Chapter 32: Chapter Nineteen – The Show Must Go On

“Can I…can I just have a quick chat,” Carrisyn’s smile hadn’t left her face, though the joy most certainly wasn’t reaching her eyes at the moment. “Just a…just a chitty chat.” Chitty chat? Oh, shit. That didn’t sound good at all.

“But I- “I began before Carrisyn swept past me, grabbed my arm with her hand and half-dragged me with her. “Ok, I guess.”

“What in the hell is going on?” Carrisyn finally whispered harshly after we’d gone a decent distance from the fire and had gotten closer to the cliff face than I was comfortable with. “What are you talking about?”

“I brought this on the elves,” I braced myself. “I need to take responsibility. I’m their queen and I need to help them.” Carrisyn blinked at me.

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” She finally demanded harshly. “In what way did you bring this on? How was any of this even remotely your fault?”

“W-Well, if I hadn’t shown up- “I stuttered, trying to get my thoughts straight. Her expression was so fierce I almost immediately felt like apologizing.

“It would have been much worse,” Carrisyn finished for me.

“You’re…what?” I gaped at her. Was Carrisyn actually kind of, sort of, praising me? I glanced around nervously, ready for the comet to streak from the sky and wipe us all out.

“This was going to happen regardless of anything you or I or anyone did. The King was not going to let elves think they had actual freedom a moment longer than was necessary,” Carrisyn sighed and clasped her hands behind her head, walking in slow circles. “Maybe our actions sped the process up and forced his hand, but it was inevitable. If you hadn’t shown up that cloud of smoke would be much larger and any elves outside the slave pens would have been a distant memory.”

“R-Regardless! I have to help them! I have to be the queen they need!” Carrisyn stopped pacing and peered at me.

“Do you know anything about being a ruler?”

“Well…” I paused, thinking back on the totality of my life’s experience. I’d seen a bunch of documentaries but I’m not sure that qualified. “No.” I finally admitted.

“You are not the queen anyone wants,” Carrisyn shook her head. “But you can be the hero everyone needs.” My eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“What are you talking about?”

“Have you ever loved someone more than life itself?” Carrisyn came closer, pausing a meter in front of me and holding me with her silver eyes. My thoughts immediately went to my family and my heart ached. My mom and dad, sitting and smiling in the living room, Moon ranting excitedly about some new physics problem she’d found or some new theory on family dynamics she’d uncovered, her eyes glinting joyfully in the dappled sunlight.

“Yes,” I finally replied.

“What would you do for them?” Carrisyn continued to stare at me, the fire in her eyes not letting me look away.

“Anything,” I responded truthfully. A smile curled her lips and she nodded.

“I have someone like that, too,” she whispered. A sigh seemed to come from somewhere deep in her soul and she closed her eyes for a moment, as if seeing in her mind scenes from happier times long ago. “My sister. That’s why I came here.” I waited quietly. It was obvious she had more to say and was trying to wrap her head around how to continue.

“She’s dying and I’ve come here to find, well, not to put too fine a point on it, you,” Carrisyn finally said.

“I don’t understand,” I admitted. What could I possibly do? Wouldn’t an internist be a bit more helpful than a half-ass otaku history teacher?

“Your ability to heal yourself,” Carrisyn’s voice was quiet, nearly blown away by the wind. “I found a way to harness it and put it into a talisman. Probably.”

“Probably?” Not a resounding eureka moment to be sure.

“It’s just a theory for now, I won’t know for sure how to do it until we reach the Tower of the Moon,” Carrisyn’s eyes found mine and held me. “But if I’m right, not only can you save my sister, but we can both get back to where we belong. To do that you need to trust me. Do you trust me?”

“Not in the least,” I replied honestly again. She chuckled and shook her head.

“I can’t blame you. I’ve not done anything to earn your trust. Here’s the honest truth, though, I need your help. I can’t do this without you.”

“What does any of that have to do with the elves?” I scowled. Why was she even telling me all of this? Was I being manipulated once again? I decided that I probably was.

“You say you want to help them,” Carrisyn stared at me. “But do you love the elves? Are they the ones you would do anything for?”

“Well, I…” I finally sighed and hung my head. “No.”

“Then how is staying here anything less than a betrayal?” Carrisyn stepped closer to me. She had me in the palm of her hand once again and I hated it. Damn she was a tricky bitch, I seethed. “Help me and I will help you. We’ll both get back to the ones we love.”

“I can’t just abandon the elves, though,” I murmured.

“Who says you have to,” Carrisyn stepped even closer, towering over me, now. I had to crane my neck up to see her face. “Let me give you the answers you need. Can you do that?”

“I-I- “What was she doing? Why was she so close? What answers were she talking about? Oddly enough she smelled really good for some reason. A bit smoky from the fire, mixed with herbs and flowers and a hint of fruit. I swallowed hard, staring into her eyes as she bent her head toward me.

“Let me help you help all of us,” Carrisyn murmured, her tone almost…seductive? My gaze slipped from her eyes to her full, red lips and I swallowed again. What was going on? What was happening here? “I can help you be the hero we all need if you’ll give me the chance. Will you?”

“O-Ok,” I whispered, nodding imperceptibly. Please kiss me, I thought. Please, please, please kiss me.

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“I can help you with other things, too,” Carrisyn whispered, her lips now mere centimeters from mine. “I don’t have to be the countess anymore. I have no lands or titles. I have the freedom, now, to be a lot of things…”

“O-O-Oh?” I stuttered, tilting my head up even further, bringing our lips even closer still. Her lips curled in a smile.

