Eme-Redser touched Lysette's arm, and motioned for her to follow. Lysette, tears still streaming down her face, did so, and they came to a small clearing not far from the camp.
"Oh, dry those tears, for the love of R'edaine!" the Elven Queen exclaimed, while pulling a large handkerchief out of one of her pockets.......
Lysette mopped her face, but still the tears came....."You don't understand at all, do you? He will NEVER look at me now....OH.........!" Lysette sank to her knees, sobbing.
"OH!....It isn't as bad as you think. I wasn't supposed to tell you this yet, but if it will stop the tears...I will do anything to stop the tears...." The Elven Queen settled herself up against a fallen tree, and started her story...."Well, about a hundred or so years ago, I met your grandmother. She had been in the forest hunting, and my followers didn't think she belonged there. They brought her to me. She and I talked, and in the course of the conversation, found that we had many things in common. She and I share many interests, hobbies, and friends. We also share a great deal of our magical powers, and combined, are much stronger than apart. And the other thing, too." Eme-Redser stopped to gather her thoughts and take a sip of the wine she had taken out of another pocket.
"The other thing????? What is the other thing?" Tears forgotten, Lysette was now also leaning on the tree, totally engrossed in the story to this point.
"Oh, we also found, after talking for a while about our families, that we share a common ancestor. The King of Dawsonia is that ancestor." Eme-Redser smiled as she recalled the conversation with Red-Emser, Lysette's grandmother.
"The King of Dawsonia? How on earth are you related to him, being that Dawsonia is clear the other side of the world?" Lysette had a very sceptical look on her face......
"Well, it's like this. You know where Lanconia and Arpegia meet? Across the Great Fjord?" Eme-Redser paused for a moment. When Lysette nodded, the Elven Queen continued with the story, "Well, the King of Lanconia is my father, and the King of Arpegia is your grandmother's father......"
"WHAT!?? There is NO way that you are as old as my grandmother!!!" Lysette shook her head, and starting to cry again, and turned away from the Queen.
"Well, my dear, believe it or not, I am about 350 years old, give or take a decade or two. I forget exactly what year I was born... I only remember that my birthday is June 25, exactly 6 months after the new year. Anyway...the fact that I am mostly fairy is the secret to my lasting beauty. The other quarter of the reason is the magic.....and the lovely brown dye that I get from the ferns in the forest....But I digress. Your grandmother is actually about 6 months younger than I am......" Eme-Redser had to stifle a laugh at the expression on the face of the young girl facing her.
"So......how old does that make ME??? You better not tell me that I am much older than 16........!" Lysette had a most interesting look on her face, mostly horror.....
"No, child, you are about that age......give or take a hundred years," she whisphered. You are so beautiful that it really doesn't matter anyway, right?" The Elven Queen looked at the tearstained glory of the girl's face, and had to shove down a jealous thought as she looked at Lysette."So, my dear, the whole point of the story is that YOU are as royal, if not MORE royal than Thoren is, and you are more than equal to him....That is the whole point of my being along on this adventure, to make sure that you come to no harm along the way.....So don't fret anymore. Hope is not dead for you." Eme-Redser looked very pleased with herself, but hadn't noticed that Jayhawk was hidden not far from them in a large clump of foliage just behind where they were sitting.
"But, but...then WHY was I a captive to that horrid man?" Lysette demanded.
"All of the royal family must prove themselves worthy of the crown and the rank, by conducting themselves in such a way as to be considered all that must be before they take the throne. As your father is not completely in command of all of his senses, and you are his only child, YOU are the next in line for the throne of Lanconia......And, you have proven yourself more than worthy just in the past few weeks, by your courage and your actions, both for others and for yourself." Eme-Redser explained.
"I am going right back to Thoren and tell him this story! Then he will have to pay more attention to me." Lysette jumped up quickly and started to go back to the camp.
"Wait! You must not tell him this yet.....I have more to tell you, and you must hear all of it before he is told anything...." Eme-Redser jumped up and stopped Lysette.
"Well, Eme-Redser, I am so glad that you finally told her about all of this. I was going to tell her in the morning, when we were all rested more." Jayhawk stepped out of the foliage and came over to them. He then said,
"...................."
[This message has been edited by MRed94 (edited 05-16-2000).]