Sahara Ashdell: Threat to Malorsty (Book 1)
Chapter 13: Christmas Break Begins

Brystol had not known his parents had invited Sahara to the castle for the holiday. She is standing at the exit with her luggage waiting for the carriage his parents had said they would send. She sees him telling some teammates bye and Waizlynn. He deliberately ignores her, and she notices. As the drivers move past him toward her, she notices Brystol look confused. The driver takes her bags and slightly bows to her. "I will load your luggage your royal highness."

She tries to hide her smile at the shock in Bristol's face. "Thank you." She says as she grabs the bags he cannot hold and proceeds to the carriage not looking at Brystol as she passes.

"What is happening?" Brystol asks toward her.

"Your parents invited me for the holiday, and I accepted." She replies without turning around to see is expression, but she hears the heavy sigh he lets out.

After the driver places all of her luggage in the luggage hold, he moves toward Brystol and takes his luggage. Bristol seemed frozen in annoyance on the steps of the school. He follows the driver down toward the carriage where she is waiting.

"Sahara." She turns to meet eyes with Tyde. He makes her heart jump.

"Hi Tyde." She smiles at him and tries to hide her feelings knowing that Brystol's eyes are on her.

"I just." Tyde looks nervously over toward Brystol. "I wanted to." He looks so cute she cannot help herself. She moves towards him and kisses his cheek. As she steps back, she sees his nerves have transformed into excitement.

"Happy holiday, Tyde." She smiles at him.

"Happy holiday Sahara." He reaches over holding her hand for a moment before glancing over toward Brystol and yanking his hand back quickly. "Anyway." He seems nervous again and she cannot help but glance over toward Brystol who looks far too interested in their exchange. "I got this for you.” He hands her a small box. “I will see you in a few days."

"Thank you." She smiles at him excited that he is so obviously interested in her too.

He moves away toward a carriage with his luggage, and she turns back toward her ride and sees Brystol smiling toward her smugly. "What?" She grumbles at him.

He shakes his head as he moves toward the open door of the carriage. "Nothing."

He holds the carriage door open for her and waves hastily for her to get in before him. " You're not the only one that would like out of this betrothal." She plainly says looking him squarely in the eye before proceeding into the carriage. "As hard as it may be to believe, I am not one of the many elleths to melt at your handsome smile."

As he sits down next to her in the carriage, he places his arm around her surprising her. "You think I am handsome?"

"Ugh!" She scuffs in disgust as she shoves his arm away from her and moves across the carriage to the opposing seat. "Don't touch me."

He laughs at her teasingly. "But at least now I know you think I am handsome."

She rolls her eyes feeling agitated as the carriage jerks into motion. "I really dislike you." She thinks about her encounter a few days ago with Waizlynn. "And your keeto is the worst."

"Waizlynn?" He straightens his back seeming interested. "What is wrong with her?"

"Nothing." Sahara keeps her eyes peering out of the window toward the grey school building as it moves further away. "She is perfect for you."

"Ha." His one syllable response sounds sarcastic, and she knows he feels insulted just as she intended.

"She seems threatened by me." Sahara feels a sense of accomplishment as she leans back against the seat with a smirk on her face looking toward Brystol, who is looking thoughtfully out of the window. He remains silent and she notices his expression seems sadder than anything. "She tried to lure me out of the school grounds to the outer realm a few days ago, I guess to duel for you."

He quickly turns to meet her eyes and still seems to look sad. "And did you accept?"

She cannot help but laugh, "Why would I agree to duel for some little boy I obviously don't want?" She purposely uses the term boy to offend him but his expression never changes. “You’re so full of yourself! Just because you are a cundu you think everyone and everything should bow to you and praise you for being so awesome. Let me be the one to fill you in on a little secret. Because apparently no one has ever told you that you are a terrible elf who doesn’t deserve to be a cundu and you suck at doing magic even though you are in your second year.”

