The Realm's Mystics [Mystic Women of The Realm Series Book 3] (2 page)

Jandra looked worried, “Will you yet desire me, my Queen, now that I am someone different?"

San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ stood back a bit more, studying Jandra even more carefully. She spoke slowly and softly, choosing her words carefully, “Sle'nel', My Honored One. If there is a way to desire you further, this would be the reason. But I cannot love you more than I already do. I am grateful though, that you have seen for yourself that prior to this new knowledge of you, I desired you then. All will desire you now, My Love. It was the way of The Realm in the moments of the Elfin Fairies. All wanted to be loved by them, such was their gentleness and kindness. All felt safe with them. Even the Dungaran, My Love. Do you recall? It called you ‘Princess'. It could feel it, also. Now I see this as so. Even Mor'inl’ senses it in you."

"But you are the one who has made me feel safe."

The High Queen laughed lightly, trying to lighten the mood, “Because I must protect the Elfin Faiere Princess that stands before Me."

"You tease me."

She ignored the statement as a clouded memory nagged at her mind. “Jandra, My Desire, do you recall any of your early cycles?"

Jandra shook her head and was about to reply when the Tailor knocked, “My Queen. I return."

"Enter."

She looked at Jandra, “Trust Me, My Love. All will be well. You will most enjoy your new role."

She kissed Jandra lightly upon the cheek as the tailor entered. Jandra was crying a little, but turned to see the garments the tailor had brought with her. Suddenly, her eyes widened.

She looked upon them, touching them gently, “This is what they wore? They are magnificent. They shimmer.” She looked to The High Queen, “I feel as if I know these garments."

The High Queen smiled, “Perhaps it is a memory from long prior. And now, so shall you be as magnificent.” She looked to her tailor, “Tailor, make Me well pleased in this."

"Yes, my Queen."

The tailor clapped her hand for her seamstresses. They all came in hurriedly, as did The High Queen's attendants. The mood of the room changed dramatically as the tailor began to prepare Jandra and tailor the garment.

The High Queen was also being prepared for the eve but would occasionally add her demands.

"No. I like that not."

The tailor made her own demands upon her seamstresses, “Lower. No, more there."

The room turned to an excited frenzy as Jandra was turned into the mystical and mysterious Sle'nel'.

"No. More off the shoulder."

"Yes, but lower."

"I like that not, Tailor. Change it."

"They were taller than she, my Queen."

"Then, fix it."

"They were less openly seductive, my Queen. But perhaps more seductive in the hiding of it."

"Then, do so. But make it alluring."

"If I had more moments, my—"

"You do not. Do as you can, but I expect to be well pleased."

"Yes, my Queen."

Secretly, while the tailor complained, she was most excited to bring out the most special of all the garments in The Realm. While she had three such garments in her possession, they were the only three garments that she knew of across The Realm that yet existed from the era of the Elfin Fairies. She knew not how to replicate the garments, as the material was foreign to her. So, it was her pleasure to see such come to life before her.

The High Queen was being dressed in her own High Formal Gown, another beautiful gown the tailor had created for the occasion. The tailor had planned the two gowns together for the eve, one brown, one black. She looked upon The High Queen's, objectively trying to envision the black gown against Jandra's Elfin Faiere gown. She thought the result striking, but wanted to add a few changes to The High Queen's gown so as to make them intertwined.

"My Queen, I need to make some minor alterations to your gown."

"Leave it."

Jandra interrupted, “If I must abide this, so must you."

The High Queen looked at Jandra and saw her smiling. Sighing, she gave in, “As you will, Tailor."

The tailor turned her away from Jandra, working on The High Queen's gown. After a few moments, San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ asked, “We are overly late, Tailor. Are you yet finished?"

The tailor looked at her attendants, “Finish their hair and adornments as I complete my tasks.” She looked over to The High Queen, “Soon, my Queen."

Finally, after many more moments, the tailor looked at The High Queen, “My Queen. What do you think of Sle'nel’ Ni Riain?"

