Still reeling from speaking to Torbjorn and Sirius, Darish ushers in a liveried servant dressed in a high-buttoned jacket of midnight blue with silver piping.

The messenger bows low. "Prince Aldebaran. Her Majesty, Queen Celestia requests your immediate presence and that of your guest."

Aldebaran's voice could cut glass. "You may go and inform my mother that we will attend upon her shortly."

Once the messenger is gone, Aldebaran turns to me. "I had hoped to avoid this as long as possible."

I quickly fix my tear-stained face and then we set off, taking the path to the White Palace. The interior of the palace is more elegant and ostentatious than Arcadia, but not nearly so homely. Aldebaran strides slightly ahead, his head held high, whilst I feel as if butterflies have taken up residence in my stomach.

He stops abruptly and speaks in hushed tones, "We are almost there. Remember. Stand tall, stay strong and most importantly, guard your emotions."

We enter a huge hexagonal room with tall, slender, arched windows on four sides overlooking the gardens. Sat resplendent upon a silver throne is the Queen of the light elves. She barely looks a few years older than me and is so beautiful that it is uncomfortable to gaze upon her.

With platinum blonde hair and dressed all in white, I can understand why she is referred to as the 'White Queen'. The only colour in her ensemble are the large amethysts in her diamond encrusted crown and her stunning purple eyes.

There is something familiar about her and then it strikes me, sending my nerves jangling; it's the woman that I dreamt of presiding over mine and Aren's hand-fastening.

Aldebaran bows. "Celestia, my queen and giver of my life. Please allow me to present my daughter, Elissa."

I follow up with a deep curtsy, eyes cast down.

"Ah, the girl whose face has just graced mirrors across all of Elysium." The queen pauses. "Imagine my surprise when the Watcher informs me that she is in my own palace."

Aldebaran remains cool as a cucumber, forcing the queen to continue. "Your child, you say? How can you be sure?"

"Our souls communed," Aldebaran responds, as if this is all the evidence that is required.

I try not to wilt when the queen stares fixedly at me. The air seems to thicken and the pressure causes my temples to throb. Unsure of the right course of action, I simply endure and wait patiently.

"Come here child," the queen commands, beckoning me closer.

Power radiates off the queen and buffets around me as I cautiously move forward. She touches my forehead and the room swims as my vision blurs.

I find myself standing in an almost circular room with walls made of mirrors. My reflections stretch in every direction.

Gingerly, I reach and am relieved to find the surface hard like a normal mirror. I repeatedly run my fingertips all over the surface, feeling for any indication of a catch or a hidden doorway. There is no sign of a way out and I stand confounded, mocked by thousands of images of myself staring back.

As the minutes tick by, worry turns to an anger burning inside me. A light, like that of the sun, flares to life above my head. It grows brighter and brighter, becoming almost blinding and forcing me to shut my eyes tight.

Strangely, the light does not burn. Instead, I seem to absorb it and soon I'm fizzing with energy. Though I cannot see, I'm nevertheless aware of the walls melting and forming a liquid pool of silver at my feet.

Opening my eyes, I am once more standing before the queen, though it is now easier to gaze upon her, as if she has reined in some of her radiance.

"I am curious. How did you defeat the enchantment?" Although the queen's face is completely impassive, there is a hint of wonder in her voice.

"The mirrors melted," I respond and hastily add, "your Majesty."

She holds out her hand, palm up. "May I?"

As with Aldebaran earlier, my hand is enveloped in the queen's hands. Closing my eyes, I feel a similar unfurling within, only this time the accompanying music is more majestic.

Celestia's eyes momentarily sparkle with luminescence and she bends forward to kiss both of my cheeks. "There is no doubt. You carry the blood of queens within you. Welcome to Alfheimr, child of my child."

Aldebaran steps forward. "Mother, I have come to petition you for the protection of my daughter. The High King poses a threat to her."

She looks right at me, almost through me. "What is my youngest son's interest in you?"

I weigh up my options. Aldebaran advised me to be guarded and I get the impression that knowledge is power here at Alfheimr. However, my gut tells me to be truthful.

"Apparently, I am the key to retrieving the Light of Elysium."

Celestia nods sagely. "My mother created the Light. Your magic has a mien very reminiscent of hers." She turns to Aldebaran. "Your daughter belongs in Alfheimr. Regulus will pose no threat here."

Aldebaran bows his head. "Thank you, mother. May I also request that Elissa resides with me? She has seen but twenty summers."

