For Love of You
Chapter 1 of 1
“Tanis!” Laurana called. She walked through the forests of Qualinesti looking for the half elf. “Tanis, where are you hiding?” She peered around every tree in the forest in search of her betrothed. Tanis, hiding behind a tree she had just passed, grinned as he followed quietly behind Laurana. He grabbed her waist from behind and pulled her toward him. She let out a little scream of fright.
“Right behind you, my love,” he said softly. She smiled and lifted her face toward his for a soft kiss. “Why were you looking for me, dearest one?” he asked.
“Father was looking for you,” Laurana replied. “I’m not sure why, but he wants to see you.” She slipped easily from his arms and took his hand. They walked together back to Qualinost, the capital of Qualinesti. When they got there, Tanis gave her hand a swift kiss before letting it go.
“I’ll come find you after the meeting with your father, dearest one,” he said softly. They embraced, holding each other close before he pulled away to meet with Solostaran, the Speaker of the Sun, king of the Qualinesti people. Tanis took a deep breath as he walked toward the palace with the tall, gleaming towers of stone. The Tower of the Sun, at the very center, was the tallest of them all. He took a deep breath and started up the stairs toward the Tower of the Sun. He hesitated at the door, trying to calm his shaking body, before raising a hand and knocking softly on the door.
“Enter,” a voice called. He opened the door and walked into the throne room of the Speaker of the Sun. He knelt on the ground a few feet from the king’s throne. “Rise, son of my sister,” Solostaran said. Tanis got to his feet, but he kept his eyes on the ground. “Look at me,” the king said sternly. Tanis looked into the grave face of the Speaker.
“You asked for me, Speaker?” Tanis said as calmly as he could. The Speaker nodded.
“Yes, Tanis Half-Elven. I have called upon you to warn you against any further romantic interactions with my daughter.” Tanis stared at him in disbelief.
“Speaker, your daughter and I love each other—“
“Half-Elven, she is an elf princess! You are nothing but a bastard half breed!” Solostaran snapped. “You will cease your courting of my daughter, or so help me, I’ll throw you out of Qualinesti!” Tanis flinched as he nodded.
“If that’s all, I’ll take my leave,” Tanis said, turning on his heel and starting toward the door.
“Half-Elven,” a voice said. He turned his head and stared into the face of Porthios, eldest son of the Speaker and Laurana’s brother. “I will have my eye on you to make sure you and Laurana don’t do anything you’re not supposed to,” he informed the half elf. Porthios’s eyes were dark and piercing, telling Tanis that the elf prince would keep his word. Tanis nodded and wordlessly left the grand palace.
Laurana paced restlessly outside of the palace. When Tanis, pale and shaking, emerged, she bounded to his side.
“Dearest one, are you well? You’re so pale!” she exclaimed. Tanis moved away from her, keeping his head down and his back to her.
“Your father wants me to end my courtship of you,” he said, his voice hoarse. He was holding back tears. “He told me if I didn’t, he would exile me.”
“But Tanis, my love, we can’t let him keep us apart!” she cried, grabbing his arm. “I love you. I can’t and won’t give you up!”
“Laurana, I’m sorry, but I can’t!” he said, tearing his arm from her grasp. “I love you, and that’s why I must leave, to save you from being taunted or worse because of me.” He let the tears slide down his cheeks. Soundlessly, Laurana pressed a golden ring into his hand.
“This is our engagement ring. Keep this until you come back to me,” she said. He nodded and walked out of the city. Laurana watched him, tears streaming down his cheeks. Solostaran also watched in sorrow as his nephew left the city. He had done what he accomplished, however, and he left the window, content in knowing that his daughter was safe from Tanis’s lecherous human side, at least for now.
“Right behind you, my love,” he said softly. She smiled and lifted her face toward his for a soft kiss. “Why were you looking for me, dearest one?” he asked.
“Father was looking for you,” Laurana replied. “I’m not sure why, but he wants to see you.” She slipped easily from his arms and took his hand. They walked together back to Qualinost, the capital of Qualinesti. When they got there, Tanis gave her hand a swift kiss before letting it go.
“I’ll come find you after the meeting with your father, dearest one,” he said softly. They embraced, holding each other close before he pulled away to meet with Solostaran, the Speaker of the Sun, king of the Qualinesti people. Tanis took a deep breath as he walked toward the palace with the tall, gleaming towers of stone. The Tower of the Sun, at the very center, was the tallest of them all. He took a deep breath and started up the stairs toward the Tower of the Sun. He hesitated at the door, trying to calm his shaking body, before raising a hand and knocking softly on the door.
“Enter,” a voice called. He opened the door and walked into the throne room of the Speaker of the Sun. He knelt on the ground a few feet from the king’s throne. “Rise, son of my sister,” Solostaran said. Tanis got to his feet, but he kept his eyes on the ground. “Look at me,” the king said sternly. Tanis looked into the grave face of the Speaker.
“You asked for me, Speaker?” Tanis said as calmly as he could. The Speaker nodded.
“Yes, Tanis Half-Elven. I have called upon you to warn you against any further romantic interactions with my daughter.” Tanis stared at him in disbelief.
“Speaker, your daughter and I love each other—“
“Half-Elven, she is an elf princess! You are nothing but a bastard half breed!” Solostaran snapped. “You will cease your courting of my daughter, or so help me, I’ll throw you out of Qualinesti!” Tanis flinched as he nodded.
“If that’s all, I’ll take my leave,” Tanis said, turning on his heel and starting toward the door.
“Half-Elven,” a voice said. He turned his head and stared into the face of Porthios, eldest son of the Speaker and Laurana’s brother. “I will have my eye on you to make sure you and Laurana don’t do anything you’re not supposed to,” he informed the half elf. Porthios’s eyes were dark and piercing, telling Tanis that the elf prince would keep his word. Tanis nodded and wordlessly left the grand palace.
Laurana paced restlessly outside of the palace. When Tanis, pale and shaking, emerged, she bounded to his side.
“Dearest one, are you well? You’re so pale!” she exclaimed. Tanis moved away from her, keeping his head down and his back to her.
“Your father wants me to end my courtship of you,” he said, his voice hoarse. He was holding back tears. “He told me if I didn’t, he would exile me.”
“But Tanis, my love, we can’t let him keep us apart!” she cried, grabbing his arm. “I love you. I can’t and won’t give you up!”
“Laurana, I’m sorry, but I can’t!” he said, tearing his arm from her grasp. “I love you, and that’s why I must leave, to save you from being taunted or worse because of me.” He let the tears slide down his cheeks. Soundlessly, Laurana pressed a golden ring into his hand.
“This is our engagement ring. Keep this until you come back to me,” she said. He nodded and walked out of the city. Laurana watched him, tears streaming down his cheeks. Solostaran also watched in sorrow as his nephew left the city. He had done what he accomplished, however, and he left the window, content in knowing that his daughter was safe from Tanis’s lecherous human side, at least for now.