Is this how legends are made?

Is this how legends are made?

By: Ondine Lightfoot

The Shelby Clan - The House of Ash and Honey

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. But in the last 50 years they had taken up residence in a large cave in Aleria dwelling between the Fold just north of the Valley near the Moontop Palace.

Tonight they had followed the scent of secrecy and were flying low making a cool breeze brushed through the crack under the stone door.

“Enough!”Councilor Porter boomed across the circular room. The table they sat at was older then them all put together. Growing up this room had been sacred built on top of the cliffs edge looking over the city of Aleria.

There Five houses in Aleria.

The House Shelby : Honey and Ash Aleria was a rich prosperous land but dragons had lain waste to a few areas.

The House Porter: Bone and IceFair Dan was a frozen ice land with people just as cold.

The House Fontaine: Gold and Sand. Duellie remained a wonder with its warm beaches and cold dunes.

The House Percy: Silver and Powder. The one place that never had peace but thrived as an army.

And lastly The House Fontaine: Moonlight and fire. The strongest and oldest of them. They lived partially on the water connecting the 3 small islands in the Noonport Bay along the mainland. It was a wild land of howling and blinding lights.

Margaux had been quietly sitting in her chair eyes of pale ice watching as speaker after speaker argued over the next move to be made.

Of the five children from the Alerian’s high house of Shelby Margaux was the first and only daughter of her mother, Sage Ambrose from the eastern island. It has been a year since Klaus Shelby had been killed in a surprise attack on the Black Road by a local fae gang residing in The Fade.

The Fade was one of three main parts of the cliff side kingdom. It rest on the cliff face between the Moontop Palace and businesses market district. The people of the Fade had always been different. Their eyes glowed and they could hear a pin drop ten miles away when focused. From the lack of sunlight exposure they evolved to their environment.

Councilor Porter slammed a singular large hand to the table once more. For but a moment his power poured out of the table toward anyone still speaking. The faint shimmer of blue hued magick held in the air as the voices went out.

“Thank you, Councilor.” Queen Maya of Aleria breathed from her seat at the table.

The Queen Mother had been as quiet as the other Shelby family members. There had been seven of them at one point many years ago. Now there were only the four of them. In the last ten years one of the Shelby’s men had passed in violence.

First Killian, the heir, the one who had glued all the pieces back together of every broken toy. Along with his beloved wife, Victoria, who had been 8 months pregnant when they had been attacked on the road to the Palace. To the safety of home and family.

Then the Queen, the elder three Shelby’s mother had passed in child birth Mazakein, had been the people’s Princess and the one love of King Klaus who had followed his first wife to the after not ten years ago. Not a year after his first born had been murdered.

“Now the East Gate has reported another attack this morning. We are still in progress on returning the gate to full functioning by end of the week.”Concilor Porter began all the following three members of each house was there. Eyes watching him with predator instinct.

Madam Fontaine, Maya’s aunt and the leader of the Eastern islands specifically the water wielded off the coast near Noonport Bay. Madam was an bronze copper skin stretched across a small frame with two sunk in hollow yellow orbs in a rough stone face. Both woman had beauty in the form of yellow eyes that held flakes of gold and embers.

Even Queen Maya stiffened as the old crone began to speak her rasp of a voice fading to silence in Margaux’s mind.

It had been three years since her younger brother and twin, Asher had been killed during a gate raid. His seat rest empty on the left hand side of her. With the seat to her right just as dusty without Killian in his spot. She was alone in her isolation from the rest of the family.

Asher ,her baby brother, had been holding her hand when they were born. His neck however has become wrapped in his cord which meant he was coming ass first. He’s head became stuck and chaos began.

Screaming, blood and yelling began as the midwife did her best to take control.

Asher became free but he did not scream the cord pulled the body wanting to protect him.

The doctor burst in his voice barking as the two babies were removed. The cord collapsed the afterbirth working through the already weak queen’s body.

“Come on, My Queen.”The doctor said the woman breathing in sharp pants. Flushed sweaty cheeks and bloody tears met his eyes.

At last Asher scream the sound a rasp from a sore throat. He was placed beside his sister and began to calm. The midwife gave a weak smile turning back to the mother who was wincing in pain the afterbirth freeing itself with on last push.

As she did her eyes met the ceiling a pained smile on her lips as she sobbed once.

“Her name is Margaux Phoenix and Asher Forthsythe. Please remember their names.”The warrior Queen’s demanded clamped onto the doctor’s shaking hand.

They watched as their beloved Maze who they had known since her first day in Aleria met her death. The soul went out of her eyes just as the King made his way inside. He barely made it to the closed window the storm outside assisting to pull her out to the stars.

“Good bye, beloved.”He whispered his eyes drifting out to follow the shinning orbs before he would turn to his babies.

The soft sound of content snoring brought the King’s eyes to them. They looked healthy but tired as they would always be. The Shelby life would not be any easy one to bare.

Snap! Snap!

A tapping of rain and crackle of over heated logs shifting brought Margaux back to attention. She shifted once her back pressing into the chair and legs tucked under her. The idea of leaping into the rafters often occurred to her when she wondered down memory lane here.

“Now! We have business to attend. Listen and take note.”The Councilor ordered before returning to his seat. His eyes flicked to his right a respectful nod and small smile to the Queen his transition to War General complete in his stoic mood.

