“Will you make the necessary introductions, Chieftain Valzadari?”
“It would be my pleasure, Your Majesty. Emperor Ellery Draconis, Ducblanc Zane Draconis, and Ducblanc-mate Tiridythas D’Vaire, this is Chieftain Temolvi of the Indrenakas.”
Chieftain Indrenakas was nearly as tall as Ellery’s six feet. His skin was the dark blue of the night sky and his long hair was stunning white with navy on the last few inches. Like Ellery, it was beaded befitting his rank, and his clothing was a swirl of silver matching his eyes. It was lavishly embellished, and Ellery liked the regal air which surrounded him. “Your Majesty, I wish to thank you for this invitation to speak with you today. Your Graces, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you, Chieftain, for accepting. It means a great deal to have all of you here with me today.”
“Your Majesty and Your Graces,” Kalthekor said as another man stepped out from behind Chieftain Temolvi. “Allow me to present Chieftain Zamderyth of the Sae’Varis.”
The Sae’Varis ruler stood the same height as Temolvi, and his purple eyes were friendly. They were a nice compliment to his lavender skin and pale-blue hair. The plum sword burned onto him by Fate when he became chieftain rested between the open laces of his azure tunic. “Your Majesty, the Sae’Varis tribe will never believe it when I speak to them of your beauty. The pictures on television don’t do you justice. We appreciate your invitation and look forward to this meeting with you and Their Graces.”
“You humble me, Chieftain. It means a great deal to have you here today.”
A small elf peeked around Temolvi. His mint-green eyes were wide with curiosity and sat in a face which could only be described as adorable. He was shorter than the Valzadaris—who were diminutive by elven standards and averaged out at five inches over five feet. His brown hair appeared to be decorated in vibrant beads of many different colors.
Kalthekor smiled at the elf behind Temolvi and gestured for him to come forward. “It’s okay,” he assured the man.
Seconds later, Ellery got to see that the tiny elf also had clothing in a multitude of colors. It was vivid with bold strokes of various hues that somehow managed to be nothing less than beautiful. He wrung his rich pink hands together as he grinned up at Ellery.
“Your Majesty, Your Graces, this is Chieftain Lykvalos of the Mistamre.”
“It was nice when we got your invitation Your Majesty,” Chieftain Lykvalos said softly, then turned his attention to Tiri. “Your Grace, I have never seen an elf like you before.”
Tiri returned his smile. “I am not an elf, Chieftain. I’m a sprite. My former people don’t belong to the Council, and I grew up in the Sprite Grove until I met my mate.”
Chieftain Mystamre peered up at Chieftain Sae’Varis. “Zam, did you know there were sprites? I did not know. I like them, though. Did you see his ears?” Lykvalos reached up and fiddled with his own long ones. “I wish mine curled forward like that.” He turned swiftly back to Tiri. “How did you get that teal ball to stick on the top of them? Your mating earring is different too, like a corkscrew. Why do you not have two?”
“Chieftain, I was born with the teal ball. Sprites only have a single mating earring, but it continues to grow and work its way up to the ball the more I care for my mate. When it reaches the top, the little globe will glow, then a new corkscrew will appear on the other ear,” Tiri replied. Zane and Tiri had met nearly a year ago and already the earring was past the halfway mark. The love between the pair was undeniable.
“Oh, you don’t have to call me Chieftain. My friends call me Lyk. Your clothes are beautiful.” Lykvalos twirled in a quick circle. “I made mine. Do you like it?”
“I love it, and thank you.”
Ellery had to hide his smile. The Mystamre chieftain was delightful, and if he spent any time with the D’Vaire family, he was sure to be a big hit.
“Shall we have a seat?” Kalthekor asked.
“Of course,” Ellery replied. Zane waved him toward a chair and sat next to him as the elves in the room picked the seats they wanted. Most of them walked sedately over to their choice, but Lykvalos skipped.
“Chieftains and Chieftain-mates, I want to thank all of you again for taking the time to be here today,” Ellery commented, including the four D’Vaire men in his statement.
“Your Majesty, we are open to this discussion, but I believe I can speak for Lykvalos and Zamderyth when I say that we have reservations,” Temolvi responded.
“You were sick,” Lykvalos interjected. “Are you better now?”
“I am doing much better, thank you. As I have edged ever closer to being healthy, I have found myself with a great deal of time. I knew I needed to fill it with projects that were important. The first thing that came to mind is how beneficial I believe it would be for the Indrenakas, Sae’Varis, and Mystamre tribes to join the Council of Sorcery and Shifters.”
“Your Majesty, we appreciate the sentiment, but we were invited before and declined the invitation. We have no reason to believe the situation has changed, making the elves of your Council more tolerable.”
“Chieftain, I once belonged to a tribe that is not a part of this Council. I walked into this with a title and no clue how to fit in. What I can assure you is that I would allow no one to slight you or make you feel like an outcast because you have differences.”
“They don’t like us because we do not have pale skin.” Lykvalos whipped his head around to where Lorcan, Talfryn, and Cadlyr were sitting. “You guys seem nice, though.”
“I would offer the protection of my tribesmen, but besides my mate and I, there is only my brother left of the Acwellan,” Lorcan replied.
“What is it like to have demon blood?” Lykvalos asked. “If I had wings, I would fly high or maybe I wouldn’t like it. I’m not sure. I live in a hut.”
“I don’t like heights. I’m glad I can’t fly,” Tiri remarked.
