Categories > Original > Fantasy > My Strange Journey
Previous chapter: Selwyn had just motioned for me to follow him after speaking to the guards at the gate.
I followed closely to Selwyn feeling a bit uneasy. The Elven guards did not look as though they liked having me there. One was blonde, the other brunette and both were staring at me as though they'd rather shoot me with their bows than allow me entrance.
" S-Selwyn...why are they looking at me like that?" I stuttered, completely shaken by the stares. Selwyn looked back at the guards, then to me and smiled reassuringly.
" Do not worry. They will not harm you as long as you are my guest and under my protection." he replied and kept walking. As we walked past more elves I got some looks like the ones the guards gave me and some of complete shock.
" But...why would they want to hurt me? I haven't done anything...have I?" I asked somewhat distracted by the elves and by the beautiful city around me. I hadn't seen any redhaired elves so far, other than Selwyn's highlights. Maybe they didn't like redheads?
"No you haven't done anything, Sam. Elves just generally don't like other races, we tend to think we are superior." Selwyn explained stopping in front of a lovely white marble building with flower pots in the windows. All the buildings in this city were white. That's probably why they call it the White City. Selwyn, whom I just realized was very short for an elf, opened the door to this building and led me inside. "This is my home, make yourself comfortable." he said.
The inside was very different from what I thought it would be. It was not done in white like the outside, but painted in deep, warm colors like gold and dulled red. Bright red would have been tacky. The floor was wooden, highly polished, and so was the table and chairs. There was a fireplace with cushy armchairs in front of it and a closed door that may have led to a bedroom or bath. The kitchen and dining room were one room with a brick oven and storage shelves beside it. I sat at a table chair, not wanting to sit in an arm chair and seem too presumptuous. Selwyn went to work in the kitchen, while the silver fairy who had been forgotten on my shoulder flitted about exploring.
"Do you want me to help you, Selwyn?" I offered. I felt really useless just sitting there.
"No. You are my guest, you should not have to do anything." He said smiling and continuing with preparing a meal. He seems to be a very happy person..smiling all the time. I thought looking around for something to do. Nothing caught my attention, so I thought I'd keep the conversation going.
"Selwyn, if Elves don't like other races then why are you being so nice to me?" I asked now slightly suspicious of his motives. He chuckled lightly before answering.
"I never understood why we were supposed to hate other races. It just seemed so stupid to shut everyone out and never learn a thing from them." he answered not stopping his cooking this time. He had put a kettle on the flat surface on top of the oven, no doubt making tea. He had put something on two giant leaves, wrapping each separately and using a wooden tray to push the leaves and the tray they were on into the large brick oven.
I nodded. I had always been interested in others too. "So how does your society work? What are the rules?" I asked. Selwyn chuckled and sat down across from me at the table.
"Well we have a King and a Prince, but the King doesn't rule completely. He has a council to help him make laws and solve problems. The Prince is, of course, in training to become the next king. But with how long we Elves live, he may not take the throne for centuries more." Selwyn paused here to allow for any questions.
"Centuries? How long exactly can an Elf live?" I asked with an amazed look on my face. Selwyn smiled indulgently before continuing.
"Well-" But he didn't get to finish because just then he was interrupted by a knock at the door. He looked surprised. "I wonder who that could be?" He got up and opened the door to see two guards standing there.
"Prince Kimmell would like to see the human. We are to escort him immediately to the castle." One gaurd said. This was in Elvish and once again, I found myself able to understand just like when I first met Selwyn. I stood from my chair with worry and fear on my face. Selwyn turned to me and translated because he still thought I couldn't understand Elvish.
One gaurd took my arm and began to lead me away and as Selwyn made to follow, the other guard stopped him. "The Prince wishes to see the human alone." Selwyn nodded and stepped back inside his home. I was very nervous about meeting the Prince of the Elves, not only because he was royalty and I was still dirty from my time in the forest, but because if what Selwyn said about Elves held true for the Prince...then whatever he wanted with me couldn't be good.
The two Elven guards led me into the castle and out into a courtyard that was filled with lush plant life and even some small animals. In the middle of this courtyard was a boy who looked to be my age, whom I assumed was the Prince. The boy had long red curls that were tied back in a ponytail, vibrant green eyes, pale skin, and he was wearing a white outfit trimmed in gold. When the guards brought me before him, he smiled and told the gaurds to leave him alone with me.
Once the guards had gone Prince Kimmell turned to look at me, a serene smile permanently, it seemed, on his face. "What is your name?" he asked his voice was light and musical just as you would expect an elf's voice to be. I looked around, at the prince and then at the ground not really sure if I was allowed to look at him or not.
"My name is Sam." I said to the ground. I heard a light laugh from the prince. I looked up to see him covering his mouth while laughing in a very girlish way. He looked beautiful like that. I blushed at my own thoughts and quickly looked back at the ground.
"Do not be afraid, Sam. I'm only curious about you. You see, in this world only royalty has hair such as ours. No one knows where you came from and I get the feeling you are not of our realm." Prince Kimmell explained to me.
