The meeting.

That day long ago, it had to have been...eleven years ago. How time passes so slowly yet so fast...

Me and mother, the countess of La'Ordair, Agate Zamenhof, had just recovered from fathers death when word came, that the King himself wished to meet his late nephew's son and wife. Now that the war had ended with the dark elves, he had time he said in the letter. He wished to make up for all the lost time. That he was throwing an end of the war celebration, and that of my seventh birthnight. Mother weaved stories of court, from what she remembered as a young girl. Told me it was a brighter place then the old manor in the woods of Tal'een, and there were many more opportunities. But what fancied my interest most were the tales of the company the King kept. Wizards, dwarves, and from time to time an elder elf that lived in the forest of plenty in the far west.

As my mother held my close to her body as the carriage rocked to a fro from the rocky road i could not help but imagine the king. Was he large like father? Or was he short, like a dwarf? I could scarcely see the resemblance to father and him when we first met my great uncle.He was tall, like father, but the king's hair was dark like ravens wing unlike fathers short unruly dirt brown and his skin was paler than fathers light olive skin. And there on his cheek was a deep scar that was blistered and made him look very formidable. There was a crooked gait when he walked to me from the doorway, and his eyes were like sharp cold flint that looked me over with an acuteness that made me gulp. He knelt down to my height and loosely gripped my shoulders, and gave a slight smile.

 "Half starved to death little thing." 

He gave a quick glance to mother, who though in her late years still had northern a beauty that I felt could not be matched. Long golden wheat hair that she often wore in a complex braided bun, pale moon skin and brilliant sea green eyes.

 "But so was your father at the age. Seven seasons is it now boy?" continued the king with him looking me over, giving my arms and sides soft squeezes, as if he were examining a bit of livestock. I nodded my voice stuck in my throat. 

"Your father speak much of me boy? I have to admit not until a few months ago did I know you were even born. Much less that he got married. I'm afraid he left on bad terms with his father, my brother and until a month ago when I got letter of his passing and of the ones he left behind."

"Sadly during the war your father was not the only one who was lost. Your grandfather, my brother died much the same way yours was. His widow, Ella of Lorienvell of the west woods-"

Mother broke through with a surprised gasp. "West woods? is't naught the home o'ther..."

" Light Elves yes. My father, and Her father were not keen on the idea for differing reasons. But despite that the passion between the two persuaded them otherwise. Though when he died she decided to go back to her home. She will be sent word of you young man, and hopefully she will be able to come sometime after the feast this evening."

The King stood with a slight grunt and a wobble before patting his leg he favored. "Had a bought the end of last year with a Dark elf..The Drow warrior was very skilled and cut deep here.." The king made a slashing movement with his hand swiftly as if with sword on his knee. "And here" he made another sharp movement with his finger across his cheek. My eyes widened and a sense of dangerous glee filled me for a moment imagining such a scene. I had never seen a dark elf, Drow kind, close up. The fighting had not reached the manor or La'ordair by luck and blessings, but it had come close. All I knew of them is they were larger then most men, like small giants with black marble skin and jagged ears. I'd also heard their eyes were like seas of blood that they often liked to spill. 

 "It is a miracle that I walk let alone have use of it so well so soon. He was a big one, but I managed to win by the blessings of god."

His attention left me and looked onto my mother, and gave a slight bow his hair held in a tight pony tail  fell past his eyes a bit, though he never broke eye contact with her. 

"It seems both my brother and his son had an eye for beautiful foreign women. From that thick accent of yours I would say you are from the halls of Zamen and Etolla. It always snows there I hear. And awfully close to the Drow kingdom. I hear even that Drow often spend time there." There was a dangerous curiousness glowing in the King's eye that I was unsure of. 

Agate gave a soft smile and gave a slight curtsy in reply to the King's bow.

 Though I knew her well enough to know when she was in defensive mode. She walked closer behind me and took hold of my shoulders reassuringly.

"The war with the Drow king and his people is at an end. The feast tonight is it not for said thing?"

 

"Yes, yes it is. And joint for the boy's birthday." The King gave a polite smile and half bowed again, his eyes on me. "This is your first time to court hm? Shall I tell you.."

(The king is the great uncle.)

 But the lights came back on soon. And the old wizard was staring. Staring at me. Something was behind the eyes of the old mans that frightened me terribly. Suddenly he pointed at me and flames danced around me separating me from the rest of the group.

"The last dragon born will bring pain and suffering, and death." Rang out his voice, crystal clear over the crackling of the fire. "He will come in the guise of a young man, with hair pure white and eyes that of Marleystone. On the eighteenth season he will appear a savior but in the end he will smite us all." "On the seventh season he will be marked by a moon on his fore. Be warned."

With that the fire around me disappeared and the old man collapsed. There was a silence that hung in the air like a dragon wearing a tutu. No one could find their tongues to find a useful thing to say else the risked being burnt. In this case I was now that drago 

He died only a few hours later as they tried to wake him. Chesterfluten was no humble wizard. He was a flame dancer, one that could control fire to the ninth degree, and was legend to have single handed brought down the dark wizard in the time of the dragon. Word spread of the happening. It was to the horror of my parents that the morning after something strange had happened to me as i slept fretfully in the night. My once golden hair had lost all color and my green eyes had become the color of a dying ember. Worse yet was the moon crescent mark that had appeared as if by a dark magic on my brow. Afraid for my health, and of the words of Chesterfluten they hurried me away to an old castle that was hidden far to the north in the mountains of Bree. With several of the men my father trusted most he had me stowed away and protected. Adelberth and his round of fifteen loyal men ever since have kept me safe. 

My eighteenth birthday was only a few weeks away now, and the shadow that plagued my dreams i feared were a part of what the old wizard had said would happen. Perhaps this was the dark thing that would take me over and create ruin with. I shuddered and gripped the blankets with all my might. Or it could be a foretelling of something worse.