Chapter 1 Ilio's Pride

Ilio scraped and chiseled into the crystal rock inside a dark cave lit only by the flame of a diminishing candle. Four pieces of clear quartz fell into his waiting hands. Five more pieces to go. He rests along a river filled with colorless fish with their eyes shut by the cave god Horus. He dips his clay cup into the water to take a drink. His partner Dagan presents two more crystals covered in limestone from the neighboring tunnel. They will remove the limestone later. A soft wail echoes through the darkness as if a child was crying. Dagan is frightened the Black Stone Witch has been released. Ilio assures him that it is just the wind. If the Black Stone Witch was released he would know. They continue their search for rock crystals to give to Ilio’s bride Princess Mariah. They follow the tunnel hitting Dagan’s torch along the ceiling to follow on their return. Ilio moves his candle along the walls to check for reflecting stones. Ilio spots a reflecting rock near the river and gets out his chisel. He drops his chisel as Dagan drops the torch into the river.

“Ilio, look. It’s the Black Stone Witch.” Dagan stammers.

Ilio steps back to see the reflecting stones were a woman’s eyes staring at them through a foggy black wall.

“Dagan, stop staring,” asserts Ilio stepping in front of him to hide the woman. “Time to go.”

Ilio grabs his partner’s hand as he remains enchanted by the silent witch encased in onyx. He lifts his candle to follow their black marks on the cave ceiling. A gust of wind blows out his candle as they reach fresh air. His sailors play music and sing badly to the setting sun about the adventures they had undertaken on this quest for prayer stones for Princess Mariah. A giant squid that almost destroyed their ship The Larissa, the enchanting mermaids who made them forget their names, and the beautiful elf queen who tried to seduce Ilio. He boils his found stones in a potion heated by no fire, but from his magic crystal given to him by his mother when he was born. She was born from a goddess and an immortal elf man making magic come natural to her. He broke the stones to make six more because he needed twelve prayer stones to make a proper circle. Dagan recites how Ilio almost set free the Black Stone Witch his patroness cast into stone during a duel. How can anyone forget the old woman claiming to be of mermaid ancestry offering her healing services? She declared to have the only cure to sea snake poison. When Ilio’s patroness refused her services, she cursed the mermaids and challenged their Queen Lexie to showcase her powers to them. What the witch didn’t know was that Queen Lexie was born from magic and no mere mortal magic trick could ever defeat a true goddess. The witch let out lightening from her finger tips and Lexie casually absorbed it into her bare hand. She asks disappointed if that was the best of her magic powers. She then hurled her own curse to trap the witch into a large onyx boulder. Lexie cast the witch in her prison into a deep cave where few would go looking for her and release her. Ilio witnessed the whole thing with the mermaids on the beach until Lexie took her away. It is said the cave moans from the weeping witch and any who stare into her eyes never return to the surface again. Ilio knew the witch was present in that cave because Lexie sent him there to check that she was still there. It is also said the cave is full of magic from the witch trying to escape and the best prayers stones are dug up here. Ilio finished his spells with the prayer stones and stuffed them into a pouch tied to his belt.

“Time to go get my bride, men.” declares Ilio returning to the ship sitting in high tide.

They sailed away towards Ithaca to meet the ship bearing the child bride. Ilio just had his adult ceremony and convinced this human he is about to marry would be in similar situation. As his wedding gift, Queen Lexie appointed him Lord of Adea and gave him a large house to dwell in. He was excited meeting her again for he met her as Nubia attacked her home and his father gave the princess sanctuary during the war. He was not much older than her but he was filled with experience sailing with his father, The Pirate King of Vassily. He had seen the world and fought in battles beside his father. He felt much more grown up than the pampered princess who left her home the first time during the war. He took her around the city in his father’s chariot and sailed down river in his raft. He showed her how to ride a horse and how to fish. His mother rules with a mighty sword and quicker bow making him worry how she will handle the long absences a sailor’s wife must endure. He had no intention giving up the sea and high adventure on the horizon for anyone. His fears were warranted as her ship approached. A gangplank was situated between the anchored ships and Lord Ilio walked across with his first mate, quartermaster, and sail maker. His sister Marah remained on the Larissa near the railing. Princess Mariah’s brother, the Crown Prince of Ithaca and heir to their father’s throne, greeted Ilio, Lord of Adea, with assurances his sister was obedient and gentle lamb making wayward Ilio roll his eyes in frustration of his father’s choice of bride for him.

Then, Ilio saw the child bride he once knew blossom into a young maiden who now stood before him. She had tiny arms and no bosom, but that would change in time his sailors whisper to him. She wore green robes heavy with jewelry and lace. The lace came to a V across her chest distinguishing the gold circle pendant hung on a pearl necklace. Tableware was set up on trunks serving as tables and the crew drank wine toasting to their health and happiness. The Crown Prince made a speech of peace between the two countries and ordered his sister obey her husband as she obeyed her father. Lord Ilio grasped her hand and kissed it. Then he embraced his cousin Patrix who has been Princess Mariah’s tutor since the betrothal agreement was made. They returned to his ship. Crew members brought over the princess trunks full of traveling necessities. The ships separated and Princess Mariah enjoyed her first meal with the crew. Mariah prays using her new prayer stones in perfect elfish to the pride of Patrix. Marah helps Mariah dress for sleeping in the bunk and dresses her the next morning as they reach the border of the North Sea.

The Larissa arrived at sunset into the harbor of Adea. His father’s chariot was presented and Ilio drove his bride and sister to the palace of his mother’s. Queen Ishtar of the Mermaid Islands was holding the evening meal in the great hall. Hearing the return of her son she ordered chariots to bring them promptly to the palace. She welcomed them at the front gate and presented the trunks of North Sea clothing, jewelry, and dressing table accessories for the bride in the entrance hall. A manservant took their capes and whispered to Ilio that he must speak with him straight away. Ilio refused and the manservant became more assertive that he must speak with Ilio immediately. Ilio assured he will slip away during the meal. Ilio’s siblings were most anxious to meet the princess again. His sisters Daphne and Godiva rushed to embrace their new sister-in-law. Lilibeth embraced the princess wishing her happiness in her new life. Evan swaggered over and kissed her hand. Ishtar gave her an embrace assuring the bride to come to the family if she has any difficulties; she is most welcome inside their home.

Princess Mariah is surprised she will not live in the palace, is Ilio not the Lord of Adea? Her new mother-in-law explains the nonhereditary titles of the Mermaid Islands. She is in fact guardian of the entire 26 Mermaid Islands as the mermaid Queen Lexie of the North Sea appointed. Her palace sits on the highest point of the city where the walls end and countryside begins. Ilio is simply the Lord of Adea, the largest city and stronghold of the islands. Ilio will reside once married in a house in the center of town near the temple of sea god Elexi. Ilio quietly excuses himself and follows his manservant upstairs to Ilio’s bed chamber. There is a baby boy crying with a maidservant holding him. A basket with a cotton blanket inside sat on a table. A woman was here today claiming the child to be Ilio’s to hear only he was gone fetching his betrothal. She left the baby in their care and ran off. Ishtar ordered the return of the girl and the baby should have Ilio’s room until the nursery was made. Ishtar demanded to know everything about her and Ilio. Since this mermaid had been banished from the sea by her father and Ilio could not marry her, she relented her anger to allow the girl a cottage on the outskirts of the city to live in and gave her a post in the patrols around the island.

Ilio dreaded the return of this girl for he knew who she was. He met the mermaids every spring to measure them for robes and help build houses. They trade for animals to milk and baskets to hunt for berries and roots. He fell in love with one young mermaid as she stood waiting to be measured. He stayed behind to help guard the mermaids from pirate raids. He walked into the forest with his mermaid alone to kiss her under the stars. He promised to love her forever and marry her one day. A promise he knew he could not keep while his betrothal still lived. He had to fulfill the agreement his father made to keep peace between Ithaca and the Mermaid Islands. He refused to gaze at his son and returned to the evening meal. The evening meal eaten, the family retired into the sitting room. Ishtar knitted while Godiva played a new song on her flute. Marah embroidered as Lilibeth read scrolls to her. Daphne worked on making a wreath while Ilio and Evan played a peg game. Lost on what to do, Lilibeth had Mariah help Ishtar for winter was coming again one day. The children began to yawn and despite their protests were sent to bed. Ishtar tucked her younger children in and returned to continue her knitting. The older children left to go to their bed chambers alone and Mariah was guided by Ilio to her assigned guest room prepared for her. Marah served as maidservant one last time and scooted off to bed. Two maidservants visited Ilio for one last romp before he was married and moved out into his own house. Ishtar chose all new servants for his new household. How could Ilio reject them? Later he heard a voice calling his name in the hall and assumed it was another maidservant. He answered the call as he kissed one girl’s neck while the other hugged his chest. His bed chamber door opened and Ilio looked up to find Mariah.

“I could not sleep and wanted a cup of warm milk. I did not wish to wake the whole household and I saw light under the door.” declared Mariah.

“Out,” softly spoke Ilio and the maidservants grabbed their clothes to run out the servant door. “You caught me in an awkward moment, Mariah. Give me a moment to take you to the kitchen.”

“Now you are modest,” replies Mariah as Ilio searched for his clothes.

Dressed in his night robe with fur slippers, he takes Mariah down the servant stairs to the kitchen to retrieve her warm milk. He heated the milk in a tin cup under a candle. Mariah asked if he loved any of the girls he enjoyed the attentions of. He refused to answer the question and then said he wished to make everybody happy. Mariah looked away from him and concealed a tear for he clearly did not wish to make her happy. The next morning held the morning feast where people came to congratulate the new bride and groom. A maidservant lighting the bed chamber fire dressed the bride in her silver white wedding clothes from Ithaca. She thanked Ishtar for the trunks of items given and enjoyed selecting the ones she wished for her bed chamber and sitting room in her new home. Ilio came downstairs in his finest robe of indigo blue and silver trim of elf symbols along the hems after his bath in the mosaic pool with yet another maidservant saying good-bye. His bride looked ravishing greeting the guests of the morning meal, mostly wealthy merchants and pirate captains. He was soon congratulated and wedding gifts presented to the couple. The guards took them to their new home after the meal. The wedding party left the hall towards the stables to start the parade to the Temple of Ishtar, the goddess of love. Ishtar asked for a word with Ilio and closed the outside door. Dread dug deep into his soul. Before he could say anything, Ishtar slapped his face, stared at him, and slapped him again.

“How dare you embarrass me by getting that mermaid pregnant when you have been betrothed for years. Do your father’s promises mean nothing to you?” asserted Ishtar.

“Mother, I can explain.” began Ilio but stopped.

“I’m waiting,” said Ishtar.

“The mermaid girl put a spell on me and I couldn’t resist her charms,” cried Ilio to earn another slap from his mother.

“Liar,” spoke Ishtar.

“Mother please, I didn’t ask for this betrothal and certainly don’t wish to marry a pathetic princess just to keep the peace. She can’t sword fight or shoot arrows.” whimpered Ilio.

“You failed to object last time she was here during the Mermaid Wars and assured your father you would fulfill his promises.” declared Ishtar.

“I am sorry I lied to father because I knew what this treaty meant to him gaining more islands with her dowry.” recited Ilio.

“Sorry now that you found another admirer. You should pray at the temple she does not ask Queen Lexie for help. Aunt Lexie will not be so kind as I.” claimed Ishtar.

“Lexie?” asked Ilio.

“I will raise your son Cambri in my palace and assist in the mermaid adapting to living on land. I will not humiliate her further.” asserted Ishtar and the pair left the hall to jump into their chariots.

