemed to encourage the release of the tears that had stored up like a waterfall.

"We have all lost so much, but yet your sacrifice is the greatest." Loldirr said as she comforted her elven compatriot.

"Thank you, " she whimpered as they released their embrace. "but now you go to face your parents killer, you can't underestimate the sacrifice that you are about to give."

"Your parents killer?" Chrys parroted looking towards Loldirr in a state of shock.

As much as Loldirr wanted to explain everything to her new friend, she was still cautious in pushing the limits of her loyalty. In time, she would explain everything to her, but not until the time was right. Things were too emotionally tense and fragile for that time to be now.

"I didn't really know them, " Loldirr explained, but her voice still sounded sombre. She didn't know her parents and Edric had filled that void, despite his flaws, to a significant degree of efficiency. She couldn't help but wonder though what her real parents were like. Turning to Erdudvyl she asked, "Did you know them?"

"Only by reputation." Erdudvyl replied.

"What about their death?" Loldirr pleaded.

Erdudvyl looked out of the carriage towards the green rolling hills a little apprehensive to answering the question. Whatever she said to Loldirr would undoubtedly be painful to listen to, but there was no point in explaining the extent of the brutality at this point.

"They were betrayed. Somehow the Emperor managed to buy off or kill their closest people during a celebration of one of the human gods, Xathe, I believe. He had them murdered while they slept." Erdudvyl explained.

There was silence in the carriage as the eyes of Loldirr appeared to glisten, but no tear dropped, just a fit of quiet anger seemed to fill her green eyes.

"You must not let this truth cloud your judgement for why we are here." Erdudvyl explained.

"I understand." Loldirr replied quietly. She knew all too well the importance of keeping her calm during the time of meeting her parent's executioners, one day she would get her revenge. Today would not be that day.

There was silence in the carriage which once again made the grinding of the wheels become noticeable, but no one felt comfortable to carry on the conversation from where it recently ended.

It wasn't until Chrys spotted through the carriage door the hardened stone towers and walls of the magnificent city of Lionmane. It peered over the horizon, visible from one end to the other, with its half-million population, it was by far the biggest city in the Isovine Empire. "We're here." she cheered.

Instantly, both her and Loldirr stuck their heads through the carriage window to gain a better view of the city and its surroundings. They both giggled as the warm breeze splashed their faces while they studied the ever-increasing scale of the city.

Unlike Gryffinfall, its city gates were open, allowing a gathering of merchants, nobles and peasants to enter and exit the city frequently. While it was welcome to the masses, the scores of archers, catapults and trebuchets placed on the battlements suggested that all were welcome, but they were also being watched.

The clip-clop of one of the soldier's horses moved alongside the carriage. "My ladies, could I suggest, for your safety that you remain inside the carriage."

Instantly they returned their heads inside giggling like schoolgirls and discussing the enormity of the city.

As they both sat to discuss, Erdudvyl had a quick glance out of the carriage window. As an elf, she had had many a discussion with peers and superiors on how the humans were a chaotic, brutal, inferior race that would drive themselves to extinction. While she had believed this statement, the short time she had spent with her new human companions had shown her something different. They were passionate, splendorous and far better organised than elves gave them credit.

As she sat down and watch the two young women laugh together, she smiled. Perhaps there was something special about humans after all.

***

The Lionmane keep made Ravenscourt look like a townhouse in comparison. Looking up to the sky, it seemed to block out the sun as its various layers of floors, walls and battlements stretched endlessly upwards.

Stone-made pouncing Lions, roaring lions, majestic lions of all shapes and sizes could be seen littered among the walls. Their discolouration between them and the walls suggested that these were recent editions.

It was apparent that anything of the Aex-Igh dynasty had been deliberately removed and replaced with that of the Emperor's lion sigil.

As Erdudvyl and Loldirr entered the keep, the menacing door frames set a stark reminder that they were entering the mouth of the lion. The Emperor was unpredictable and extremely unfriendly. They would need to be on their best behaviour to ensure a truce could remain between Ravenscourt and Lionmane.

With Kirken in tow, they entered the long hall of the Emperor's court. Around twenty fully armoured golden knights stood equal spacing apart, the Lionguards, some of the most fearsome fighters in all of the realms, watching every move they made as they stepped inside for the first time.

As the three travellers edged forward, the large pompous frame of the Emperor sat in his throne at the end of the hall. His seat of gold had the figureheads of lions melded onto the end of the arms, the maroon silk cushion he sat on looked uneasy under his large frame and the back towered high above his head for no reason but to display his wealth and importance.

