Evette stood quietly as she looked out over the battlement of Tigerstar. The castle she had called her home for over seventeen years. The midsummer air smelled of pine and humid sweat as she inhaled through her petite nose.

On the other side of the closed cypress drawbridge, her eyes settled on the dark sand. It was the same auburn red that she had remembered. The color being similar to her messily braided hair that flowed down past her waist.

The castle of Tigerstar was a sight that Evette had gotten used to seeing. It was old, drab, and utterly boring. Or at least, that was what she thought. The muddy water that filled the deep moat surrounding the castle hadn't been drained in ages. In fact, she couldn't recall when the water was crystal clear and free of floating leaves.

Evette did not well remember the war many years ago between Tigerstar elves and men from Drogen. She recalled being taken down to the lowest part of the keep by her mother. She had hidden with her mother, Topaz, until the air of war had passed over Tigerstar. The cold, suffocating air of death and destruction.

Evette could still remember the tears falling from her father's eyes as she watched him mourn over his fallen soldiers after the war. Their stiffened armored bodies lying in piles as the frost of winter set in freezing their angelic elven eyes and ears. The eery, distraught scream of a woman in the distance crying over her young son that was there one day, and gone the next. Another soldier gone; another elven life lost from the fire and wrath of men.

Vengeance grew in the hearts of those who lost loved ones that horrid day. Elves hated humans more than they had ever before, and they wanted revenge.

Many years passed, and elves who never forgave had started to dwell in the darkness they had created for themselves. They longed to see humans once more, just so they could light them on fire and chop them into pieces.
They wished to watch humans endure the pain that had once been inflicted on the elven people. To cut out their tongues and take away their voices, their words, and their pride.

Evette saw the hearts of the vengeful grow hard and crumble into a thousand pieces. She too felt her heart starting to become as hard as stone, for she also lost someone she loved dearly the day of the war. Her half brother, Argyle.

Argyle was the eldest son of Arwin, the King of Tigerstar and the father of five children, four of pure blood and one an illegitimate daughter.

Although he was the eldest, Argyle had always been the kindest and most genuine elf out of all of Evette's half siblings. He never once made Evette feel like an outsider or a disgrace to the family. He made her feel safe and unashamed of who she was. She was the girl who would now and always be known as the accidental aftermath of her father's secret love affair.

Whenever Evette remembered her loving half brother, she felt a bittersweet tang of vengeance and sadness arise in the pit of her stomach. She remembered seeing his lifeless body laying on the snow covered ground when she was just a girl, his dark auburn hair sticking to the fresh battle wounds on his pale forehead and face. Death by an arrow wound it looked like. The feathered arrow's sharp tip had pierced his heart, and he fell lifelessly to the ground on impact.

If you looked closely, you could still see marks and large indents on the stone exterior walls of Tigerstar Castle, all of them caused by human men who had tried to claw their way up and over the battlement. The scars still remained, whether physical or mental.

Evette shifted her weight from one foot to another as she peeked her head over the parapet to get a better look, one of the guards behind her snickered loudly as she did. With a quick turn, Evette was staring the tall guard down, her arms now crossed over her chest.

"What are you laughing at?" Evette asked the guard who stood in full metal armor. The guard's pale hands, eyes, and pointy ears were the only things she could see besides his long white hair that blew in the docile summer wind.

The guard stayed silent as he stared straight ahead, clearly trying not to break character or crack up at whatever mildly inappropriate joke that was on the tip of his tongue.

"That's what I thought. . ." Evette nodded as she turned completely and placed a hand on the guard's armored forearm. She gripped the long spear in his left hand and pulled it away, snapping it in half over her knee. She threw the two thick pieces of wood to the ground with a huff.

Standing on her tippy toes, Evette drew closer to the guard who looked more serious now than ever before. He didn't flinch when she began to whisper angrily in his ear.

"I'd like to hear what you think is so amusing." She whispered.

The young guard stayed silent as he searched for an answer to give that wouldn't get him in trouble. A moment passed, and he still couldn't think of a reasonable lie.

"I suggest you get yourself down to the armory and find yourself a new weapon, before you're written up for being ill equipped and out of uniform." Evette whispered before pulling away and kicking the two spear halves on the floor down past a few more guards who stood in a row on the battlement.

Evette and the other guards watched silently as the guard without a spear took a step out of line and quickly shuffled around the parapet. He climbed down without another word.

Evette turned back around, and smiled as she glanced back toward the front of the stone castle. Time passed as she stood confidently and contently, her eyes raking over the soldiers she saw emerge from the horizon and travel closer and closer to her homeland.

For the first time in forever, the Elven King had made a peaceful agreement with the King in the West. A treaty supposedly held intact by a newly found loyalty and respect. Evette couldn't believe her father had agreed to what he did. Marrying off one of six elven maidens from wealthy households to a human seemed like the worst matchmaking in the history of arranged marriages. Ugh, the thought of a human and an elf in a romantic relationship made Evette want to vomit up her breakfast.

Evette didn't feel an ounce of nervousness as she watched the human soldiers on horseback approach the castle, one driving a large decorated wagon. Although, when she noticed one of the human men down below glance up and make eye contact with her, she started to feel uneasy, and she realized just how strange this newfound peace was going to be.

The man who glanced up curiously, was the royal guard that stepped forward first to speak. His dark, worn metal helmet reflected the sunlight momentarily as he lifted it off his head, revealing his tan, masculine face. He glanced up at Evette before glancing away.

"We have our orders! Lower the drawbridge!" One of the armored elven guards called down to the men in the gatehouse. They hesitantly lowered the drawbridge slowly, before lifting the iron portcullis.

Evette turned and briskly walked around the parapet, passing the last guard on the left who gripped her arm tightly.