The family paraded to the Temple of Ishtar. City dwellers tossed flowers petals ahead of the parade. Music echoed off the limestone buildings and soldiers marched in unison between chariots. Archers rode along on their horses holding bows upright in salute. Banners held up by other horsemen gleamed in the sunlight. The wedding guests waiting for the family to arrive tossed coins to the onlookers outside the temple. The family arrived and tossed more coins. Princess Mariah enjoyed this very elf wedding tradition. The ceremony began with the walk down the aisle to the high priest and high priestess. Songs of praise were played by the temple orphans. Offerings of flowers and wood coins made to the love goddess were presented by the couple. Incense was burned during prayers to carry the pleas to the gods within the smoke. Next the vows were spoken.

“I, Ilio, Lord of Adea take in marriage Princess Mariah of Ithaca. I promise love, honor, and children to fulfill your days on earth. I vow to protect, comfort, and secure riches for our family.”

“I, Princess Mariah of Ithaca take in marriage Ilio, Lord of Adea. I promise love, honor, and children to fulfill your days on earth. I vow to save, comfort, and secure riches for our family.”

The priest and priestess blessed the couple and Ishtar read the marriage contract. Princess Mariah was now presented as Lady of Adea. The couple left followed by the family and guests to ride their chariot to their new home. The courtyard was full of floral garlands strung between the portico columns. Murals of plants and animals covered the walls. A pool of water sat in the center was occupied by floating flowers. A feast was held in the great hall and villagers were ushered in to present gifts to the couple. Lord Ilio quickly whispered not to insult his subjects by refusing any gift. Princess Mariah, Lady of Adea was shocked to see the poorest peasants in rags hand her a copper ring with a pearl, a brass ring with blue ceramic gemstone, a seashell bracelet, a reed basket, and clay tableware. She desired them to keep their gifts and receive charity, not give inferior gifts to her. Ilio, Lord of Adea was gracious to all visitors accepting every meager gift with thanks handing them to ladies who set them on large tables. Guards gave a biscuit with choice of toppings to each giver as they left. The guests danced to music provided on the balcony and chattered under the portico. The couple left for their bed chamber and the guests dispersed taking leftover food with them. Ilio spent a sleepless night wondering if his mermaid lover had asked Aunt Lexie for help. He could not imagine what her anger would inspire her to do to him? He watched his bride sleep in the moonlight pondering their future. At least he could see his son anytime he wished, when he was ready for it. Mariah woke up as a cold breeze blew through the open window. She got up to kiss his cheek asking him to return to bed. He closed the shutters and went to sleep. He awoke at sunrise and left to view the city in the early morning light. He discovered a pair of doors leading to a balcony overlooking the city streets just down the hall. Off in the distance were the city walls and the hill where his mother’s palace gates were. Young women were walking down the avenues towards the aqueduct fountains. Smoked arose from roof holes and side wall chimneys. The cool sea spray filled Ilio’s lungs with a solemn peace. Then a dense warm air entered his airy haven. He turned around and there stood Queen of the North Sea mermaids, his great-aunt, and liege, Lexie.

“I presume you know why I am here, therefore I will allow the opportunity to explain yourself and why Tixi is weeping to me from your deceit.” calmly spoke Lexie.

“Please do not strike me, I had enough from my mother.” replied Ilio to make Lexie’s eyebrows rise. “I never lied to Tixi; I just neglected to tell her the whole truth. How was supposed to know she would have my child and get banished from the sea?”

“Deceiver!” shouted Lexie with an explosion of smoke and fire erupting from her robes making everything in sight tremble. “I curse your name and banish you from land forever.”

“Forever? That is going a bit too far do you not agree?” whimpered Ilio. “I just got married yesterday.”

“Tixi has been banished from the sea forever. Why do you deserve reprieve?” begged Lexie as vases and statues exploded into pieces.

“I admit I deserve punishment, but do you not think my mother raising my son Cambri and I married to a princess to keep the peace with Ithaca qualifies a bit of reprieve from banished forever. My circumstances prove obstacles to being with Tixi and Cambri as I wish.” pleaded Ilio.

“Very well. On behalf of Tixi, Cambri, and your bride Mariah, I declare one day a year you may touch land, but the rest of the year you are bound to the ship Sea Snake I raised from the depths of the ocean. Now enjoy your day on land. At the next sunrise my magic will take you to the Sea Snake.” She then vanished in a puff of smoke with the whole city beginning to shake and just as quickly became still again.

“My goodness what an earthquake. Who was that shouting?” inquiring Mariah in her nightdress.

“That was not an earthquake that was Lexie. I insulted a mermaid and she cannot forgive me. She cursed me to live out in the sea on a ship she raised from the sea floor. I cannot touch land again.” replied Ilio.

“Not ever. I have dreamed about being your wife since forever. What did I do to deserve having my husband taken away the day after we marry? I can only pray to have your child so I can have a piece of you with me.” Mariah weeps returning to the bed chamber.

Ilio leaves the house to search for his mermaid lover. He finds her cooking a meal on her hearth. He is allowed in with her eyes cast to the floor. Tixi fails to offer food and drink.

“What do you want? Have you not caused me enough pain? I get banished from the only home and family I know, get found by patrols who give me to a fishwife to care for me in my pregnancy making jewelry for her sell in the marketplace in return, find out who you are to be told you are gone retrieving your betrothed, cannot support myself and a baby alone, so I beg for help from your mother to have my child taken away and given a straw house to live in while growing crops for your mother in exchange for her charity. Your love and promises caused the misery I’m in right now. What could you possibly have to say to me?” spoke Tixi.

“I’m sorry,” answered Ilio.

Tixi scoffed.

“I am truly sorry I put you here. I prayed she would die of a disease humans are so susceptible to. I didn’t ask to be betrothed.” began Ilio.

“But you knew you were when you said you loved me and wanted to marry me,” interrupted Tixi.

“Yes I lied about Mariah, but my love and my hope was not a lie. Please come be on my ship I am cursed to remain on all year with only a day on land.” begged Ilio.

“Get out. You come all this way to insult me. I am not your whore. Now get out and don’t ever come back!” screeched Tixi tossing her mush at him.

Ilio scampered out. He walked back to his mother’s palace to find beautiful flowers along the road. He grabbed a fistful of posies and walked back to Tixi’s house to secretly lay them on her open window. He spent the day with his family explaining the terrible news. He slept with Mariah and then walked to the docks where Lexie was waiting for him as the sun rose. She selected his crew and they packed food for a voyage to Blythe. Not one knew of his curse.

Chapter 2 Doom of Titania

Captain Ilio losing his Lord of Adea title to his father’s friend Captain Colby sails into the sunrise. A storm met them on their way to Kara but the ship withstood the harsh rain. From Kara to the Dark Mountains and then onto Caledonia, Marinara, Jaymee, Larissa, and Vinland before returning back to Adea to split the profits with his investors. All the while as his crew enjoys shore leave, Ilio remains on his ship moored in the bay. His first mate Ivhar questions why he never leaves the ship. Queen Lexie has sent them on a trading expedition throughout the North Sea; she never said he cannot leave his ship. Quietly he explains his predicament keeping his crew ignorant because Lexie’s curse might frighten them. He assures Ivhar only he is cursed, neither the crew nor the ship itself. Ivhar promises to keep mum but the crew will evidentially figure out something is wrong as time passes. Captain Ilio keeps up appearances trading and exploring the far reaches of his father’s map. As the years pass visiting his family once a year, he receives a request from King Demetrius of Blythe to join the convoy taking Princess Edwina to her betrothed, the Crown Prince of Ithaca. Ilio enjoys conversation with his family inside the warm palace. He is told his bride Mariah failed to have his child and married Colby’s son Briar living as the new Lord and Lady of Adea with a new baby girl. His mermaid Tixi also married to an elf that is a brewer of ales and came by to collect her son Cambri. Sadden by the news; he sets off at sunset to Rikia to escort Princess Edwina. She was more beautiful grown up than he remembered her as a child. Her smile lit up the dark ship and Ilio almost did not wish to reach his destination. Queen mother Andromeda embraced her daughter in tears and said good-bye believing she would never see her again.

The city bid farewell as they sailed away to meet Edwina’s fate. Days go by sailing through rough waves and battering storms. Then Ilio became concerned they were blown off course. Finding an island he had visited before, they get their bearings. They continued another week and stopped at a deserted island to replenish their supplies. A storm came by making them wait another day to sail off again. The calm waves revived Edwina’s hope of meeting the Crown Prince and away into the horizon they went. Reaching a plotted land mass hoping to find treasures to sell as a storm began to pound upon them, they hit a series of rocks tearing the ship apart. The other ships crash into each other as they attempt to reach the shore. One crash sent Princess Edwina overboard to smash into the jagged rocks before slipping into the waves. Ilio jumped in to save her drowning body to carry her to shore. Being cursed he cannot touch land, so he fashioned a raft with driftwood from the Sea Snake scattering across the bay. He paddled to shore and his friend Dagan carried the princess to the beach. His crew and convoy arrived to dock their ships and canoes along the shoreline. His men used sailcloth to make tents as Ilio sat in a canoe to keep from touching the sand. Edwina remained unconscious through the night wrapped in a wool blanket and bandages around her head. She awoke the next morning not being able to speak or even move her fingers to eat. Ilio fed her mush and used a spell to speak to her. He discovered she did not know who he was or why she was here. She asked why people called her highness when they entered the tent. He asked if she remembered her family. She could not. Ilio demanded his sacred pouch of herbs and prayer stones he left on his ship. He concocted a potion inside a goblet and poured it into the sea from his canoe praying for Lexie to appear before him.

She rose swiftly between the waves and looked around for her disturber. Displeased at finding Ilio, she demanded the use of his potion. Ilio explained what happened to Edwina and asked what to do. Lexie promised to visit the Crown Prince and her mother to decide what is best to be done. In the meantime, Ilio was allowed to float on his blanket until a decision was made. Humans from the marsh along the shore came out begging to be taken away from Titania and gave directions to their underground homes to hide from the Titans tall as trees. Titans only come to shore when they see fires from shipwrecked crews. Ilio floated to a hole in the ground covered by a fallen tree. Edwina was carried to her new home and laid upon the primitive bed of willow branches and bear furs. Lanterns were lit and soaked cargo was brought down. Soon after eating his morning meal floating on his blanket, Ilio dropped to the ground. Lexie appeared in a mist declaring he may continue his exile on land if he remains in Titania and not return to the Mermaid Islands until his return time has come. He naturally is allowed to sail the seas as he desires. The convoy was sent to Ithaca while Ilio and Dagan stayed behind. Days went by with Edwina making improvements lifting her hands and feet. Her speech sounded like a banshee scream, but she continued to try to speak.

The Crown Prince came by with his own convoy to agree that Princess Edwina was not ready for a marriage with anyone. He sent a message to Queen Andromeda asking for her daughter Princess Sarah instead. Queen mother Andromeda visited to only cry that her daughter failed to recognize her. She agreed to the Crown Prince’s offer to marry Princess Sarah. Ilio promised to heal Edwina and bring her home again someday. Days became weeks and weeks into months with Edwina learning to walk again, write again, and sing again. She practiced a lyre to help her hands build strength. Edwina looked at her trunks from the ship feeling she was holding a stranger’s objects and put them back. Ilio and Dagan entertained her with stories of their adventures out on seas and on shore leave. Ilio never mentioned his curse from Lexie. The pair explored the land to draft a map in the dirt of the cave home. Ivhar promised to return occasionally to trade and bring supplies.