The High Queen turned, frowning at the tailor. As she looked upon Jandra, she became stunned at the vision. The tailor had done her job well—the Elfin Fairies had returned. While Jandra was in her own right one of the most beautiful among The Realm, with the Elfin Faiere garment upon her, she was without question a vision of perfection. The garment was a shimmering cloth whose color was somewhere between glowing gold and off-white. The design was between alluring and innocent, with a slit down the side from the thigh to the ground. None prior had done as such in the Valley. The High Queen was enthralled and speechless. One arm was long-sleeved while the other arm was without a sleeve. The High Queen thought to herself that the Elfin Fairies were humorous in their design, covering the traditional, but adding their nuance.

"My Queen?"

She looked upon Jandra's face, gazing into her eyes. Softly, without moving her eyes from Jandra, she said, “Perfect, Tailor."

Jandra had waited anxiously, wondering how San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ would react to the effect. When she saw The High Queen gaze upon her gown, she knew, and smiled.

The High Queen looked to one of her attendants, “Tell My Force Leader she accompanies Me in."

"But, my Queen—"

The High Queen looked at the attendant with a frown, but said nothing, not wanting to spoil the moment.

"Yes, my Queen."

She looked for a longer moment at Jandra, seeing a resemblance in her that brought another to her mind, yet she couldn't place the likeness.

"What is it, my Queen?"

She locked eyes with Jandra, “You draw yet another memory forward in Me that I cannot bring forth, fully. These half-memories play with My mind most heavily. I wonder though..."

The High Queen shook off the moment, taking Jandra's arm, guiding her to a long mirror, “Look, My Love. This is what the Elfin Fairies looked like. You are truly of them. It is amazing to have them back in The Realm with us. You are of them, Sle'nel'. Look at yourself. You look like no other. I should have seen this resemblance long prior, but having never thought this possible with them long gone, it came not into My thinking."

The High Queen spoke truly. Jandra, in these garments, resembled the Elfin Fairies more than she resembled the First Ones. The changes were subtle, barely noticeable, but were there if one knew what to look for. Her hair, always prior beautiful, was of the Elfin Fairies at this moment, flowing down like waves. Her skin, always prior smooth and softly golden, now shimmered slightly, as if pieces of the gown had rubbed off onto her. Her eyes had taken on the color of the gown, and prior, always shiny, her eyes slightly held the golden color within the gown.

The High Queen turned to the tailor, “You please Me well, Tailor. Your services have My deepest appreciation. Let Me know of your desire and I will make it so."

The tailor blushed, “Thank you, my Queen."

San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ looked at Jandra, raising her arm to her, “Are you ready, My Love?"

She nodded to San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ and placed her arm upon The High Queen's. They walked down the long corridor side-by-side, looking upon one another. Jandra suddenly felt peaceful knowing she was in her Queen's presence.

San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ felt the change in Jandra, sensing that her muscles had relaxed, “No matter the issue, My Love, I will always be here for you."

Jandra smiled shyly, and blushed, “I know, my Queen. Thank you. It is something I never had prior, and perhaps it is always that for which I have searched."

"You know, Jandra, I consider Myself the most fortunate one in the entire Realm to have you with Me. But to now know you are an Elfin Faiere makes My heart shudder. None such as I could ever hope to hold for Myself the love of an Elfin Faiere."

"Why is this?"

"To be loved as a lover by an Elfin Faiere was the greatest gift of all. There is no better or finer love in all The Realm, than this most gentle of loves."

Jandra smiled upon her, sweetly, “It is yours only, my Queen, and no other."

San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ smiled, “Given your lineage, Jandra, peace is a part of you. No wonder you have sought so desperately for it. A humorous word, though, when connected to Me, as I often think of Myself as The High Queen of Death."

"A wise Queen once told me that peace is a hard-fought battle."

San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ smiled softly, “To who would you be referring, My Love?"

"Oh, just some minor, unimportant, and unpowerful High Queen."

They laughed and came to the door, “I will enter first. The attendants will tell you when to enter. If you become afraid, look upon Me only as you enter."

The doors opened as The High Queen was announced. She stepped through the doors, seeing Ann'wn waiting for her, with her arm out to her. Softly so no one would hear, The High Queen said, “Force Leader, you look most splendid.” The High Queen placed her arm upon Ann'wn's.

She bowed her head slightly to The High Queen, “For you only, my Queen. You are beautiful. Your crown shimmers like the sun's reflection on a soft lake."

