Ileus: The Dark Prince

"Awww!" Siora heard Paige's voice as if she was looking at something very tender. 

"Ruvyn!" said Paige excitedly. "Lea, look!" Lea walked to the Inyanga who was holding the little Ruvyn in her hands. Tucked in a blue baby-bear flannel suit that covered his head and had two little ears on the hood, Ruvyn immediately drew attention. When Inyanga gave the little one to Paige, he started crying. "No, no, baby. Don't cry," she said. 

Inyanga laughed softly. "He is still not comfortable with the strangers other than Anastasia and Iona," she said as she took him back in her arms. As soon as Ruvyn smelled and felt the warmth of his mother, he became quiet. 

"Yes, my son doesn't go to strangers," said Haldir proudly. "But— but he loves it when I sing a lullaby." 

"Really?" Inyanga raised her eyebrow. "Now that is one overstatement of the millennia! Because Ruvyn giggles when you sing a lullaby and I do keep hearing dogs barking, for your voice bleeds their ears." 

Lea and Paige burst out laughing. 

Haldir narrowed his eyes on his wife. "You know what—" he pursed his lips. "Actually, leave it. My son understands me and I am good with that. And now I am taking my baby with me for the rest of the evening." Saying that he took Ruvyn out of Inyanga's arms and the child screamed in protest. Hadir stared at his son with utter disbelief. "Et tu Brutus!" 

The girls were in tears laughing at him. Haldir left them and walked inside where Ileus and Anastasia were. Inyanga followed him, shaking her head. 

Siora was shocked. Gods! Adrianna's legendary elf was also here. She had heard about him but never seen him. He was supposed to be one of the most handsome men in the Lore. She chuckled and wondered how it would be to add him to her harem. Maybe she would bind him with her magic and run away with him to the border. Would Aed Ruad mind? Her thoughts went to Edyrm. The man was in his feral form and it was highly unlikely for him to return to his human form until he fed—until he fed blood from a Lorean or until someone transferred his magic to him. And that could happen only after that someone did it willingly and was ready to die. She scoffed. Who would be stupid enough to do that for a man like Edyrm? In his absence, no one in the kingdom of Galahar would question her marriage to Aed Ruad. 

"Oh, my little Ruvyn is here!" said Anastasia as she took the baby in her arms. And he went to her gladly. Haldir watched the group of ladies and then he watched his son with a raised eyebrow. Anastasia swooned over him and the first thing Ruvyn did was to grab her golden hair in her braid. When she took him up on her shoulder, he tried to grab the feathers of her wing. 

"Well, he knows his priorities," said Ileus as he handed him the crystal full of whiskey. 

"I think all he needs is another sibling and that too very soon so he would know what jealousy is when I will shower my love on it," Haldir said and gulped in lots of whiskey. 

"Haldir is jealous? That's new!" Ileus murmured and the elf gave him a pointed stare. 

More guests poured in but there was no sign of Iona and Rolfe. Impatience burned through her chest. She was feeling so stuffy that she wanted to take her tunic out. She wanted to pull her breeches out. The cloak that she was wearing was stifling. She could no longer wear it and on a sudden urge, she took it off. The drapes moved and a servant saw. 

"Oh god! Is a window open?" he said as he placed a basket of warm bread sticks in the center of the table in the banquet hall. "It will cool the food in a minute. It is so cold outside. I just hope it stops snowing!" 

The woman accompanying him jerked her head back. "I don't think so. Why?" 

"That curtain over there moved as if a wave of breeze swept by." He pointed at the drapes behind which Siora was standing. 

Siora stilled. From her vantage point she monitored the activity of the two servants. Did she have to kill one of them or both of them if tried to pull the drapes back? She stopped breathing, cursing herself for not taking notice of the two servants. She had been feeling so terrible that it was impossible to stay over there. But for now, she had to contain the situation. 

"Really?" The woman asked. "Let me check if a window is open or not." She brisked over to the windows and found only one was open. "Ah, this one is open," she said and closed it as she shivered in the cold breeze that rushed in. "Damn it is so cold!" she remarked. "By the way, do you know where the in-charge is?" she asked the man-servant. 

Siora had used a kernel of her magic to open the window.

"No," he replied exasperatedly. "The last I saw him was when he was shouting at the new recruit." 

"That woman who barely does anything?" 

"Yes. She disappeared yesterday and today too I can't see her anywhere. Why has Hank bothered to even hire her unless—" 

"Unless she is warming his bed!" 

"Hush!" the woman shut him up. 

"Why hush? In fact, I saw the in-charge running after the woman and then he didn't come out for a long time." 

"Oh my! What is happening?" 

"Forget it!" the man said. "Let's just finish this. I will report it to Hank once this is over. I don't want to create any more scenes, otherwise Hank will cut our salary." 

Siora took a sigh of relief when the two servants exited. Anxiety bubbled up inside her. These people had noticed her absence even though she was trying to be discreet. She clenched her jaws and closed her eyes. Only a few more moments and then she would be free from this heaviness in her core, in her chest. 

Yet another hour passed and more guests came in. Ookashi and Nate and Kaizan were receiving them in the living room now. Drinks and snacks flowed freely as servants scurried in and out. She didn't hear voices that her ears were straining for. Neither Iona, nor Rolfe had come. Did the informant fool her and Aed Ruad? Was this a trap? The thoughts made her feel all the more snappy. If this was the case, then she would have to exit quietly from the back entrance and go back to Aed Ruad without causing mayhem. But after killing Hank. She waited… 

There was light banter and loud talks and giggles and laughter amongst the guests. They all moved to the banquet hall finally and started taking their seats. Nate was sitting at the head of the table, while Ookashi sat to his left. On his right was Kaizan and Paige. He looked proudly at his children and smiled. Ileus and Anastasia sat beside them as Darla and Aidan sat next to Ookashi. 

Siora's anticipation rose. She saw the guests coming one by one.. Where was Iona? Her breath caught in her throat when she heard, "Anastasia!" It was Iona.