They only left their nest to seek out food and reeds to make baskets. They used an axe from the ship to hack into a large willow to make an elf home inside the tree. Ilio used some of his magic to aid the labor, but never used it in front of Edwina. Ilio comments to Edwina how humans would have dug underground to hide from the Titans and elves hide inside the trees believing tree spirits would protect them. Dagan found clay to make pottery and used the underground homes for storage. Ilio found a mermaid village up the beach. They traded with the mermaids and joined them in their bark lodges when Edwina was able to walk. They hear of an elf village to the north and follow the trail to Ainsleigh. They trade from left behind cargo of the ship that sunk once the mermaids retrieved it. The elves explain the good hunting grounds, which plants are poisonous, predators to watch out for, and where to find medicine plants. They make tools using wood, stone, heated bone, feathers, and any metal they could find. They make a map of the areas of good fishing, centaur water holes, faun wheat fields, and Titan camps using ocher paint and leather parchment. The elves were in preparation for the Dark Mountain elves to arrive on their ships. They set sail on the Spring Equinox and follow the Ice Mountain coast all the way down to the South Sea Titania and then return. Humans from Caledonia have come also to trade and kidnapped many elves, sprites, and fauns to sell as slaves.

Thereafter, the Titanian elves moved more inland and hide from humans. They come to the coast in the spring to clothe the mermaids and in the autumn to collect items left behind by the mermaids. Soon Dagan was smitten by a mermaid, but kept his distance learning of Ilio’s curse. Edwina tried to remember her life only to fail. She began examining her trunk of objects again to recollect nothing. Ilio and Dagan insisted on her ceasing to recall old memories and begin forming new ones. The Dark Mountain elves arrived and the bargaining began in the marketplace. They had sea creature skins, feathers, iron tools, jewelry, wine, linen, silver mirrors, beeswax candles, wool blankets, floral scented soaps, and glass objects. Ilio thought in the Ice Mountains, perhaps, he found elves that were left untouched by human civilization, but with all the trading going on that dream was shaken. The Ice Mountain elves traded baskets, pottery, pearls, gemstones, food, and leathers. A celebration took place the next day with the sailors reciting tales of pirates, the Caledonian navy, and Dacians conquering further south displacing many elves into Lotan and the Dark Mountains. Varrika between Dacia and Lotan was about to fall. To hurt the nomadic tribes who herd cattle and sheep, the Dacians started grass fires to destroy their way of life. King Demetrius, protector of Varrika, recruited elves from the grasslands into his human army. Edwina recalled Demetrius was her brother. The war had just begun and the elf captain was unsure who was going to win. The ships left after 3 days. A group of young elves built a boat fitting 30 elves to fight in the war and left to follow the coast north.

Ilio and Dagan had their work cut out for them as they took in pupils to teach fighting with iron weapons. Elves are largely peaceful, but do defend their homes against large predators and humans from other lands. Edwina watches and practices moves to strengthen her body and mind. She felt mostly in a daze to slowly wake up trying to learn a new exercise. Midsummer came with elves joining the mermaids in the celebrations. A grand feast, music, dancing, fortune telling, and storytellers describing the motions of the costumed actors. Edwina danced with Ilio while Dagan danced with his beloved mermaid who accepted his betrothal. Harvest games were next as the elves filled baskets and clay pots with berries, nuts, roots, fruits, wine, cider, mead, and roasted animals. Chestnuts and clover were pounded into flour to make bread. Acorns collected were made into bread on the beach. Flax was woven into bolts of fabric. Rope was braided from milkweed and flax. Animal skins were scraped and fur twisted into thread. Animal fat and beeswax were melted into candles and leather oils. Elf women collected together to patchwork quilts with leftover scraps of fabric from making clothes for their families. Edwina joined the women and brought home one quilt with her.

During the Harvest games, Ilio and Dagan showed superior skills in the tournaments and won copper axes and arrows. Soon the mermaids left and they returned to their new willow home for the winter. Dagan began weaving a belt of colored strings traded from a faun for his betrothal gift. Edwina learned to knit from the elf wives and created mufflers for her new friends. Usually cautious around potential thieves starving and shipwrecked, centaurs began to approach the coastal marsh looking for sea birds. They collected seashells, gathered cattails, and fished in the marsh streams. Ships rarely sail during the cold winter months so they were safe from humans. Ilio traded his blue turquoise bead necklace to obtain a copper spear and bronze axe. He found a faun while looking for firewood. After a meal at the elf house, the faun guided the trio to his village of grass covered homes to look like tall hills to make them boots from recently smoked leathers. From the stems of the wheat grass, they made straw hats. Ilio killed a porcupine to make beads out of the quills. The rest of the animal was smoked and stored for winter eating. Ilio and Dagan fished in their streams and smoked the catch at the faun’s home. They left Edwina with the faun’s wife learning to dye the porcupine beads and learn to sew images onto their clothing. She learned to make boots and fur clothing as the days past with the men’s hunting excursions.

The New Year festival came to mark the end of winter preparation. They wore masks and danced around the village bonfires as night fell. Twice a year the elves light bonfires at the same time so the Titans cannot decide who they will attack. Vendors hawked their goodies and bead bracelets. Stories were acted out, elves danced around market place, and the high priest and priestess foretold futures. Edwina never looked happier though her smile was crooked. Ilio treated the village with a story of his mother defending his home Adea against the Nubian navy.

“Learning from the defeat in Blythe, King Iago came better prepared and invaded at the beginning of spring when Nubia had its harvest. Mermaid Island elves had little of their future crops planted and mermaids had not arrived yet. King Iago set about holding a blockade of the port Adea. Most of Queen Ishtar’s ships were at sea trading so she sent her phoenix with messages to return with food on the far side of Somers Isle where the under city tunnels reached the surface. Food was brought to the city and refugees escaped to the ships. Once they reached Kara with the refugees, they returned with warriors to attack the blockade. New king Demetrius sent a hundred Blythan ships and Ilio watched sea battles from his windows. Queen Ishtar used quicklime in ceramic jugs to attack the ships near the walls as well as incendiary arrows. Mermaids learning from dolphins of the blockade came to hurl harpoons at sailors and cut anchor ropes to send the ships adrift. The forests surrounding Adea were set on fire in the early summer when Ishtar still refused to surrender. Nubians left for the winter and the other island elves reaped their meager harvests to supply Adea the best they could. They had to survive on what wild plants they could find. They ate much vegetable and fish soup that winter. Ilio wore mostly seal and shark leather clothes that year too. The Nubian navy returned to raid against the twenty-three islands in the spring. This spreading out gave opportunities to the elves and mermaids to move supplies and warriors where they were needed. There was a blockade to stop ships from reaching Adea so Blythan ships anchored elsewhere to hide supplies near mermaid villages. King Wilz amassed mermen and mermaids to attack the Mermaid Islands in many battles. Nubians sent pirates to raid the coastal villages. Nubians kept sending reinforcements from all their colonies and Aferdia. His good friend and adopted brother Jack died in battle in the second year. Planting crops away from the coast Queen Ishtar was well supplied the next winter. The third spring, Nubians killed animals and gathered supplies inland to continue the battles on the coast. Queen Ishtar held out for nearly three years of raiding and eventually won when the Nubian king made camp on Blue Island. The goddess queen Lexie personally killed King Iago when he dared to attack her court sitting next to a lake monster. Terrified of the monster rising from the water, the Nubians left King Iago to duel Queen Lexie alone. His body eaten by the monster, Lexie only returned his horse hair helmet and bones to his retreating men. Again, Nubia had to accept defeat and the general carried the helmet and bones of King Iago back to Tanis.”

Ilio hoped his crew would find him again and take him home for his day with his family when Lexie arrived to check on Edwina’s progress. She used her magic to cast Ilio into the heart of his family for the day. Marah married her betrothed Pepin and were expecting their first child in the spring. He related his frustrations with Edwina and was happy for Dagan to share the burden. Life in uncivilized Titania was hard with fear anything you build will be smashed by the Titans or being attacked by huge bears, panthers, griffins, terror pigs, or wolves. Here rabbits are the size of sheep and pigs are larger than horses. Few ships come by on purpose and promptly leave. Only shipwrecks bring permanent dwellers and they leave first chance they get. He managed to carve a canoe to travel the rivers, make reed baskets and clay jars to store food, and make some new tools using copper found in a river. He killed a few deer and seals to make new clothes. The princess had no objections dressing as an elf for there are few humans to correct her appearance. She did have objections to bathing with Ilio and Dagan in the river. She feared water like nothing else. He got out to untie her cloak and removed her shoes. She reluctantly removed her tunic and leggings. She doused her feet and they washed her best they could in the shallow water. He carried her further into the river clinging with terror to wash her long hair. He neglected to speak of the emotion he felt having a woman in his arms again after so many months. Dagan guessed he was in love with her, but Ilio refuted the way he looked at her in river saying to give him a prostitute and he will forget her. Continuing on his stories of Titania, he has befriended sprites, fauns, centaurs, and elves into trading partners. He has traded extra supplies and pretty stones for wool sheared off the faun’s sheep and centaur’s goats. Sprites make the best fletched arrows and amazing collection of remedy potions. Edwina can speak again, but still very weak. She understands her past life as a princess and has regained a few memories of her childhood. She has accepted that Titania is her new home with no desire to leave it. She even writes down on reed paper and ocher ink tales she hears to help her remember them later. The family had a small feast before retiring into the sitting room for the rest of the evening. Ilio rode a horse through town visiting his friends. He fell asleep in his old bed chamber to awaken inside the dark tree with Edwina and Dagan.

Edwina stirred and came to lie beside him asking where he went. She was most excited to hear tales of the Mermaid Islands and his family. Then Ilio’s ships came bringing tools, cloth, leather, jars, and pretty jewelry from Knossos. They traveled upriver to the elf village to join in the celebration. Ice Mountain elves and fauns who leaped on Ivhar’s ship last spring told their stories of their adventures and shared drawings of what they saw. Soon the return trip of the Dark Mountain elves came to add to the festivities. Captain Ivhar sold everything he brought and gave news from Queen mother Andromeda. Her son Demetrius lead an ambush inside a forest and destroyed a terra cotta aqueduct of a Dacian city to make them surrender. He is far from conquering them, but at least ceased the invasion of Varrika. He left promising to return when he could and take the trio to other lands so Edwina could learn more about the world. Ilio wrote a letter to Queen Andromeda asking for Princess Edwina’s hand in marriage. Three newly made adult elves insisted on joining the Dark Mountain elves to maybe join the war against Dacia. King Demetrius would be huddled in his winter quarters by now. The winter days came cold and cruel leaving the stranded sailors to ice fishing as they did in their youth. As Dagan left the party to fish down river, Edwina remained alone with Ilio gathering sticks to make a tent over their hole in the ice asked why he had been so quiet since he returned from his day with his family. He answered that he was in sorrow having been separated from them for so long and being separated from them once again. She then asks why he cannot take her to the Mermaid Islands, granted she has been shipwrecked here with amnesia, but that is no reason to stay here if he wants to leave. He sets his bundle of branches on the snow.

“I have been cursed by the mermaid queen Lexie. I deceived a mermaid and she cried to Lexie who cursed me.” answered Ilio.

“Why did you deceive her?” asked Edwina.

“I do not wish to talk about it, especially with you.” replied Ilio.

“Why not me?” begged Edwina.

“Because I am a hero in your eyes and I do not wish you to think of me as wicked,” reacted Ilio.

“I am not a child, Ilio. Now tell me what you did to get cursed away from your family.” demanded Edwina.

