Whispers Of Elven Redemption

s she passed by the market where merchants were trying to sell their goods, the smell of baked bread wafted in the air making her stomach growl

ould be forced to. He was also the last person she wanted to see right now, he was not a horrible man, in fact he had helped her a lot over the years. But his duty was to the King first and if he found out she left the palace again without any escorts, she would be in trouble. Trouble that she did not have time for. "Princess Ariana" He bowed, as he rose back up his kind eyes glanced at the basket of herbs before looking at her guilty face. "Sir Hugh" She bowed her head. "Were you by any chance out in the forest again?" He asked her. Shaking her head, she replied, "No... oh these?" pointing at the herbs in the basket "I found these in the gardens. I thought a morning stroll would be pleasant". Hugh peered at her face, his own face skeptical at her reply, he sighed, "You know I have to tell your father about this". She pouted at his response, lying was never easy around the knight. He bowed his head again and turned around making his way towards the King's quarters. She sighed herself and continued walking towards her mother's quarters, side stepping some noble women who were grouped together hushing at her approach. Ariana tilted her chin higher, ignoring their curtsies as she felt their stares on her back. It was always the same, were they never bored of gossiping, or looking at her face? She rolled her eyes internally. Rounding a corner, she finally made her way through an arch and arrived at her mother's door. Without knocking she opened the door gently, looking into the dark room with the curtains closed and her mother's figure still in bed, her black hair falling over the pillows. She crept in silently, closing the door behind her. Walking towards the bed, she placed the basket down on the table and took a seat on the chair next to her. Ariana looked at her closed eyes, if it weren't for the rise and fall of her chest, she would have assumed she was dead. Her once stunning mother was looking thin and frail, her normal youthful face looked almost parched and a lot older. None of the physicians that came to see her could tell what was wrong with her and that she should prepare for the worst. They had given her six months, at this rate though, that number was optimistic. Ariana could feel the heaviness in her chest, she strained her head to think of what she could do for her. "* Dear child, don't look so glum, *" Her mother uttered breathlessly. Taken out from her reverie, she looked into her mother's stunningly dark, hazel eyes that held so much wisdom beyond her years. "* I hope I did not wake you, you need your rest, *" Ariana replied, her eyes becoming tearful. Her mother shook her head. "* Read me one of those tales you loved so much as a child, maybe that will settle your nerves and send me back to sleep, *" Her mother asked. Ariana stood up and collected a book from the bookshelf she adored as a child, sitting back down in her chair, she started to read out the tale of 'Cerin the brave and the magic gem'. Nearing the end of the book, she read out loud how Cerin used the gem on his wounds that had been inflicted on him by the dragon, they closed up, immediately healing him. She looked over at her mother slowly, an idea forming in her head. Her mother always used to tell her that the elvish tales that were told, were not just legend but always held some form of truth. As a child, this book was her favorite because there was a dragon and she always thought the idea of dragons roaming the lands was f