Tragic tale

Kael stands, stunned, his mind struggling to process the revelations he’s been hit with. Evie, beside him, looks confused at the lingering silence, but stays quiet. As for Lord Greyheart, he smiles kindly before speaking.

“I think, for the sake of Evie, I can speak aloud. Evie, I have a confession, which Kael has just learned. Two, in fact. First, I have a power similar to yours. The differences are that I can only read, not change anything, but I also don’t need permission.”

He looks at Kael. “I feel I should say, however, that I rarely use this ability. People’s thoughts are their own, and it’s not right to dig inside. The exception is our enemies, and my guardians. The first is obvious, and the other…well, it’s the only way to be sure. And so I apologize for that, Kael.”

Kael shakes his head. “I…I understand, my lord.”

Lord Greyheart sighs, looking back to Evie. “But that’s not the important point for you, Evie. What’s important for you, is the reason our powers are similar. Evie, I am your father.”

Evie gasps, her hands going to her mouth. She still doesn’t speak, simply staring in shock. Kael shakes his head, finally shaking off his own surprise.

“My lord…I have many questions.”

Lord Greyheart nods. “I expect you do. I will answer them. That’s why I brought you here, after all.”

Kael looks at Evie, thinking. “First off, my lord, I think we should know her story. How do you have an elven daughter?”

Lord Greyheart sighs. “Half elven, technically, though she takes after her mother.”

He shakes his head, his eyes growing distant. “After the battle where I lost my arm, I got separated. Weak from loss of blood, I wandered into the forest. At some point, I collapsed, exhausted. I think I would have died out there l, had I not been visited by an angel.”

He smiles at Evie. “Your mother. Celia was her name, though I didn’t learn that until much later. She…healed me. Celia was a wild elf, one of the few still hiding in the forest. If there are others out there, I never saw them, save for one other. I don’t know why she chose to help me that day, but…”

He sighs, shaking his head again. “When I came to, she was gone. Like a dream. But I knew she was real. And so I returned, as often as I could, to wander the woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Finally, one night, just as I was about to give up, I found her again.”

A smile crosses his face. “She was beautiful. Much like you are, Evie. And we spoke, at length. It seems she had been as enthralled by me as I was by her. It only took so long to find her because she was breaking the taboos of her people by even talking to me, much less…what eventually happened. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that our relationship bloomed. Though we could never truly be together, we had fleeting moments of joy. Humans would never accept her, and her people would never accept me. But we two…”

He sighs, his smile fading. “And then one day, we meet, and she tells me that she’s with child. I was ecstatic. She was not. She told me that her people would never accept the child. Humans are hated, and for good reason. And so I promised to take her in, once the child was born. I made arrangements, secretly.”

Lord Greyheart looks down at the floor. “Fate had other ideas. One day, I went to meet her. I knew that our child was due any day. But instead of Celia, I found a masked and armed elven man. He was blunt, telling me that Celia had died in childbirth. He handed me a squirming bundle, my daughter. He told me that if I ever returned, they would attack. And then he left.”

He wipes away a tear. “I was devastated. But…I had to do something. No one would accept my half elven daughter. The prejudice is ingrained too deeply. And so I used the plan I had put into place to conceal Evie. I watched her grow from a distance, while also watching for the right moment, the right person.”

He turns to Kael. “You. You have the right temperament, the right mindset. And you’re a good, caring man. And I can see already that I’ve chosen well.”

Kael looks at Evie, giving her a squeeze with the arm he has around her. She responds by leaning against him more, clearly still processing the words she has heard. Kael sighs.

“Why wait until now to tell us this, my lord? Why not when she first arrived at my house?”

Lord Greyheart shakes his head. “I wanted there to be a natural relationship between you. If I had told you, that taints it. Now though, you both already care for each other. I don’t need my power to see how you look at each other.”

Kael glances at Evie, and her eyes meet his. A smile crosses both of their faces. “That much is true, my lord. But now what? What do we do now?”

Lord Greyheart shakes his head. “You? Nothing. You both have my blessing, for what it matters. But beyond that, it’s my concern. I simply wanted you to know these things, should it become important.”

There’s a haunted look in his eyes as he says that, but it passes quickly. “Just keep this knowledge secret. And Kael, keep her safe. As a personal favor to me.”

Kael shakes his head. “I don’t need you to ask for that, my lord. As you said, I care for her. I would protect her without a word from you.”

Kael feels Evie slip her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Her soft voice is music to his ears. “Thank you, master. And…thank you for the chance you’ve given us…father.”

Lord Greyheart smiles. “It’s been a long time, and I’m glad to finally be called that. But I think we’ve lingered long enough. You go home. Kael, rest and heal, and I will see you soon. Evie…I wish I could have been there. I…I should go.”

Without another word, Lord Greyheart hurriedly leaves the room. Kael spots a tear on his cheek as he goes. After another moment, he and Evie walk out as well. As they make their way back out of the palace, they’re both quiet. There’s a lot to think about.