“I must tie these branches before we get too cold,” explained Ilio.

Edwina waited patiently for Ilio to construct an ice shed over the fish hole. She tried to approach the subject again to only have Ilio clam up again. She watched him spear fish coming to the wooden lure bobbing in the water. Resting after catching three fish, Ilio drank from his flask. Edwina tried another tactic, she kissed his cheek.

“What was that for?” asked Ilio.

“You were in love that mermaid then broke her heart, didn’t you. That is why you refuse to discuss it, it is too painful for you to deal with it.” answered Edwina.

“Partially. Another reason is I feel guilty for your amnesia. When I saw you walk down the dock in Rikia, I wanted for you not to get to your crown prince husband but to keep you for myself. I am a most selfish creature who does not deserve you.” replied Ilio.

“That would explain a lot,” reacted Edwina.

They cuddle on the woolen blankets while Ilio confessed his errors and new love for Edwina. They huddled with such passion that Ilio’s fish fell back into the water. Edwina pointed out his lost catch, but Ilio didn’t care. An otter came up the hole eating on Ilio’s fallen fish. Ilio asked it to fetch the remaining fish for him, but the otter needed the food for its family and leaped back into the water. Then Dagan knocked on the tent asking if they were done because they were frightening the whole forest. They laughed all the back to their tree home with Dagan’s five fish. Ilio smoked them in their travertine fireplace releasing little smoke to gain notice of the Titans. Preparations for the Winter Solstice began. Ilio shaped a traded piece of volcanic obsidian to make a knife for Dagan and traded for a copper cauldron for Edwina. Edwina made seashell bracelets and sewed leftover leather pieces into pouches for her new elf friends. Dagan carved a wooden spoon for Edwina and a new handle of a copper knife for Ilio. All their iron tools came from the trade ships since Titanian creatures have not learned to smelt iron. Holly and ivy were gathered to make garlands. A pine tree was cut down to hang decorated apples on. Spruce limbs were cut to make wreathes. They laid out pine needle baskets woven by fauns by the door for the Holly King full of hay and carrots. During the early morning hours, the trio places their gifts for each other in the baskets. They drink spiced milk and bread with honey. They eat the apples off the tree and warm chestnuts along the fireplace. They show each other their gifts and give thanks to the Holly King for leaving bows with arrow bags for them.

The elf village Ainsleigh held a feast and the newcomers brought jars of berries. Vendors sold ribbons, necklaces, and brass rings. Musicians played and the elves danced. Children in costumes presented the story of the Holly King melting the snowball earth giving the elves seasons to plant and reap crops. As usual, elves gathered for another story from Ilio’s childhood of receiving sleds from the Holly King, his sister falling through the ice while skating, and her beloved becoming deaf after a fever. The High Priest and High Priestess spoke prayers into the smoke of incense burned in clay bowls. Children came to speak prayers of gifts to the incense smoke. One boy wished his sister would get better while another wished for a bow with iron tipped arrows. A girl wished for a new dress and another wished for a sibling. Then the adults came to make their wishes. Edwina wished for her memory’s return so she could marry a kind elf, Dagan wished for his mermaid to stay well, and Ilio wished to live with his family again but return here to trade. Queen Lexie suddenly appeared shining like the sun floating in the air with white robes and her golden harpoon. The elves bowed down to lay flat on the snowy ground for a visit from the goddess was a special event.

“Is this true?” she asked.

The elves looked at each other while Edwina and Dagan looked at Ilio.

“Is the prayer I just received true? Answer me.” she repeated.

“Who spoke a prayer to Lexie, I failed to hear one.” replied Ilio.

“I prayed that you release Ilio from his curse so he would be able to convince my family to allow a marriage between us.” approached Edwina. “The High Priestess predicted I will have a child within a year.”

“What!” shouted Lexie into the snow filled air and Ilio rose from the ground surrounded by attacking fire dogs making him scream in terror as well as pain.

“Please, Queen Lexie! I love him!” begged Edwina and Ilio dropped into a snow drift.

“A word with you, Ilio. Alone!” began Lexie and then they both disappeared.

They reappeared inside a strange room surrounded by stone and gold devoid of water. Ilio asked what this place was to hear he was inside Lexie’s palace at the bottom of the North Sea. She demanded his intentions. He lies to females for pleasure to leave them weeping. Is he capable of loving and supporting his new lover who shall carry his second child? Does he care for Princess Edwina at all? Ilio confesses his attachment to Edwina and did his best not to show it until Dagan had found a woman for himself. When he got betrothed, he more freely showed her attention. Lexie demanded a betrothal contract to Edwina’s family, a betrothal gift for Edwina to accept, and decide where they will place their home. Lexie still prohibits a home in the Mermaid Islands to disturb his former lovers. Ilio declares he plans a visit to Edwina’s family in the spring and will discuss living arrangements then. Until that time, he will write out a betrothal contract and give her one of his necklaces he just finished making. Lexie nodded her head and returned to the forest clearing where the snow covered, awestruck elves stood in bewilderment. A child elf gifting a spring of holly asked the mermaid goddess to stay. Lexie agreed to stay and sat upon a tree stump with three elf children watching the musicians play a song while elves clapped as they danced in pairs. Night fell quickly and the elves continued their celebrating inside their homes. Lexie bid farewell and disappeared. The trio slept in a trade partner’s home and Ilio entertained the children the stories of Ithaca in South Sea where his former bride was from. The land covered with iron, copper, and tin mountains with grape filled valleys and chalk cliffs along the sea coast. They elves drink mead from clay cups and drift off to sleep. Edwina confesses to Ilio that the other day she came to the priestess when she felt ill and she was told she was in love. The next morning they went home to enjoy their gifts and tell stories of the things Edwina will see on her journey in the spring. Next month, they gather maple sap to make into syrup, candy, and sugar. Ilio walks around hunting wood for bows.

Spring melted the snows and fresh green grass emerged bringing large migrating beasts upon the grasslands inland on the other side of the Ice Mountains. Wooly elephants, wooly camels, wooly rhinos, Pegasus, and terror birds migrate north from southern parts of Titania. In the autumn the animals migrate back down south. Tiffy the mermaid arrived in the cool sea spray to ask if his betrothal gift was finished. She was given the colorful woven belt with figures of stars, seahorses, and dolphins. She insisted on staying to visit the migrating animals and learn to live on land more. Crossing the mountains through Titans pass, the trade partners traveled to show the beasts they will not see much until the Fall migration. The giant animals were wondrous to the human, mermaid, and elves, even when scaring off a terror bird with spears. The Titans had left their secluded valleys for smoke rising to the south so must be sailors there. Many humans have been made slaves much like dogs or horses are being used to farm plants in the mountain valleys so Titans can remain in one place. Titans are herbivores and collect shedding dragon scales for clothing. The Titans just had a large hunt for dragon skin while the human slaves plants crops. Titans never learned to farm and need humans to harvest their crops.

They learned shipwrecked humans light camp fires or burn their leftover ships so they only come to the coast when they see fire. They are too large to neither float in small ships nor wrestle sea creatures well. The grassland hippos make rivers dangerous to travel on. The left behind human slaves irrigating the fields along the rivers did not speak any familiar language so Ilio guessed a Southern Sea culture. South Sea cultures would probably not know Titania is connected to the Dark Mountains of Varrika to the north leading to human countries of Dacia, Lotan, and Blythe. Titans never spread past the Dark Mountains of the North Sea because of the use of fire by the humans and elves during the Ice Age long ago before the glaciers receded north into Iceland where the great white bears and tusked narwhals live. North Sea peoples could navigate back to civilization if no one came by to rescue them, though it would take years depending where in Titania you were shipwrecked. The land mass touches both the North Sea and the tip of the South Sea. The enslaved humans feared leaving the Titans with all the dangerous predators that could eat them lurking in the shadows. Looking at the furs and meat tied to poles carried by the centaurs, one male slave agreed to come with them. He was fascinated by the horse Ilio was riding bareback because mustangs around here are all too wild to ride. Ilio befriended a wild horse alone on the forest edge having a difficult birth. He pulled the foal out and fed the mare carrots from his food bag. The new foal limped with a deformed leg. Ilio fashioned a splint to aid the bone growing normally. The mare knew her baby would not survive in the herd and its stallion father might kill the weak baby, so it agreed to let Ilio take care of them. The male slave gave the mare and foal some corn he was planting. Accepted into the group, the slave joined the hunting party returning home. Once the other humans promised to relay the slave had been attack by a panther and carried off. The trade partners dispersed and the newly freed human joined them inside the willow home.

Ilio gave quite the education to the slave on his survivor skills from captaining a ship across the seas. He believed if all these fauns, centaurs, and elves lived quite well living next to rodents the size of sheep, terror pigs that eat meat as well as plants, and swooping griffins it might not be so bad here. The key was camaflouge and sticking to the group carrying pointy weapons. The freed human gave himself a new name worthy of his freedom: Chitzi. It was the name his mother used meaning “my beloved”. His name had been changed so many times every time he was sold; he could not remember his birth name his parents gave him. His captives called him a Camlod meaning “nomads living in tents”. Ilio thought he meant the Camlods living to the south of Anaki he traded much with. Chitzi said he was taken as a boy from his nomadic village and been traded several times before ending up as a sailor when reached adulthood. He rowed ships some time when it was blown off course trying to reach Knossos. The ship made it ashore when others in the convoy hit rocks. They rescued the men and moored the ship off the beach. Then the Titans came and everyone scrabbled to the single ship. The slaves were left behind and captured by Titans. They did not know how to fight back with no weapons and they only knew how to be slaves. A few ran off to never be seen again.

Then Ilio, Dagan, Tiffy, and Edwina came knowing how to survive, how to trade, how to fight, how to heal a foal, and how to find food, so perhaps he could survive being free like never before. Ilio was flattered to obtain a new pupil. Tiffy returned to the sea to show off her betrothal gift. As Edwina’s memory and strength grew stronger, he educated her too in history, geography, mathematics, languages, writing, art, astronomy, healing, and navigation. Then built Chitzi’s fighting skills chopping wood, making weapons, target practice, sparring, and hunting. He tried to teach fighting and hunting to Edwina, but her head damage prevented razor sharp accuracy required of a heroine. One day traveling through the forest to check if the mermaids had returned yet, Ilio heard a strange bell ringing. He followed the sound to find a bird trapped in a spider web between mulberry bushes. The spider was the size of his hand and threw his knife at it. He removed the knife from the dead spider and cut the tinkling bird free. He found a fairy grateful of her savior. Zanya was attacked by a hawk and broke her wing. She fell into the web and struggled to free herself to have Ilio rescue her. Ilio tried to mend the wing and Zanya stayed in the willow tree making a nest inside a box sitting on a shelf above the bed.

As spring warmed the air, the wedding preparations began for Dagan and his mermaid bride. The elves measured the mermaids for their yearly linen robes. Near the spring equinox, Ivhar arrived with ships to take the passengers to Rikia. Tiffy the mermaid bride was measured for her new elf clothing and given pearls for her wedding jewelry. Her mother accepted the betrothal agreement and set the date of the wedding in one month. Guests were invited among their trade partners and mermaid family. Ilio, Dagan, Edwina, and Chitzi sewed up the required summer wardrobe for Tiffy. They pieced together two tunics from linen cloth dyed green, two pairs of leather leggings with one leather girdle, and two pairs of leather shoes with linen laces. Ilio cut out a green linen cloak with hood with the others helping to stitch up the edges with glass bead work. Ilio and Dagan retrieved stored food for the feast. They shot birds for the roasting spit and collected flowers for the decorations. Tiffy’s male relatives arrived at sunrise and the wedding morning meal began. After receiving gifts from the mermaids, they lined up for the march to the altar. Ilio’s horse named Atara allowed Dagan in full armor and weapons to ride her during the procession. The colt Bodin followed behind carrying the elf clothing. Ilio, Edwina, and Chitzi walked ahead in their best clothing, armor, and weapons guiding the mare in her hoof steps. Ilio and Chitzi raised their bows in salute announcing the coming of the groom. Tiffy was marched to the altar with her family.