"We've talked about this Eve." Noel, the last elven guard on the row said, before looking her in her deep brown eyes.

"And you know where I stand on the issue." Evette glared at Noel, his familiar unmasked green eyes glaring back at her.

"Just don't do anything that you'll regret later." Noel let Evette go, his pale hand returning to his side. He looked down at Eve, an emotion in his eyes she couldn't read. He sighed quietly.

"What makes you think I'll do something that I will regret?" Eve asked, her left eyebrow raised.

"Because I know you." Noel said simply, a smile forming on his lips. He looked like he wanted to laugh, smile, and break down and cry at the same time. He knew Evette like the back of his hand, and even though he would prefer not to, he would surely go to war for her if the situation arose.

"You're my bodyguard. You aren't supposed to know me, you're supposed to protect me." Eve said quickly as she tilted her sassy head.

"I've known you since we were children. I believe we dropped the title 'bodyguard' a long time ago. You don't need me to protect you; what you did to that poor castle guard proves my point." Noel said while tucking a long, stray white strand of hair behind his pointed ear.

"He laughed at me." Eve rolled her eyes.

"Probably because he found it comical when you tried to glance over the parapet. You're extremely short if you hadn't noticed." Noel smiled as he chuckled.

Evette smacked Noel's muscular arm hard over his armor, she quickly regretted her decision. Pulling her hand away, her expression looked pained as she shook her hand to ease the pain.

"I'm not that short!" Eve cried in laughter and embarrassment.

"You're half my size." Noel looked down and shrugged his arms, a prideful smile on his face.

Noel stood two feet taller than Eve, his shoulders broad and his large hands twice the size of hers. He looked like he would crush her if he weren't careful.

"But that's just because you're a giant!" Eve crossed her arms over her chest once more and glanced down, partially insecure of her below average height.

Noel turned away, his expression unreadable as he began to climb down from the parapet, leaving Eve to fend for herself.

"I'd say that is a compliment coming from you." He murmured as he glanced up at Eve who began to climb down from the parapet above him. He quickly looked away.

"Just drop it."

"As you wish milady'." Noel held out his hand and Eve placed her hand in his as she jumped down to the ground with a low groan.

"Remind me again why my father decided to put you in charge of me three years ago?" Eve asked as she pulled away her hand from Noel's grasp.

"Because you successfully drove the other five guards before me insane. . . and the king likes my father."

"True. True." Eve clicked her tongue and nodded.

"Speak of the elvish devil." Noel whispered and watched as his father, Hand of the King, walked toward the human guards that made their way through the open castle gate. The tension was high as everyone stood in momentary silence.

Five young elvish women stood in a giddy row and whispered amongst themselves as they turned their attention to the human guards that stood nervously. Evette recognized a few of the maidens in the row, their overly manicured hair and attire was familiar. Rosalie, the tallest girl in the group clung to her bestie Naomi, who looked stunning in her blue dress. Coraline, a stunning blonde girl hugged  a shorter brunette girl at her side, Cierra.

Morgan, the girl who stood a ways away from the rest of the girls, was by far the most seemingly interesting girl in the group. She didn't giggle or fiddle about as she stood beside the girls. She looked serious, and a bit nervous as she stood in her fitted white dress, the crimson laces of her bodice tied tightly.
Her sun-kissed skin was a similar shade to Evette's, a beautiful dark brown.

Evette didn't socialize often with those in high social standing; including the women her age. She preferred to stay out of the wondering eyes of noblemen and noblewomen. Being the center of attention was what Evette had been for many years as a child, and now she would much rather stay in the shadows and hide behind Noel's strong person.
He was her best friend.

"Welcome, Soldiers of Drogen." Nicerius, Noel's father said to the humans with a nod, his long crystal staff in hand. As if a stiff nod would make anyone feel more at ease.

"Does he always make awkward situations even more awkward than they already are?" Evette whispered out of the side of her mouth to Noel, who looked serious and at the ready to pull his heavy broadsword from the sheath at his side.

"Now isn't the time to be asking questions Evette." Noel sighed as he watched and listened to one of the human men bow and request politely to see the king.

"His Grace is currently in his study. He has given me instructions to escort you and your men inside the keep. He assumed you would be parched, and in need of some refreshments." Nicerius said politely.

Evette and Noel could tell by the look on Nicerius' face that he didn't like having to kindly invite the humans inside the castle walls. He looked pained; and deep in his green eyes, a sparkle of hatred could be seen from a ways away. He wasn't happy in the slightest.

"With all due respect, my men and I are well rested and ready to begin the journey back to Drogen. I was given orders to not intrude and disturb the peace here in Tigerstar. We do not wish to make anyone feel uncomfortable."  The tall, dark-haired human man said genuinely. He lowered his gaze as he spoke.

"But we aren't ready! I thought we would depart tomorrow!" Evette could hear Rosalie loudly whisper to another girl in the group.

"Yes! And poor Quill is still rather ill.
She was expecting to leave tomorrow." Naomi chimed.

Nicerius took a moment to think. His creased brow made him look older and wiser as he began to speak his mind once more.

"No matter. I will simply have to tell the king that you will be departing today instead of tomorrow. The sixth girl, Lord Finn's daughter, Lady Quill has fallen mildly ill." Nicerius said sadly.

"If she is not fit to travel, then perhaps another girl should go in her stead." The human man said calmly.

Nicerius stammered to find words. He looked as if the entire script he was meant to be reading was going up in unexpected flames.

"There are no more fit candidates that could take Lady Quill's place. . . I-" Nicerius was suddenly cut off.

"What about this fine young woman?" The male human guard turned to Evette, who stood momentarily frozen in place. She gripped Noel's hand tightly, her heart beating wildly fast.

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