Part 1 here. Part 7 here.

Part 8

He dropped her hand as they strolled past flower beds and stately trees. “Your parents send both greetings and apologies. I take it you do not know much about what is going on in the Elven Kingdom?”

 

Delia shook her head. “I know a little, from market gossip, but Master Corpet kept news of elves to himself.” She took a breath, “Or at least away from me. I was told there’s a civil war.”

 

Enaur nodded. “Your uncle and father have never gotten along well. He resented being second-born of your great-grandfather, always considering himself smarter and stronger in magic than your grandfather or father.” He clasped his hands behind his back as they stopped to admire a bed of blue iris. “It’s unfortunate. King Ucheni is a just and noble King. Fair and kind-hearted. He doesn’t have your Uncle Iyuno’s magical powers, that’s true, but it doesn’t make him less of a good King.”

 

“And this prophesy?”

 

“Yes. It came to my mother, back in your great-great-grandfather’s reign. Your house and mine have a centuries old bond.” He shook his head. “A child at the time, she went into a trance in the middle of court, shouted out the prophesy and collapsed. It was three days until she regained herself and remembered what had happened. The court was in an uproar.” The pair moved on from the iris bed. “Iyuno believed he was to be the next King, but your great-grandfather promoted Ucheni instead, insisting that whatever trouble was coming would be best handled by a younger elf. That’s when Iyuno began plotting. It was your birth that set him off. By the time you were a toddler, Ucheni and Ralae agreed that you must be hidden from your uncle. They concocted the plan with the previous Lord Traford and Master Corpet’s father.”

 

Delia saw him wrinkle his nose. “You didn’t approve?”

 

Enaur shrugged. “It was against my advice. But I serve your father faithfully, so I arranged everything.” He shook his head. “I apologize. I do. It could not have been easy living amongst the humans.”

 

“I didn’t really know anything else. It just was, though I’d have snatches of memories of a happier time. Laughter and music.”

 

He grimaced. “But you were safe?”

 

“Safe enough.”

 

They reached the back wall of the estate. Delia noticed the trees planted to hide the wall. It occurred to her the Trafords lived in as much of a prison as she had. “And powers? I’ve never noticed any powers in myself.”

 

Enaur faced her. “It’s subtle, at first. Things happen that you don’t recognize or even realize. Most elves, growing up in homes where magic is performed all around them, manifest early, little powers, like the sight, forseeing events that will happen to them, or an ability to guide plant growth or work with metal.” He studied her. “You never noticed any of that?”

 

“No.” Delia shook her head. “I have an ability with numbers, accounts, languages. There really wasn’t any plant growing or metal work going on around me.”

 

He nodded. “You may be manifesting in the languages, since that’s what you’ve been exposed to. Let us try an experiment.”

 

Delia’s heart quickened. What would they find as they probed her power? She took a breath. “Very well.”

 

“Relax and close your eyes. Focus inward, shutting out your thoughts, your fears, the touch of the wind and the sounds around us. Empty your mind and focus inward. Relax into a nothingness.” His voice progressively softened until he could barely be heard.

 

Delia slowly relaxed her mind, then shut out the sounds around her. It was difficult, her mind wanted to analyze everything happening. She refocused at every stray thought, quieting that analysis, letting her arms and body relax, softening her face. It seemed she heard a humming. Not from without, but within. A soothing sound, pleasant but strong. She followed the sound into herself, allowing herself to be led, unquestioningly.

 

It was a light, she saw. A glow, really, at her core. Soft yet strong, her center. Delia reached out to it and as her mind touched it, it flashed. A wave of heat and light, joy and gratitude overcame her. Delia staggered and her eyes opened as Enaur caught her by her arms.

 

“Are you alright, Princess?”

 

Delia gasped. “It was so beautiful!”

 

Enaur smiled. “Good. Good. I’m glad your first effort was successful. You’ve unlocked your power. And well done.” He walked her to a nearby bench and they sat down. “With young elves who’ve grown up around magic, they tap into their power early, without that opening. Sometimes they get blocked and must try several times to reach their center.”

 

Delia trembled on the bench. The world seemed both brighter and duller than it had a moment ago. She mentioned it to Enaur.

 

“Your magical sight has opened. You see the world both new made yet at the same time, not as lovely as the magic at your core. That will resolve itself. You will see more in the world now than you ever have.” He looked around the garden. The world is a lovely place, the plants and animals, the beautiful and the ugly, it’s all a balance and magical in its own right. You have much to learn.”

 

“I look forward to it.”

 

On the walk back to the conservatory she realized many of the plants now had auras, or at least now she could see them. A rabbit hopped out from some bushes and froze when it saw them. She could see an aura around it as well. “I see auras sparkling around the plants and animals.”

 

“That’s good. It won’t be long before you stop seeing it uninvited. You’ll be able to call on that power to see a creature’s aura at will. Right now, just opened, it comes unbidden.”

 

Delia smiled. “Will there be another lesson today?”

 

Enaur shook his head. “The opening is enough for today. Tomorrow we’ll resume your lessons. I expect it won’t take long for you to gain your full powers.”

 

 

Thank You! Come back next week for Part 9.

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