Abandoned (Born From Shadows #2)
Chapter Twenty-Five

Tatianna stood silently beside the Queen of the Elves as instructed prior to entering the mansion. They were standing around the entrance room, not a moment after they entered the building did human King and Queen start talking. She was not to say a word, just listen like a good pet.

“No offence, your Highness, but I have ridden day and night to come here at your request. Some hospitality would be appreciated,” Queen Selina interjected the royal human’s comment.

The interruption did not go unnoticed by either party, Tatianna eyes paid a close attention to the human Princess’s anger she was desperately trying to hide beneath a relaxed disguise. “Of course,” King Rayr said in acknowledgement. “A feast is being set up as we speak, we shall head there now.” The Elven Queen did not offer a response.

Tatianna felt as if her movements were slowed due to the thickness of the air. Tension clouded around them, causing her heart to accelerate. Nylif was her only comfort, but she knew the wolf would not be welcomed indoors.

The room they were led into was much smaller than that of the Palace’s, but almost as large as the white mansion in Avalla. When did she become so surrounded by rich people that something so large seemed small? Tatianna noticed a middle-aged man and women already seated at the dining table, waiting patiently for everyone else.

“I hope you don’t mind that Lord and Lady Darristel will be accompanying us this evening as we are all guests in their household,” Queen Elise said as they sat down on the table.

“Of course not,” Queen Salina replied with her classic fake smile.

Most of Queen Salina’s guards were stationed outside of the room except for Tyrion and another who stood firmly by keeping an intimidating watch on both the humans and her. The differing species sat down on opposite ends of the table which only emphasized the division between the two parties.

“Who is she?” The princess boldly asked pointing towards Tatianna.

“I will be honest with you. We did not directly kill the Prince, but we may as well had. I knew from an informant that he was in harm’s way, and I offered no protection. I left him to die. You have to understand that your Prince was not mine to protect. He shouldn’t have even been in harm’s way had you taken better care for him. Your blame is not on the Elves’ but on yourself. You just can’t admit it,” The Queen of the Elves said completely ignoring the Princess previous question and addressing the key inquiry of this meeting

Tatianna felt rage boil under her skin, and she knew she wasn’t the only one hateful at the Queens confession. The human Princess looked ready to strangle the Elf with her bare hands, not that Tatianna blamed her.

“So, his death is our fault now?” The enraged Princess spat, raising her voice slightly. Queen Salina was unbothered by her tone, not the slightest bit intimidated. Tatianna watched on wondering how the Queen seemed so calm and collected while tension in the room grew. She could feel it crackling along her skin and swamping the air making every move one of awkwardness and anxiousness. Tatianna took a bite of the food placed in front of her trying to ease the tension. The action reminding her of the feast she attended in the white mansion almost a year ago. An entire year. She couldn’t believe how much had happened since then.

“Yes, is that the only reason you called me here?”

“You know why you’re here,” the Princess spoke up once more.

“Enough Sophia,” the King grumbled to his daughter.

“We summoned you to negotiate peace between our kingdoms,” the human Queen stated.

“Peace?” Queen Salina replied, “I did not realise we were at war.”

Princess Sophia looked as if she were ready to explode with insults but did not speak a word due to her father’s scolding. Tatianna’s eyes then moved towards the Lady and Lord sat with them at the table, neither of which looked happy to host the Elven. The words around her began to fade away as pieces in her mind came together. Perhaps its was the paranoia talking but something within her gut told her the war had already started. This wasn’t a meeting to negotiate a way out of war, but rather a final meeting before both races were at each other’s throats once more.

“…of the creatures that took out an entire town?” Queen Elise interrogated.

“Further investigation is required. Know that we are not the ones responsible for that. We have no control over the Dark Lands and its inhabitants.”

Unable to hold her tongue any longer Sophia firmly replied, “bullshit.”

“What did you just say to me?” Queen Salina’s voice rang through the air.

“Please excuse my daughter manners, she is quite emotional at the moment. The loss-,” the King tired to explain before the Princess interrupted him.

“Bullshit. If you have no control over the creature then why are they only raiding our lands?”

“That’s just coincidence. It isn’t how magic works,” the Elven Queen sneered back. Coincidence, Tatianna repeated in her head. Was anything truly coincidental?

“And we are supposed to take your word for it?”

“Yes,” Queen Salina replied. “You are nothing but a child still unknowing of how the world works. Let the adults talk.”

“Why doesn’t she talk? Who is she?” Princess Sophia said pointing her index finger straight onto Tatianna.

All heads snapped towards her, causing her to shuffle awkwardly in her seat. Attention meant something bad was going to happen. Tatianna didn’t want anything else in her life to go wrong. One step out of line could cause the Queen to release her wrath upon her.

“That is Princess Tatianna, and she fell ill on the journey and thus will not whisper a word,” the Queen replied for her.

“I did not realise you had a daughter,” Queen Elise stated in surprise.

“Daughter in law.”

“The matter is, we know there is a group of individuals in our kingdom who think the Elves are the enemy. You are not, we wish for the false information to pass and the only way to do this is if your people stay away. The matter of my son just enraged those who already hated the Elves. We need to know that this will never happen again,” The King said going back to topic of focus.

“As long as you stay away from us as well, we will uphold the peace that we have been experiencing for the past one-hundred and fifty years,” Queen Salina said.

“Then it is done-,” the King said and stood from his chair.

“Wait-,” Princess Sophia tried to object.

“You may stay the night, tomorrow you will ride back to Lyracris, and we will both continue to live separate from each other in peace,” King Rayr interrupted his daughter.

“Thank you for the meal,” the Queen of the Elves said, also rising fro her seat. Tatianna decided to get up as well, exiting the room with the Queen.

“That Princess is going to be a problem when she ascends the throne,” Tyrion told the Queen whilst walking to their rooms for the night.

“That’s a problem for the future. Hopefully by then she would have learnt to control her emotions, rather than have her emotions control her,” Queen Salina replied. Then turned her attention towards Tatianna. “You did well, monster. I will even give you your own room tonight. Try to escape and you will learn just how merciful I am to those who threaten my kingdom.” Tatianna didn’t need to think twice about the threat in her words. She was led into a small chamber where Nylif was waiting for her.

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