Chapter 199: Chapter 199

199 Chapter 199 : Escape

Gareth was looking out of his study window when the door opened and his brother walked in. “Any word from the lycan?”

“Nothing yet,” Finwe responded before pulling a chair out for himself and sitting down. “And tomorrow is his last day, maybe he thinks we are bluffing.”

“Or he would rather go to war than give Melissa up, his obsession with her really knows no bounds does it?”

“I’m not saying I agree with him,” Finwe mumbled, “but I definitely do understand where he is coming from. Who would want a woman like that to slip right through their fingers?”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing brother, he is definitely obsessed,” Finwe chuckled. “Anyway, I did not come here to discuss my dear sister in law.”

Gareth turned around and walked to where his brother was sitting, “what’s the matter?”

“Aiden and Theodora, they’re up to something,” Finwe responded, “they have a hidden agenda other than helping you with your cause, I don’t trust them.”

“Do you think they pose a threat of any sort?”

.....

“I haven’t seen them do anything per say,” Finwe admitted and sighed, “but I can just feel it, you don’t find it suspicious how they just showed up from nowhere to help? And now all of a sudden they have an army under their control and this human they claim is an ally?!”

“When they brought Renly into the picture I do admit it made me a little uneasy,” the elf king admitted, “but until he proves a threat it would be wise not to have any animosity amongst ourselves.”

“Fine,” Finwe relented, “I mean you are the king after all, I respect your decision but I still don’t trust them.”

“Please tell Zander to prepare our men in the meantime,” Gareth spoke as he walked out of the library, “if we don’t hear from Elric tomorrow, we depart for Meria the following day.”

“Of course your majesty,” Finwe spoke with a taunting bow.

“You do realize I’m your king Finwe...”

The blonde elf wiggled his finger, “uh uh, you’re the king of Gavaria not the king of Ervelon.”

Gareth scoffed at his brother.

“Besides, you’re my brother first!...” Finwe yelled as he exited the room. “Your reign as king takes a back seat to me!”

*

The Meria council sat at the table watching Clovis pace back and forth in front of them.

“Are we sure the king is in the right frame of mind to address the meeting?” One of the council members spoke, “we only have a day in till the fourteen days elapse.”

“And the last time his majesty adressed us,” another council member spoke, “he seemed a tad stressed.”

“I can assure you I’m more than fine.” Elric walked into the meeting hall and all the men stood up to welcom their king. “Be seated please.”

The men settled back down, and Elric sat in front of them. “First I would like to apologize for the interruption yesterday, I was a bit overwhelmed.” He glanced at the corner and saw the woman from his dreams watching him, but he had been seeing her a lot now and had just decided to ignore whoever she was. Elric concluded that it was probably Gareth who was trying to toy with his mind. “I have decide on the matter at hand.”

Everyone at the table sat quietly and waited eagerly for what the king’s decision was, obviously he would not vouch for war, no sane ruler would put his entire kingdom in peril.

Elric drew in a breath before speaking, “I have decided not to give into Gareth’s demands. I will end tyranny of course, foster peace and all of that nonsense. But my wife stays with me.”

Gasps and sighs of shock filled the room. Jeffrey rose from his seat and glared at his brother.

“That’s absurd, you’re going to bring war to our doorstep because of a woman?” Jeffrey yelled.

“That woman dear brother, is my wife and your queen!”

“You can get another wife!” Jeffrey spat back, “all the beautiful women in Meria you’re telling me you can’t just pick another one and make her your bloody queen?!”

Elric rose to his feet and slammed his palms on the table, “she is carrying the heir to this throne!”

Everyone at the table went quiet and turned to king Elric not believing what he had just said.

Clovis leaned towards his brother and whispered into his ear, “brother are you sure of what you’re saying? This kind of information can change everything.”

“I know what I’m saying Clovis, do you doubt my word?” Elric sat back down, “my wife is carrying the heir to this throne, if you do not consider the child she carries royalty and unworthy of the kingdom’s protection then I will give Melissa to Gareth. But if otherwise, I’m sure you know it is imparetuve she stays here with me and is kept safe.”

Clovis stood up straight and looked at the council members who had the same look of surprise as he. He cleared his throat before speaking, “well, due to the most recent developments, we have to prepare for a possible war gentlemen. Dismissed.”

*

Melissa had spent the entire day in bed, she couldn’t find the morale nor the strength to leave after what had happened with Elric. This was exactly what she had been avoiding this whole time, what was she supposed to do now now that Elric thought the child she was carrying was his?

Marceline opened the door and walked into the room with a tray of food in hand. She settled it down on the table and pulled a chair next her daughter’s bed.

“honey, you need to eat something,” she grabbed the bowl of stew and some bread, “if not for me or you, at least do it for the baby. Imagine how devastated Gareth would be if he found out you’re starving both you and his daughter.”

Melissa looked up at Marceline with surprised eyes, “daughter? How can you-”

“I don’t know either,” Marceline responded and handed the food to her daughter, “I can just feel it somehow. She’s going to be so beautiful by the way, she’s going to look a lot like you.”

The nosferatu accepted the bread and took a bite. “I don’t know what I’m going to do mother, this entire thing is a mess.”

“Don’t stress yourself, stress isn’t good for the baby,” Marceline spoke sweetly, “I can assure you he will come for you soon enough. For the meantime let Elric think what he wants for the safety of the child, we don’t know how he would react if he found out the truth.”

“I know that, I’m just anxious,” Melissa responded, “what if he doesn’t come soon enough?”

Marceline dug into her pocket and pulled out a small scroll, “it’s from Alexander and Jonathan, they’ve arrived in the Gavarian capital yesterday and confirmed that Gareth is going to march to Meria in a few days.”

Melissa grabbed the parchment and glossed over it, “march to Meria? But how? Gareth doesn’t have an army.”

“He was crowned king of Gavaria not too long ago,” Marceline pointed out, “and as we speak he has control of the largest army in the whole continent of Ronia Cresus.” Marceline cupped her daughter’s cheek, “he will come for you. Now eat.”

*

Estel run though the forest as fast as her legs could carry her. Tears flowed from her eyes, her clothes were torn and her feet were sore from running through the rocky and woodsy terrain.

Her lungs were burning and the bruises on her palms and knees stung from her many falls. She could hear the distant voices of the mages who were pursing her, she had wanted so many times to stop and turn back for her baby boy Damien but there was no way she could take all those mages all on her own. Her only choice now was to reach a village or town where she could ask for help or directions, she needed to find Aiden.

Estel tripped and tumbled down a slope, a tree broke her fall and she groaned in pain. Her ears perked up when she heard the yelling of the mages getting closer and closer to her. She was in too much pain to continue running, she had to hide and wait for them to pass.

With the little strength she had left, she pulled herself up and limped to a nearby rock. She leaned against it and with the wave of her hand drew stems and roots from the ground that crisscrossed around her into a mesh. Green leaves and moss covered the mesh and blended her into the environment.

Estel slowed her breathing and closed her eyes as the mages ran passed her frantically. She sat still and prayed they wouldn’t see through her makeshift shield.

“Don’t let her escape!”

“She went this way!”

“Hurry!”

When the voices and foot steps quieted down, she fell against the rock and sighed in relief. She would just spend a few minutes here and rest before continuing her search for a town where she could get help.

“Oh Addie... where are you?” She mumbled to herself, “I need you, our son needs you.”