She Is My Darling

The Yellow River rose beyond the white clouds, a solitary city stood amid a thousand-foot range of mountains. Wang Zhihuan's poem could not have described the Barrens' outposts more aptly. Along the route from the capital, Zin-Azshari, to Eldre'Thalas, there were two kinds of outposts: some were guarded by the capital's troops, others by the Prince's. Though both forces belonged to the elven kingdom, they answered to different masters and looked down on each other. This outpost lay near Feralas. Under Prince Azar's policy that "real combat is the best training," his forces had swept the area without pause. For a hundred miles around the outpost, there was not a soul in sight—only the howling wind and endless stretches of yellow sand. Today, the guards at the outpost were as delighted as if it were a festival, because a party from the capital, Zin-Azshari, had stopped to rest there. If it had been an ordinary group, the soldiers would not have paid them any special attention. They would simply have provided the usual supplies and prepared a place for them to rest. If it had been a merchant caravan from Eldre'Thalas, they might have chatted about news from home; if it had come from the other side, they would have been less welcoming. Of course, whichever side a caravan came from, it always left a little something behind as a courtesy. But this party was different. The guards brought out their finest food and wine, and welcomed them with all the warmth they could muster. It was the princess's entourage. Yes, the princess was going to Eldre'Thalas! Ever since his daughter was born, Azar had longed to see her. But he knew she was too young to be separated from her mother, so he had waited until she was older. Now she was grown and ready to learn. He did not want anyone else teaching her, and her mother was always busy, so he had taken the rare step of writing Azshara a personal letter, requesting that he be allowed to teach the child himself once she turned one hundred. After more than a month on the road, they had finally reached the first outpost in Eldre'Thalas.

"Xavius, are these my father's soldiers? Why are their ears different from yours? And their skin is a different color, too?" The princess had asked plenty of questions along the way. She was at an age when she was eager to learn, curious about everything. Now that they had arrived, her curiosity had kicked into high gear again. Xavius had been worn out by her questions throughout the journey, but he still patiently explained, "We are all ruled by Her Majesty the Queen, but the two regions have somewhat different ways of life. The elves in the capital like to work at night because they believe it brings them closer to the Moon Goddess. But the subjects of Feralas are different. They rise with the sun and rest when it sets. That is why their skin is different. Your Highness, you often see mages, don't you? And me—you can see that our faces are pale, can't you? It's because we spend so much time in the sun. Heh, heh, heh."

"I see. Then what about their ears? You haven't explained that yet," the princess pressed.

"Well, there hasn't been any conclusive research on that yet. Personally, I think it has something to do with seeing at night. Perhaps elves' ears help them sense what's around them. Yes, that must be it."

"Oh, I see. Mother said you're one of the few Wise. If even you don't know, then it must be hard to find an answer. I wonder if Father will know." The princess looked a little disappointed, but then her eyes suddenly lit up again. Perhaps the father she had never met had inspired great confidence in her. She had always believed her father was a great man. Her mother often told her of his glorious deeds, and the aunt who cared for her was always beaming with pride whenever she mentioned him, calling him the pride of the Zarzan House. "What kind of person is Father, anyway?"

"How much longer?" In the Council Hall, Azar paced back and forth.

"Don't worry, my cousin. Going by Mother's letter, they should have reached our outpost by now."

"Still too slow! I've told them over and over to fix the roads! Go meet them, then. Wait for them at the crossroads."

"You're the one who's anxious, yet you're blaming the Minister of Municipal Affairs. All right. Besides, it's been a long time since I've seen my dear niece."

"Maiev, where are you going?" Maiev was heading out when she happened to run into the Minister of Municipal Affairs, who had come to report.

"To meet someone. Be careful—the one inside is in a bad mood," Maiev quietly warned him. The minister shuddered at once. It was rare for that man to lose his temper, so he'd better be careful and avoid becoming the target of it. But who had managed to upset him? Full of questions and stepping cautiously, he entered the Council Hall. Azar spotted him at once.

"Afanti, what brings you here? Are you free today?"

The Minister of Municipal Affairs' heart sank. Damn it, after all that guessing, he hadn't once suspected it was him. Strange. He'd been working hard lately—what had he done to upset Azar? Had he gained weight? Everyone in Eldre'Thalas knew the Prince hated fat people.

At last! The princess was excited because something she had been looking forward to was finally about to happen.

At last. Xavius felt relieved because his mission was complete.

At last! Azar was happy because he would finally get to see his daughter.

At last! The Minister of Municipal Affairs was happy because the princess's arrival would distract the Prince, and he might no longer have to live in fear every day. If he made a good impression, he might even receive a generous reward.

"Are you my father?" The princess looked at the broad-shouldered male elf before her, whose face wore a gentle smile.

"Yes, my child. I'm your father." Azar almost burst into tears. Damn, it hadn't been easy. This was his own daughter! Thank the Light—she had finally come to his side.

"Your Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Afanti, Minister of Municipal Affairs in Eldre'Thalas. On behalf of all the people of the Feralas Region, I welcome you. Please allow me to be your guide and show you around this beautiful city." Afanti noticed the lull and stepped forward to speak.

"I'm looking forward to it. You can begin whenever you like," the princess said excitedly.

"Come, Sophia. Come over to your father. I'll go with you." Azar came back to his senses. Nothing else mattered now; his first priority was to bond with his daughter!

"You come along too, and offer your opinions," Azar said, glancing at Xavius, who was hiding behind the others.

"Yes, my lord."

The group entered a room in City Hall.

"Your Highness, what you see here is our city's management center. From here, you can see the entire city and some of the buildings and roads in the surrounding area."

"This is magnificent, Afanti! Is that City Hall in the very center? It looks just like the real thing." Sophia let go of her father's hand and hurried to the railing, bracing both hands on it as she cried out in excitement.

"Where is that? What's over there? And what about that!" The large room rang with the cheerful voice of a little girl. Everyone watched her with smiles, sharing in her joy. Azar gazed at his daughter as she excitedly peppered Afanti with questions, his eyes full of tenderness.