Memoirs: A BWWM Fantasy/Sci-Fi Collection

VII. Bedtime Story

"But father, we want to see the lights!"

My eldest daughter pouted in agreement as her younger brother's words, and I sighed as I carried the two of them through the carved archways of the palace. They were still too young to understand the full importance of Aurora and its significance for our world; not to mention they'd be falling asleep before the opening course.

"Havren, I told you that you'd be able to glimpse the lights through your window before you go to sleep," I said soothingly as we reached the children's bedroom, "And as for you, Elewi, I expect not to find you trying to sneak out again like last year."

Elewi's coffee skin flushed as her blue eyes quickly darted away, and I felt a mirthful grin creep up my face as I set the two of them down on the bed.

"But I suppose I can't leave you empty-handed tonight," I said as I pulled back the wool covers for them, "Perhaps you'd like to hear a story about a prince?"

"Prince stories are boriiinnnggg," Havren said.

"Yeah! Let's hear about a great battle!" Elewi added with raised fists.

My smile dimmed as I looked down at my children, still blissfully unaware of the violence and hatred the world held. To them, war stories were tales of adventure and valor. But the horrible din of swords on shields would never stop ringing in my ears, nor would the acrid taste of blood mingling with smoke ever leave my mouth.

"Battles aren't as great as you seem to think they are. People are too quick to jump into them when they should use their words to solve their differences," I said, clearing my throat as I smiled again, "But as it just so happens, the story about a prince does involve a battle. However, this battle wasn't fought with swords and spears, but with truth and forgiveness, and the greatest weapon of all... love."

Havren and Elewi gave each other a skeptical look, but they snuggled under the covers all the same. I retrieved the stool my father used to sit on to tell me stories, and I hunched over myself as my voice lowered to a story-telling register.

"Thousands of years ago, there was an elven prince named Athlan, and he was the heir to a mighty kingdom much like the one you live in today."

"Is this story about you, father?" asked Havren.

"Yeah, you have the same name as the prince!" Elewi said.

"No, it's about a completely different Athlan who lived a very long time ago," I said with a raised eyebrow, "The fact the prince married a human woman who looked like your mother and was also named Marigold is just a coincidence."

Havren and Elewi frowned with disbelieving looks, but they leaned back to let their heads sink into their pillows as I began.

"You see, the lights on the solstice mark the time when the barrier between our world and the human world grows weak. And on that night, thousands of years ago," I stressed again, "Prince Athlan went to the Great Standing Stones, and when the Aurora passed overhead, he found himself thrust into the human world by great magicks.

You see, Athlan's grandfather had arranged a marriage to a woman Athlan didn't love, a woman who secretly desired to usurp his throne for a rival kingdom. But the traitorous young princess was so beautiful and spoke so eloquently that the prince knew no one would believe him when he tried to warn them, and he felt the only way for his kingdom to escape its grim fate was to leave our world altogether."

"When does Marigold come in?" Havren asked.

"Yeah, and the battle!" Elewi said, grudgingly becoming engrossed in the story.