"Why are you here, Edessa?" (Patreon)

I repeated after letting her stare at the floor for a few uncomfortable seconds.

"Every Elf needs a hobby," she muttered glibly.

"Mine's pullin' wings off roaches!" Burnside declared cheerfully.

"Burnside? Hush," I ordered. "Edessa, I'll repeat: Why are you here? Why is the Winter Palace empty? Where is everyone? Are you truly alone here?"

"Fleeing the Plague of Battles," Edessa sighed, "we came here. Everyone was terrified that the Plague would spread, that my geas would not hold you. Once Albric Tor fell, Persoc Tor would surely be next. Elves fled in all directions. I needed to stay and consult the Red Book. I told all in my party to flee, to seek their own safety. I had to order them. Last of all, Hoofmaiden Esmerelda left reluctantly only after I issued dire threats and promised to join her as soon as I could. Alas, when I finally came away from the Red Book, everyone was gone and the palace was surrounded by a Gap, trapping me here."

"You gave birth to your mutant child and he lived his entire life HERE?" I asked, appalled.

"Yes," Edessa nodded sadly. "The Gate to the lowfolk village of Percysthorpe only opened when Xavier Hoardblemish unlocked it from his side."

So Edessa had served a sentence every bit as harsh as mine! The only difference was, instead of it being forced upon her, as mine was, she wound up trapped due to her own decision to linger. "The Red Book of Appin," I muttered. "The book that contains all of the past, present, and future. I remember hearing that you could read it. None of this was a surprise to you then. You've been reading ahead this entire time."

"The Red Book does not provide all the details," she answered sullenly. "It gives an overview of events, just the highlights, and is often cryptic, requiring interpretation. I know what critical plot points are coming, but not always when or how they will transpire. When I saw that I was trapped here, I accepted it as my mission to protect the Red Book and keep it from falling into your hands."

"I am technically High King now," I pointed out. "You can't forbid me access to anything in MY palace."

"No, I cannot," she admitted, looking at the floor and raising one arm to point down one dusty library aisle. "The Red Book is in the chamber yonder."

"Nice try," I smirked. "I also know the Red Book is dangerous to anyone who tries to read it unprepared. Even with the proper precautions, I doubt I'd be able to make sense of it .. and to be honest, understanding it doesn't seem to have done YOU much good."

"Your Majesty is very wise," Edessa grumbled, with a note of sarcasm.

"You've probably already read all about this," I continued, "but now it is time for ME to put a geas on YOU. You are to remain here at your post, in this library, and continue protecting the Red Book - specifically from Zandar Skönk, my lovely bride. Unlike me, she will actually want to read the Fuma-damned thing. Don't let her anywhere near it. If you think I'm bad, she's a hundred times worse."

"She must be, if she married you."

"I mean it. She's genuinely Unseelie. Once you've met her and barred her from entering the library, then you'll be free to go. See how lenient I am? I'm only trapping you here for a few years, not centuries. Oh, and you must not under any circumstances tell her my name."

"You're playing the guess-my-name game with her??" Edessa gasped in shock. "Your own BRIDE?? That - that's what we do to LOWFOLK! I can't believe you would be so disrespectful! You - you're a monster!"

"She deserves it," I sniffed. "After you get to know her, you'll understand. Now then, I'll leave you to your duties. When you've completed your mission you can return to your father, King Adland. I assume his realm is still intact. I wonder which of us will find out first? Ta-ta for now, dear sister-in-law."

With a gesture to Burnside, I turned and walked away. I kept expecting Edessa to start screeching and hurling vulgar insults at my back, but she stayed resignedly quiet.

"Ain't my place to question yer judgment," Burnside whispered, "but I reckon you ought not to leave an enemy alive. I can kill 'er quick an' easy for ya. Won't take but a minute."

"No," I said, "she is defeated. And she has a job to do. After that, let her go home. It will strengthen our relations with Caer Adland if that loveable old eccentric gets his daughter back alive and intact after all this time. Assuming he himself is still alive and intact..."

As we exited the library, I thought how after hundreds of years of waiting, I finally got my payback on Edessa. I verbally destroyed her and left her imprisoned on MY terms, just like I had imagined so many times. Why then did I feel nothing right now? Why did my victory seem so hollow?

PREV www.patreon.com/posts/122241391