Scars and Shadows

Sitting in the throne room, the atmosphere sat heavily on me. Looking between Ellavessa and the king, I smiled dryly at their differing demeanors. Ellavessa was bouncing on the balls of her feet as if she was full of electricity, and the King looked more tired than earlier as if he had aged ten years in a handful of minutes. As the door opened, both of them jumped in their seats. Walking in, Hannah's face changed as she felt the tension in the room.

"You called for me, Your Majesty." Getting to his feet, he gestures to the empty chair nearby.

"I did. Please have a seat. Jean, make sure we are not disturbed under any circumstances."

"As you command, sir." Closing the door behind him, Jean shoots me a warning look. I know damn it. This whole situation is crazy. I don't need you to tell me to be careful. As Hannah takes her seat and looks around at us with a confused look, Ellavessa gets to her feet and walks over to the far wall so we can all see her at once. The tension causing her to rock on the balls of her feet.

"I'm not sure where I should start." Sighing heavily, the king cradles his head in his hands for a moment before resting his chin on them and staring at her.

"Start at the beginning. But first, how is it I never knew of this?"

"Your father begged me not to tell anyone of this. He thought it was best for the kingdom if no one knew my origins. So instead, he started the rumor that I was a heretic. And possessing a power that made me both long-lived and gifted."

"I see. He was always a shrewd man and a brilliant king, so it doesn't surprise me he kept this under wraps. Carry on."

"I was born of a union between Saetaen and a mortal woman. My mother was a village girl in a small unnamed village on the other side of the mountains. This was back when my father was not the man he is today. He was a kind and peaceful man. When he was born, he was born with greater magic power than any demon has ever been born with before, and it wasn't long before they started calling him the Demon King. But to him, he never cared for any of that. He strove so hard to maintain peace between the demon clans and all the nearby settlements. And when I was born, he was so happy. But part of his power transferred to me, and it almost killed my mother. She grew very frail and unwell. My father tried everything to save her. He even went to the pinnacle of the world and begged the goddess to help, but they refused. They would not intervene in the lives of mortals, not even at the Demon King's request. When she passed, everything changed." For a moment she goes silent, a single tear rolling down her cheeks. Clearing her throat, she continues.

"After their refusal, he grew angry, and his rage made him bitter with the world and the goddesses. It wasn't long before he hated anyone who had the happiness that he was denied. Then the killing started. At first, it was just those who had wronged him. There was no room for forgiveness in his heart, or for anyone he passed judgment on. The elves were the first to send an assassin to stop him, and that was the final straw." Stopping for a moment, Ellavessa takes a drink of water, and I felt sorry for her. It was bad enough to have had to live this once, but having to recount it must have been agony.

"After their assassin failed, he burned their forests to the ground. Their great halls of knowledge and culture were destroyed in the blink of an eye, and this drove the goddesses to make their move. Summoning the first heroes to stop him, they thought they were beyond reproach and repercussion. But he killed both of the heroes, and in his rage, he tapped into the dark powers that lay dormant in the demon race. It was then that he went to the pinnacles, lashing out at the goddesses and killing Firentia. Some of her power infected him after she died by his hand, and he changed drastically. He lost a part of his soul and became so twisted I didn't even recognize him anymore. And when I told him so, he tore out my horns." Pushing her hair back, she shows the scars faintly gleaming in the low light of the chamber.

"Ella!" Jumping up from her seat, Hannah ran over and tackled Ellavessa, the two of them crashing into the wall in a hug. Smiling, she hugged her back, while also trying to untangle herself.

"Hannah. That's enough. Let her finish." Looking around at me sheepishly, Hannah quickly returns to her seat. Looking at with a thankful look, Ellavessa continues.

"What came next is where your history starts." He became the monster everyone already saw him as. Towns and villages were burned and slaughtered. Arilenne got me out. She got me as far away from my father as she could, and for a while I was happy. I found a man who looked past my lineage and, for the first time in a long time, I was happy. Until he showed up, and he..." Stopping suddenly, she drops her head, and her shoulder shake softly. I know. I know that pain. Looking at Elias, he meets my eye, and without saying a word, he understands. Getting up from his chair quietly, he looks over at Hannah.

"Hannah, a moment please?" Reading the room, she gets up from her chair and bows to the king.

"Sure. Lead on." Following him out of the room, I wait until the door closes before I get up from my chair. Walking over to her, I do the only thing that feels right. I pulled her into a hug. For a moment she hesitates, but then she let it go. Collapsing into me, her tears began to flow. Her cry echoing softly in the small chamber. The pain from her tears brought me back to my own that I've barely been holding in check ever since I got to this place. And before I could stop it, my own tears ran silently down my cheeks. After what seems like a long time, she pushes off my chest gently.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have broken down like that." Brushing a strand of hair off her cheek, I look her in the eye.

"You don't need to apologize to me. Not for that. Not ever."

"I know we've never spoken about it, but what happened to your wife?" Taking a seat heavily against the wall, I wait for her to take a seat beside me.

"On Earth, there are diseases that we have no cures for. We have no magic there, so we rely on our skills and medicine to treat illnesses. But some just cannot be treated. She died from a disease called Cancer. It just ate away at her until there was nothing left. In the end, all we could do was make her comfortable." Leaning into my side, she wraps her arm through mine and hugs it tightly.

"I'm sorry." Placing my hand on hers gently, I lean back against her.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. There's nothing anyone could have done. What about you? You don't break down over someone like that unless they were truly special." Sighing, she slides even closer, somehow making my heartbeat faster.

"His name was Alfred, and he was my fiancé. When my father found out, he was furious. He came for us. And he said, 'Do you think I would allow you to have what I lost?' Not now. Not ever!' and he cut Alfred down right in front of me. I watched the life drain from Alfred's eyes. Have you even seen death come for a person right in front of you?"

"I have. More times than I care to remember. Not everyone comes quietly when we go to arrest them for the crime they have committed."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you relive that.

"It's fine. What did you do after Alfred's death?"

"I did what I could. I fought back; I screamed. In the end, I tried to hurt him the only way I thought I could. I decided to take my life in vengeance, but he found out about that too. He stopped me and cursed me with immortality. A body that doesn't age or get sick. I can still get wounded, but I won't die from it." Rubbing her arms as if she was suddenly cold, she shivered and pulled herself into a hug.

Over the years I've tried to find so many ways to break the curse, but I can't find one. He is the only one who has the key. I've not opened up my heart since then for fear he would take it all from me again. Until you both arrived here. I care for you, Oscar. And Hannah." Burying her head into my arm, I can feel the heat rising into my cheeks.

"I care for you too, Ellavessa."

"Ella..."

"What was that?"

"Call me Ella."

"Okay... Ella." Smiling at me like she'd won a prize, she gets up and dusts off her clothes.

"Come. We should go see the others." Getting to my feet, I stop as the door bursts open and Jean steps in.

"Your friend is awake, Miss Ellavessa. And she says we're in grave danger, and she is holding everyone at arm's length with a blade. She's refusing to say anything more until she sees you. The king wants you to meet him in your chambers at once." With a look at each other, we hurry after Jean out into the castle.