Chapter 3 No Room For Doubt

The mermaid queen Bryn conducted the ceremony wearing a diadem of gold and sapphires with a necklace of sand dollars holding a golden harpoon. Tiffy wore a diadem of starfish with pearl necklace, her betrothal belt, and seaweed bracelets. Queen Bryn stood by the wet sand platform holding flowers, clam shells, and seaweed. The groom and bride approached the queen for the blessing. The queen asked if this couple should be married and the crowd cheered. Father of Tiffy came forward with his approval of this elf sailor from the Mermaid Islands to marry his daughter. Ilio spoke for Dagan’s family stating his father is a carpenter and mother trades with mermaids to obtain pearls and shells to make jewelry to sell. They would welcome Tiffy into their family home in Adea and trading home here in Titania. The couple knelt before the queen and she waved her harpoon over their heads speaking prayers in mermish. The couple stood for the song of praise from the mermaids playing wooden flutes and clapping with clam shells. They continue with the burning of the seaweed as a sacrifice to the goddess of the sea Lixi praying for fertility. Next came the burning of the flowers as a sacrifice to the goddess of love Ishtar. And finally, the clams held beeswax and a wick were lit with prayers of faithfulness to the mermaids and elves in times of trouble. Next the vows of loyalty are spoken.

“I, Dagan of Adea, son of Alviss and Charis take in marriage Tiffy of the North Sea, daughter of Noxi and Abivi. I will provide love, comfort, protection, home, and family for as long as we live.”

“I, Tiffy of the North Sea, daughter of Noxi and Abivi, take in marriage Dagan of Adea, son of Alviss and Charis. I will provide love, comfort, security, hope, and family for as long as we live.”

Queen Bryn read the marriage contract which was rather short. It announced Dagan’s servitude to Queen Lexie of the North Sea that provides certain privileges as well as demands. It declared the lack of property of each member of the couple, but included equal division of any future property. Their children will be educated in both merfish and elf cultures. It concluded with equal inheritance and dowry for their future adult children. Tiffy’s father then presented the dowry of pearls, shells, and a gold tipped harpoon. A song of celebration was played by the mermaid band. The marriage bond sealed, the queen announced the couple wedded. Dagan kissed Tiffy’s hand and they began the feast. The female elves from the village took Tiffy and the new elf clothes inside a bark lodge to bring Tiffy back out in her new wardrobe. The guests danced and embraced the couple. Gifts were presented and the couple gave thanks. Elves, merfish, centaurs, fauns, and a human conversed with one another as they feasted on the roasted animals and fruits stored in jars. The sun ran across the sky warming the cool morning air. The celebration continued all day with storytellers reciting poems about Titania history and children acting out the stories.

Then large tawny cats jumped out of the forest to surround the wedding party. Already in full armor for the ceremony, the guests repelled the predators with spears and arrows. Children were grabbed by their parents and carried to the mermaid bark lodges. Shields locked together by elves to form a circle with the fauns in the center shooting their arrows. Centaurs charged at the cats swinging battle axes with round shields hanging on their back. One cave lion was killed and the crowd cheered as the animals ran away back into the trees, but it was too late. Upon searching for family and friends, an adolescent mermaid, a male faun, and a foal centaur were missing. A small party of warriors went out to look for the leftover bones following the cave lion’s tracks. After a time they returned with the torn up bodies of the foal centaur, the young mermaid, and the faun. They also found a dead terror piglet and cave hyena cub on the forest floor, along with a Lotan forest cat family munching on a large hare and decided to leave them as they lay. Queen Bryn recited the funeral rites for the souls traveling into the afterlife. The young mermaid was dragged to the bottom of the ocean and the faun with the centaur foal was buried in the forest by a large willow tree. A pile of seashells marked the grave. The party continued into the day with a more somber tone. The feast destroyed by the cats, the mermaids searched for lobsters and crabs. Roasted crustaceans filled their stomachs and as night came the guests returned home. Tiffy loved her decorated home with garlands of flowers and a painted blue jewelry box with seashell necklaces. The next day they went out to find stones along the river to trade. A pair of griffins swooped down to carry off Edwina and Bodin. Atara’s painful neighs echoed through the forest as Dagan and Ilio looked for yarrow to stop her bleeding. Zanya left to follow their scent trail in the wind. Chitzi stayed to nurse Atara back to health. They waited for Zanya’s return. Ilio assured his friends he had cast protection spells around them so the captives are alive, the question was where.

Zanya returned to explain the griffins were heading towards the mountains and dropped their catch upon seeing a giant snake. They landed in a nest full of griffin eggs atop a tree. Edwina tried to climb down with Bodin to hide in the tree branches upon viewing a terror pig below. As the terror pig walked away, they heard shrieks of the returning griffins with bits of snake in their talons. Then Zanya arrived. She guided them down the tree and into the safety of a fairy hollow by the river. The fairy nests of woven grass, twigs, and bird feathers lay tuck inside large rose bushes. Edwina and Bodin rested under a willow tree. The fairies brought them berries and seeds to eat. Zanya left to tell Ilio where they were. Edwina prayed to the mermaid queen Lexie to send someone to help her find her way back to Ilio. Lexie did not appear to her, but to Ilio gathering supplies at his home to find Edwina. Startled at seeing Lexie, he quickly defended it was not his fault Edwina and Bodin were captured and had every intention of rescuing them for neither can survive the forest very long. Lexie then asked how far he would go to rescue Edwina. Would he kill for her? Would he die for her? Ilio snickered that he was immortal like his parents so cannot die for Edwina. Lexie raised her hand and Ilio’s magic crystal floated into her hand. Lexie confessed he is mortal now and if he can rescue his love without magic she will release him from her curse. Ilio assured the mermaid queen his parents refused to use magic in front of mortals so he is well accustomed of doing things the hard way. Lexie nodded and then disappeared.

Ilio looked at Zanya and said that Lexie didn’t say others couldn’t use magic. To fulfill Lexie’s desire that Ilio rescue his love, he only took Zanya and Chitzi with him. Dagan and Tiffy stayed behind caring for Atara. They packed up food, tools, and weapons to set off on their journey. They followed Zanya towards the mountains dodging predators and stopping to fish. Edwina notices a floating river otter hitting a clam with a rock and laughs. The otter looks around for the noise made and continues opening the clam. A baby otter joins the feast and Bodin comes out to eat the cattail leaves. Edwina comes out of the shade to start picking lilies and blackberries. The fairies seem to have disappeared, but the twinkling of baby fairies playing in their rose bush nests gave reassurance that they were among friends. Then the river otter came ashore with her baby to speak to the human and foal.

“Are you the lost ones the goddess spoke of?” asked the otter.

“Otters do not speak,” observed Edwina as Bodin nodded with a whinny.

“The goddess gave my power to speak to you, otherwise I chirp as your foal neighs. I am called Kalliope.” replied the Otter.

“I see, I am not accustomed to animals talking to me.” replies Edwina with a snort from Bodin.

“Bodin says he is always talking to you,” points out Kalliope. “Perhaps you are not listening.”

“Anyway, Kalliope, can you help us find out way back to the coast?” asks Edwina.

“The goddess sent me to do just that, follow me.” answers the otter Kalliope.

The human and foal follow the otter and her baby down the river heading toward the coast. They see animals stopping at the river to drink. They meet two mermaids with baskets looking for food and tell them of an elf family up the trail. The boy elf asks Edwina why she didn’t have a spear with her. Edwina recites the tale of being taken by griffins and her belongings were lost in the struggle. The elf woman feeds the visitors and they sleep outside under a large willow since it hides them best. The elf boy gives her an extra spear of his fitted with a flint point in exchange for the seashell beads sewn on her boots. They continue down the river passing deer, terror pigs, leopards, and sheep being herded by centaurs. The boy centaurs remember trading with Ilio before and glad to help Edwina out. They give chestnut bread and dried beans from their knapsacks and trade a copper axe for a few strands of Bodin’s tail. As Edwina struggles to start a fire with rocks she had found, Bodin chews up nearby leaves. She had seen this done many times, but never seem to do it herself. The otters suddenly jumped in the stream screeching something that Edwina failed to catch. Then a white wolf appeared and dropped two flint stones that were heavily scratched. Edwina starts her first fire and thanks the wolf. She asks if the wolf could talk also.

“Yes, but I did not wish to frighten you. I once was an elf but was changed by a witch and banished away from my home in the Olin Mountains. My name is Tavi.” replied the wolf.

“My name is Edwina. I was taken by griffins with my colt Bodin and we are finding our way home. My betrothed and friends live on the coast with Bodin’s mother so the otter Kalliope and her baby Noxi were guiding us there. She must have seen a fish to jump in the river as soon as you appeared.”

“They must have,” observes Tavi the wolf.

“I hope she found a big fish, I’m getting hungry.” says Edwina.

“Why do you not use your spear to hunt, something will come along to get a drink of water.” wonders Tavi.

“Ilio and Dagan did the hunting back home, I would probably miss.” replies Edwina.

“Very well, I will show you how it is done.” declares Tavi.

“You do not have to show me, Kalliope is coming with a fish. I mean, we do not have much time for cooking a large animal you would eat.” states Edwina.

“I gave you those flint stones out of kindness. I did not have to help you. All I want is kindness in returned.” tells Tavi as more wolves begin to come to campfire.

“Demanding favors in return is not kindness,” instructs Edwina grabbing Bodin’s mane to make him neigh into the twilight.

“Is that so, human dressing as an elf. If you do not kill our meal for us, then we shall eat you and your colt.”

Something large surfaced in the water and dove back down. Edwina begged to find Kalliope to help her locate a deer for the wolf pack. The white wolf began to howl at the rising moon and roars from cave lions echoed through the forest. Edwina felt strange as if something was pushing her down to her knees. Bodin jumped into the river to swim away toward a sea cow coming up to breathe and felt it brush up against him. Edwina saw her hands had transformed into wolf paws and started to howl with the other wolves. Kalliope surfaced nearby informing her that she warned her to run from the wolf witch and guided Bodin across to the river bank. Edwina asserts she did not hear what she screeched when she ran away. Kalliope enlightens that she is evil enslaving elves by turning them into wolves and enchants animals to drown themselves before eating them. Edwina could not believe she had been duped so easily and yet could no longer change it. Kalliope and Bodin ran into woods and disappeared.