The Queen’s hand flicked out rest in her husband’s empty chair. She had been a good wife to her husband of ten years. She had one daughter from a previous coupling before she wed at eighteen to her promised foreign king.

The three “Snowdrops” as they were affectionally called sat between their mother and great aunt. Where the Shelby’s features were alabaster and honey with hues of amber and streaks of shadow. The exotic blend of alabaster and tan lead to the olive color with it’s illuminating aura.

Maya had been the darker of her siblings. The contrast of the four females was a hue of color. From the dark river of blacks locks with purple sprinkled in their silk hair. Razaking the eldest at eighteen going through her first season at court without a chaperone.

To her side barely eye level with the elders at the table there was Olive and Anastasia the two were quiet and young. Olive kept her eyes down focusing on her note taking as the meeting went on. She was a girl getting ready to start her first of five year in the military. Luckily she would be with work at the Fade headquarter with other family members.

“Ma-go?”A soft whisper at her left side had her turning to see the youngest in the room, Little Anastasia. The last of the Shelby children. Pulling out Asher’s chair and crawling into the space her hands pulling at her older siblings garments to assist in pulling herself up relentless to be at her Margaux side.

“Here, lamb.”Margaux whispered not to draw attention to her or her sister.

Within a moment the two were sitting back in their to big wooden throne. Eyes casting out listening and remembering. Once mighty warriors of Aleria had sat here before war laughing and crying still echoed in the dusty hall. Now it held secrets and plans in whispered confidence.

Anastasia had been made to sit in on these summoning since before she was born. Somehow she always knew to be quiet and listen but not silent. Never silent.

They were Shelby’s and they would be heard.

“Now the Ferrymen will need to investigate the fade soon.”Councilor Porter mused his eyes resting a moment on the two across from him.

Margaux remained leaned back in her chair one leg up under her the other bent for her to lean on. It intimidated others when she leaned forward whether she was listening or speaking. It was half wild and no one knew where to look. Least of all her eyes which were the reflection of her mothers. Violet with a splash of yellow and gold. The coloring was unique to her mother’s family.

“You wish to use my crew then you will leave planning to me. I know their strengths and weaknesses better then you.”She informed him running a calculated fingertip across the gauntlet lace at her wrist.

“I would request that I be part of these planning proceedings.”The man said his green eyes meeting the warrior’s with respect.

“Oh course. We will be meeting at the Hanged Prince after this.”She replied before dropping both her feet to the stone ground turning to pull her now wiggling sibling into her lap.

“Now, as you all are aware this is a great year for our home.”Queen Maya began her small slipper feet touching the floor as she stood. “Our crown jewel, my eldest with be beginning the season for a partner. There will be much joy and events to keep our moods high.”

She took a breath but remained the focus of the room through her shoulders had come down again.

“We have lost many and are still. I hope we shall all continue to work towards my husband goal of peace. This war has taken from us a great deal and we deserve to see joy again. The palace not including the family and private chambers will be respelled for safety purposes make sure to update your charms with Councilor Porter. We want to show a strong front to whatever our futures may hold.” She had been a child when she came here and now she was a solo ruler with war looming across the Silver Seas. “One day we will know peace again in Aleria. This was always the Shelby promise. Protect your own. Show kindness and when you are unable to do that we..”

“Take up arms and fight.”The chorus of familiar and stranger in the room replied in unison. Even the child whispered it out to the old and new gods. The meeting had been concluded but the silence continued as all moved from their seat and filed out of the room.

The air had been stale inside the meeting chamber the open night sky was a welcoming change. It was built deep into the only mountan high above Aleria that sparkled as the night sky below them.

“It look like magic.”Anastasia murmured her small hand wrapped around one of her eldest sister fingers.

“Right you are.”Was the reply before the young one was being picked up and place safely on her sister back. It would be a walk back but it wasn’t lonely this path. It was worn and familiar with voices of others filling the silent void.

“Margo.”Aunt Fontaine and the Queen stood as twin statues just beyond the clearing in the hill. The warm glow of the city began to welcome them soon.

“Will all of the Ferrymen be staying at the Hanged Prince?”The croan asked one marked hand reached out to pet the now sleeping princess’s head on her shoulder. A small adjustment had the girl up higher away from the other female.

“All of them.”The slightly sharper then necessary reply shot out.

“Whether you like it or not, Poppit. You will have to marry one day. You are part of this family whether you stay under the same roof or not.”Madam Fontaine warned a single finger tip touched the senseitibe tip of her nieces nose. Not exactly playfully Margaux bit at her finger before meeting her eyes with the same smirk.

“You are not my king. My mate or my crew there fore you stay your distance.”A veiled warning promised violence. Two stubborn females having a stare down. Margaux leaned forward brushing a which kiss to the elder woman’s forehead.

“Enough you two. If anyone ever wanted to know what would happens when a hurricane meets a volcano just watching an interaction between you two.”Queen Maya chirped her hands waving everyone along before her to allow the hall to return to peace again.

The hollow groan of old hinges breaking threw salted dust echoed behind the troupe as they proceeded back to the city for the night.

“Please find your brother. He hasn’t been the same since..I hope the funeral will help clarify his path.”The older woman whispered as she took her baby back into her arms. A gentle brush of concerned love moved out toward her sleeping bundle. The little one barely noticed the exchange before being taken into the safety of the palace shadow.