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"Welcome, Your Highness."
A thin hand, with a pale, slightly greenish skin rested on his arm shyly, but firmly, and a warm beautiful voice mused:
"I thank you, Prince Syriel."
A silky white dress encircled a slender figure that dazzled everyone as she stepped out of the carriage. Her movements were firm, though not without grace.
Suddenly, the prince was surprised to see a face framed by lush black hair full of spirals, and a pretty smile adorning a prominent jaw with undeniable orc features, but not devoid of beauty in the eyes of a human. Not even the slight greenish tone of the skin of the young orc, similar in age to that of Syriel, prevented the prince from being amazed at the exotic appeal of the princess.
But what really plunged Syriel into the most unexpected of surprises were luminous green eyes, almost at his own height, in which he read a lively intelligence and an exceptional purity of heart.
The prince had inherited from his elfic ancestors the ability to read the souls of creatures of any kind through their eyes. This quality had never failed him and had always helped him to surround himself with collaborators and lieutenants of remarkable courage, intelligence, and insurmountable loyalty. It had also helped him to reject countless candidates to become his wife, in whom he had read the ambition and lack of good feelings that, unfortunately, increasingly characterized the human race.
Instead, in Lirieth's eyes he read the most beautiful that he had ever observed in any creature, except for the little that he already remembered from the magical and kind gaze of his mother.
Syriel took a while to recover from his surprise and when he kissed the hand of the princess which seemed soft and warm to the touch, he also noticed a pleasant fragrance of fresh flowers and wild, but not as if some perfume had been applied, but as if the aroma came from her own essence. Finally, Syriel invited her to show her the gardens of the palace, to which she gladly agreed with ill-concealed shyness.
King Jorion welcomed his royal guests and invited them into his palace, bidding them farewell to the young fiancés.
It was the custom of the princes to give a white mare of the purest race to their future wife on the day of the announcement of the engagement. Therefore, Syriel took Lirieth to the knights to give her the most perfect white mare he had ever seen. He feared that the equine would get angry with her, for only the wildest horse breeds were able to withstand the presence of the orcs. However, when he showed her the animal, he immediately noticed that not only would it be able to withstand Lirieth, but that it could also make a good connection with her, perhaps even as it had itself initiated with its loyal Night, a beautiful thoroughbred, black as the jet.
"Lirieth, I give you this mare called Luna Llena, which comes from the purest and most regal races, as you can see from the commitment we are about to make. I hope you will accept it and that it will be to your liking," said Syriel, more with resigned formality than with enthusiasm.
But the princess's response once again filled the human being with astonishment.
"Prince Syriel, let us leave traditions and speak clearly. I know that you feel obliged to sacrifice the rest of your life for the good of your people and I respect and admire you for it. However, I would like you to know that the idea of the wedding came from me, I proposed this union to my father and not because he wants to marry me with a beautiful human prince with blonde mane and eyes like the celestial sky, but because if our peoples do not unite against the sombers, we will all end up dead or enslaved by them. My father intended to make a covenant with your king that would not be like a surrender, but would not cease to be one after all. Nevertheless, to fight effectively against the dark requires much more, at least some minimal ties of complicity and even true friendship. Something like this can only be obtained from our peoples by giving a good example and that can only be done by the two of us."
Leaving a few seconds for his interlocutor to assimilate her words, Lirieth continued:
“So, I propose a deal, an irrevocable pact, because the life of our peoples depends desperately on it. Let us solemnly agree to pretend that our union is the fruit of sincere love, only in this way will we be able to sow and propagate the seed of friendship and harmony between orcs and humans." proposed the daring princess, with passion and firm conviction.
