Silvertree Chronicles Bk 01 Ch 34

Silvertree Chronicles Book One, The World Awaits, Chapter 34, (Dragon Wars Enhanced Edition)

Synopsis: The life of Eldar Silvertree from graduation at the prestigious Elven Academy and desire to leave it behind. Only to return full circle to shake Elven Society to the core.

***Inspired by multiple fantasy environments. Not endorsed by any of them. © EmotionalStorm April 2021. This story cannot be transferred to any other site besides Literotica.com without the prior authorizations in writing from the author and EmotionalStorm must be credited for this work.

Authors warning: This section contains scenes of incest between sisters.

Authors Note: For those who have not read my bio, please note I write as a form of therapy for a Traumatic Brain Injury. I know the English majors will probably encounter issues that annoy them. If these are your focus, instead of the story itself, then this is not the story for you. I am not and will never be a professional writer.

I do it to tell the story, for those who wish to read them. I originally submitted this story back in mid-2017 to mid-2018. I have worked to try and improve my writing style while struggling with this issue. I have added some editing software and written a few other stories. Now I am revising and editing this earlier work to try and bring it up to a higher standard from what I have managed to learn over the last few years.

Chapter 34

To Protect a Princess

They walked back to the throne room and the Princess sent guards off to get the Captains, Court Wizard, and Treasurer. One of the other advisers looked at him, "Jarron said you are a force of nature."

Eldar smiled, "Jarron had the position of honor in the escort of my Father's Funeral Wagon or Carriage is what you would call it. By my design. Now if I could just get him laid."

He laughed as did some of his Knights. The treasurer was there with his list.

Eldar looked at him, "Break down your list by those things identified as having a necromantic enchantment, and powerful magic items and restricted tomes. Those are the items you want to search the vault for and we can determine what is missing that could present problems for us.

Also, any old maps or fortification designs that are missing including this Palace." He made notes. "You will want to get that door secured. You will want your wizards to help put it into place at a minimum until you can get a repair crew in and block off viewing of the contents."

He nodded and headed off to the vault. Eldar looked at her, "I would put an entire squad of battle mages down there. To ward the vault once his inventory is done."

The court wizard arrives, "I am Gradee Fireheart Master wizard."

Eldar nodded at him, "I am Duke Eldar Silvertree, Grand Master Blade Singer. Since you have taken over how many wards have you removed and replaced with your own?"

He looked at Eldar, "The Palace was already warded."

Eldar nodded, "What happens to those wards when you die?"

The Wizard chuckled, "They go away."

Eldar nodded, "Your wizard became a lich and DIED to do it. Any wards he MIGHT have managed to keep going somehow were set by this lich who knows all of the existing wards as he placed them! You might want to start with Royal Quarters, throne room, and Vault. Then Ambassador wing.

Allowing for our ambassador to keep his teleport access but have him switch to a different spot in the room. Too many know it! My people teleported straight into the throne room. No blocks, no alarms, and no guard reception. The wards need to be addressed!

I had 2 squads on standby when I came here to check for the presence of the lich. He appeared to be trapped in the vault due to a teleportation ward but once outside escaped by that means.

I would get with the Royal Treasurer to find out if any of the magical devices in your vault will help with security in the short term. I would also conscript as many mages into service to protect the guest coming into the Palace this evening for the Princess's event and the funeral tomorrow."

He glared at Eldar, "You're an Elven Duke."

Eldar shook his head, "I am Elven. I am a Duke in Elven, Human, and Dwarven lands. I am also the Field Marshal for your northern and the elven southern borders. The Princess instead of a puppet government under a lich's control is in place because of my people's efforts. All to aid the Human Kingdom and my complete knowledge of your laws. Including page 9,405.

Which is the start of the responsibilities of a Court wizard and your ability to conscript the assistance you need from your own Mage Academy by decree of the presiding ruler."

Eldar looked at the Princess. "You have a lot of royalty coming in tonight and tomorrow. You have no protection through most of your Palace, Princess."

She nodded, "Have my scribe put together the decree so the court wizard has the resources he needs to ensure our safety."