"Magic does not come as easily to others as it does to you. Congratulations on being the best first year student ever. But guess what, being good at magic doesn’t give you a pass to everything else. You are still clueless to our world. Waizlynn, like some others, think you do not deserve to sit by me and rule the tri-kingdoms. You are viewed by some as a threat especially when you fail to recognize or even try to learn our ways. You act like a little girl,” He emphasizes the word, “literally. You act like a human and walk around saying things you know nothing about. You insult us with your terms and make an excuse that because you were raised human it is okay for you. Well it isn’t. Take some responsibility and learn things on your own and not because you are forced to. Then maybe you would get the respect a royal deserves. Did you even know you had powers before you came to school here?"

She feels small as her head shakes in response to his question, "No."

"No." He laughs annoyed. "You were raised to be human. You were raised to believe an elf was fiction. Mythical. Three months ago, we did not exist to you. Well now that you know we do, and that you are not just one of us, but the future tari, put a little effort in. Because your excuses are getting annoying."

She feels warm from embarrassment, "I didn't choose my life. Or to be a royal elf."

"Neither did I." Brystol replies softly. "So, we have something in common."

She feels bad about being mean to him now but she does not want to apologize for it. She decides to change the subject. "What is Christmas like here?"

"Lots of lights, food, and annoying family." He says lacking excitement.

"Do you exchange gifts?" She looks at the box Tyde gave her as she remembers the mound of gifts for Trina covering the tree on Christmas at the Craig's house every year. She realizes this gift from Tyde is the first Christmas gift that she ever remembers getting.

"Yes." He looks oddly sympathetic toward her. "Was that what you did in the human world?"

"Not really." Sahara leans back in her seat remembering how she could only watch Trina open all her gifts and then eat scraps after their large Christmas feast. "They have stupid traditions like kissing under the mistletoe and lying to the children about a fat man coming down their chimney."

"Greydrun." He says flatly. "If you stand under greydrun it is tradition to kiss here." Sahara nods her head realizing they have similar traditions. "But we do not lie about a fat elf breaking in."

"Good." She says turning her attention toward the window twirling the small present around in her hands.

“Are you going to open it?” Brystol asks looking at her curiously. She looks down at the box feeling nervous about opening the gift with Brystol there. She is curious to see what it is though, so she slides to lid off revealing a sparkling red stoned bracelet. She pulls it out and slides it onto her wrist smiling. It was beautiful. She glances over to Brystol, who is just watching her with no expression. “Does it match your necklace?” He asks glancing at the chain around her neck. She places her hand on the gem that is tucked down into her dress. She does not answer which seems to increase his curiosity. “Is it a trinket from the human world?”

“No.” She says as she remembers Verdiwild telling her not to tell anyone or show anyone and she had managed all these months.

Brystol moves up to the edge of the seat in interest. “Well don’t leave me wondering. Did Tyde give it to you also?”

She squints her eyes at him not sure what to say. Then, she wonders if he knows what it is and is just testing her. “Verdiwild gave it to me as a welcome gift when I first arrived.”

Brystol sits back in his seat feeling less interested. “Oh.”

As they arrive to Holestroy Castle, Sahara is greeted by an elleth named Magda that escorts her to the room she will be staying in for the week and helps her settle in. After they finish sorting Sahara's things in the room, Magna asks, "Dinner will be served in twenty minutes, would you like for me to dress you?"

"I can dress myself if you tell me how to dress?" Sahara hates having others clothe her. "I could use some help fixing my hair and makeup though."

"Of course, Aranel." Magna pulls a dress down from the wardrobe closet.

The aran, tari, and Aranel Trylla are seated at the table in the dining area when Sahara arrives. She politely curtsies toward the aran and then the tari before sitting in the chair that an ellon butler has pulled out for her. "Thank you." She says toward the butler.

“Hi!” Trylla waves to her excitedly.

“Hello.” Sahara responds with a smile.

"We are so happy you accepted our invitation darling." The tari says lovingly toward Sahara.

"Thank you for the invitation." She response with a smile. "I am excited to learn the elven holiday traditions."

