My eyelids flutter open and I beam at the sight of the red roses in the vase by my bed. Last night was magical. Unable to contain my energy, I bound out of bed and pull open the curtains to reveal a sky as bright and as blue as my beloved's eyes.

Dressing quickly, I skip down the hall to Tabbi's room. When she doesn't answer, I let myself in and find her snuggled under the covers.

I sit down on her bed with a bounce. "Wake up, sleepy head."

Tabbi surfaces, her hair a mass of wild curls and grouches, "You seem excessively cheerful today."

I tell her about last night and she is squealing by the time I'm finished.

"I never knew my cousin could be so romantic."

"How about you and Drake? He seems crazy about you."

"Crazy?" Tabbi looks bemused, then brushing off my modern language, blushes. "He has asked to court me."

I throw my arms around Tabbi. "I am so happy for you. Now, it is a beautiful day, let's go outside."

Once Tabbi is finally dressed, we wander arm in arm around the formal gardens, giggling as we discuss the ball and our developing romances. Though the sun is shining brightly, I underestimated how cold it is outside and pull the hood of my cloak over my head.

Torbjorn is stood by a window to what I guess must be his chamber and opens it to bid us a good morning. Beside him is a distinguished looking older gentleman. There is something vaguely familiar about his face, which I just can't place.

The man blanches as if he has seen a ghost and grips the sill for support. His shaky voice is just audible, saying "Isabella?"

Torbjorn shakes his head and guides the man away from the window.

.....

Nerves bubble in my stomach and I take a deep breath before entering the king's private reception chamber. Torbjorn and the older man from earlier are seated in richly upholstered armchairs set around a large coffee, or should that be tea, table.

Torbjorn rises and kisses my cheeks. "Elissa, thank you for joining me. Do take a seat."

I sink into a plush seat and smooth out my skirt, resisting the urge to fidget.

"I would like to introduce you to Sirius, a dear friend of mine. He is an Elemental Mage. I thought that it might be of comfort to you if we are able to shed some light on your heritage."

"Elemental?" I query, wondering what on Earth that has to do with me.

Sirius responds, "Elemental mages have mastery over an element be it water, air, earth or fire, although fire Elementals are few and far between. The stronger mages can control more than one element and exceptionally rare mages, like my distant ancestor Thor, can command storms."

"Thor! Did he wield a hammer?" I joke, but it falls flat as both men just stare at me with bemusement. I bite my lip. "What makes you think that I'm an elemental?"

Torbjorn flourishes a hand to the jade and quartz Game of Kings set on the table before us.

"You transformed the knight and froze a fountain. There is also Prince Triton's interest in you. The Atlantans rarely leave their kingdom under the sea. We were not expecting him and he danced with no one save you."

Sirius slides a glass of water across the table towards me. "Let us start with water. See if you can coax it to move."

I can't help think how amazing it would be to be magical, so I concentrate really hard to move the water with my mind. Sirius offers helpful suggestions; however, the water remains resolutely still, not even a ripple after what must be about ten minutes of staring.

Slumping down defeated, I bury my head in my hands. "If I am an elemental, then I'm a dud!"

"Do not lose heart." Sirius smiles kindly at me. "Torbjorn tells me that you lived until your twentieth solar in a world without magic. This could have held your own magic back." There is a slight twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "Perchance there could be a little siren instead of Elemental in you?"

"Siren?" I ask alarmed.

"I am only jesting. Your singing last night was enough to enchant the room."

Torbjorn laughs, then turns serious. "It may be for the best if she is not an Elemental. Even though Elissa obviously has nothing to do with the prophecy."

My interest piqued, I enquire, "What prophecy?"

Again, it is Sirius who responds, "About a millennium ago, there was a Great War. The Queen of the light elves created an orb of immense power, the Light of Elysium. The Light was wielded by Thor, who defeated the enemy. After the war, the Queen began to fade. Before she passed the crown to her daughter Princess Celestia, she made a prophecy."

I nod recalling Darish's mother recounting a similar tale.

Sirius takes a breath, his voice falling almost an octave, "."

All the hairs on my arms stand up and I shiver, reminded of the quest I was set to uncover this light. Why would I of all people be the one chosen to find a weapon of war?