The court wizard seemed to respect that Eldar ensured his hands got untied to make the changes needed. Yet he did not like being told what to do by an Elf.

Eldar looked over at the military adviser, "I will warn you that I have dispatched 2 squads across the border to examine the valley and draw up plans to restrict, close or crater the valley entrance. They consist mostly of dwarven sappers we just picked up."

The military adviser smirked, "Not worried about running into trouble?"

Eldar shook his head, "I sent a battle mage, battle cleric, and a couple of others with each squad in the group. Two squads and there Lieutenant went. Worse case they will retreat blowing up the path behind them. It is a no-man land section that your troops do not pursue the enemy into. I figure if we can narrow the valley entrance it would bottleneck the enemy approach."

He looked at Eldar, "A lot can happen in 40 years."

Eldar nodded, "Which is why I asked for plans of action to be made and not carried out yet. Plan and then do. When the plan goes south improvise the fuck out of it."

He laughed as he knew what Eldar was saying. He looked at Eldar, "So how did you kill the leadership?"

Eldar smiled, "We captured a spy who had set up a permanent teleportation circle into a small crevice unknown to the general leadership. We took in an attack squad, brought down the wards, and blew up the only access to reinforcements into the hold. We captured the second in command, his intelligent paperwork, and killed the leader.

I was part of the support and capture team. Another team of specialists took out the leader. That action went sideways when we took down some of the wards. Wards warning for traps. A giant walked into the traps collapsing the tunnel. Oops, it worked. We improvised the fuck out of it!"

The Advisors and others laughed.

"I had requested and got two dwarven sappers and we still kept them busy and entertained. When I went to the Warriors Hall they were in the audience. They let their brethren know that they had worked with me. They told them I was fluid and in command of the battlefield.

That strike led me to be elevated into a position parallel to Jarron. Combined with several other actions before that are just as classified. You know how they can get closed lip on details."

He nodded, "It is always for a reason."

Eldar smiled, "I knew you would understand."

The Guard Captains finally arrive along with the head guard. Eldar looked across and saw the captain he worked with before but he was not the Head Guard Captain.

Eldar looked at the Head Guard Captain, "Can you give us a rundown of today's events in the palace in regards to Unicorn?"

He looked at Eldar and then the Princess nodded to him. "The Princess was in danger. Someone had ordered her to be moved to the barracks instead of the usual security spots. Then a squad of Eleven Military and mercenary battle Mages came to supplement our numbers. Then we got the all-clear. Looked like a drill."

Eldar looked at him, "Have you investigated?"

He shook his head, "Not yet I will be trying to figure out who was directing my troops."

Eldar stepped down to the Guard Captain. "Page 7,002 is the beginning of the royal guards' responsibilities. They take direction from a royal of Duke or higher in a crisis. I am Duke Eldar Silvertree. I am here on an investigative and diplomatic mission.

I had two squads on standby a mix of my mercenary unit, The Eleven Academy, and the Eleven Army Battle Mages. Your King was killed by your court wizard. As was my father. I was here in the aftermath. Based on the description of details I got from one of your Guard Captains. Please step forward."

He steps forward. "His observations led us to believe the wizard was not destroyed. He escaped or he turned himself into a lich. He succeeded in becoming a lich. He was in the Royal Vault. You lost 2 men when he blew the door off after the door had been cracked open. The Squad led by me tried to engage this lich.

He dropped some of the stuff he was trying to take to keep his phylactery, that is what held his BLACK and undead soul. My spell helped to identify and track it. It is a rare spell that I had to negotiate to receive from another. He teleported out at the last second before I could get close enough to strike him down.

He destroyed 20 human wizards who attempted to capture or kill him when your King and the royal court were killed. He was and is a traitor to your people. The answer to your question is I gave the order. After getting the alarm information from the Princess. I did not send her to a standard safe location.

Because he was the court wizard who knew all the standard safe locations. I sent her to an alternate location. Know...thy...enemy. Now we could not alert you which is your next question. Because there was a detail on its way to the vault to get the royal burial shroud.