They sit making polite conversation as they wait for Brystol to arrive. After he finally arrives with a scold from his mother for being tardy, dinner is served. Sahara nervously looks at the multiple forks and spoons she has sitting next to her plate of food. She hears Brystol clear his throat purposefully, drawing her attention. She looks at him as he picks up the smaller of the two forks glancing up toward her. She feels thankful for his help as she too takes the smaller fork. Brystol and his family spend dinner talking and laughing. He fills them in on all he has done the past few months at Malorsty Academy. Sahara feels out of place because the family seems so happy and loving. She was not used to being part of such a happy family exchange. The tari asks Sahara about how she is liking the elven world and Sahara soon finds herself laughing and comfortable.

After dinner, Trylla is taken to be readied for bed and Brystol askes his father to join him for a board game Sahara had never heard of. “Would you like for me to give you a tour?” Tari Nathila asks and Sahara smiles at her with a strong nod.

Not too long after they leave the table, the tari begins to feel unwell and excuses herself politely. "Guilda will take you to your room darling." The tari motions to an elleth that has been following them down the hall. “I am sorry, I do not feel well and must go rest for a while. I will find you in the morning and we will go out to the vill for preparations."

"I hope you feel better." Sahara says as she curtsies to the tari before she moves away from her down the hall.

"Aranel." Guilda curtsies toward Sahara. "I would be happy to show you to your room."

"Oh. No that won't be necessary." Sahara says excitedly. "I was hoping to explore a bit longer." She says as she looks around the hall. "I will make my way back to my room alone. Good night." She thinks she can find her room again after she explores and gets to know the castle.

Guilda curtsies toward Sahara and says, “Yes, your Royal Highness.” Then she strolls off back toward the dinning room.

Sahara has been lost for about an hour now and has not seen anyone for quite some time, when she finally hears voices. She moves closer to the voices and recognizes Brystol's voice. Him saying her name piques her curiosity as she stops traveling down the hall and steps closer to the cracked door to hear better.

The aran’s voice sounds as though he is chuckling as he speaks. "You don't have to love her or even like her, though it would make things easier, but you do have to marry her." Sahara hears a small tap as if a glass is being set down on a table before the aran continues, "You are the prince and you have a job, like it or not. I never wanted to marry your mother, but it worked out fine. It is a blood bond and you've no other choice. So, marry your betrothed, join the tri-kingdoms, and produce an heir. After you produce an heir, take a mistress or even seven if you like. You will be happy enough."

Sahara feels agitated by the aran’s uncaring attitude. "Mistress." She scuffs quietly to herself in disgust. She hears footsteps approaching and quickly moves away from the door to resume walking down the hall. A beautiful blonde haired elleth turns the corner of the hall walking toward Sahara. The elleth nods toward Sahara with a polite smile.

Sahara suddenly hears the aran's voice behind her, "Jewel, perfect timing as always." Sahara turns toward his voice and is met with a smile from the aran. "Sahara. Are you exploring?"

Sahara realizes that Jewel must be the aran’s mistress as the beautiful elleth stops moving when she arrives next to the aran. Sahara cannot help but glance over toward Brystol's flustered face. "Uh. Yes. I am." She says politely. "It is rather large."

"And rather late. Brystol," the aran says with a smirk, "will walk you back to your room, so you do not find yourself lost."

"No!" Sahara says loudly, startling the three pair of eyes fixed on her. "I mean. I am sure I can manage."

"I insist." The aran nudges Brystol in Sahara's direction. "A young elleth, especially the future Tari, should not be wandering the halls alone at such an hour." The aran takes Jewel's arm and speaks as he turns to walk the opposite direction in the hall. "Straight to bed."

Sahara isn't sure what she feels more disgusted by, seeing the aran and his mistress or being forced to be escorted by Brystol. She defeatedly turns to continue walking as Brystol arrives to her side. "Nice chat with your pops?"

"What?" Brystol asks in confusion.

"So, your dad has a mistress." She says bluntly and feels instant regret.

