Arinthal looked at the large ship in front of him, his eye twitching uncontrollably. He clearly remembered asking his father for a small ship, so as to not draw attention to himself, but it seems like his father had other plans. He could only watch as his belongings were loaded onto the ship.
"My Prince," someone greeted from behind.
He turned to see an elderly elf bowing in greeting.
"Who are you?"
"I am the head of the delegates, Ohen Blacklight," the elf responded.
"Good. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ohen. I'm guessing they are the delegates?" Arinthal smiled and pointed at the elves gathered behind Ohen.
There were roughly fifty people behind Ohen, each looking different, both in looks and style. The Fiannarel House's delegates looked sly and cunning, with their red hair and green eyes. Their garments consisted of shirts, trousers, and boots with loose hanging garments/cloths. The Elyndor House's delegates were serene and beautiful, characterized by blue eyes and light colored hair. Their clothes were more of white tunics and robes.
"Bulkiness" was the word that came to Arinthal's mind when he saw the delegates from the Aethon House. Even as delegates, they donned lightweight armor and had huge weapons. Mythren House's delegates seemed normal, but their green hair, eyes, and clothes made them stand out.
Arinthal felt something off about their presence. He knew delegates to be elegant, refined, and well-learned;
but the people in front of him looked more like well-trained arcavels and warriors.
"Ohen, why do the delegates seem... a bit... off?" he questioned with his brows furrowed.
"Well, your highness, you know that each house has its role in governing Eldrida. Your House ,Calanthir is responsible for magical training, Elyndor for research, Aethon for warfare, Fiannarel for scouting and seeking, and Mythren for healing; hence their different appearances."
"But that doesn't explain..."
Just then, the captain of the ship bellowed out loud to them from the ship.
"Cargo packed and ready, Lady Dancer ready for departure!"
Arinthal took one last look at the so-called delegates and boarded the ship.
"Why did you let him go? Roran, I just lost Naudra and I'm not going to lose another child," Namarie asked her husband, who faced the balcony overlooking the Isenstar river.
"Arinthal was born with wild velori. He needs more than Nhavae to help him control it. Aetheria isn't the only place in Calyndor, you know," King Roran said calmly.
"But what if Naudra's murderer finds a way to..."
"Whoever that person is, might not be able to defeat Arinthal."
"What do you mean? Naudra was almost as powerful as you, and she returned from Tamarlein without a soul. Arinthal is still learning how to stabilize his velori for combat and can only use it for menial work. I'm telling you, you're making a mistake," Namarie protested.
"Arinthal's magic might be wild, but it sure isn't weak. That's the end of this discussion, Namarie," King Roran responded and walked out of the room.