King Edward, Part IAnonymousKing Edward*  vs %d*King Edward, Part IChapter One:Departure from Daggerfall Long, long ago, when the world was in its springtime, beforethe Redguards came and the glorious Septim Empire was formed,but after the goblins had driven the dwarves out ofHammerfell, a son, Edward, was born to King Corcyr I ofDaggerfall and his Queen, Aliera of Wayrest. The young boy lay drowsing in the palace orchard, high on abreezy hill overlooking the deep blue bay of Daggerfall. Theconstant autumn fog of Daggerfall had blown away for thenonce and the sky was a deep endless blue. Moments like thiswere rare for young Prince Edward; this afternoon was theresult of days of scheming, for he craved solitude as theother nobles he knew craved companionship. Now his tutorbelieved him engaged in extra arms practice, the master ofarms believed him to be chasing deer with the huntmaster, whothought he was studying Elvish. His father had no idea where hewas and didn't care, being occupied with his young wife andtheir sons and other pleasures of noble life ... At the plop of an apple barely missing his head, he opened hispale grey eyes; there was a sweet rotten smell in his nostrils.He sighed and stared up into the blue. Why should things falldown instead of up? If you stared at the sky long enough youcould feel as if you were falling into it ... his eyes glazedand the pupils grew huge as the dark-ringed irises dilated. Hewas weightless, drifting ... another apple fell, grazing hisear, and he thudded to earth, crying out as first his rumpstruck and then his head. A silvery laugh sounded. Edward satup abruptly and stared around, jaw hanging slack. Two mounted men stood ten feet away, still as if they werecarved from stone, regarding him intently. Princes are noteasily intimidated, not even the gentle souled kind, butEdward had never seen or imagined anything like this pair. Onehad golden skin and eyes, was clad in white cloth trimmed withgold and rode a (Edward blinked. It is was still there) aunicorn! Beside the unicorn was a golden dragon, wingsneatly folded. And on his back was a man clad in dark chainmail, a long sword at his side. He was bareheaded; his eyesglowed red in his dark face ... and his pointed ears ..."You're elves! What--!" "He's a clever child." The dark elf's voice was sardonic. Hespoke perfect Bretic, Edward noticed, his mind still working,although something seemed to have gone wrong with the rest ofhim. "So it would seem. He did that mostly of himself. Remarkablefor an untrained child. I merely helped him to---concentrate." The high elf also spoke Bretic, but hesitantlyand with a slight singing accent. Edward's tutor said thatelves were incapable of human speech. Edward's gaze shifted rapidly over the four beings in frontof him, unable to find a comfortable resting place. He hopedbriefly, fervently, that he was dreaming. His mind seethed withquestions and demands, then quite suddenly his tongue cameunstuck. "But I wasn't concentrating at all! My masters allsay I'm incapable--." Edward clamped his jaw down hard,suddenly realizing that it might be unwise to argue withbeings such as these. But the golden elf smiled broadly, showing perfect whiteteeth, "Exactly." He radiated such warm approval, thatEdward felt his skin tingle pleasantly. It was a feeling thathe'd only known with his long-gone mother. But the other elf'sface was expressionless; the red eyes bored into Edward as ifthey would pierce his soul. "Moraelyn! You're Moraelyn! The witch-king!" He jumped to hisfeet and faced the dark elf. "You stole my mother! My fatherwill kill you." "I am. I did. Will he? Shall we call him and find out?" Thedark elf straightened and his eyes glowed deeper. A tiny puffof steam escaped the dragon's nostrils. A glowing auraappeared around his companion. Edward knew he wasn't going tocall the guard. Why should they be slaughtered? These twolooked capable of -- anything. Quite suddenly he was nolonger afraid. If they were here to hurt him, they'd have doneit by now. But a feeling of impotent rage remained. They'dtaken his mother. And now-- "Why are you here?" he demanded. "Edward, will you come with us?" The high elf spoke. Hearinghim was like hearing a harp, cool as a breeze, warm as afireside... The boy stood very still. He wanted very much to say yes, tohis own amazement. He wanted to ask if he would see his mother,but instead: "My father---" he croaked. "Will miss you no doubt." The irony was back in Moraelyn'svoice, a voice that make Edward think of icicles sparkling anddripping in winter sun. But there was a sort of hunger in hisglowing eyes, a longing? His father wouldn't miss him and he knew it. Shame ran throughthe boy, but he looked up at the broad-shouldered elfdefiantly. "Are you my father?" Edward had meant the questionto match the elf's sarcasm, but his hand crept to his ear as ifof itself. He wasn't anything like his short- tempered, hearty,red-haired father ... and Roane often said he had an elfinlook. There was a heavy silence and Edward sensed that Moraelyn wastaking the question at face value but that truth had nothing todo with what Moraelyn would say next. He would give theexpedient