Once they reached the palace Ambien went to the guard shack to inform them of what had just happened. Jaden went to his room to clean up. Atona went to her room to get her some bath water ready. She climbed in and started thinking about the evenings events. She was so tired from the long day of events that she started to drift of to sleep in the warm water, her body relaxing almost immediately.
She was a young child again, about the age of six, she was sitting on the seat of a wagon with a beautiful lady, long dark hair pulled back and braided down her back. Her features were chiseled almost like a elves. She was wearing a dark green riding dress, with pretty beads, and lace around the neckline. They were in a caravan traveling through a canyon with rock walls on both sides. Looking up the left side it was a straight cliff wall with no jags or crevices to hide or play in. Looking up the right side were bigger boulders to hide behind, crevices to dart in and out of. Atona was wanting to stop and play with her sister but the adults wouldn't stop. They kept saying "we needed to keep going, we had to get to the creek bed before dark".
A gentleman was riding on a horse next to the pretty lady. He was a handsome gentleman with dark hair that just brushed his shoulders, bright blue eyes, and a regal chin. He was wearing a Blue tunic with a family crest of a harp with a sword sticking through it. His riding breeches and boots were a dark brown, almost as dark as the horse he was riding. He kept looking over at Atona and her sister and smiling so proud. Almost as if he knew them, and loved them with everything he had.
The men in the front started shouting for everyone to get down, it was an ambush. The man near the lady grabbed the reins from her, pulled tight, and told her to grab the girls. He yelled for us to run and hide, while he pulled his sword. He kicked his horse and ran towards the front. Atona could hear the arrows whizzing by as they jumped from the wagon, and ran toward the rock walls with the crevices. They hurried into one that was deep enough to hide them. Atona was in a position where she could see where the fighting was taking place. The lady told them to stay put as she was going to go and help. They were to stay put and not let anyone find them.
She ran to where the man had stood, was yelling in some gibberish, and waving her hands erratically. The man was fighting these creatures gallantly several lay dead at his feet. The woman was yelling and waving her hands when a arrow went straight through her chest. The man started screaming when she crumpled, he was a maniac with his sword then. He was killing one after the other.
He got to a great big creature it had a snout shaped nose, ears that looked something like a pigs, a big round head with small beady eyes, green skin, and tusks that hung out of its mouth over its bottom lip. The man battled this creature blow for blow. The man was swinging his sword at the creatures head, the creature blocked with his shield and swung at the man with his ax cutting him right through the middle. The man fell to the ground next to the lady. He wrapped his arm over the ladies body and went limp. Atonas' sister was crying, she was trying to get her to be quite.
She awoke to cold water, she climbed out of the tub, and stood there shivering for a minute. Wrapped herself in the fresh cloth they had laid out for her. Curled up in the chair by the fire, drinking a glass of elven wine. Thinking about the dream that she had just had. Had she really watched her parents get murdered. Were those nice looking people her parents? Was her mother a half-elf? None of this made any sense.
She had, never had the same dream before. Before it was just bits and pieces jumbled together. Tonight it was all together and made no more sense than it had before. A rap on her door woke her from her thoughts. She sat startled for a moment, then set down her glass and walked over to the door. Ambien stood in the hall, still unwashed and looking a shambles. His face was still withered with lines of concern. His eyes were dark with worry and concern. Looking deep into his eyes was like falling into a deep pool of water. She could stay in that pool the rest of her life if it meant he would be there to hold her forever.
"Ambien come on in. I was just enjoying a glass of wine and watching the fire." She said as she opened the door wider. He brushed past her, the tingles running up her arm. She went over and poured him a glass of wine. Took it to him as he sat in the chair by the fire, she took the other chair.
"Well, what's on your mind? You look like you came here to talk?" She asked watching him stare into the fire.
"Actually, I came thinking maybe you wanted to talk about what happened this evening! I thought you could use a good friend."
"I do need a good friend and I'm glad you came. But I don't want to talk about tonight. What's done is done. I would like you to answer some questions for me." she said getting comfortable and wrapping herself back in the blanket.
