Nothing could put Queen Anaerin Daeylis in a foul mood like a long night spent pacing about the empty hallways of her castle.
It was not often that she found herself pondering a difficult impasse like the one she faced now; her advisors were as capable as she was in most things, and yet despite the unprecedented quiet that had settled into the Fifth Circle since her ascent to the throne, her current predicament was something that no amount of preemptive planning could have prepared her for.
Her silver boots clacked anxiously across the stone floors of her ancient throne room as she frowned impatiently at the towering portrait of the late King of Glathe. She gripped the hilt of her sword instinctively, wishing that perhaps her father would bestow some knowledge upon her from beyond the grave. Alas, no such help would ever come - she knew that, and yet she stubbornly chose to believe otherwise.
Through the stained glass windows, the first rays of morning light began to dance across the ornate fixtures that decorated her throne. Brilliant colors splashed across the somber drapes and yet, Anaerin could find no happiness in their presence. The sunrise that usually brought her some relief now seemed like a threat; another day closer to imminent disaster. Or perhaps worse.
A knock on the heavy wooden door on the far side of the chamber drew her out of her thoughts. As she strode towards the entrance she caught sight of herself in the polished suit of armor that stood guard among the other heirlooms that decorated the throne room. She scowled; nothing really seemed out of place were it not for the heavy bags beneath her glowing green eyes, and the disheveled blond bun that was beginning to work its way loose from its restraints.
She grasped the heavy door knockers and heaved backwards, opening the double doors to reveal who stood in wait. General Garraewynn, Captain of the Guard, stood with his hands on his hips and a platter of sweetmeats in his left hand, a smug grin on his face as he met her tired gaze.
"Another sleepless night, Your Grace?" he asked as Anaerin stood aside to let him in. She rolled her eyes, picking a cream pastry off of the silver tray.
"You don't have to sound so satisfied, Garraewynn," she replied, making her way back to her throne. "Sometimes I wonder if it entertains you to see me struggling."
"It's certainly a treat to see you out of sorts," the General replied sarcastically, earning an irritated scowl from his Queen. "Who would have ever thought that Her Grace Aneirin Daeylis, Queen of Glathe and Guardian of the Fifth Circle, would ever be faced with something that could not be cut down by her legendary Oathbreaker?"
"Now you're just being an ass," she replied as Garraewynn took his place at her side. She chewed thoughtfully on her breakfast and turned to him, leaning across the armrests of her throne in her usual, uncouth way. "What news do you have of our messengers? Has anyone entered city?"
"I haven't been notified of any new arrivals," he replied, and Anaerin sighed in frustration.
Garraewynn chuckled. "Your Grace, it's been barely a week since you dispersed the messengers. Surely you weren't expecting such instant results?"
"Perhaps I should have offered a higher bounty," the queen mumbled, ignoring his comment. "Or maybe I should have mobilized the garrison to go from town to town, or... no, that would have drawn too much attention..." She stood from her throne and began heading towards the exit. She stopped, glancing over her shoulder at Garraewynn. "Any word from the other Circles?"
"Nothing yet, Your Grace," he answered, shaking his head. "Even the Second Circle is a four day's ride away. I told you not to expect anything before the fortnight is passed."
"That's not good enough!" the queen shouted, slamming her fist into her palm as her angry declaration echoed off of the stone walls. "Perhaps I would have better luck in the great library. The Mage Guild should be able to contact the Collegiate, or send notice to the Crucible Order - surely there would be more movement then. We simply cannot wait until trouble finds us. We must be certain to strike first!"
"Anaerin..." Garraewynn gently approached the queen from behind and put a calming hand on her shoulder. "In truth, it alarms me to see you so riled up by something so far-fetched. Surely you cannot believe the words of a single Oracle over your very own scouts?" He set the tray of pastries down on a nearby end table and stood in front of her, meeting her anxious gaze. "I have sent my best men to the Fire Ring Mountains and there has not been a single report of activity. If what Cybil told you was true, would we not be seeing armies of dragon warriors marching along its fiery ledges? Would a threat not have been made? Would there not be disturbances across the land?"
"Hmph," she replied, brushing past him. "I appreciate your concern, but as the Guardian of the Fifth Circle it is my responsibility to lead the fight against anything that threatens the sanctity of Calenduun. Besides, communication with the other Circles has ceased almost entirely after my father's death. Even if there were... 'disturbances'... what makes you think the other Guardians would share our sense of urgency?"
"It would be hard not to show concern over a dragon attack," Garraewynn replied sarcastically. "But... of course, you're right. I'm not saying that we should not be prepared. But do you truly believe that the guardianship has been reborn, as Cybil said? And is offering an open bounty for any takers really the way to go about finding the reincarnates?"
"Do you doubt me, Garraewynn?" Anaerin asked as they made their way down the hall, towards the courtyard.
"Ergh, I hate it when you ask me that," the elf replied, scratching at his head awkwardly. "It's not that I doubt you, it's just... there are more efficient ways of getting what you want. You mentioned the Mage Guild... surely they could lend their aid in battle?"
"No, absolutely not," Anaerin replied firmly. "I'd rather go and fight the dragons myself before I let any of those snooty, tome-hoarding tower dwellers get involved in something so important."
"Hey now, I was one of those tower-dwellers once," Garraewynn replied, feigning insult.
"I know, and aren't you glad I rescued you from a life of poor vision and endless chanting?" she replied with a smirk.
The duo stepped out into the courtyard just as the Queen's Guard began to assemble for their morning report. As they spotted Garraewynn emerging from inside the castle, the stragglers that were still milling about jumped to attention, scrambling over each other to fall into line.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you envied my ability to use magic," the Captain teased, and Anaerin let out a little huff.