We tried to stop them from opening the vault door but it was too late they already had it cracked. We forced him to drop some very evil necromancer items. They have been secured and removed from the palace for the safety of those here. They will be secured or destroyed away from the city. Now you have the information, what will you do with it?"

The Guard Captain looked at Eldar, "Get my men back to work."

Eldar sighed, "The wrong answer. Your men should be doing a room-by-room search of the palace to ensure that the threat is gone. You should also have at least 2 if not more squads guarding the very open Royal Vault.

I would suggest you read your job description of what to do after a found threat is believed to have escaped the palace. You need to ensure the threat is gone. I do not have the time to handhold all of you. You have taken on new jobs because of this slaughter.

You should be looking at your laws and what applies to royal guard activity. You should be setting up new safe areas to move the Princes as the existing locations are compromised. We are talking about a traitorous court wizard who was to protect and instead destroyed. Pick up the pieces and adjust."

Eldar walked over to the Captain. "Did you inform him of our concerns about the fact this wizard was not dead? That he might be a lich from your discussion with me previously?"

He looked at Eldar, "It was even in my written report."

Eldar looked back to the Head Guard Captain, "You have a steep learning curve. You have been thrust into this position of responsibility. Step up or step aside for someone who will do the job."

He walked back over to the Princess, "They are your men, Princess."

She looked at them, "Room-by-room searches 3 squads guarding the Royal Vault. All shifts working double until after the funeral to protect those coming in and the royal members coming in this evening. The safe rooms I want a plan for them switching them the day after tomorrow worked with my military and economic advisers."

Eldar nodded to the Princess and the Head Guard Captain took his men away.

Eldar looked at the Princess, "Who selected that man to be your new head guard?"

She looked at Eldar, "He had seniority over the others."

Eldar nodded, "But the Captain who took action to secure your life is a man of action. You need to consider that Princess. Especially in these times. Some frown upon me because of my race, birth circumstances, or heritage. Some fear me because of the power I have at my age. Coming from virtual obscurity to a Duke in less than a year.

From my skill with a blade, my memory, and my ideas to protect our people. By our I mean all of our allies. I got to where I am because I was the one who took action to address the problems. There is taking action without thinking and then there is taking action to ensure the safety of everyone. My group works to protect. It benefits us all.

There will be some shocked faces when they see this young impure bastard elf with his 2 Half-Elven wives, what we now call Elf-blooded. Plus being a Duke and Field Marshal. My ladies are not only duchesses by marriage but Dames in the Eleven court for their efforts in protecting the people.

My people are skilled and the Gray Blades have received an award for heroism. I ensured it was a unit award as they wanted to bestow it on me. I led the force that decimated the enemy. We took action, Understand Princess?"

She looked at Eldar, "You are trying to be subtle in telling me I have the wrong man looking after my welfare. If I find his efforts unsatisfactory, I will seek a replacement and consider the captain you recommended to replace him. Regardless of seniority."

Eldar smiled at her, "Very good answer Princess. Do not always bend to what I am saying. Watch to see if there is a deficiency that you cannot overlook and you need to replace to correct. This goes for any advisors as well.

Some fear that you are my puppet to the Elven Queen. They would take blindly accepting my advice to be in line with that perception. If you did not take this approach with me and others. I am a teacher and you are getting an education that I am aiding you with."

The advisers smiled at him as they watched him push the Princess to see what she would do. He knew she would have to change out her head guard. Eldar looked at her, "Can we get that one guard captain back who looked after your safety? I would like to see a copy of his written report of that day, Princess."

She nodded and sent a guard after him with the request. Eldar looked at the Princess, "How has this arrangement been working for you?"

She looked at Eldar, "It has been an education, which I needed. Your approach worried me at first but I now see you set me up to learn. To cut down on my chance to fail. To learn what works and what does not. Including you pushing me in front of the Head Guard Captain."

Eldar smiled at her, "Exactly Princess."

The Guard Captain returned with his report and Eldar looked at him, "Wait a moment."

He read through the report and he was fairly thorough and concise. "A few minutes ago, I gave you a page number, do you remember it?"

He nodded, "7,002. I am up to page 7,056. I read more each time I am off shift. Your knowledge of our laws and procedures was inspiring."