Celestia graciously inclines her head in acquiescence and then in a surprising move pushes back my hair to reveal my tell-tale non-elven ears. Internally I cringe, recalling how elflings are reviled, and fear that her benevolence will be short lived.

The queen touches a fingertip to the top of one then the other ear causing an intense icy burn, which mellows to a soothing warmth. She smiles and if possible, seems even more beautiful.

"This is a day to celebrate. You will dine at my table tonight."

......

The time for dinner is almost upon us. I have just sat patiently for about an hour while a handmaiden attended to my face and hair. Now that it is finally finished, I'm able to take a look in the mirror.

I stiffen and only just manage to stop from shrieking. Sure, the makeup is more than I'm used to, but the thing that knocks me off kilter are the pointed tips of my ears. My fingers itch to touch them, to see if they are real.

"I hardly recognise myself." The irony of my statement passes over the handmaiden's head.

Aldebaran enters my room dressed in a stately style with a white, regency-style jacket embroidered with silver thread. I too am clothed in white and silver. My dress is made from layers of tissue-thin white silk and is elaborately decorated with thousands of shimmering silver beads.

He dismisses the maid and places an inlaid wooden box on the dressing table. Withdrawing a silver chain of pearls and diamonds, he fixes it around the crown of my head.

"You look very fair, daughter of mine." He nods, a glimmer of a satisfied smile on his face and places a fatherly hand on my shoulder. "Mother's favour will offer you protection. However, I have no doubt that Regulus has spies at court, so you must be on your guard at all times."

"Regulus?" Is some other guy after me too?

"My half-brother. I believe he goes by the name of 'Lucifer' now."

As we descend the stair, he continues, "My older brothers, Antares and Fomalhaut, are not be trusted either."

"Antares? Is he named after a star?"

"Mother named us after the four Royal Stars. Antares is the oldest and possibly the most dangerous. Steer well clear of him. Also keep away from the king, but he rarely dines in the hall, so hopefully we will not have to contend with him."

Gee, just keep away from everyone, Elle. Thanks for the pep talk, dad. While I think that I look the part of a princess, internally I'm a bag of nerves.

He places a pure white fur cloak about my shoulders and we set off across the grounds at a brisk walk. I don't approve of fur, but I don't complain. It wards off the chill of the winter's night and once we enter the palace one of the liveried servants takes them.

The dining hall is a palatial room decorated in tones of silver and white with an abundance of sparkling crystals. There must be a hundred or so elves gathered. The dominant feature of the room is a crescent shaped table on a raised dais, where about a dozen finely dressed elves are clustered around the queen.

All the females look like supermodels and I can't help feeling a little lacking as I walk under the spotlight of their gazes as I make my way to the high table.

Queen Celestia steps forward and I notice that our gowns have obviously been fashioned by the same hand. She takes both of my hands and bends forward so that our foreheads touch. Relinquishing one hand, she turns to face the room.

Silence descends, and the attention of the whole room falls upon us. It is overwhelming, but I keep my head held high.

The queen raises our conjoined hands. "Today is a joyous one for..."

She is interrupted by the doors to the hall swinging open. A statuesque male, with jet black hair, strides into the room. From the metal crown, glittering with blood-red and black jewels, I assume that he must be the king. The way he commands the whole room's attention and the waves of power emanating from him, leave me in little doubt.

His face is incredibly handsome, even amongst the sea of beauty that is the elven court. His silver eyes bore into mine and I find myself transfixed, unable to glance away. It feels like he is trying to peer into my soul. With a shiver, I instinctively pull a protective shield around myself. The merest ghost of a smile plays across his lips.

Once the king has taken his place on the dais beside the queen, Celestia continues. "A lost princess, blood of my blood is returned to us. Princess Elissa now takes her rightful place at Alfheimr."

We take our seats at the table, with the queen and king sitting at the apex and the rest arching out from the royal pair, along the outer edge of the crescent. I am sat next to the queen with Aldebaran on my other side, so am spared conversing with complete strangers.

All those on the queen's side of the table are light elves, while all those on the king's side are dark elves. That is except for the male sat next to the king. Curious, I look his way, but quickly glance away when he fixes me with a stare of unguarded hostility in his scarlet eyes.

Aldebaran bends his head to mine and without looking from his plate whispers, "Antares."

Everything is very refined and the food is exquisite works of art. Yet, I can't relax to enjoy it and wish I was back in Arcadia.