The strangest aftermath yet

For the first time ever, Vel found he must have moved during a vision. Or perhaps it had happened immediately after, and he just hadn't registered it. Either way, he and Lethiliie had already separated as he came to. He was sitting on the forest floor, his manhood limp. Lethiliie was still on her back but sitting up slightly and looking at him. His seed was trickling out of her. Her eyes were wide, but in them he didn’t read accusation, instead he saw disbelief. His mind was still encircling hers, yet not invading it. Her defenses were already beginning to reassert themselves, but they were still in a sorry state, and he could read plenty even without entering. Her lack of anger of recrimination seemed to be down to a few factors. She had been about to try and kill him, no doubt about it. She had pulled that knife out of thin air to end his life. As such, his actions didn’t seem that beyond the pale to her. Sure, he had **** himself on her, but she had fully intended to end his life. She also knew what he was now. When she felt his touch on her mind, she had assumed she was dealing with a mindmage, not the “seed of evil” as she called The Heir in her head. She was royalty from a highly stratified and orderly society, a being at the top of its own hierarchy responding to a challenge or threat in such a brutal manner was not outlandish to her. She still didn’t like admitting this to herself, but she had enjoyed it. It had been **** upon her, but it had been the best feeling she had ever experienced. And, most importantly, the vision and its implications were occupying most of her mind. That was understandable, Vel was still trying to wrap his own mind around it. Lethiliie voiced what they were both thinking first, though.

“How, what, but… It shouldn’t be possible…” She fully sat up and looked down at her abdomen, bringing a hand to it. “I shouldn’t believe this, should dismiss as trickery, an illusion created by my enemy. But I know it was real, I know it is real.” She looked at him. “You didn’t enter my mind, you could have, but you didn’t. Was that why? So that I would not doubt what would be revealed?” Vel shook his head. “No, I simply did not wish to. I did not want to invade, alter, or crush your mind. I wanted to show you that I could, I wanted you to know how completely I had beaten you, but I knew to hold back. I didn’t know the vision would be coming, though.” Lethiliie let out a kind of bitter chuckle. “I am of the elven royal line, my natural defenses against abominable magic are supposed to be among the most formidable in this world. On top of that I've been trained my whole life, and yet you shredded them in minutes.” She shook her head ruefully. Vel wondered about something. “There are items to protect more fully against such things, I’d imagine an elven princess would have access to such things.” She cocked her head at him. “If you mean the trinkets your leaders and mages wear, they will not work for an elf. And even if they did or if we could make something similar, it would not do to grow reliant on it. What if it were stolen? Besides, they can be beaten as well.” Those were some interesting tidbits. Their implications would have to wait to be examined though, he had more pressing concerns at the moment.

“So, what now?” Lethiliie shrugged. “I believe that is for you to decide, Lord Velas. I remain at your mercy.” Before Vel could protest, she went on. “But if you mean what I intend to do, then I am not sure. I understand that you do not intend to kill me, or seemingly to crush or warp my mind. You have shown remarkable restraint. You’re… not what I expected you to be.” Vel waited as she took a deep breath. “My people would kill me for this, without any hesitation. Even were I not… Even were I not carrying your child, this defilement would likely mean my ****. Once I would have willingly gone to that end, if that was what it took. But now… Now that I know she is in there, I can’t. You know, don’t you? You know how it felt, how she felt... She trailed off as she once again looked down at her abdomen, one of her hands still resting on it. “For better or worse, you’ve tied my fate to yours.”

Lethiliie paused again and looked up at him, her expression thoughtful. “Though perhaps fate had already linked us, it would explain why I, why…” She hesitated, and Vel thought he read… Embarrassment? That seemed silly. He cocked an eyebrow at her. “What could you possibly be embarrassed about after all of this?” She actually laughed, a glorious sound that made her melodies dance. It was incredulous and amused, but with undertones of both despair and joy. “It would explain why I’ve been so drawn to you. Why, despite my obligations, you’ve barely left my thoughts. Why I have been fantasizing about you.” She blushed a bit at the last admission. Vel knew the truth of it, not just from her mind and melodies, but because it so matched with his own experiences.