I looked up again. "Really? Only royalty? But then why have they all been staring at me so hatefully if they think I might be royalty?"
I followed closely to Selwyn feeling a bit uneasy. The Elven guards did not look as though they liked having me there. One was blonde, the other brunette and both were staring at me as though they'd rather shoot me with their bows than allow me entrance.
" S-Selwyn...why are they looking at me like that?" I stuttered, completely shaken by the stares. Selwyn looked back at the guards, then to me and smiled reassuringly.
" Do not worry. They will not harm you as long as you are my guest and under my protection." he replied and kept walking. As we walked past more elves I got some looks like the ones the guards gave me and some of complete shock.
" But...why would they want to hurt me? I haven't done anything...have I?" I asked somewhat distracted by the elves and by the beautiful city around me. I hadn't seen any redhaired elves so far, other than Selwyn's highlights. Maybe they didn't like redheads?
"No you haven't done anything, Sam. Elves just generally don't like other races, we tend to think we are superior." Selwyn explained stopping in front of a lovely white marble building with flower pots in the windows. All the buildings in this city were white. That's probably why they call it the White City. Selwyn, whom I just realized was very short for an elf, opened the door to this building and led me inside. "This is my home, make yourself comfortable." he said.
The inside was very different from what I thought it would be. It was not done in white like the outside, but painted in deep, warm colors like gold and dulled red. Bright red would have been tacky. The floor was wooden, highly polished, and so was the table and chairs. There was a fireplace with cushy armchairs in front of it and a closed door that may have led to a bedroom or bath. The kitchen and dining room were one room with a brick oven and storage shelves beside it. I sat at a table chair, not wanting to sit in an arm chair and seem too presumptuous. Selwyn went to work in the kitchen, while the silver fairy who had been forgotten on my shoulder flitted about exploring.
"Do you want me to help you, Selwyn?" I offered. I felt really useless just sitting there.
"No. You are my guest, you should not have to do anything." He said smiling and continuing with preparing a meal. He seems to be a very happy person..smiling all the time. I thought looking around for something to do. Nothing caught my attention, so I thought I'd keep the conversation going.
"Selwyn, if Elves don't like other races then why are you being so nice to me?" I asked now slightly suspicious of his motives. He chuckled lightly before answering.
"I never understood why we were supposed to hate other races. It just seemed so stupid to shut everyone out and never learn a thing from them." he answered not stopping his cooking this time. He had put a kettle on the flat surface on top of the oven, no doubt making tea. He had put something on two giant leaves, wrapping each separately and using a wooden tray to push the leaves and the tray they were on into the large brick oven.
I nodded. I had always been interested in others too. "So how does your society work? What are the rules?" I asked. Selwyn chuckled and sat down across from me at the table.
"Well we have a King and a Prince, but the King doesn't rule completely. He has a council to help him make laws and solve problems. The Prince is, of course, in training to become the next king. But with how long we Elves live, he may not take the throne for centuries more." Selwyn paused here to allow for any questions.
"Centuries? How long exactly can an Elf live?" I asked with an amazed look on my face. Selwyn smiled indulgently before continuing.
"Well-" But he didn't get to finish because just then he was interrupted by a knock at the door. He looked surprised. "I wonder who that could be?" He got up and opened the door to see two guards standing there.
"Prince Kimmell would like to see the human. We are to escort him immediately to the castle." One gaurd said. This was in Elvish and once again, I found myself able to understand just like when I first met Selwyn. I stood from my chair with worry and fear on my face. Selwyn turned to me and translated because he still thought I couldn't understand Elvish.
One gaurd took my arm and began to lead me away and as Selwyn made to follow, the other guard stopped him. "The Prince wishes to see the human alone." Selwyn nodded and stepped back inside his home. I was very nervous about meeting the Prince of the Elves, not only because he was royalty and I was still dirty from my time in the forest, but because if what Selwyn said about Elves held true for the Prince...then whatever he wanted with me couldn't be good.
The two Elven guards led me into the castle and out into a courtyard that was filled with lush plant life and even some small animals. In the middle of this courtyard was a boy who looked to be my age, whom I assumed was the Prince. The boy had long red curls that were tied back in a ponytail, vibrant green eyes, pale skin, and he was wearing a white outfit trimmed in gold. When the guards brought me before him, he smiled and told the gaurds to leave him alone with me.
Once the guards had gone Prince Kimmell turned to look at me, a serene smile permanently, it seemed, on his face. "What is your name?" he asked his voice was light and musical just as you would expect an elf's voice to be. I looked around, at the prince and then at the ground not really sure if I was allowed to look at him or not.
"My name is Sam." I said to the ground. I heard a light laugh from the prince. I looked up to see him covering his mouth while laughing in a very girlish way. He looked beautiful like that. I blushed at my own thoughts and quickly looked back at the ground.
"Do not be afraid, Sam. I'm only curious about you. You see, in this world only royalty has hair such as ours. No one knows where you came from and I get the feeling you are not of our realm." Prince Kimmell explained to me.
I looked up again. "Really? Only royalty? But then why have they all been staring at me so hatefully if they think I might be royalty?"
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