Peace Maker

" Elaria, I refuse to have this discussion again. You know perfectly well why you must train and the fact that we are on this subject again for what seems like the hundredth time today only highlights this fact. 

Now, I will see you for supper promptly at 8pm...do not be late and you know why."

Watching her mum walk down the hallway, her velvet train sweeping the freshly waved floor Elaria attempted not to screw up her face at the heavy floral fragance she left wafting in the air behind her. A sarcastic chuckle next to her had the young woman turning to the side as she watched her older sister throw her a malicious smirk as she followed after their Queen and mother. 

Rolling her eyes at her sister's blatant pettiness Elaria turned around and walked back into her personal quarters. Heading directly for the open window she inhaled deeply, the calming scent of fresh rain slowly easing her irritation at her situation. She didn't choose this life, it had chosen her...yet at what cost? Most days, most of the time really if she was to be absolutely honest she wished that she was simply the youngest daughter of the Spring Court. A regal position yet with little responsibilites and almost no power...the ideal position for her. 

Unlike her older sister Elaria had no desire for power or authority. She preffered to spend her days reading or drawing, exploring the stunning landscapes that made up the Fae world or caring for the animals at her self started centre for injured wildlife. She was 'boring' as most of her peers labelled her or 'a dreamer' as her Mother often stated with equal parts love and exasperation. Apparently, the future 'Link master' of the Kingdoms shouldn't be a fantasiser but instead a firm but fair ruler.

Someone that had the skill, power and knowledge to appropriately and effectively manage the four seasonal kingdoms for the next ten thousand years. Just thinking about the weight of the task before her had the young woman's heartbeat swifly speeding up her breathing once again became shallow. She didn't have the temprament for the position, nor the natural ability...no matter what the Oracles seemed to think.

She was going to meet the current 'Link Master'. The calming peaceful ruler of the 4 kingdoms, Julia had been the ruler for the last ten thousand years and was now ready to hand over her title so she could retire in peace. This fact in itself had Elaria's anxiety rocketing. Yes Fae were basically immortal...but having the same job for so many years? Especially a job of that much power and consequence? Even the seasonal kingdoms cycled through several royal families every couple of centuries, no one could corrupt the power that way...or at least it minimised deceit and disruption.

She was pretty sure the Oracle was wrong, which was ridiculous. The Oracle were never wrong...but the situation seemed a little odd all the same. She was barely into her 20th century, still a child by their societys standards and yet in less than a year she was expected to take over as the Master of the four Kingdoms. Whose kind of sick joke was this?

Her future career aside, the training for the role itself was intense...physically,emotionally and mentally. She was book smart, not street smart which was helpful in memorising and understanding the political and legal nature of the role she was about to step into...but wasn't helpful one bit in the emotional and physical sense. She had always been a 'sensitive soul' as her parents would describe her or 'soft and delicate' as most of her classmates and her charming sister described her. 

Would she be strong enough to cope with the difficult situations that came along with the role? The tough choices? The perhaps confronting choices? This aside the physical training aspects of the role were potentially the worst part. She was required to be in peak physical form for the role, she had been training with the royal army for months and all it had done so far was confirm that she was definetly not a soldier nor a physical person in general.

Running was horrendous, her coordination was atrocious and she couldn't stand the sparring...she had more bruises on her butt than she thought was possible. Jenny should've been the 'chosen one' as her sister constantly reminded her. Yes, her older sister was perfect for the role, superior to her in basically every way. She was a good solider and in peak physical form, she navigated the ways of the courts both politically and socially with a natural ease that had the general Fae public trusting her sister and feeling comfortable with the natural heir to the Spring COurt throne. They loved her, unlike Elaria who made people nervous with her intense social awkwardness and preferred to spend her time talking to animals rather than people.

How was she meant to be the binding link between the Kingdoms when she could barely get along with her own family? They didn't understand her and her ways and she definitely didn't understand them. Below her, she watched the royal army relax after a hard training session by the communal pool, their fan club comprised of most if not all of the single Fae in the area flocking to the pool for their 'late afternoon dip'.

Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes as she focused on that spark of power within her...something that had only developed recently. Julia, the current LInk Master had warned her that she would probably start developing the supernatural abilities that came along with the role the week before...yet she didn't expect it to be so quick...if at all. 

The only proof she had that the Oracles hadn't made a disastrous mistake was that tiny spark of energy within her that seemed to be developing into something...more substantial. This fact scared her more than she could admit, yet at the same time it exhilerated her. Perhaps she would be okay afterall. She could handle whatever life through at her...no matter how pecuilar or surprising.