“You were as drawn to me as I was to you, then.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “You felt the same? I suppose that would make sense, fate truly has bound us. I know not why and even less how.” She shook her head. “You know, I tried to explain it away at first, as a consequence of your dashing rescue and your good looks. How gallant you were, and powerful.” She snorted. “Little did I know how great that power truly was.” Vel chuckled, but Lethiliie grew serious again. “You ask what now, but it really is for you to decide. I will not move against you, nor will I seek my own ****. But all I can offer you is my word. And I still have to carry out my mission, to go the capital and seek an alliance. If you will even let me go, that is.” Her defenses were recovering faster and faster, and Vel still did not wish to fully enter her mind. As such, he couldn’t verify the truth of her words. What he saw was mostly turmoil, a great deal of inner turmoil. But even so… “You are free to go where you please, your highness, I will not seek to restrain or harm you.” She looked at him sharply, with more than a little doubt in her eyes. “You trust me so?” He shook his head. “No, not yet. But I know that I will someday.”

She looked stunned but nodded. “You really are not what I expected, Lord Velas. You are not at all like I was led to believe you would be.” Her hand stroked her abdomen. “Though I suppose something even more unexpected happened today. I still find it hard to believe. Elves and humans cannot interbreed, it has never happened before. How is this even possible?” Vel was filled with confidence as he spoke. “I am the heir of this world’s one true god. If I will it, nothing is impossible.” She cocked her head and looked at him questioningly. “Is that how you see yourself?” He nodded. “It is what I am. I assume the elves see it differently?” She nodded. “I would be most interested to hear why you regard yourself thusly, though.”

Vel explained, telling her the creation myth and the prophecy of the heir. She listened with rapt attention frowning at some points and nodding at others. She made no sound at all until he was finished. “That is certainly different than how we tell it. At least the motivations involved are different, the events are much the same. It had never occurred to me that the ones we see as evil might not regard themselves as such.” Her defenses were fully back, but Vel could tell she was reeling. The events of today had given her cause to question everything she thought she knew, even her most deeply held truths.

He repeated his earlier question. “So, what now?” There was steel in her eyes as she again met his. “I… I suppose I am on your side now, Lord Velas. Or on her side, at least.” Her eyes moved back down to her stomach. “On our side. My own people would regard her as an abomination, worse than anything they could even imagine. But I know what she will be, and she will be a blessing.” Her eyes again moved back to meet his. “If she came from you, then you cannot be all bad. And after how you’ve acted today, the restraint you’ve shown and the trust you are willing to place in me I… I… I am beginning to accept that I may have been wrong. That my people may be wrong.” It was Vel’s turn to be shocked. He couldn’t verify the truth of what she was saying anymore, but he reminded himself of how he had felt about her in his visions. He would love this woman and she him, she would be one of his wives. He nodded. “Good, I gladly accept your fealty.” She smiled. “I do not think that was quite what I was offering, but I shall swear it even so. Please, stand up.”

Vel did, tucking away his limp manhood as he did so. Lethiliie for her part moved to a kneeling position, one knee up and one down. “Lord Velas, I Princess Lethiliie of the elven royal line offer you my fealty and swear my life to yours.” He wasn’t quite sure how the elves would handle something like this, but he responded as a human lord would, touching her head as he spoke. “I, Lord Velas of House Andros, accept your oath and your fealty and swear you loyalty and fair treatment in turn. You may rise.” She did, and actually smiled at him, though there was definitely sadness in it. “It is done, then, I am a traitor to my kind.” Her eye closed briefly as she took a steadying breath. “To answer your question again, I will go to the imperial capital, if you will let me. I am an elf and I swore to carry out this mission, I still have to. Perhaps I can… Perhaps I can avoid trying quite as hard as I once would have.” From what he had come to learn about elves, that much alone seemed like a great deal. “Then I must return to my mother and report on the mission. But after that, after that I promise to come find you. Fleeing the Elflands will not be easy for me, but it will be doable.” Her hands cradled her abdomen protectively. “It will be necessary too, before any signs of the pregnancy begin to show.” Vel nodded. “I understand and approve. By the time you seek me out, I may no longer be in these lands. I foresee a trip to Western Aluv in my future, perhaps even a somewhat permanent relocation.”

The princess didn’t question it, just nodded. “I shall seek you there then my… my Lord and love.” The words felt strange and unfamiliar to them both, for now. But they would be right, in time. The two of them made their way back through the forest and towards the encampment. As they got close, just before leaving the cover of the treeline, Lethiliie had one last question about the vision. “She looked entirely like an elf, didn’t she?” Vel hadn’t really thought about that, but she had. “Yes, that’s true, she did.” The princess nodded. “Except her hair, she had red hair, like you. Elves don’t have red hair. There has never been an elf with red hair, it doesn’t happen.” They shared their first slightly awkward kiss just before leaving the cover offered by the forest. It too didn’t feel right yet, but undeniably there was something in it, something thrilling.