TIR NA LIA -
The royal palace of the Aen Elle was a monument to eternal ambition of the elves, its spires of white stone piercing the silver sky, the musical whisper of the city beyond could be heard here. It was a place of power, a place of secrets, a place where the fate of worlds was decided in whispered conversations and carefully chosen words.
In a secret chamber hidden deep within the majestic elven palace, two elves stood in the flickering light of enchanted candles. The room was small and windowless, its walls lined with shelves of ancient tomes and arcane artifacts that had been collected over millennia. A single table stood at its center, its surface covered with maps and scrolls that bore the marks of centuries of use.
Caranthir stood near the table, his hair catching the candlelight and his fingers traced the edge of a map, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon of a world that was not their own, a world that held the key to their salvation or their destruction.
"Indeed, I have confirmed it myself," Caranthir said, his voice low as he had uncovered a truth that would change everything. "Avallac'h brought the girl here, right here under our very noses. He has been training her in the Silver Forest, his old home. He is trying to get her to control her powers, to shape them into something useful for his designs, for our king's designs."
The figure across from him stepped forward into the light, his presence filling the room with an aura of cold authority. He was tall, he wore flowing robes of a courtier, but there was no mistaking the power that radiated from him.
Eredin Bréacc Glas.
"Why did you not tell me sooner?" His words were calm, but there was a dangerous undercurrent beneath them, the restrained fury of an elf who had been kept in the dark. "We have been searching for her on the world of the Aen Seidhe for quite some time, with no results! Our riders have scoured every corner of that wretched realm, and we have found nothing but dead ends and false trails."
Caranthir raised a hand. "Do you not see? This is better for us. Let Avallac'h train her. He knows we are looking for her, and he wants her for our King. Do you understand what I am about to tell you General?"
Eredin's eyes narrowed, slowly realization spread across his features. "I see." A cold smile spread across his face, "Yes, that is smart. We could frame her for the death of the King once he brings her here to the palace. I assume he will try to disguise her as an elf and only let the King know who she is. But now we also know."
Caranthir nodded, he had thought this through, and considered every angle and every consequence. "This is the best chance to usurp the king. His desire to remain here and try to save our world is foolish. He clings to outdated ideals, to a vision that has no place in the reality of our situation. We must get a hold of her power for ourselves. Only you, General Eredin, deserve to have her. You are the only one with a right vision for our people, you should be the King."
Eredin's smile widened. "And I thank you for your trust in me. You will not regret it." He paused. "We should call Imlerith back and the riders from the world of the Aen Seidhe."
Caranthir was cautious, his words carefully chosen. "Is that wise, my King? Imlerith is our most trusted general of the red riders, but his presence here would be noticed, and they can't return without me, and I still think I'm needed here for the time being."
"You mean to say that Avallac'h still has eyes in that world while he is here? That he would know if our forces were recalled?" Eredin asked.
Caranthir nodded slowly. "I am sure he has. And I already met with him here. It would be suspicious to call back our forces right after I did. He would know for certain that we are onto his plans. He is no fool, I bet he already suspects that I know, so we must act quickly, the girl is making poor progress, she is no threat to us."
Eredin considered this. "Then Imlerith will stay for a while there. We should keep him in the dark for this." He paused, his voice hardening with resolve. "Instead, we should proceed with the plan to assassinate the King."
Caranthir agreed. "I will invite Avallac'h to the palace myself on our King's behalf. He will definitely bring the girl. This is his plan for certain, and I am sure she is in the dark as well. She does not know what awaits her and that Avallac'h is using her. She is a pawn in a game she does not truly understand."
Eredin's eyes gleamed with the light of ambition that had driven him for centuries. "Poor lass. Used by everyone around her, her own blood, the witchers who claim to protect her, the mages of her world who seek to use her. But her suffering will end once we obtain the Elder Blood and return it to our people. She will serve a greater purpose than she could ever imagine."
Caranthir nodded. "It will be done. The pieces are in motion, and soon we will have what we have sought for so long." He paused, his voice carrying a note of sharp warning. "Ge'els must never know about our plans. He is fiercely loyal to the King, and yet we still need him alive. He is quite the smart one, and he surely will join us once the time is right, but he must never know about our entire plan. Not ever."
Caranthir inclined his head, he had already considered this. "Of course. I have already thought about it. Ge'els will be kept in the dark until the moment is right."
Eredin nodded and he gestured for Caranthir to leave, his eyes fixed on the map that displayed the continent.
Caranthir turned to go, but Eredin's voice stopped him at the threshold.
"Humans," Eredin said, his voice full of resentment and loss. "That which you stole from us will return to our grasp once again, and the same mistake will not be repeated under my reign."
The candles flickered, casting long shadows across the room.
Caranthir nodded once, then disappeared into the darkness of the corridor, leaving Eredin alone with his thoughts and his plans.
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