King Ciel had lost his beloved wife five years to the very day when she was waylaid by a pack of savage wolves as she journeyed along the southern edge of Renshaw. The king had forgotten about this as a result of the current political turmoil. Kira and Kishi, on the other hand, would never be able to forget such a traumatic day. These two sorceresses blamed their father's lack of military skill and unorganized home guard for the tragic loss of their mother. Neither of them could ever feel safe again within the forest, and that was one of the reasons why they both must leave. The council convened by their father actually played into their hands without him being any the wiser.
"Yukio, you must get ready for the meeting," she said playfully over her shoulder. "I think that this will be a day long remembered in the history of my people, so you need to look your best." She turned to look at her husband and gave him a quick smile as the sun silhouetted her slender figure.
After several moments, General Yukio reappeared from the closest dressed in his military uniform he wore when meeting with royalty. His medals shined and glistened as he walked up to his wife on the balcony. Out with the old and in with the new. He was going to be the first king of the elves from the race of men. A male elf always ruled the kingdom, but that was going to change now that he was part of the family. He would have liked to force the change, but he could not doubt the brilliance of his wife's plan. It was going to work.
"Well, we should not keep the aged council members waiting," he said with a sly grin. He took her arm in his, and they left Tiranidrol Castle together. They had an hour to get to the sacred Edrdne Minyatur, the sacred meeting place where the elven High Council met. That was on the other side of Tarisdell, the capital city of the elven nation. The city was located at the heart of the ancient and enchanted Black Forest, also called Renshaw, so they took their time to enjoy their last day in the remarkable woodland. They would be sad to leave such a beautiful place, but their new home would be just as breathtaking with views that could not be found anywhere else in Tuwa.
The Earane Minyatur was silent aside from the shuffling of feet as the members of the High Council took their seats. The room had stunning vaulted ceilings made of marble with gold and silver inlaid into it. The round table the council members sat around filled the center of the spacious hall. The table itself had been hand crafted by King Nognili's dwarves as a gift for King Ciel's five hundredth anniversary as the ruler of the elven nation. At the center of this table there was a large open area that had a gold-and-silverembossed cauldron resting in the very middle. There was a silvery black substance that was simmering and turning inside the ornate pot while giving no reflection of its surroundings.
The cauldron was used for the purpose of casting votes and for revealing glimpses of the future for those who looked into its portents. The name of this magical device was Thraalillith. Most of the predictions made by this powerful object were not to be taken as entirely serious because it showed only half-truths. There were several occasions that the council had used the mysterious power of Thraalillith to try and foresee outcomes of their decisions. Each time they acted on what they had perceived to be the truth, they ended up worse for wear. It was now believed that the magical properties of the cauldron were too powerful to be controlled by even the most potent elven magic. Hence the reason why it was no longer used for anything aside from voting.
When the members of the council used the cauldron to cast their votes on debated issues, they would throw a piece of paper into a magically created fire that would hover above the silvery black portents of the Thraalillith. An affirmative vote would turn the fire bright blue, while a disapproving vote turned the fire crimson red. The council secretary recorded the number of votes for each side of the debated issue. The elves relished in using their magic whenever they could, and this was another frivolous way for them to use their power. They loved being reminded of their supposed superiority over the lesser races of Tuwa by using magic.
The side door of the High Council chamber opened with a snap to admit a stoic-looking king who was followed by his guard and his daughters Kira and Kishi. They were all adorned in the finest silk and cloth made by elven seamstresses. The king wore an impressive crown that was encrusted in a wide variety of dwarven jewels and gems. This crown was another gift from the dwarves. His daughters wore simple-looking leaf crowns made of silver and gold. Everyone stopped talking and stood up at their abrupt arrival. This show of reverence was an elven custom that had been practiced for centuries and had become a requirement since King Ciel took the throne. When royalty entered a room, everyone must stop what they were doing, stand if they were not already doing so, and face them. A slight bow was also required as they passed by. In this case, everyone bowed as the royal family made their way to their seats at the head of the round table even though they did not walk by them.
King Ciel took up his seat and nodded to the members of the council to be seated. His throne was made by some of the greatest craftsmen from Mount Carrick by the order of the dwarven king, Jarvis Dagnolir. The chair was encased in silver and gold in a magnificent swirling fashion. The high-backed chair had the crest of the Tiranidrol house carved into it. There was a depiction of a forest resembling the Black Forest with the Blaine River running parallel to it, which appeared to be moving.
The tension was increasing and the meeting hall became as quiet as a tomb. Before King Ciel could even begin the meeting, the double doors at the main entrance opened without warning. There was a loud resounding boom as the doors hit the solid oak walls. General Yukio Ibreshri marched in as if he had been the most anticipated guest. He was the general of the armies for Queen Daria Thejar, but he had no authority here among the elves. Daria was the monarch of the Nairi Canyons to the northeast of the Black Forest and an ally of the elves. However, this alliance was always strained because men were not allowed in the forest.
The general's enormous stature caught the eye of many of the council members. King Ciel felt uneasiness and a twinge of dread come over him at this unexpected appearance. However, the king hid his fear deep within and put on a look of contemptuous expectancy. He was not about to give an inch in the presence of this unworthy man who had besmirched his good name by stealing one of his daughters. He would take charge of this new development and leave no doubt in the council members' minds that he was still in charge.
General Yukio's interruption was not welcomed by the majority of the council members. They gave him malevolent looks that left no doubt as to their disgust and wariness of his presence. The general had anticipated nothing less from these shortsighted traditionalists. He was equal to the impending confrontation with the council, and he knew full well what the result of this encounter would be. He smiled at the thought of knowing something that the pompous king did not and did nothing to hide his pleasure he felt because of the disruption he caused.
"What do you mean by this intrusion?" the king demanded. He made sure to keep his tone even to hide the fear within. What are they playing at? How will his presence help his daughter's secret plans?
"The matter you are discussing today affects me as much as your daughter, King Ciel," General Yukio replied calmly. "You certainly did not believe that I would miss an opportunity to visit my in-laws." He smiled at the astonished looks on many of the council members' faces. He could sense that his presence had caught the king off guard and that he was not prepared for what was happening. The old fool did not believe that I would dare come!