Brystol stops walking and she feels awkward as she too stops walking, trying to think of an apology. His words come out first and surprise her, "Don't mention it to anyone or talk about Jewel, especially around my mother." She notices concern in his voice, and it makes her curious to his thoughts on the matter. "Please?"

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He seems oddly sensitive about the subject, so she decides an apology would be appropriate. "Of course. Sorry."

He begins walking again. "And don't call my dad pops. It is one of those offensive terms we talked about earlier."

She hates how he can always make her feel so uncomfortable. After a few silent moments, she breaks the silence because she is unable to think of anything else, "I heard."

"You heard?" He asks confused.

"Your dad telling you to take a mistress after we have an heir." She bluntly says with a distasteful gulp of air. He nods his head in silence as he continues to walk next to her. "You have nothing to say?"

Brystol replies, "I said what I needed to my father. Or did you miss the rest of the conversation?"

She huffs in disgust. "I only heard your father speak and it was enough."

Brystol opens a door that reveals her bedroom. "Next time you eavesdrop, try listening to the other elves words before jumping to conclusions."

"What does that mean?" She wonders what Brystol said to his father and if they disagreed on something.

"Nothing. Besides, it doesn't really matter since you are trying to find a way out of the betrothal. Good night, Pukey." He smirks teasingly toward her before leaving her side to continue down the hall.

"I loathe you." She huffs in agitation before moving into her room. Before she slams the door, she notices Brystol glance back at her with an odd smile she finds unsettling.

Magna wakes her in the morning and helps her dress for the day. As she exits her room, she finds Brystol waiting for her.

She looks around the hall in defeat. "What do you want?"

"Do you treat everyone with such disgust or just me?" He asks stepping closer to her.

"Definitely just you." Sahara says flatly as she begins to walk down the hall away from him.

"You are going the wrong direction." He says annoyingly and it causes her to stop moving reluctantly. She keeps her eyes away from him as she turns back toward him and moves down the hall. "Did you sleep well?" She decides to remain silent in hopes he would get the point to leave her alone. "Did you dream of me?" She rolls her eyes in annoyance of his teasing. "Oh! Or did you dream of Mailroom Tyde?"

"Don't call him that." She says shoving Brystol slightly. He catches her hand with his as he tries to protect himself and Sahara feels surprised by an odd sensation his touch sends over her skin. His teasing smile disappears as their eyes meet. Sahara's stomach fills with confusion as she looks into his eyes. She realizes they stopped moving and quickly yanks her hand from his awkwardly before silently moving down the hall again.

"Brystol?" The tari's surprised voice causes Sahara to stop and investigate an opened door they are passing. "Whatever are you doing on this side of the castle at this hour?"

Sahara finds her question intriguing. "This side?"

"His quarters are in the opposite wing." The tari says slowly as she glances between the two teenagers.

"Sahara was lost last night and so I wanted to make sure she made it to breakfast on time." Brystol's tone sounds polite, and Sahara finds his kindness odd.

"I was not lost and could have made it fine." Sahara protests.

"Then, why did you start walking toward the tailor's room this morning?" Brystol squints toward her with a smirk.

"Thank you for walking me." Sahara says forcing herself to be polite. "I admit it is a large puzzle."

"Anytime, Aranel." Brystol says with a bow before he leaves.

Sahara turns back toward the Tari, who looks pleased with her son. "He can be charming if you allow him to be."

"Charming?" Sahara scuffs. "I find him aggravating."

The tari takes her by the arm, and they begin to walk down the hallway together. "There is hope in that." She says smiling.

"Hope?" Sahara does not understand what she means.

"Perhaps you will find your feelings toward him are not all that aggravating after all." The tari says lovingly. "In time."

"It would take three lifetimes for that to happen." Sahara feels hate seeping in her words.

The tari laughs at Sahara. "I hope not. You will need his friendship for the sake of the kingdoms."

Sahara recalls seeing the aran's mistress last night and she wonders if the tari knows and how she feels about it. She bites her tongue remembering her promise to Brystol that she would not say anything. "Were you betrothed?"