He stroked his well-trimmed beard that covered his reddened plump face, his dark emotionless eyes watched them as they slowly walked forward before they turned towards the woman who sat next to him.

This woman was not the Queen, who had retired to their southern estate some years ago because of the woman who sat in her stead.

The pale skin and bright blue eyes of the woman displayed a smile that hid a far more sinister motive behind them. With her blue hair draped over one shoulder, it seemed to point towards an elegance about her, but her bare-skinned other shoulder pointed towards a seductiveness that managed to get her into the position to the left of the Emperor.

Officially, she was an advisor, however, rumours suggested their relationship was of a far more sexual nature. No one knew much about her apart from her name, one of Nimue.

"Step, step, step and curtsey." Kirken instructed quietly to remind Erdudvyl and Loldirr the etiquette in the Emperor's presence.

Both women lowered their heads before curtseying as eloquently as possible, Erdudvyl's grace was unmistakable, Loldirr's unfamiliarity with the procedure seemed enhanced by Erdudvyl's charm.

They stepped forward again followed by another curtsey, stepping forward again until roughly ten metres from the steps that lead up to the Emperor.

The final curtsey couldn't have come soon enough for the embarrassed Loldirr.

"Lets get this over with." the Emperor replied abruptly causing Erdudvyl to briefly frown.

"Your majesty, may I present Erdudvyl Ar Moal of the Deayitora Dominion, and Lady Loldirr, ward of Lord Ethelston Darke." Kirken introduced, as expected this did not elicit a response from the Emperor. "Your majesty we have come here..."

"Silence. I will not be addressed to by a peasant." the Emperor's voice boomed in frustration, his hand raised in protest.

It was obvious that Kirken was put out by the comment. While he had been the right hand of the Darke's for at least two decades, he was still, despite feeling otherwise, by birth, a peasant.

"Your majesty, " Erdudvyl continued, "We are..."

"And you, a woman!" the Emperor interrupted again. "Does Lord Darke wish to insult me?"

There was silence in the room.

"The Emperor asked you a question." Nimue responded smoothly, her face displayed a smile, the voice spat venom.

Erdudvyl took a deep breath, aware that she had to remain calm despite wanting to go over and slap the two-faced bitch that just tried to undermine her. "Lord Darke sends his apologies for not being able to attend personally, however, he has the monumental task of transitioning from his uncle's rule." Erdudvyl explained. "He wishes to express his continued support of the Emperor and has the desire to maintain their friendship that has blessed the realm over the last few years."

The Emperor seemed uninterested in Erdudvyl's comments, instead, his gaze had turned to the young redhead next to her. A gaze which Nimue had spotted too.

"You, ward, where are you from?"

Loldirr had not been prepared to speak in this encounter, instead, she stuttered through her answer. "Ummm... Farerthorpe... Ummm... Your Majesty."

"Farerthorpe, that little shit hole? Your father has done well to position you into house Darke, or was it something between your legs that got you there?" the Emperor responded, clearly looking up and down Loldirr's physique.

"Pretty little bird like that are generally not very good for things of that nature, your Majesty." Nimue responded, her voice becoming more bitter.

"Lord Fargold, my father, he assisted Lord Darke on a quest when on his travels. Lord Darke rewarded him by allowing me into his household." Loldirr repeated the story that they had spent the last week rehearsing.

"I was not aware he had such a beautiful daughter." the Emperor replied.

Loldirr smiled and looked down "Thank you, Your Majesty, as you know, my father is somewhat a recluse and very introverted."

The Emperor stroked his chin. It wasn't clear if he was trying to see through Loldirr's lie, or just admiring her. "You three must dine with us tonight, to cement the relationship between House Darke and House Cicero, I will not take no for an answer."

"We would be honoured, You Majesty, " Erdudvyl responded with a lump in her throat.

"Someone will escort you to your rooms and I shall look forward to seeing you later this evening." he responded, predominantly looking towards Loldirr.

With that, Kirken bowed, while Loldirr and Erdudvyl curtsied, stepping back ten paces before turning and heading to the exit.

Erdudvyl shook her head at the outcome of the encounter. The best she could have hoped for was for the Emperor to agree to the truce and for them to be on their way. The worst was for him to accuse them of treason and execute them, either way, both were definitive and abrupt.

This was something different, she had not expected him to immediately have an eye for Loldirr, and what made it worse was Nimue had spotted it too. Little was known of the blue-haired seductress, but it was apparent she did not like to share the Emperor's attention.

Now they had to worry about both the Emperor and Nimue, and with the Emperor taking a liking to Loldirr, the chances of being allowed to leave Lionmane quickly had been greatly reduced.

The situation was far more severe than she could have ever anticipated.