Barely speaking, nodding her head to those in attendance as she passed by, “Thank you. Return to retrieve Jandra when you have completed this task."

Ann'wn had taken The High Queen to the front of the Great Hall, announcing, “The High Queen of The Realm."

All knelt and bowed their heads, “High Queen."

"Please rise. I have a special surprise for you this eve. We have just learned in prior moments that a lineage long thought lost to us yet survives."

She waited until she saw Ann'wn at the doors, then moved her arm out, directing their attention to where she had entered, “We welcome this eve, Sle'nel’ Ni Riain."

With that announcement, the doors opened. Jandra stepped through, unbelievably frightened. She moved her eyes to her Queen. Ann'wn stepped forward and took her arm, knowing that Jandra was unaware of her presence. “Princess. May I escort you?"

Jandra looked at Ann'wn quickly, “Oh! Thank you, Force Leader.” She returned her gaze back to San'lr'in'thel'ineln'. Ann'wn quietly answered, “It is my pleasure, Princess."

Sam, Meera and Caitha all watched with their breaths held. Meera couldn't take her eyes off of Jandra, “She is most beautiful, Highest. It is overly sad that Woden has lost her. I wonder why I never prior saw her beauty."

Sam sighed, “If I must lose such a love as this, at least it is to the better of The Realm."

The High Queen completed her introduction as Jandra walked up to her. Ann'wn delivered Jandra's hand over to The High Queen. The High Queen took it, holding it out from her, as if showing off Jandra, “Sle'nel’ Ni Riain, the last Elfin Faiere Princess."

The audience stood in amazement. There was truly no question of it—Jandra was an Elfin Faiere Princess. All those in attendance well knew the looks of the long lost line, yet saw it standing directly before them. As soon as The High Queen made her announcement of Jandra as Princess, they all knelt before her, and the room became filled with quiet awe. The High Queen let go of Jandra's arm, and did likewise, “My Elfin Faiere Princess."

The audience looked in amazement at their High Queen kneeling to Jandra. After a long enough moment, The High Queen looked up and smiled at Jandra. She whispered, “Tell them they may rise now, My Love."

Jandra looked embarrassed and blushed, “Oh.” She turned to the audience, softly saying, “Please rise."

The High Queen rose quickly so as to help Jandra out of her embarrassing situation. She looked over to the musicians, nodding. They knew to begin playing the music of the first dance, and did so. The High Queen turned to Jandra, “Would you do Me the honor of the first dance, My Elfin Faiere Princess?"

She blushed, “Of course, my Queen."

She took The High Queen's arm as they walked to the middle of the dance floor. The High Queen bowed slightly to Jandra, and Jandra returned the bow, only much lower. The audience stared, yet in amazement at Jandra's lineage and her unsurpassed beauty. As she passed by closely to some of those in attendance, they reached out to touch her gown.

The dance was a deeply emotional one that brought forth visions of two lovers dancing upon the stars and moon. Jandra gazed only into The High Queen's eyes, forgetting about the large audience, seeing only her Queen, “Our celebration continues, my Queen."

The High Queen laughed softly, dancing Jandra around the floor, “With a few more in attendance than I would care to have, My Desire, but we will have the eve."

They danced as if no one were present. The High Queen's eyes shone, seeing only Jandra. As she held Jandra to her in the dance, she felt a sudden surprise at touching Jandra's bare arm, an unaccustomed feature in the Valley. An unusual and highly seductive feeling in such a setting, The High Queen smiled, knowing that Jandra had no idea of such. Around they danced, settling into each other more and more as they forgot those around them. They danced as if they danced alone. As if they danced under the light of the stars near the lake. As if they danced with the Little Ones. Jandra's heart felt her peace and happiness, seeing only her Queen.

As the dance came to an end, The High Queen smiled tenderly upon Jandra, then bowed slightly, never removing her gaze. Jandra bowed to her Queen, and blushed. They left the dance floor arm-in-arm as the musicians began another song. From this moment, all the others would now partake in the celebration.

It was more than a simple dance this eve. Entertainers were placed throughout the Great Hall, gambling was offered, and small, intimate tables to enjoy the food and drink were provided. Many came to Jandra asking for a dance, but with the help of her Queen, she declined them all, until Sam approached.