"Yes." The tari sounds sad in her response. "Rayterbay and I were betrothed by blood when he was five and I was one. We met the day of our betrothal, which I do not remember of course, and then a second time on our wedding day."

Sahara asks, "Was it hard?"

"I had been prepared my whole life to fulfill that moment so, no it was not hard." The tari responds. "He had a harder time with it than I. He was in love with another and was forced to give her up, for some time."

"Some time?" Sahara wonders if she is referring to his mistress.

"You will learn this sooner or later, and I would prefer it come from me." The tari stops and turns toward Sahara. "After we had Brystol, Rayterbay felt he had fulfilled his duty and took her as his mistress. You will see her about."

"Jewel?" Sahara asks quietly.

The tari seems unfazed by the name. "You have met her?"

"Sort of, I saw her last night when I was lost." Sahara says shyly. "Is it hard?"

"Sometimes." She begins walking again. "Our marriage has had unexpected bumps over the years, but we found friendship and that made life easier. Brystol has been most affected by Jewel. After an incident last year, he swore off ever taking a mistress. So, I do not think you will have the same issues as I in that department." Sahara feels surprised by Brystol swearing off having a mistress. "He feels so strongly about it that he has even refused to date."

"He is dating Waizlynn." Sahara says curtly.

"That little tart?" The tari laughs. "Of course, he is not. She has been chasing him for years. I am not sure why he is so nice toward her. Has he told you they are dating?" The tari stops her in interest.

"No. But Waizlynn has." Sahara recalls all the times she has seen Waizlynn and Brystol together. She does not recall ever seeing him particularly interested in her. Why had she not noticed before.

The tari laughs. "She only wishes."

Sahara glances over toward Brystol as they enter the breakfast area. He is filling his silver plate with pink sparkling balls. She realizes she does not even know him. He squints at her oddly as he turns toward her and asks, "What?" She quickly turns her face from his and takes a silver plate from the table. "Here." Brystol takes the empty plate from her and holds his out toward her. "I picked all my favorite elven Christmas treats for you."

She hesitates to receive his plate. "You made me a plate?"

"I did." He says, "It is your first holiday breakfast feast so I thought you could use some help knowing what was best to eat."

She takes the plate from him feeling surprised by his kindness. "Thank you." She turns away from him toward the table and sees the tari wink at her with a smile. Sahara glances over her shoulder back at Brystol, who is now filling up the empty plate he took from her.

After breakfast, Sahara and the tari travel to a shopping area, called the vill. Sahara can hardly believe her eyes when they step out if the carriage. Bright colorful streamers line the streets over their heads. A large tree is standing in the middle of the circle street adorned with bright colors and glowing crystal-like lights. Flying pixie like creatures suddenly zoom past Sahara's head surprising her. She smiles seeing the colorful pixies play amongst themselves as they talk about what gifts they will buy. "They talk so fast." She says to the tari.

"Yes. Their language is one we have yet to conquer." The tari replies.

Sahara listens to the pixies chatter again and clearly hears them speaking about buying a beautiful dress in a window nearby. "They like the golden dress in the window for Shantasha." Sahara turns toward the Tari, "Who is Shantasha?"

The tari looks astonished. "You understand them?"

"Um," Sahara turns back towards the pixies, who are now flying off in search of jewelry. "Yes."

The tari smiles before motioning for Sahara to follow her. "Come." Sahara follows the tari into a shop filled with pixies buzzing so loudly that the tari must cover her ears. "Invite them to a banquet at the castle this evening."

Sahara looks around the loudly buzzing room. She quietly says, "We invite you to join us..." the room does not quiet any, and she realizes none of the pixies heard her.

"Try again." The tari yells over the loud buzzing.

Sahara closes her eyes and tries to listen to some of the pixie’s conversations. She hears them talking about eating cake and traveling to another kingdom. She opens her eyes and speaks out loudly, "Please join us for a banquet at the castle this evening." The pixies fall silent as they turn toward Sahara looking shocked. "We will have cake and dancing to celebrate the holiday."