It is relief to see Aren push his way past a servant and into the room. In the short time I have known him, he has come to mean so much to me. Sitting on the edge of my chair, he puts an arm around my shoulder and glares at his father.

"Good morning, my son." Torbjorn calls out, ignoring Aren's brusque arrival.

Soon after, Ulrica and an older woman with curly grey hair walk into the room. Sirius beckons the woman over.

"My dear, this lovely young lady is Elissa. Elissa, please allow me to introduce my wife, Aine."

Aine bends forwards to greet me and the motion sends a ring hanging on a silver chain about her neck, swinging forward. Drawn to it, I reach out a finger to touch it and the world tilts.

Finding that I'm underwater, I start to panic, until I realise that I can breathe, or more accurately that I don't need to. I'm standing in what looks like a garden. Not far off, a handsome white elven male is stood amongst the swaying seaweed. He looks pensive and has something clutched in one hand.

Two figures, a male and a female, swim straight towards them. The male I recognise as Triton, only now he has a magnificent metallic blue/green tail and his torso is bare. The woman has long, dark, wavy hair and a silk dress, which billows in the currents.

The woman turns her head and I gasp, for the face is unmistakably the one from my locket.

"Mother?" The question bursts from my lips, but she looks straight through me, as if I'm not there.

Triton swims away, with a swish of his strong tail and the elf and the woman embrace. Feeling like an interloper, I glance away.

The elf speaks with a lyrical lilt. "Isabella, you are the brightest, the only star in my sky, the one who makes my soul sing. Without you, I am not complete." He opens his hand revealing a ring, the very ring hanging around Aine's neck, and slips it onto the woman's finger.

My vision blurs. Voices are calling my name, but they are muffled and sound like they are coming from far away.

.....

Blinking, I find myself laid upon a settee, my head resting in Aren's lap and all the others looking down at me with concern etched on their faces.

"You fainted again. Does something ail you?" Aren's voice is laced with anxiety.

Several strong arms help to right me. "I-I think I just saw my mother. An elf who gave her that ring called her Isabella."

The colour drains from Aine's face and she grasps the ring in a trembling hand. "T-this was Isabella's ring."

Sirius helps a very shaken looking Aine to sit, though he does not look so well himself.

"How... how do you know of Isabella?" Sirius asks.

"I was found as a baby with only a letter and a silver locket engraved with a tree and studded with diamonds. I recognised the woman in my dream from the image in the locket."

Sirius goes even paler, if that is possible. "Do you have them still?"

I shake my head. "I lost them when I was captured."

"Our daughter, Isabella had a silver locket just as you describe," Sirius confirms.

Hope swells within. Could I finally have found my family? Is their daughter my mother? "Do you know where Isabella is?" I ask in a whisper.

Aine bursts into tears. Sirius holds her, though he too is shaking. Confused, I look to Torbjorn for an explanation.

His normally amiable countenance is grave. "Isabella was killed eighty solars ago."

Dead! I feel numb. The woman I thought was my mother wasn't at all. It is a crushing blow. Just when I thought that I was so close.

When I first found the locket, I was devastated that someone had given me away. However, once the shock and sense of betrayal eased, the words from the letter became a balm; that I was loved and that maybe, just maybe I had a family out there somewhere.

Arms wrap around me and I nuzzle into Aren's chest, comforted by his scent and warmth. Closing my eyes, I try to contain both the tears and the dangerous emotions threatening to well up. I don't want to fall apart in front of an audience.

"Father, I thought I was supposed to be the rash one." I can hear the anger in Aren's voice and entwine my fingers with his.

"I am sorry, Elissa. I did not foresee this meeting taking such a turn." Torbjorn's normally sparkling blue eyes are clouded.

Ulrica speaks for the first time. "Is it possible that Isabella had her child before she... before she reached Avalon? Could Elissa be your great granddaughter?"

"By the Light. Is it possible that something so precious was saved from that dreadful day?" Sirius asks like a downing man clutching at a branch of hope.

Torbjorn, possibly sensing my confusion, explains, his voice falling to a hushed tone, "Sirius lost everything that day, not just his children, but his title, his home and his brother Cosmos too. But that is a story for a day less fraught than this."

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