COF 4: The Abject Throne

6 | Eldan (III)

"It's nothing," Xanthy rubbed her temples and met Eldan's eyes. "My point is that I'm still taking it in that I have to spend sixteen years not knowing who I am, who my family were, and instead of meeting the person who could tell me directly, I meet just his friends who all told me bits and pieces that I have to solve to get to where you are," she heaved a sigh. "It's not easy."

"Actually..." Eldan's voice dropped into a whisper. "I was the one who asked Jarvik to keep an eye on you in the Commons."

Xanthy blinked. What? "But he told me he was working with the weavers for three weeks long before I came."

Eldan merely smiled and explained everything to Xanthy. Of course, these people knew what they're doing. They could make up a lie in a second and would still sound convincing. The mention of her dead friend brought a new twist in Xanthy's gut. "Have you heard...?"

She didn't need to finish when Eldan reached out and laid a hand on top of Xanthy's. "I have. May his soul find its way to the Land of Wonders."

Xanthy smiled and turned her hand to squeeze her father's. "I'm sure Ezril will make sure of that," tears pricked at her eyes as she felt the warmth from her father's hand seep into her skin. "Thank you."

"It's the only thing I could do with me unable to leave," Eldan said. "Believe me, the moment we saw the lights on your nameday, I was ready to leave everything and run to where you are. Marthiaq had to knock me out for a day just for me to reevaluate things."

"Marthiaq?" Xanthy's eyes widened. "Marthiaq Lebayou?"

"The one and only," a familiar voice erupted from the room's arched doorway.

Xanthy whipped to the source of the voice only to see a man she hadn't seen since the underground caverns beneath Cardina's palace. Memories rushed back to her like a river, flashing vivid images of the brownie who saved them and the man who became young when Xanthy knew him as a seventy year-old man.

Eldan stood up and threw his arms around the man in an almost brotherly embrace. Xanthy edged from her seat. "Lebayou?" she called. Both fairies turned to Xanthy as she approached them. She craned her neck to gaze at those warm brown eyes and an almost tawny mop of hair atop his head. It's really him.

Lebayou grasped Xanthy's shoulder and stared her up and down. "You turned out quite okay from Cardina, I see."

Xanthy crossed her arms despite the grin spreading from her lips. "You turned out not to be old and smelly, I see."

Eldan threw his head back and laughed. The sound of it made the branches from the walls rattle. "She did a rune on you," he clapped his friend on the back. "This is a glorious, memorable time."

"Shut up, Rovalen," Marthiaq muttered.

"Rovalen?" Xanthy whirled to Eldan then back to Marthiaq. "Why is he a Rovalen?"