After smiling almost imperceptibly, at the sight of the profoundly astonished countenance drawn on the prince's face, she added:
"I am aware of the aversion that orcs produce to humans, and I understand how difficult it may be for you to do your part. But I also know that you are a brave, kind and exemplary prince to your people, and I am convinced that you will be able to do so, at least in a minimally convincing way. I cannot give you much time to think about it, this pact is only between us, no one else should know it. I only gave my father the idea, but he doesn't know anything about this deal and neither does my mother. To them, even more than to anyone else, we have to convince them that our love is sincere and real, so that they will be able to transmit with greater force to their peoples good feelings between the two races. We have to start playing our role as soon as possible, so you have to decide at this point whether you accept the agreement or whether you are going to continue your traditions with that face of slaughtered lamb. If you have a better idea to be able to face the dark ones with well-founded guarantees, I will listen to you with attention, if it is not so, either you accept my proposal or we will end up succumbing irremediably before our enemies." concluded the princess, with a sincere regret.
Syriel took a few seconds to recover from so much surprise at once. However, after meditating and weighing up the unique purpose of the impetuous princess, he finally managed to respond:
"This morning I almost wished to lose my life rather than to see my people subjected to the orcs, and at the same time to see myself forcibly united with an orc woman. But your noble and sincere words (and he thought that also what I had read in his beautiful eyes) make reborn a new hope in me. I accept your pact, Lirieth, and I swear to lay down my life before I betray this agreement. And don't worry, since I will know how to interpret my role with complete conviction for all who contemplates it."
And after admiring the beautiful smile that was drawn on the pleased face of the princess, he added:
"Therefore, I assume that you accept this saddle… "
"It's the most beautiful mare I've ever seen. I accept it with enchantment, Prince Syriel." replied Lirieth as he gave the animal an affectionate caress and a luminous smile to his fiancée. "I also have a gift for you…" said Lirieth to the prince.
And she stretched out her hand to him, where suddenly a golden chain appeared with a pendant similar in size to that of a human fist, carrying a very beautiful and perfect flat ruby.
"It is a precious amulet that will protect you from the black magic of the sombers." she said. "Besides, it gives you renewed strength when you think that all is lost. It's an ancient necklace, but I've enchanted it myself. I am a powerful sorceress, you had better know that as soon as possible if we are going to share our lives," confessed the princess without being able to avoid a tone of slight pride.
"Are you also a sorceress? Will you ever stop surprising me?" asked Syriel something more animated.
"Probably not. I'll always have something in store to keep surprising you," Lirieth joked.
Syriel took the amulet and hung it around his neck. He seemed to see that both the ruby and the stone of his sword shone in unison for an imperceptible moment. And almost without realizing it, he took the princess' hand and kissed her palm delicately, thanking her for the valuable gift.
"And this scar?" The prince wanted to know pointing to the palm of his fiancée's hand.
"I made it a long time ago, sharpening my sword," Lirieth lied.
The lie went unnoticed to the sixth sense of the prince, because the princess took care that her eyes were not within reach of his as she said it.
Syriel looked the princess in the eyes again.
"At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if you even wielded a better sword than I did," said Syriel in a clear tone of defiance.
"Don't doubt it, whenever you want, we can check it," laughed the princess.
Syriel took Lirieth by the waist and concluded:
"It is also our tradition that after the exchange of gifts between the new fiancés, they kiss each other."
And then he put his lips together with those of the princess, and this time was she who was surprised, thinking that the prince was beginning to play his part much better than she expected.
The great Alliance
Frienia, year 1815 of the second era.
The two royal entourages sat at the majestic table in King Jorion's meeting room.
The human entourage was dejected and defeated and no one decided to open the conversation, not even King Khorion dared to do so.
It was King Gulrath who finally broke the silence:
"King Jorion, gentlemen, I am not here to demand unconditional submission from humans, even though I would be in a position to do so after the outcome of the last battle. We have already shed a lot of blood, no doubt uselessly, in a centuries-long struggle that no one can remember why it was started. Perhaps it was us, the orcs who started it, but now it was the human kind who did not want to conclude it and forced us to continue with it, disregarding our many proposals to make peace. It has taken a new, excessive and unnecessary bloodshed at the gates of this city to make you understand the meaninglessness of this useless war."