Meanwhile, Ilio, Zanya, and Chitzi called upon parakeeps to search for Edwina and Bodin. They camped in trees every night avoiding nocturnal hunters. They found a sprite tree house and asked if they could spend the night. The female sprite was hesitant, but the male sprite picked them up. They were fed roots and clover bread. The sprites listen the tale of the griffins kidnapping their friends. The male sprite promised to help search. Neither Zanya nor the parakeeps were able to discover their trail again. The next morning, the male sprite found a copper axe and flint spear without an owner by the river. He suspected the white wolf witch had a new prisoner. No sign of Edwina or Bodin. Ilio continued his search asking fairies along the river if they had seen them. One fairy claimed to Zanya to see a foal running away with an otter holding a pup in its mouth while being chased by a pair of cave hyenas. The hyenas trapped the foal and otters near a slope to be attacked by terror pigs fighting for the meal. They escaped during the confrontation and ran into a thorny patch where elves grow pumpkins. Dissuaded from further pursuit, the hyenas turned against the terror pigs as more hyenas appeared. Then an elf showed up to scare away the attackers. He welcomed the traumatized creatures giving fish and carrots his wife preserved. The animals told the fairies they needed a magician to release their human friend from the white wolf. Ilio listened to the rest in horror. A strange wolf had been spotted with a wolf pack on the other side of the river. It gets up on its hind legs trying to walk and tries to grab things like rocks with its paws. Edwina was doomed. It is best to find Bodin first. The elf couple remembered the foal and the otters that rode on it. They left with a black bear heading for the river that morning. Zanya found the trail and found the black bear with cubs in the river catching fish. Bodin was eating ferns and moss. The otters and bears shared their catches.

Bodin ran to them neighing and rubbing against Ilio. Zanya said the otter was sent to Edwina by Lexie giving it speaking powers. Kalliope recited where she lost Edwina and had to help her baby Noxi and colt Bodin not be eaten. Ilio had to form a plan. The black bear knew the range of a nearby wolf pack and a separate lone wolf that had just left when the alpha male kicked him out. Ilio could use this wolf to draw her out. He then sent Zanya to find this lone wolf. She came back with news of lone wolf and a sprite house they could rest in. The sprites often find the leftovers from meals and gather what they can. They set up a plan to separate Edwina from the rest of the pack. Lone wolf would approach from a distance and court Edwina by acting elf. He would sit upwards with paws off the ground and jerk his head to the side like elves do when they hunt in silence. Then touch his face with paws as elves do when greeting someone. That should get her attention and hopefully not get chased off by the others. He was a born a wolf and cannot change into something else like the others had. Kalliope discovered their scent and Zanya followed the lone wolf to the meal. The wolf did his elf tricks from a distance as Zanya made sure Edwina saw him. He disappeared into the trees and while the others rested from their elk dinner. Edwina casually stepped away to drink from the river and cleaned her bloody fur. The white wolf looked at her strange behavior and turned away in distain of this wolf trying to act elf still. She followed Zanya’s tinkling into the forest to run smack into a lone wolf who licked her cheek. They crept away and swam across the river to dash towards the sprite house. Edwina was so grateful of her rescue. When the lone wolf grew tired, they rested under an oak. Zanya never left their side. Ilio and Chitzi came at the agreed place. The lone wolf nibbled on leftover elk. Ilio prayed to Lexie as he had completed the agreement to rescue Edwina without magic.

Lexie appeared to blow dust at Edwina returning her to her human state. The baby she is carrying however could not be the same. Having elf blood it could not become a werewolf, but having human blood that could the child could appear part wolf when born. The white wolf’s magic was powerful. So powerful, she tracked Edwina down when she disappeared. Magic returned to Ilio, he fought a wizard’s duel with the White Wolf. Lexie would not interfere other than protecting others from the misdirected spells. Ilio used his crystal to make beams of lightening to hurl at his opponent. He tossed magic rocks that made ivy walls entrapping the White Wolf. The White Wolf turned herself into a dragon to rip the ivy walls to shreds as she spit magic fire at Ilio. Ilio created a magic shield of light. The White Dragon swished her tail to send Ilio flying into a tree across the river. The White Dragon stomped across the riverbed and hurled one more spit of fire forcing half the forest to flee. Ilio raised the river to squelch the fire. The White Dragon scratched the Titanic trees to find the tiny elf hiding among the eagle nests. Ilio found a flying horse trying to move her babies from the raging Dragon. He created a golden bow and unicorn horn arrow from the unicorn bracelet he always wore to protect himself from sirens singing enchantments. He hid the Pegasus foals inside a griffin nest and jumped on their mother. The furious Dragon spit fire towards the horse and Ilio, jumping into flight above the trees. Dodging fireballs and trying to get a good aim, Ilio shot his magic unicorn arrow and missed.

The magic arrow hit the limb of a tree and sprouted a baby draghorn like a flying horse, except with a unicorn horn. The baby draghorn fluttered among the leaves and grew bigger and larger as Ilio kept swiping the powerful witch with a lightening sword that only scratched the enduring dragon hide. He managed to hit the armored scales of the beast, to have his magic arrows bounce off and turn into feathers floating down to earth. The baby draghorn, fully grown in minutes, flew towards the Dragon. The Dragon upon her hind legs, charged at the draghorn. The two creatures wrestled and spun to the ground, shaking the earth as they landed. The draghorn looked at Ilio sitting on the Pegasus and charged the White Dragon that recovered onto its feet. With one blow of its horn into the mighty scales of the Dragon’s chest, the Dragon screeched curses as she turned black and crumbled into dust. The draghorn reeling from losing its horn, collapsed at Ilio’s feet. Lexie rushed to the animal and used her magic crystal to create another horn. Lexie brought the creature made from magic to her home on Blue Island. There it joined the water horses and lake monster that guard Lexie’s palace. Lexie relented Ilio’s curse, though refused to give him a title. He will simply have to make his own home, wherever his wishes. Next centaurs appeared. Their homes in a glen were next to the river and needed water to put out their homes. Ilio and Lexie used magic to stop the fires. Oh, what stories they had to tell the centaurs. The next morning, they followed the river towards the coast with gifts from the centaurs in celebration of defeating the White Wolf. Soon, strange men appeared who were companions to the witch were and joyous they were free. They came upon ships from faraway lands blown off course to Caledonia. A few were elf boys who were eager to find their way home. Four days later, they saw the sea cows and fresh water dolphins. Then the beach was in view. They found unfamiliar mermaids on the beach trading with Dark Mountain elves from Lotan. The strange men boarded the elf ships and mermaids guided their way to Queen Bryn’s beach. They crossed seal nurseries and nests of waddling auks. Tiffy and Dagan ran to their friends as did Atara and Chitzi. Together at last.

Chapter 4 The Larissa

Three years have passed since Princess Edwina sailed from Rikia to marry the Prince of Ithaca. The first year was a blur learning to be human again. The second year was learning to survive as an elf. The third year was learning to give up her dream of remembering the princess she once was and accepting the wife and mother she had become now. Queen Bryn married the elf and human on the beach before Edwina gave birth to a boy with a wolf’s face and claws who Ilio named Jaden. There was no marriage contract so it was not official until the contract was agreed upon by both families. Soon an elf girl named Mahalah was born to them. They step on the gangplank to board Ilio’s ship Larissa named after a slave girl he befriended as a boy and who had died from a seizure. Edwina was terrified and exhilarated to be going on such an adventure. The hull packed full of elf, faun, centaur, sprite, and mermaid goods to sell in their first stop at Knossos. Edwina never viewed such a grand stone city. Ilio thought Rikia would be even grander for her to see. A harbor full of ships was offloading their cargoes, ships readying for voyages, merchants stopping at new ships to examine their cargo, docks covered in ladies wearing cosmetics greeting their sailor men, and of course the high guard towers shouldering a large gateway. They walk to the gateway carrying their trunks for their stay at the inn. The Sea god temple and enclosed fish market came first. Further down brothels and taverns sat for sailors. They turned a corner to find merchant homes and more respectable inns. Women walked down the street with clay jugs hanging on a twig balanced on their shoulders. Amazed at the public fountains, Edwina had to pause at the gargoyle spout and laugh. Closer to the grand market place, shops aligned the streets leading to the Temple of Justice.

They settle into their room at the inn and rent a horse to show Edwina the city. They ride by the market place, the theater, public baths, arena, shops further in the city, and known artists. The elves returning on Ilio’s ship and the Dark Mountain elves spoke of these grand cities along with the wealth of some and poverty of the most. Edwina noticed the most between eating at the inn and dining at Ilio’s trade partner’s villa. Sorcha, daughter of Athos, inherited an orchard from her father where her son lives. She used her profits from selling olive oil and wine to buy a vacation villa in the capital. When not in residence, she rented out the rooms to like an inn with her servants acting as managers. She bought more property to rent out as shops and apartments. Ilio met her after trading treasured jasmine perfumes, rosewater, lavender soaps, licorice, mint, sage, rosemary, marsh mellow, and incense from his ship. Sorcha was fascinated by the beautiful glass vessels they were stored in instead of common clay pots. She was delighted to meet his wife and gave her a necklace of Minoan pearls. She gave Ilio a gold arm band. She held a grand banquet with musicians and dancers to welcome the guests into her enclosed garden. The couples conversed the guests and Ilio made a few new trade partners. As usual, his hostess demanded a story of foreign lands. Ilio chose the initiation ceremony to become Lord of Blue Island. Queen Lexie granted him a wedding gift, the lordship on the island she holds her court on after he proved himself worthy of it. She took him away to her court island where he dined with the Blue Island mermaids reciting tales of valor. Edwina adored the Blue Mountains covered in snow that never melts.

While resting in his lodge, the mermaids came to bring him to the queen. They played music and danced along the way. He stood before Lexie as the mermaids stripped off his weapons. Lexie then ordered his linen tunic removed because he must be absolutely vulnerable in this ritual. Barefoot, he was guided through a path of mermaids holding willow branches. Each mermaid tapped his head and shoulders as an anointment gesture. Then Queen Bryn with a deer skull on her head and gourd necklace around her shoulders painted symbols on his chest with dolphin’s blood. He walked up another path to kneel before the Prince Jax and Princess Tara so they could drop handfuls of flower petals over his head. A stony lane came next and at the end was Lexie. She asked the mermaids if this godly elfman should be let inside her court. The mermaids cheered. She walked around reciting prayers to give him strength and gift of strategy to guard the mermaids, all the while hitting him with a linen whip. She presented a shark tooth necklace and then swiped sea snake venom on his forehead. She stressed only beings with magic can resist the poison of the sea snake. The mermaids took him down the sea washing him so he always will smell like the sea. Lexie then came down to give him a tattoo upon his cheekbone of a starfish with a crescent moon to symbolized his service to the North Sea queen. In conclusion, Princess Edwina was given Ladyship of Blue Island. It must be said in this tale that each Mermaid Island has a chief and settlements have lords. Since Queen Lexie is chieftess of her home court island, Ilio is made lord instead of chief. Sorcha enjoyed the story. Edwina pointed out he failed to mention what he had to do to win this gift. Another night, he will recite that tale.

The next day he visited his new contacts to receive their investments into his shipping company. They make the contract on a clay tablet. Ilio’s first mate Ivhar sells the furs, medicines, pearls, mother of pearl, shell beads, and gemstones from Titania. Ilio even had shed dragon skin used in elf armor. When they gathered enough cargo and food to sail to Ithaca, they bid farewell to Sorcha. When they finally arrived in Ithaca, Crown Princess Sarah comes in her chariot to escort them to the palace. They are given robes and baths before attending a feast in the great hall. Edwina looks around at the home that could have been hers, but then she didn’t know if her old self would have liked it or not.