"Ok, what are your questions?" He said making himself comfortable. She related to him the dream she had and how she woke in a cold bath.
"Now, I would like to know first of all were those my parents that I watched die?" she asked quietly the dream still affecting her.
"Yes, they were. They were crossing through the mountains to go to Wahunel for the trading. Your family was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. My father and a group of warriors were out on patrol when they found the disaster. My father had heard the whimpering of your sister, and that's when he found her. She was in such a state that it took him a long time to understand her that you were there too. One of the warriors then hollered at father that he had found another child. You were weeping over the body of your father and mother."
A rap on the door startled them both. "I bet that is Jaden. Come in"
When the door opened they both started laughing. "I don't know what is so funny, but I could sure use a glass of that wine and a comfy spot by the fire."
"Well, help yourself. I'm sure enjoying the company." They all sat in silence for a few minutes, starring into the fire. The door swung open again and in come Andrianna. Atona just smiled and gestured for her to join them. She seemed startled to see her brother and Jaden both in Atonas' room this late at night. She went and got her a glass of wine, and got comfy on the floor with Jaden. Atona could have sworn she seen some kindling of love starting there.
"Ambien, I have another question. Was my mother half-elven?"
"Yes, she was. Your father loved her from the very first time he laid eyes on her. She was smitten of course by his rugged looks and wonderful charm. That's what mother says. Your mother was a very good wizard too. Your father an excellent fighter, a lot like your father you are. Their love story is a lot like the ballad of the Vale. Except he was next in line to be king and no one could tell him he couldn't love a half-elven woman." Andrianna said with a lot of romance in her voice.
They all sat quietly for a few moments letting that information sink in. She couldn't believe her mother was a wizard and father a great fighter. She knew she got the love of the blade from somewhere. There was more to the story of her mother and father than people were letting her in on. She knew there was, but to just find out what it was. She started drifting off to sleep, thinking about her mother and father.
Hoping that her child never had to learn about her like this. Almost made her want to never go back adventuring. She knew she couldn't do that, however, she knew she had to go and see the world. She felt hands pick her up and put her into her bed and cover her up.
Ambien laid Atona in the bed gently, covered her back up, and watched her for a few moments wanting and wishing he could climb into bed next to her. She felt so good in his arms, he wanted to lay there and hold her all night. To hell with the Nobles and what they thought of his love for this woman. He loved her from the very first time he laid eyes on her. She was just a kid then, but then so was he. She was so eager to learn all he could teach her.
How could he not love someone that he had known all his life? Just looking at her turned his stomach into a wrestling match. Watching her with Jaden, or Ridale was killing him. He wanted her for himself, and he finally had her now. How does one simply leave a kingdom behind to be with the woman of his dreams. He knew she would understand and stay with him if he asked her to. He couldn't do that to her, all she ever wanted to do was adventure. He wasn't going to worry about all that. He had her here for at least a year now. The baby would come, and she would stay and be a mom until the little one could be left with her mother.
He should have told her the story about her mother years before. He couldn't do it without seeing the hurt in her eyes over losing her parents. He knew he had to wait till the time was right. The dreams she was having was surprising to him. He didn't think she had remembered any of it. For years she wouldn't or couldn't talk about it to him or anyone else. Her sister was no different, she wasn't going to tell anyone what she had seen that day.
Walking into his room and closing the door behind him, he slipped his clothes off and slipped into his sleeping robe. Pulled the covers back on his bed and climbed into it. Not to sleep but to think more on the matters at hand. This was going to be a rough couple of months. The crops were going to have to be replanted. The irrigation was going to have to be manned all the time. He was not going to like all the time they were going to have to be apart.
Their relationship was just getting started, and here they were going to have to try to get to know each other all over again whenever they could get the chance. Well, at least he would have the evenings with her like this one. He was hoping to hold her and kiss her tonight, but then Jaden and Andrianna had showed up. If he didn't know any better, which he didn't, he would have thought that his baby sister was falling for Jaden. Wouldn't be half bad of a plan since they found out he was royalty. It would do good to pull the kingdoms together and help them ban together and fight the on coming threat. He knew it was coming, he seen it in his dreams at night when he would sleep.