After a brief pause to reinforce the attention of the present, the orc king continued:
"A humiliating submission to the human kingdom would only stir up hatred and turn the open struggle into a conflict of guerrillas and resistance. And I, as king of the orcs, do not wish nor do I long to wipe off the face of the earth every vestige of human life, as many here present maintain. What I do long for is a solid and lasting peace to begin a coexistence with humans, such as elves and humans once shared together. What I do intend is to initiate an alliance between our kingdoms capable of making the sombers see that they either keep at bay in their kingdom or they will be crushed by an army united by trust and even by the friendship of men and orcs, of orcs and men. That is why I offer the hand of my beloved daughter to the brave prince of Delfia, as a symbol and example of a prosperous coalition of equals among our peoples. This union will be the seal of the alliance that we have to make without quarrels, without victorious ones, without defeated ones, without looking to the horrible past and looking to the hopeful future."
After these words and after meditating on them briefly, King Jorion stood up and said:
"King Gulrath, Queen Baldia, knights. If the words we have just heard came from another king, whether orc or human, I would not believe them, but coming from the king who has always amply demonstrated his honor, nobility and sincerity with facts by all acquaintances, I can only embrace a renewed hope and thank King Gulrath for the generosity and truth expressed in his words. And we gladly accept the alliance offered to us, and we are honored to welcome into our family the adorable Princess Lirieth, with the conviction that my son Syriel will also gladly accept her," approved the monarch, with more desire than conviction.
The concurrence exploded in a long and sonorous ovation of applause predominantly, although a silent one, but not negligible minority, above all of orcs and also of humans applauded more with reluctance and commitment than with enthusiasm. In any case, the war that seemed never-ending, between orcs and humans could finally be brought to an end.
King Jorion addressed his most trusted general.
"Hans, your majesties of Teberion and I will meet alone with the princes, let them know that we await them in this room."
The three kings now hoped to face a downcast and resigned prince and a princess who would face her fate with forced solemnity.
After a few minutes of waiting, they were very surprised to see Syriel and Lirieth coming in, holding hands with an air of complicity and with a glow in their eyes that reflected a strange, but sincere and loving happiness.
Lirieth hugged her parents.
"Syriel has given me a marvelous white mare of thoroughbred. It is beautiful!" she announced cheerful and excited.
And Syriel addressed his father.
"And Lirieth has given me this beautiful necklace. I beg you, father, to give me the ring," asked Syriel firmly.
"Are you sure?" asked his perplexed father.
"Completely. The kindness that I have seen in her heart makes her its creditor," said the prince.
King Jorion always carried the ring of his beloved wife and promised his son that when he found a sincere love like the one, he had with Clariel, he would give him the ring so that with it he would promise his future wife. When Jorion told Syriel the sacrifice he should make to facilitate the pact with the orcs, he did not think that the princess would receive the precious ring. However, he could not refuse to fulfill his promise after the conviction that denoted the words of his firstborn.
Jorion took out of his pocket a small box of luxurious appearance and gave it to his heir. Syriel took the box and went to the orc king:
"Your Majesty, I ask for your blessing to ask for the hand of your daughter Lirieth, whom I swear to love, to respect, to protect and to be faithful to her until death," declared the prince with both solemnity and enthusiasm.
"Prince Syriel, I am very pleased with your honorable request, and I bless you by agreeing to opt for the hand of my daughter Lirieth, if she so wishes," replied the pleased king, corresponding to the traditional terms initiated by the prince.
Uncovering the box, Syriel addressed the princess and, kneeling before her, he said while her the jewel:
"Princess Lirieth, this ring belonged to my beloved mother until the day of her sad death, it would be a great honor for you to accept it as a symbol and seal of our next union, in solemn marriage," he declared looking into the eyes of the princess which was surprised by the sincere and loving gaze of the young prince.
"Prince Syriel, I give you my hand and accept this jewel gladly. I hope to be worthy of it and to become your worthy wife," replied the princess with emotion, surprised, also surprised by the strange happiness that invaded her.
"You will be the worthiest of the princesses," concluded the prince joyfully.
"Well, if no one has a problem, we will celebrate the happy event at Gargaran, our palace of Teberion, at the next flower season," said King Gulrath.
"There's no problem for me," said Jorion.
"There are still three months before the flower season, I think it's so much time, but I will wait impatiently," said Lirieth as she enthusiastically admired the ring around the finger of her left hand.
