Darkest Nights | Love of Royals: Book II

XI: The Ranger

Here it is - the first of a few different chapters. Every third chapter from now on (XI, XIV, XVII, XX...) will be told from Ílren's POV!  Hope you enjoy some content from a new character.  He's got his own story to tell from here ;)

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Ílren's POV

I was young.  She was younger.  We'd spend our days on adventures together, and our nights wrapped in each other's arms.  There was no one I loved more than her, nothing I cherished more than her love for me... but that was nearly three thousand years ago.  She was mortal.  I was not.  She was but twenty; I looked her age, but in truth I was nearly three times older.  I was always there, always with her, always by her side.

Until that day.  That day when I realised what my life was.  That day that keeps coming back to me, time and time again.

It was another one of our walks in the woods. I had my arm around her waist, while her head was nestled against my shoulder as we gazed off into the rustling idyll around us. Her hair glinted golden-brown in the dappled sunlight, blowing gently with the swaying trees which whispered back the words she'd say to me. Beautiful words, murmured in my ear in her melodic voice. Every now and then, I would turn and nuzzle my face into her hair or touch my lips to her freckled cheek, while the symphony of birdsong echoed around our heads. It was just another one of our days, when neither of us had a care in the world.

Except, that is, for the thought that had been growing in the back of my mind. If I told her, it would change our lives. We would be free to have what we both desired most: each other.

'Meiryn?' I asked tentatively.

'Yes, Ílren?' she said.  Playfully, she swivelled her head and batted her eyelashes at me.

I stopped in my tracks, gently taking hold of Meiryn's shoulder.  'I think it's time.'

'Time for what?' she questioned, lowering her brows in confusion.

'For us to marry,' I said earnestly.  'For me to give up the immortal life.  I will do anything to be with you.'

Meiryn's face crumpled.  'Give up... Ílren, why would you do this?'

'If we are to marry, then I must bind myself to you, and become mortal.  And I am willing to do that.'

'What?  No, you're an elf, you cannot forsake the life that was given to you,' she said firmly, pulling away from my touch and dropping her gaze to the ground.

'What if I do not want it?' I persisted.

'How could you say that?'  She seemed to choke on the words, her bottle green eyes beginning to shimmer.  'You are destined to live forever.'

'I don't live with the elves.  I hardly know them at all.  I could live out my life as a man, here, with you.'

It was as though the next words pained her to speak, as the first of the tears trickled down her ivory cheek, her teeth sinking into her lip to stifle the sob.  'Ílren, I love you, but I cannot let you do this.'

'Why not?' I pleaded, placing my hands on her shoulders again, 'you mean the world to me.  Please, it's what I want.'

'But it's not what you need.  You need someone who will stay with you forever.  An elf maiden, not a mere mortal like me...'  Meiryn shook her head, exhaling deeply through her nose.  'We should never have done this.'