Eldar looked at him, "Any other Captains read this section of the laws that you are aware of?"

He shook his head. "Most are still shook-up about the change in leadership and excuse me for saying this, 'following a child.' I do not share this view. I see us as following her and her advisers."

Eldar looked at him, "How many other Captains share your 'radical' view of things?"

He looked at Eldar, "To my knowledge, I am the only one who looks at the situation this way. Some look at it as the Elves installed her. Others do not look at her and just her advisers."

Eldar nodded, "You have read the relevant section. What is your primary duty?"

He looked at Eldar, "To protect the Royal family."

Eldar walked away, "That is all I wanted to ask. I will give this report to the Princess. Do you have any questions for him, Princess?"

She looked at Eldar, "Not at this time. I will be talking with all my captains individually about their knowledge of their responsibilities."

She looked at the Captain, "Thank you. You are dismissed."

Eldar smiled at the Princess, "You are doing the right thing to investigate for yourself. Do not think that I have spoken to him about this. I have not. One of the things you have not heard about is my visions and premonitions. Those would scare the heck out of you. I will tell you a few. I had what I would call a vision storm.

I identified a mass murder, recovered a dead Moon Blade so it could be claimed by another family, and made it active. Sent word to an elven house, told them to send a message to a relative halfway around the world not to board a ship, that it was destined to be lost at sea. Instead, I sent her to a city I never knew. To a shop, I have never visited.

To access a portal to travel halfway around the world and return home. My wives and I each had portions of a vision on the same night that we followed. That led to me being named Knight Champion to Corellon Larethian by Sehanine Moon Bow. The Lady of Dreams, one of our gods who married me to my 2 wives. I have seen her 3 times and Corellon Larethian twice so far.

Once he put his hand on my shoulder. I have acute senses. Hearing, eyesight, and reflexes since that night. I know you will do your research. I know you will find that he is the right man for the job. I also know who you are destined to marry. You will have twins, two girls, from your wedding night encounter, and a son a year later.

He will love you and be faithful to you. He is the youngest son of one of the Dukes who is coming tonight. He will be extremely shy when he sees you because he is in awe of your beauty and not just what is on the outside. He sees your compassion, your desire to do what is right for your people. He is glad you are being afforded this opportunity.

The Duke also has a set of twin daughters that he is having a hard time marrying off. They are beautiful girls with red hair and green eyes. Do you know the Duke by that description? Because I do not know his name." She nodded but said nothing. "Just that I will see him tonight and my wives will want to talk with his daughters."

Charlemagne leaned over to me, "You having another vision right now?"

Eldar nodded, "You will want to talk to them because they are a lot like you and Annette in many ways. Before I met you. The angry one does not believe she needs a male in her life. There is nothing he has to offer her. Remind you of anyone?"

She smiled as she looked at Annette.

Annette looks back, "Alright, so we will talk with her."

Eldar shook his head, "To them. I will talk with the Duke first."

The Princess and her advisers looked at Eldar with curiosity. When he looked back at her she saw all the silver flakes in his irises dance and swim around as they reflected the light. Then they slowly calmed and became static again.

She looked at Eldar, "You get a lot of these visions?"

Eldar nodded, "Especially when I am focused on someone like I was with you, Princess. I have done that to Guard Captains, merchants, common guard, and the Elven Queen. I have told people what position they needed to stand or lay in to conceive with their significant other. Sometimes describing the room or their mate in detail. Having never met them. I tried to save one Captain from murder.

He failed to act fast enough but the guards I sent after him kept him from killing 2 women who were both pregnant. I even told our Queen when she was with child and what each of their future holds. I have done that to a lot of women. Including all the female officers on my original charter, an innkeeper's wife, a serving girl who I knew had magical talent.

Now she is carrying quadruplets who will all be battle mages. Do you know how rare multi-births are to elves? One set in a hundred or more births. We have identified over 12 sets. What they all have in common was in contact with me. In discussions like this one. My cleric Doc has not identified a single birth pregnancy since working with me. Two sets of those twins are in my twin wives."