"Magic is nothing more than the foolish waggery of the Fae. It would be a cold day in Helgard before I envied an elf who preferred parlor tricks over the merciless edge of a blade," she replied. "Thankfully, you know how to do both."
"I'll remember that the next time you need someone to save your ass on the battlefield," Garraewynn replied with a smirk.
The Queen's Guard stood rigidly along both side of the plaza, ready to receive Garraewynn's orders. Steadfast gazes peered stolidly out into the morning sun, and despite the brisk blowing wind, none of them dared raise their hands to shield their eyes. Garraewynn had done what no other Captain had ever managed to do by returning what had once been a ragtag group of spoiled palace guards to what they were always meant to be - an elite force of protectors that would lay waste to anyone who dared to breach the palace grounds. And he took his job quite seriously... not like the last Captain, whose corrupt transgressions led to his being separated, rather unceremoniously, from his head.
Anaerin had never doubted her choice to anoint Garraewynn as his replacement, despite the frequent ribbing she gave him over his ability to control the natural energies around him. Even before he became her foremost advisor, his ability to calm her volatile temper was unmatched since they'd been young. Truth be told, they'd once harbored a notorious grudge against one another that had led to more than a few scuffles - he being the finest of the Mage Guild, and she being so adamantly opposed to anything other than swords and arrows. But after the King's death, the stoic young Queen found herself relying more and more on his sage advice and clever fixes, and so when the time came to appoint her cabinet, he was at the very top of the list.
It was no secret to anyone that she had little trust in those who favored the ancient art of magic, as its use had done immeasurable damage to the Elven Kingdom of Glathe during the dissolution of the Guardian Circle. But Garraewynn had done the unthinkable by convincing her to reinstate the local chapter of the Mage Guild, something that had not been done in over a century, and certainly had little chance of happening under Anaerin's rule. And yet, he'd revived just enough of the queen's faith that she allowed the Guild to inhabit the old college that had once been the centerpiece of natural magic studies.
She certainly wasn't thrilled about it, but for Garraewynn she would do most anything.
"Hail Her Grace Aneirin Daeylis, Queen of Glathe! Hail the Guardian of the Fifth Circle! Hail the Protectress of the Elves!"
"Why do you make them do that?" Anaerin grumbled as the guards shouted their recitations.
"Tradition," was Garraewynn's self-satisfied reply. "And also because I know you hate it more than anything."
Anaerin shook her head in annoyance and continued forward towards where court was about to begin. Garraewynn moved to follow, but Anaerin felt a lack of presence at her side shortly after.
"Garraewynn?" she asked, turning over her shoulder curiously. A chill ran through her as she saw his grim face, fixated on something in the distance. She turned towards where he was facing and saw a runner in the distance, making his way up the palace steps like he was being pursued by an army of bloodthirsty orcs. She recognized the messenger immediately - his name was Igard, and he was known to deliver his messages at any cost, even if it meant his life. So what could it have been that turned him around from his destination? It couldn't be that his message had already reached the Second Circle?
Anaerin hurried to the archway with Garraewynn in close pursuit, where the guardsmen were preparing to send Igard away for appearing unannounced. "Step aside," she commanded and the guards obeyed, just as Igard came to a halt in front of her.
"Your... Grace..." he huffed, producing a piece of parchment from his battered satchel. "I have news of the Kingdom of Man!"
Anaerin took the letter, eyes widening as she recognized King Robert's seal. She looked first at Garraewynn, then back at Igard, a thoughtful frown on her face.
"Impossible," she said, a noticeable edge in her voice. "How could you have brought me a letter from King Robert, when even the fastest horse would just have arrived this evening? Many decades of loyal service, and you still choose to trick your Queen?"
"Give him a chance to explain," Garraewynn said quietly as Igard fell to his knees, exhausted.
"I would never think to do any such thing, your Grace," he insisted as his breath began to return to normal. "On my journey I encountered Scribe Martine from Valentia, who insisted I personally deliver this message to you. Having crossed paths with her many times before, I implored her to take my place, knowing I could trust her to deliver your message to King Robert while I returned to Glathe... with this."
"And you didn't think to question her?" Anaerin asked irritably. "What if the message is tainted with poison? What if this scribe you speak of had insidious motives, or intended to steal the information and use it against this kingdom? Your duty was to deliver my parchment to King Robert, and you have failed! Failure is unforgivable in my court, as is weakness... and you will be punished accordingly."
"Please, my Queen, have mercy!" Igard begged, bowing at her feet. "There was a desperation in Scribe Martine's eyes beyond anything I'd ever seen. I know that she will deliver the letter to the King, and I would return to Valentia to see it done if your Grace commands it, but I know Martine would never betray the messenger's code of honor, and if she was willing to face the wrath of her King, surely whatever is written in that letter was worth all of this trouble?"
"Hmph," Anaerin replied, breaking the wax seal on the parchment. "If it were not for all that you have done for my family, I would see you beheaded for your foolishness. This had better be..."
Her eyes widened in shock as she read the words on the page, and her face seemed pale at whatever King Robert had brought to her attention. She felt Garraewynn peering over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the contents, but before he could finish she had already folded it shut and tucked it into the breastplate of her silver armor.
"Send one of your associates back to Valentia at once," she commanded. "Tell King Robert that I accept his invitation and shall be in his company before the moon falls dark. Go!"
"Yes, your Grace," Igard replied, visibly relieved as he picked himself off of the ground. "I shall have my fastest man leave at once!"
"See to it that you do," she snapped as the guards returned to their posts. "And Igard... good work."