Crown Princess Sarah seems sad in her new home. Just married the month before, she is unsure how to be a wife of an Ithacan prince. South Sea culture is very different from North Sea. Ilio assures her that given time; she will become accustomed to it. Another problem was that the Crown Prince seemed intrigued by every woman he met, except her. She wished to visit the countryside to meet her future subjects. He gave her an escort and used this absence to carry on his affair with his mother’s maid of honor. She asked to be returned home as this prince never touch her, but the king insisted she stay. Ilio came up with a solution to her problem. He lavished attention on Sarah. He got up close and personal teaching her to shoot an arrow so she could hunt with the prince. He played music and recited stories to her delight. During a meal, he danced with Sarah full of confidence the prince was becoming jealous. Then, he suggests a visit to the Nubian queen Chloe. The queen who kept losing her husbands to battle with Blythe and Mermaid Islands, married a palace guard and made him king. More cautious than his predecessors, he has invited royal families to celebrate the birth of his new daughter, future queen of Nubia. Princess Sarah asks her father-in-law the king to represent their family in the festivities. He agrees to allow Ilio’s ship to escort her there. Sarah and Edwina talk a great deal about their childhood dreams and games they played. Ilio feels this connection brings back Edwina’s memory, just a little bit. Where were these connections three years ago?

Queen Chloe was very happy to see Ilio again. Since his last visit four years ago, so many things had occurred. She finished building a new temple and planned chariot races to mark the occasion. Ilio’s family stays in the palace guest rooms. Princess Sarah has bed chambers for her and her maids of honor. Feasts are eaten and games are run as the country celebrates. The king takes Ilio hunting as the women enjoy the gardens. Merchants had come to the palace for the guests to buy their wares without dealing with marketplace riffraff. Ilio buys jewels, feather fans, cloth, perfume, mirrors, and a grand sword. Queen Chloe gives Sarah a hunting dog as a gift and it follows Sarah wherever she goes. Chloe is most disturbed to hear that her daughter Hermione, she had to give up because her father was a foreign elf, is now a mistress of the Crown Prince of Ithaca. Hermione’s uncle Mishca used his noble family status to get her a job as maid of honor for the queen. Mishca owns a shipping company and visits the palace with delicacies not easy to find. They return to Ithaca bringing treasures and a new pet. Sarah becomes quite attached to her puppy and names him after her father. Full of charm towards Sarah, the Crown Prince suddenly begs to sit next her during the next meal. He demands to know if any of the sailors or guards she met caught her eye. She begs to know why he cares, he has his mistresses so why pay attention to the little wife he has not touched since they married. The night before, she spied Hermione leaving the palace with her uncle Mishca. The next morning, Ilio and Edwina sail for Blythe to meet with her family before settling on Blue Island. What they discover later is Sarah stowing away on one of his ships half way to their destination. The ships arrive in Rikia to hear much celebration as two princesses returned home. Queen Andromeda holding King Demetrius’s son welcomes her daughters home. Displeased at breaking the marriage contract, Andromeda sends envoys to Ithaca to negotiate the return of the princess’s dowry. King Demetrius and Prince Lucius are battling Dacians with Lotan king Oskar; they cannot afford a war with Ithaca.

Ilio and Edwina settle into her old bed chamber altered into a nursery for Demetrius’s son Kiernan. Jaden and Mahalah rested upon the feather bed while Ilio and Edwina unpacked their trunks. Sarah was sent to welcome the couriers from Dacia, to make herself useful. King Demetrius demands the same messengers go back and forth to prevent tampering with the dispatches. One courier was King Oskar’s grandson Grand Prince Ragnar. After riding all day, the couriers were guided by Princess Sarah to the drawing room where trays of fruit and nuts were presented to the guests. Andromeda’s chamberlain took the scrolls to her bedchamber as she was dressing for the evening meal in the great hall. Sarah directed servants to prepare the bathing pool, prepare guest rooms, and prepare meal trays to be delivered to the rooms. The Couriers of the King must rest. The Grand Prince is to receive special treatment with his own private bath. Sarah escorts Ragnar to his bedchamber. He is surprised to see her. He thought she left already to marry a Prince of Ithaca. She did. She left her husband when he took up mistresses instead of touching her. If she were pregnant, possibly she would stay. The king and queen were very kind to her. Her puppy Dracon from Queen Chloe was her only reminder of her past. Ragnar could understand the mistresses of an unruly prince and warned many suitors would hesitate courting her now. Few men can handle their wife leaving forever without a chance of reconciliation. She claims she gave plenty of chances and even viewed the mistress Hermione leaving the palace with her uncle. Ragnar wondered what reply the envoys will bring back.

They reached the bed chamber and maidservants are heating the bath in the wash room. Sarah takes Ragnar into Prince Lucius’s closet room. Ragnar admires the jewelry he finds in painted boxes while Sarah searches for robes in painted trunks. Sarah confesses she resents that her brothers and sisters were allowed to marry whom they choose, but she got betrothed to a prince who could never love her. It is most unfair. She then grabs fur slippers and spare clothes for Ragnar and enters the bed chamber. Ragnar sympathizes with her plight and informs her that she should stop trying to be the perfect wife for a prince. Princes like naughty girls. Sarah replies they also fling away these naughty girls when they get pregnant as if they were food scraps. Ragnar agrees that is true also. He takes off his boots to place on the fur slippers and slips a robe over his dirty clothes. He next confesses that he has been riding all day and just wants to lie down in silence while his bath is being prepared. Sarah excuses herself. Ragnar asks her to stay with him. She agrees.

“The Prince of Ithaca never touched you.” speaks Ragnar lying flat on Prince Lucius’s bed with all blankets neatly spread underneath him.

“That is correct,” answered Sarah taking his boots to the wash room for the maidservants to clean and oil.

“Hence, you are unspoiled and have no concept how to pleasure a man.”

“That is correct. I assume you are not unspoiled by the way you smirk at that.” replies Sarah now sitting on a chair.

“I am spoiled to the core by maidens eager to be crowned Queen of Lotan. Yet, do any of them love me if I were not the Crown Prince? You see my position.”

“I cannot say I feel any compassion for you, and I thought you wanted silence.”

“Come lie by me. It is a wonderful sentiment just to be near a woman. Just lie here beside me.”

“Alright, I suppose I can do that much for you after riding all day to deliver a message to my mother.”

“You would let an Ithacan prince you end up leaving spoil you on your wedding night, and yet hesitate towards me.”v

Sarah rests on the bed to have Ragnar wrap his arms around her shoulders. She stiffens and pulls away to have Ragnar pull her back to him with a huge smile. He removed combs from her hair to stroke the tresses down to brushing her cheek. He said nothing, but held her while she stared frozen deep into his eyes. She finally could no longer take in his intense gaze and nestled her face against his shoulder. He caressed her tighter and Sarah just laid still listening to his breathing. The maidservant interrupted to announce the bath was drawn. Sarah began to cry.

“Why could the Prince of Ithaca not do something so simple? She might have stayed if she got any attention from him.” Ragnar got up and walked to the door to the wash room.

“You have to stop trying to be the perfect princess and just be naughty.” then he entered the wash room and shut the door.

Alone, Sarah rose from the bed wiping tears and tried to stifle her cries. She gathered herself enough to open the washroom door to find Ragnar undressing.

“I do not know how to be naughty. I was raised to be a gracious princess and respectable future queen, not a dishonorable maidservant.”

Ragnar spoke no words, but approached Sarah and kissed her lips. He stepped into his bath and relaxed his sore muscles in the warm water. Sarah stood frozen as ever as the shocked of what just transpired soaked into her soul. Unsure what to do, she stared at Ragnar smiling away until he jerked his head, then twitched his fingers in a motion meaning for Sarah to come to him. He handed her a sponge covered in soap and she sat along the rim of the stone tub to wash him. A maidservant came in to collect his clothes and boots for washing. She asked if Sarah needed help getting undressed and Ragnar dismissed her. The servants brought in food trays from the evening meal they were missing in the great hall. Sarah finished rinsing Ragnar’s hair when Princess Edwina came by asking for her sister. Ragnar stepped out of the stone tub and wrapped a clean robe around himself. He told Edwina that Sarah just left down the servant stairs to feed the puppy Dracon. Edwina left assured Ragnar and Sarah had been occupied swapping stories to neglect the evening meal. Edwina left and Sarah came out with a towel. Dried off and dressed in fresh robes, Sarah and Ragnar ate from the trays sharing stories of Ithaca and Dacia. Sarah refused to spend the night with Ragnar to leave for the sitting room where the family gathered before turning into bed. Ilio ran into her in the hall and told Edwina to go on without him. Something was different about Sarah.

He asked if she was enchanted by Ragnar to watch Sarah blush at the sound of his name. He teased her how she must be in love after all this time. She confessed her time with Ragnar and concerned how long Ragnar will be kind to her. No one can tell until they speak to Ragnar. The family knitted, played music and games, and composed letters to Demetrius and Lucius in their heads. Sarah could not stop thinking of Ragnar sleeping by himself, but refused to visit him. The maidservants dressed her in her nightdress and fur slippers. They combed her hair and chattered on about the letters the chamberlain gave to Queen Andromeda. Many soldiers were getting a plague and Prince Lucius was sick with fever. The maidservants left for their own rooms, no doubt with a palace guard waiting for them. She settled into bed with her scroll reading an old story of a goddess falling in love with a mortal and her resulting heartbreak when her brother killed her beloved. Just then Ragnar came in her door. Sarah refused again to sleep in the same bed with him, even if he couldn’t stop dreaming about her. That’s not why he came in. He further explained he would be here for three days when Andromeda would have her replies written out. Could she show him their gardens and visit the seashore? Sarah agreed. Ragnar bid her a good night.

The next morning Ilio reported Sarah’s visit with Ragnar. Edwina was most pleased and encouraged Sarah to join them on a visit to the marketplace. Sarah announced they were going to the seashore after touring the palace gardens. Sarah held Ragnar’s arm as they paced through the flower beds and stone statues. Ilio and Edwina ordered robes, herbs, jewels, and animals to his ship. Ragnar and Edwina continued on the beach because Ragnar grew up and lived in grasslands far from the sea. They collected seashells and found an abandoned mermaid shack. Ragnar insisted on kissing her and she returned the sentiment. She confessed she did not wish him to leave, no matter how important her brothers needed their dispatches. He promised to have the seashells made into a necklace to remember him by. He must also ask permission for a betrothal from his family and hers. The end of the Dacian War was near as Demetrius was staffing Varrick bordering forts instead of concentrating his army in Dacia. That day he gave her the wedding night she should have received in Ithaca. In a moment, she knew she would never see Ithaca again. Hermione can keep the Crown Prince. Ilio spotted the couple first riding in a chariot down Marine Road. He witnessed a very happy Sarah and proud Ragnar. He whispered to his wife that Sarah was spoiled now and would never accept another husband. At the palace, Sarah wrote out a letter to her brother and Ragnar’s mother explaining the request of a betrothal. Ragnar left as scheduled at dawn on the third day with his companions. Sarah leaving everything behind in Ithaca had asked the court jeweler to make something for him to wear in battle. The man created a seashell bead necklace that could be worn with his chain mail. Ragnar was bright and shiny in his sand polished chain mail and new iron helmet. His beaded and fringed leather boots oiled made him look like the grand prince he was.

Sarah watched the couriers ride away and missed Ragnar every moment. She turned away and returned to her bed chamber holding the seashell necklace that was made from the shells they collected on the beach. She prayed inside temples with the other families of soldiers and waited for news of the war from returning veterans too injured to fight anymore. She visited soldiers training in the arena and presented iron swords to departing captains. Ilio and Edwina prepared his ships to sail to Blue Island. Ships full of trade items and sailors to row the oars were repairing sails while Ilio decided when to leave. But, before they could leave Ilio naturally had to tell a story to yet another audience. So many long to hear tales of Titania, Ithaca, Nubia, and the islands in between only sailors get to see. For his final tale to the Blythan royal family and fellow nobles with sons training in the arenas Ilio decides on the Tale of the Ice Queen.