"Lunch must be ready now, and perhaps we can improvise a dance to celebrate the engagement," proposed King Jorion seeing that everything was unfolding with greater joy than expected.
Kings and princes left the room in search of the palace's dining room.
The banquet went by without major setbacks, albeit with the logical misgivings between man and orcs, but without any significant altercation.
While Syriel and Lirieth began the improvised dance, after the sumptuous lunch, she addressed her fiancé:
"Syriel, you've been great," the princess addressed him informally, "I think we've convinced them; the detail of the ring has been very moving and it's really beautiful. If someday you want it back, tell me and I'll give it back to you," she proposed.
"Thank you, Lirieth, I told you I could do it without any problems. As for the ring, I'm grateful, but as long as we're together I'll have it too, so don't worry about it. It also has magical power," replied the prince corresponding to the name of his fiancée.
"Really? I detect nothing magical in it. What is that power?" asked the princess.
"It's linked to this one," said Syriel showing her a similar ring on his finger. "As long as we wear them, each of us will know where and how the other is when we are separated."
"How?" Lirieth asked.
"You have to concentrate on the ring, both of them will shine and heat up slightly and we will both perceive where the carrier of the other ring is and his state of mind," said the prince.
"It is curious, I do not perceive any magic…" replied Lirieth concentrated on them.
"My mother gave me mine before she got sick so I could never get lost. I have never had to enlarge the ring; it has grown along with my finger. She also told me that the powers they had come from an ancient elf magic of great power. Perhaps that's why you won't be able to detect it," Syriel clarified.
The entrance into the palace of a high hooded and a médium rogue interrupted the princely conversation.
The hooded man, nearly six feet tall, uncovered a head with unmistakable elf features: pointy, hairless ears in the human area of the beard, and a long black hair that fell straight no further than the shoulders. In his hand he carried an ebony staff, adorned with strange but beautiful filigrees sculpted from the wood itself.
The rogue, on the other hand, was about five feet tall, his ears were also pointed, but in a less pronounced way than in elves. As was customary among those of his race, he had a tangled and curly hair tending to blond and beady brown eyes of vivacious intelligence to which not a single detail escaped.
"Baldrich," shouted the prince enthusiastically. "He's my teacher, I haven't seen him in almost a year. Come and meet him," he invited his fiancée.
After a warm embrace, the prince took Lirieth by the hand and said:
"Baldrich, this is my fiancée, Princess Lirieth."
Baldrich kissed the princess's hand with forced courtesy and said, while staring at the young woman:
"At your service, Your Highness. Please, excuse my apparition by surprise, but I never thought I would see my prince promised with an orc woman, nor that an orc woman could be so beautiful." Baldrich introduced himself with a certain coldness disguised as bad concealed kindness.
"It is a pleasure for me to meet the master who has undoubtedly taught my future husband so well," replied the princess courteously but with some audacity. As an invitation to an initial truce, she offered no resistance to the elf's mental exploration, although she did not have a specific area of her mind.
"I also present to you my loyal médium helper, Bellamir," Baldrich exposed.
Bellamir bowed and the princes greeted him back. The mediam had the sensation of having seen the princess before, but did not remember where or in which circumstances.
After a few minutes of greetings and inconsequential comments, Baldrich announced with concern and denoting a serious urgency:
"Syriel, I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news, I must immediately notify your parents of a worrying information. Princess, would you be so kind as to assemble the kings? Syriel and I will go immediately.
Lirieth agreed at once, with a semblance of deep concern.
As Baldrich and Syriel watched her walk away, Syriel asked his master:
"What do you think of her?"
"I have never seen such a pure soul in an orc… Nor in most men and even some elves," replied the elf sincerely.
"Yes, neither do I. She's an admirable woman, and incredibly beautiful being an orc, too," replied the prince.
"Syriel! You're really in love with her, I notice; and she may be worthy of the ring I've seen shining on her finger. But be careful, I've also seen an area on her finger that I haven't been able to access and that worries me, only someone with great power can do something like that. I would not want to attend your funeral instead of your wedding," replied Baldrich, afflicted.
