Promises on a Hill

Every day, the elf farmer Xristan Elmun would wake up a half hour before sunrise to wash, get dressed, and prepare himself for the day. He kept looking out the window to see if the stars were fading away. Once he laced his work boots, he looked out again. A small hint of light was coming from the forest is the south. Then, he heard of creak behind him.

Xristan turned to see his three-year-old daughter rubbing one of her big blue eyes behind the bedroom door. He grinned as he picked her up and sat her down on her little wooden stool. The elf grabbed her tiny boots by the fireplace where he already made a small fire with a kettle cooking porridge. After he buttoned their coats, he wrapped her up in a small burlap blanket and opened the door.

The sky was almost getting light as they left the small cabin. Xristan carried Leela headed down a diminutive path away located behind his small cabin and away the village. As they approach to the end of the path, the sounds of the crickets are still around as the birds start to awake from their slumber. It’s also a sign that the sun is about to rise.

He hugged her as he headed up a hill that overlooked the south and the north of the village. When they reached the top, the sun peaked out from the summits’ pine trees. The golden light hits the young elf girl’s eyes that she retreated in the father’s chest. He kissed her head and put her down as she rubbed her eyes.

Leela held on to her father’s leg, near the knee, as the sky turned blue with the sun out. But is what he promised her when they watch the sun. When it came out, he pointed out to her a castle located mile away from the village.

Xristan Elmun wasn’t his real name, he was Prince Elmund of House Deerstar and that castle was Bastions Deep. He fled when Leela was only a baby one cold winter night when his sister-in-law, the newly crowned leader, ordered him arrested for his wife’s death. The elf prince’s wife, Leela’s mother, died while she was suffering a miscarriage with her second child. The queen was married to his brother, the late King Zaos, until his death. Zaos was found in his room choking on his own vomit on the floor.

The only person that Xristan would trust during his secret exile was Lord Ullisys Sunsteel, his father-in-law and Leela’s paternal grandfather. Ullisys was the only one that can travel from the village to the castle and back again to get further updates on The Bitch Queen and the castle. The last time he visited the elf was last month when the summer ended and autumn began. She had given birth to her third child with her second husband, another noble who she made king.

He promised her almost every morning that they would return to the kingdom. After all, Leela was his first born and the rightful heir to the throne. But for now, he’s Xristan Elmun, local pumpkin farmer and dishwasher for the local inn.
After the sun came out, it was time for them to leave. Xristan gestured his daughter to run back home before the porridge burns in the kettle. She giggled as they ran down the path towards the cabin. And then he stopped.

The door to the cabin was ajar.

He grabbed Leela and pulled her in back on him. He grabbed his dagger from his boot. The elf was ready for unwanted guests. Xristan sneaked towards his cabin with his little daughter behind him. He pushed the door open.

To his shock he saw Lord Ullisys Sunsteel sitting at the table with the pot of porridge on it. Xristan greeted him with a smile only to see his ally was not happy. He knew something wasn’t right as he closed the door.


Word Count: 666