A few years had passed and the war with ogres was still ongoing, a few battles had been fought but none too large a scale to tip the balance in either side.
"Princess, what are you going to do? Our forces are now stretched too thin I am afraid at this rate we might end up losing the war."
The old man always wore a serene expression whenever he was talking which always brought some tranquility to Samora. Geswald was the only one left who was still on her side otherwise the rest of the elves had shunned her. Samora who had fallen from grace as an elf had lost favour even in the sight of her parents who had not spoken to her ever since.
"Indeed, the situation is faring poorly I was almost tempted to make the treaty with the unknown nation that recently surfaced in the forest."
Samora replied absentmindedly.
"Whatever you decide I will follow you princess but considering the current situation you did the best choice."
Samora liked how he avoided pointing out that she was now a dark elf, she was really thankful for it.
"Excuse me princess I must meet up with the other Lords soon."
Geswald bowed and left leaving the disgraced elven princess alone.
Actually when all matters where considered the fact that she had not yet been branded as a criminal and exiled or worse was a miracle. The last message she had received from her father was an order telling her to remain in the fort which was the frontline against the red ogres. That message had been sent to her five years ago and she had never received word ever since.
Samora was a smart individual, it was not out of love that her father the king of the elves had pardoned her but because she was a valuable asset especially in times of strife like this. Her soldiers had managed to strive so far because she was there, well that and the fact that Geswald had not abandoned her yet. Even though she had known what would happen when she made the taboo, she had never felt so lonely and so lost in her life. Her dream of vengeance had been achieved, even with the interference of the other mortal there was no way Karlmine could have survived that injury.
(How distasteful.)
She smiled sardonically whilst her eyes were looking at her arms, the once white and pristine slender arms of the elven princess where no more instead they were now a dark tannish shade, her irises that had once been green like the vast vegetation of her homeland had turned red. Her loss of course did not end in just a few phenotypic alterations, she had also lost the forest's blessing. A few thousand times she had asked herself if it had been worth it and every time she convinced herself it was but in truth the burden of loneliness and the scornful gazes from even her own subordinates was starting to weigh down on her and to make matters worse, she had lost her best friend.
(Best friend? I wonder if she still thinks of me like that.)
Even to her that thought was naivety to the extremes, how could she still view her as a best friend when she not only tried to destroy the man she loved but even went after her. Her memories of that night were vivid and yet a blur, she remembered clearly everything pertaining to Karlmine but she only had a vague memory of trying to attack Beldandy.
"Princess, I have brought your food."
A beautiful elven young lady stood before her respectfully, this slender but well endowed and well developed young elf was one of the few who still treated her with the same respect as before and that on its own ate at Samora deeply. What ate away at her was guilt, she understood that she had also taken away from this young lady someone very precious. This young beautiful elf or Lucinda as she was called was also someone who had been close to Karlmine but the princess had taken him away from her yet she showed no ire at her. Samora knew that she still missed Karlmine because each day she went and cleaned his former room.
"Thank you Lucinda."
She tried for a smile as always but it came out dry as she took the wooden tray of food. Lucinda turned to leave___
"Wait!"
The princess' shout came out more like a shout than she had intended to.
"Yes princess."
"Can you please stay with me for a while if you do not mind."
"…."
Lucinda looked directly at her eyes for a few moments before replying.
"Of course princess."
She returned and sat down beside her.
A solemn silence followed for a while making the situation extremely awkward until Samora broke it.
"Do you hate me?"
Her voice was weak, honestly she asked but she was not sure she could take it if Lucinda replied that she did.
"No princess I do not hate you."
However Lucinda immediately answered, Samora was shocked by the answer but more shocking was the strength behind her eyes. She had clearly grown from the little elf six years back.
"You don't?"
"Yes princess, I don't hate you. When my family died you took me in and raised me actually I owe you everything but_____"
"But?"
"I do not like what you did to yourself and to prince Karlmine."
She finally said it.
"About that I had to, he_____"
"Killed your two brothers, I am well aware."
Samora was actually shocked by the fact that she knew about that. The fact that her two brothers died in the war was known but the details on who killed them was actually a close guarded secret after all they did not want it to be know that the elven heroes were actually defeated by a single mortal.
As if reading her mind Lucinda explained.
"Karlmine told me about it, he told me that he was not sure how he killed them but he was sure of one thing that until that life debt was repaired he would turn the earth over to fulfill your dreams, he even said that he would lay down his life for you."
"…."
Samora could not speak back, she suddenly remembered what the prince had said to her five years back on the rooftop and her eyes looked down.
"Your vengeance was justified to you so I do not fault you but you brought him here on falsehood and even used him then you killed him. That princess is what I do not like."
"I-I am s-sorry."
The princess who had seen over a century of years stuttered under the powerful gaze of an elf who had barely seen two decades.
"Just like his case I will always be on your side princess but that apology will do me no good."
She rejected the apology and stood up.
"Please forgive me princess I must leave now."
Lucinda bowed and left the princess.
A few minutes later the door to her quarters opened again, she thought it was Lucinda but Geswald was standing there with a rarely seen alarmed look.
"Princess, an ogre army has been spotted a day's journey from here and they are led by the demon eater."