Chapter 5 The Ice Queen

Upon marrying Princess Edwina led by Mermaid queen Bryn caused a small issue. An exiled prince had little to offer other than a shipping empire that really belonged to his mother. Only one ship The Larissa was owned outright by Ilio. His aunt Lexie relented in his banishment upon completing a task for her, and then he could return home to his family. Prince Jax is of age for a betrothal to a goddess. If Ilio gained a betrothal to Ice goddess Ymira’s daughter, he then would be given the Lordship of Blue Island, the court island of Queen Lexie guarded by a lake monster. Ilio had to take up the mission for his new bride and earn respect of her family. Neither family knew this marriage was taking place.

To reach the ice world to the far north, he needed fire horses to go that distance or it would take him years to walk there and impossible to sail there. He asked rainbow goddess Amalia by sending a magic letter to use hers who pull her golden chariot. She summoned him to her palace in clouds. He explained his mission and Amalia demonstrated caring for the fire horses. They drink from clouds creating steam with their hooves and eat charcoal from burnt offerings made to the goddess. They need grooming with pumice rock and mane and tail washed in water. Most importantly, they need rest or they will rebel against your control. Ilio understood the instructions perfectly. The golden chariot was polished and magic leather reins oiled. The wheels were replaced and axles greased. Ilio practiced the commands with Amalia and drew out his journey to Iceland where Ymira’s palace is. Prepared for his mission, he ordered the fire horses to fly north. They rode the winds all day and rested upon a cloud. He looked down at Dacia and wondered where King Demetrius’s tent was. He finds an encampment and peeks through a smoothed crystal used to enlarge the stars in the sky. The encampment had the banners of Demetrius so he decided to pay him a visit. He ate a cherry in his food bag and tossed the stone in the air to change it into a white dove. He instructed the bird to tell Demetrius he would pick him up at nightfall outside the camp. The bird returned later to tell him the king will be waiting for his chariot. Since the fire horses flew so far in a single day, he needed to feed them soon. He guided the horses down to a glen and found bushes for them to eat. The fire from the horses burnt the bushes into charcoal and next they waded into the stream to drink the steam rising from their hooves. Soon, they had company. A Blythan nomad scout viewed them and promptly got down from his mount to lay flat on the ground at Ilio’s feet.

“Fire god Devon, please do not kill me with your steeds. I have a wife and newborn child I have never seen.” prayed the scout.

“Rise, please. I am not the fire god Devon. I am Ilio, Prince of The Mermaid Islands.” replied Ilio.

“A prince. Drive a god chariot?” questioned the scout.

“Yes, my mother is a goddess as many of my relations. Tell me if my great-grandfather The Wizard is at this camp.” answered Ilio.

“Yes, Your Holiness. He is advising the king on tomorrow’s battle plan for attacking a supply train running through the forest.” spoke the scout amazed at this godly prince.

“Thank you, you may tell the king and my great-grandfather I will be there shortly.” instructed Ilio.

“Yes, Your Holiness.” bowed the scout before taking his leave.

Ilio finished with the grooming with pumice stones and water to hitch the fire horses back up to collect King Demetrius. He waited by the outer edge of the camp for the king delayed by dispatches from home. He took Demetrius up into the clouds and explained his wedding plans to Edwina. Naturally furious marrying his sister without her family’s approval, Demetrius relented when told of her pregnancy and the future prince will be born part wolf. He promised to succeed in his mission to give Edwina a home not too far away to visit her family. Demetrius confessed of his own son brought joy to family as the heir, but The Wizard predicted he will die as a child. It is said his wife grew sick after the birth and may not be able to carry more children. He also stated Lucius will never get his wife pregnant because he spends too much time with his soldiers. Phoebe who married a Blythan nomad sent to the palace to be educated under The Wizard has yet to have children. Ilio assured Demetrius he will take care of his sister and any children they may have. Demetrius consented to the marriage contract giving the dowry for his mother to decide since the last one sunk to the bottom of the sea. Ilio agreed to that. He returned Demetrius to his camp and took off again to the north ice lands. He observed the mountains and rivers of Dacia before hitting vast hilly Teutonic forests and a rocky sea coastline. There he saw the narwhals with giant tusks, walruses, spotted seals, whales, giant squids, sharks, sea cows, and dolphins. His father sent a priest and his apprentice with a ship tracing the coastline for his king to the far north.

They returned after the war with Nubia had finished telling wild tales of hunts, midnight suns, daily blue twilights, and a king who loved the map made of faraway lands. King Dracon sent out ships to colonize Kassia on the other side of Vinland and further north bordering the Teutonic Forests. This coast tracing king encouraged the smelting of any metal to be found to trade with this artist of weapons and linen. He vastly traded with the colonies King Dracon set up. Ilio in the middle of this seawater found an island with large brown bears (not white like he expected). He rested the fire horses along a river complete with grooming and feeding. Soon, animals came out of the trees and bowed to the godlike figures. A second look later, Ilio realized these were people in sealskin clothes. Using his magic, he spoke in their Kodiak language to amaze the islanders further. They welcomed the god to rest on their island explaining the great white bears and reindeer are further north. They trade with the map questing king to the northeast called Lachlann. They give fish, berries, and honey wine to the god next to their log houses with wood shingles. They present pine tree branches for the fire horses. It was late summer and the Kodiak Islanders were busy gathering what plants they could before winter. They also are busy hunting in the sea waters for narwhals, seals, sea otters, whales, and fish. Soon, the god Ilio had to leave giving the island people his turquoise bead necklace from southern Titania as payment for their kindness. He continued on through Lachlann and finally saw his first white owl knowing he was close to Iceland. He saw fields of oat grass, boats in lakes, and herds of sheep and cattle on mountain sides. He saw the leather tent hunters and reindeers walking in a treeless shrub along the rocky northern coast of Lachlann. Mosses, lichens, and short shrubs grew in this cool summer. Further north was the Ice Sea where moving islands of ice float in the springtime. At this time of year, the Ice Sea begins to expand until it reaches the coast allowing the great white bears return.

Now he reached the true Iceland of endless snow banks and freezing winds. The fire horses rested on the ice and no water came out from underneath. He feeds the horses charcoal from his magic bag from Amalia. Steam rose from the hooves of the fire horses burning giant holes in the Ice Sea. Ilio used his magic to create a tent for them to rest in. He ate reindeer slices from hunters along the Lachlann coast. They were most happy to meet a god hoping he would bless their bone tipped harpoons and soapstone tipped spears. What stories he had tell of green sky lights the Lachlann people believe hold their ancestors. White wolves being pestered by little brown foxes turning white in winter. White owls and sea eagles catch brown rabbits that turn white in winter and feisty brown rodent called a lemming that burrows in the ice. He found a reindeer eating mushrooms and so entranced, he let it live another day. He studied this treeless rocky landscape where driftwood from rivers flowing into the Ice Sea makes any bone or soapstone tool possible. He imagined the Ice Sea spreading in winter melting into floating ice islands in springtime where white bears and seals rest. Black whales are said to create sea waves to make the seal slide off these ice islands. He sent a message to the ice goddess Ymira to announce his arrival onto her land. Not excited about fire horses upon her Iceland, she guided the fire horses into a stone stable where her sled pulling white bears rest.

Ilio groomed the fire horses and fed charcoal from his bag. Offerings to the ice goddess magically appeared and quickly eaten by the white bears. The midnight sun sunk in the horizon giving way to the daily blue twilight in the coming winter months. Ymira greeted her guest and gave him seal meat to eat. Her daughters eagerly awaited to hear tales of this Prince Jax of the North Sea who was looking for a betrothal. Ilio explained Jax is coming of age under his mother Lexie’s instruction and adventure to the Amazons to obtain gold for mermaid weapons. Jax often visits his cousin Ishtar, Ilio’s mother. He is a good friend and persistent hunter whom Ilio highly respects. In a silver mirror, he created a reflection of this prince. They watch the sky lights from a sled pulled by reindeer that can fly too. Ymira’s husband is not to be seen. Tyree is under the ice and taking care of the animals living there. Her sons were busy playing with the white bears that love the ice and search for seal holes to capture their meals. Her daughters use their magic to create fur clothing and blanket for their guest. The gods returned and goddesses had the evening meal prepared. Ilio spent the days grooming and feeding the fire horses while Ymira decided on a betrothal. Her daughters seemed eager to be betrothed to the future King of the North Sea mermaids. Half merfish and half god would make an interesting spouse. It was finally decided Anya, the youngest, would marry the young god. But first, a task must be completed.

“Great, another task.” thought Ilio.

It was not difficult one. To win the betrothal, he must spell the word “freedom” using pieces of ice, using the holy god and goddess language. If he gets it wrong, he loses the betrothal and must live in Iceland forever. Ilio had to think long and hard for that one. There is no holy word for freedom. Gods and goddesses are masters of the earth, they bow to none, and are worshipped by mortals. Why would they need a word for freedom when they are slaves to nobody? So he needed words for the opposite of servant and defined freedom of choices. Let’s see now. In the beginning, the great creator god Alano bathes the created god or goddess in the Pool of Immortality. They are given a magic crystal to give them holy powers over their domain they are appointed to. Limited choices in those things. They are betrothed or find one of their many spouses that often die to become auras. Love is a choice they make as well as auras. His father was aura for Queen Layla. That was strange since his great love was for his mother. His father barely knew Layla for she often was with Lexie while he was apprenticed to The Hermit Wizard. Why would his father choose a mermaid with a vengeful heart married to an elf from Nubia. Shortly after his father’s funeral, Lexie made Layla Queen Mermaid of Lara Island. The answer must be aura. A god or goddess has freedom of choice in that. Now, to spell in ice pieces the holy word for aura. He doesn’t write in holy language very often, just when sending magic messages. He spent days working on his word when Anya came by to check on his progress. Anya moved a few ice pieces and smiled. Ilio was so close.

He finally announced to the ice queen, he was finished with his word for freedom. Ymira was aghast and angry upon staring on what was spelled in ice crystals. Someone must have cheated in telling him what was the answer was. Nobody could guess it by themselves. The word that lay spelled out on the ice cave floor was “Aura”, which translates into elf writing as “Anastia”. The once fate goddess made the choices of fate that beheld all mortal and immortal beings woven into the night stars. Ilio was elated and impatient to return home. But first the dowry had to be agreed upon. They negotiated furs, jewels, magic weapons, and gold tableware into the betrothal contract. As time passed, the Ice Sea grew as it froze the waters surrounding it. The coming of autumn was at hand. He magically sent the betrothal agreement to Lexie in a puff of smoke. It returned in another puff of fire and billow of smoke. Lexie disapproved of the agreement. More bargaining was needed before Lexie accepted the contract. Anya was given three islands to rule with Jax with her court to be on Oyster Isle across from Blue Island to the east. Eires Isle and Skye Isle to the north of Blue Island would need to be prepared to be ruled by an ice princess. An agreement was reached and betrothal contract signed in magic ink. Granted the lordship of Blue Island by Lexie as his mission was complete, he returned home on fire horses, delighting the Lachlann and Kodiak Island people he met before. King Demetrius started settling into the conquered city for the winter reaping whatever food his soldiers could find. Ilio promises to settle into a home on Blue Island with Edwina. Demetrius discovered farmers fail to plant crops in the spring out of fear battles will destroy them. Demetrius dismisses his allies to return in the spring since he cannot feed them all on the plants and animals his soldiers find in the surrounding wilderness. His allies promise to send supplies and deliver messages for those who stay. Dark Mountain elves use the Masha River to bring supplies and elf warriors up into Dacia.