"Are you the princess of all?" A blue sparkling pixie asks flying up closer to Sahara.

"I am Sahara Ashdell." She announces in response.

"Aranel of Kinderton." the blue pixie states buzzing closer to Sahara's face. "Meglaura was my closest friend."

"My mother?" Sahara remembers that being her real mother's name.

"She and I met as children. She was the only non-pixie that could communicate with us." The blue pixie looks over toward the Tari, who has now uncovered her ears and is watching in amazement. "She kept it a secret though, as should have you."

"Why?" Sahara asks curiously.

"Because the elf that speaks pixie is the one that opens the gate." The blue pixie says flying back and forth in front of Sahara.

"The gate?" Sahara asks.

"We will come to the castle as you request. For you are to be the tari of all." The blue pixie bows. "But it will be a celebration of your return for us." The other pixies all cheer and begin to buzz around loudly again.

"What gate?" Sahara pleads.

The blue pixie flutters around for a moment, as if she is considering whether she should tell her what she means or not. "The gate of the evil."

"I would never open such a gate." Sahara knows she would never open a gate that released evil beings. The pixie begins to flutter away but Sahara stops her with a question, "Please? What is your name?"

"Hexaria." The blue pixie responds with a bow.

"It was lovely to meet you Hexaria." Sahara smiles with a curtsy.

Hexaria and some of the other pixies begin to laugh. A yellow dressed pixie speaks, "The tari of all bows to us."

"Never bow to a pixie, nor any other creature Aranel," Hexaria says to Sahara, "for you will be our tari."

"After I wed at eighteen?" Sahara asks.

"No." Hexaria sounds flustered. "Is that what the elves have told you?"

Sahara shakes her head, "No. I just assumed. They have told me nothing." She looks over at the tari wondering what she thinks about their exchange of words.

"She cannot understand you." Hexaria says flying up a few inches from Sahara's nose. "You become tari of all, except the kingdom of Holestroy, upon your eighteenth birthday, regardless to if you wed or not. When your parents died, they signed a decree that Aran Rayterbay would rule your two kingdoms until your eighteenth birthday. What Tari Meglaura failed to mention was that she was also the Tari of other kingdoms in the dark regions. The Kingdoms of Flordom, Yetya, and Darkuth.”

A red dressed glowing pixie flies up next to Hexaria. "You are our tari upon your eighteenth birthday as well."

"But who rules those kingdoms now?" Sahara wonders why those kingdoms would be kept separate from the other two kingdoms. "Does Aran Rayterbay know they are to be mine?"

"Threvoyn currently rules the other three kingdoms and Aran Rayterbay is unaware of them being yours. Your mother thought it safest to keep it secret from Holestroy." Hexaria glances over toward the tari, who is still clasping her hands over her ears. "Your parents were unsure if Aran Rayterbay would succeed in the mission to protect you from Patreek for so long and if they failed only half your kingdoms would be lost. We must go and ready for tonight." Hexaria bows to Sahara before turning and buzzing off.

"You are everything they said you would be!" Tari Nathila says as she and Sahara step outside of the building away from all of the buzzing pixies. Sahara wonders who she is speaking of, but before she can ask for clarification the tari answers her question. "The prophets foretold of an elf that would unite the six kingdoms that could speak pixie. It was always thought to be an ellon, but it appears you are the key." The tari smiles joyfully. "I could not be more excited to witness it in my lifetime."

"Must we go prepare the castle for a banquet?" Sahara asks wanting to change the subject away from herself and her unsettling revelations.

"Did they agree to come?" The tari looks even more excited than she did moments ago.

"Yes, could you not hear me talking?" Sahara asks.

"I heard you speaking the pixie language." The tari says. "But as we have never spoken or been able to speak the language, I did not follow anything you said."

"I spoke pixie?" Sahara wonders where she could have learned the language.

"Come Sahara, we have much to prepare." The tari motions toward Sahara to join her as she walks back toward the carriage to return to the castle.

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