“Definitely,” Carrisyn purred.

“No!” A voice called from behind me. Carrisyn took a step backward in surprise and I was shocked when Sayuri’s naked body appeared in front of me suddenly arms outspread, her warm butt pressed against my belly. “You don’t bite friends, sir!”

“Huh?” Carrisyn and I said in harmony. Sayuri’s ears were plastered back, and her tail had wrapped around my legs protectively.

“Sayuri won’t let you!” A low growl drifted from the cat girl’s throat.

“Wha?” I gasped. “It’s not like that!” Carrisyn’s smile broadened and she laughed.

“I suppose you’re right,” Carrisyn giggled. “Let’s get back. I have an idea.” I followed her with my eyes as she vanished into the night back toward the dancing fire.

“What the fuck?” I gaped. “What the hell just happened?”

“Sayuri isn’t sure sir would have bitten you, but it’s not alright to threaten,” Sayuri nodded in satisfaction. “Sayuri will protect you, dirty half breed friend!”

“Wow,” I hung my head dejectedly and muttered. “Thanks.”

“You re welcome!” Sayuri hugged me, breasts pressed against me. Though I didn’t mind the skinship at all, I was still more than a bit disappointed. I’d been clit blocked on my first kiss by a naked catgirl. How far had my life spun out of control for this sort of thing to have occurred?

“Guess we should get back, too,” I sulked.

“Okie!” Sayuri took my arm in hers and led me back, skipping slightly as she walked.

“So, what are we doing?” I glanced around in confusion. A number of Lyrei’s lieutenants as well as a few of the Ri’s council which had survived stood arrayed in a semi-circle in front of the large rock Lyrei and I stood on top of. In front of the assembled elves stood the girl I’d spoken with earlier, Alyndra, who was glancing about nervously. Carrisyn stood between us solemnly, a large book in her hands. I had noticed Carrisyn talking earnestly to Lyrei when I returned to camp. The girl at first seemed bewildered but had quickly become excited, nodding fervently before smiling at me and hurrying off into the darkness.

“I am solving the problem,” Carrisyn nodded her head toward a young girl with a flute. The girl began to play a haunting melody which seemed to evoke images of deep woods and snowy landscapes, its melody drifting across the wind, seemingly reaching even the furthest points of the camp, despite it being quiet enough to be unobtrusive. “Do you trust me?”

“Not at all,” I reiterated quietly, aware that all of the assembled were staring at us.

“It’s fine, just repeat what I tell you to,” Carrisyn grinned at me.

“But I just told- “I began to protest when Carrisyn’s voice rang out in a language I had no hope of understanding.

“Mar a tharla san amsna coillte doimhne bailimid le cheile chun banrion agus a banrion a chorion,” Carrisyn declared, reading from the book. The firelight glinted in the eyes of the excited elves. “Ar na bealai a ritheadh sios o thusan domhain failtimid go sollunta roimh thosach teaghlaigh rioga nua.

“Go maire an bheirt a chéile agus muid ag tabhairt aire dóibh. Go dtiocfadh an bheirt chun tosaigh agus nach leanfaidh siad roimh nó ina dhiaidh sin, i gcónaí mar is ionann. Go ndéana ár mbrón a ndiongbháilteacht, ár sólás a neart agus a ngrá linne. Anseo san am i láthair féachaimid siar le hurraim agus ar aghaidh le dóchas,” She continued on as I stared blankly at the faces around me. “Faoi shúile an bandia agus lena cosaint, a eagna agus a beannacht iarraim anois an aontaíonn an lánúin seo a bheith ar aon intinn, corp, croí agus anam. Lyrei?”

“Aontaím, Lyrei, agus glacaim leis an gcúnant,” Lyrei declared, standing straight and proud.

“Just say what she said and replace ‘Lyrei’ with Ashvallen,” Carrisyn advised.

“But I don’t know what I’m saying!” I protested, looking around helplessly at the expectant faces.

“You’re going to look like a fool in about ten seconds,” Carrisyn whispered in warning.

“Gah! Fine! Aontaím, Ashvallen, agus glacaim leis an gcúnant,” I muttered awkwardly, butchering most of the words. Carrisyn nodded before speaking up again.

“Glacadh leis an leanbh, Alyndra Fairwind, ar íoc a tuismitheoirí an costas deiridh as a deabhóid, mar iníon na fola ríoga. An nglacann sí?” Alyndra paused for a moment, eyes wide in shock.

“Really?” She gasped, staring at Lyrei and I awestruck. Lyrei nodded, a smile on her lips. She looked at me and I smiled. Sure, I thought, we’ll go with whatever the hell is going on and then have a word or two with Carrisyn once this was all over.

“G-Glacaim!” Alyndra proclaimed happily, nearly clapping her hands in excitement.

“Ansin le cumhacht an bandia agus iad siúd a tháinig roimhe agus a thiocfaidh i ndiaidh, fógróidh mé an bhanríon agus an bhanríon seo a phósadh, ní amháin dá chéile, ach dúinn féin a bhreathnaíonn. Tugaim duit teaghlach ríoga Silverbough. Go maire siad réimeas!

!” Carrisyn finished with a cry, echoed by the cheers of the Elves around us. Lyrei jumped into my arms and hugged me tight, kissing me on both cheeks as I stood still and confused. I glanced up at Carrisyn who was eyeing Lyrei rather unkindly.

“What the fuck just happened?” I demanded.

“Congratulations,” Carrisyn pried Lyrei from me as gently, yet firmly, as she could. “You just got married.”

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