answer. Still--. "No." It came reluctantly. He might be lying, of course,but Edward felt a deep wave of relief. "Does my mother have -- other sons?" Suddenly Edward knew shedid not and that the question would hurt the dark elf. And wasglad. "Your mother might be dead, for all you know. Or care, itseems." The dark elf's narrow nostrils twitched as if Edwardstank, and the lines around his mouth deepened. She was not dead. Edward would have known. The bitterinjustice of Moraelyn's contempt stung. "Did she send you tome?" "Do you take me for an errand boy!" he snapped, and spoke tohis companion: "Let us take him now and be gone; we may discussit at leisure." The golden elf held up his hand, "Patience, my cousin." and,to Edward, "Well, youngling, will you come?" Dark tales were told of human children kidnapped by elves, whohungered for young humans ... "I don't know your name," Edward temporized. "Do you love your life here so much?" Edward looked at the palace in the distance, the bannersfloating lazily above ... the town below, the sparkling bay,the distant mountains. "I love Daggerfall." "Ah. And you shall return to hold it, Prince Edward. I,I'ric Harad Egun the ArchMagister, swear it to you." Moraelynswung about, protesting sharply in Elvish. The dragon spata bit of flame, but the unicorn did not move; its golden eyesregarded Edward steadily. "Unicorns do not abide any sortof falsity." The words floated through his mind in his mother'svoice. "I'ric Harad Egun the ArchMagister, I will come with you." "You must ride with Moraelyn. The Lord Akatosh has consentedto this--necessity. The elf made a sweeping gesture toward thedragon." He wasn't fit to touch a unicorn, of course. "Very well,then. I--I don't suppose I could bring my dog?" Where was he?Shag was always with him. Asleep in the grass! Shag, theever-alert? Edward knelt to touch him. A heated discussion inElvish ensued, during which the dragon scorched the grass.Moraelyn swung down and picked Shag up with distaste. "Verywell, then, but I warn you that Akatosh is at the limit of hispatience. Mount, then." "Lord Akatosh, I am most deeply obliged by your indulgence. If ever I may repay it--". "You will," Moraelyn interrupted; he seized Edward by thebelt and tossed him up onto the dragon. Edward settled himselfbetween the dragon's neck and wings and the sleeping Shag wasdraped limply in front of him. "There isn't room for --"Edward began, and jerked in astonishment as the dragon shiftedbeneath him and grew larger. Much, much, much larger.Moraelyn vaulted up behind with a prodigious leap for one inarmor. The unicorn jumped the nine foot wall, clearing itneatly. The dragon's great wings stretched; he crouched, thenleapt into the air. His riders swayed wildly. The dark elfmuttered something Edward couldn't understand in elvish andthey steadied. The wings beat strongly and the dragon circledlow over the Keep, gaining altitude slowly. People wererunning about now, shouting and pointing. Edward saw his oldnurse and waved and shouted, "Goodbye! Goodbye! I'll be backsometime..." Arrows flew through the air as bowmen shot, whilethe nurse screamed and clutched at the arms of those nearest.King Corcyr ran naked onto the battlements, screaming andwaving his fists. "Child of a demon, come back and I'll thrashyou within an inch of your worthless life. Moraelyn, comedown and fight, like the man you aren't." Moraelyn's loud laughter rang clear as temple bells,cascading over the Keep. He shouted, "Be glad I don't,little King of the Small Cock!" The dragon circled almostlazily and let out a huge gout of flame. Arrows clinkedharmlessly off his golden scales. "I'm off to see my mother!"Edward screamed down, noting the upturned faces of hisstepmother and her red-haired sons. Roane had a fur- trimmedrobe clutched round her, but her long hair floated wildly.Four pairs of eyes fastened on him, not Moraelyn, glitteringwith fury and hatred. Edward stopped waving and clutchedShag tightly with both hands. Moraelyn's mail clad arm wassecurely about his waist. Edward slumped against him,feeling quite safe for the first time in a very long while. Thebowmen had stopped shooting; most of them were looking at theroyal family. The king danced with rage. The great dragon'swings beat harder now and they headed due south out over thewater. "Aren't we going to Ebonheart?" the boy twisted round andlooked up at Moraelyn. "Your mother awaits you at Firstholdin Sumurset, little Prince." "Why did you wait so long to fetch me?" "Querulous child, do you think dragons and unicorns do thebidding of elves or men? Your mother came to me fullwilling, but she could not bring you; you were too closelyguarded by your father's men. Would you have had us lay wasteyour land to take you by force? She thought you would be safeand cared for ... and she was desperate. No, this was thedragon's plan." Of all the astonishing events of the afternoon, this was themost surprising: the notion that a dragon should take aninterest in him, when not even his own family did. But,willing, the elf said, full willing! "You are the focus of large events, youngling. Your task isto prepare yourself to be a king--a king such as your peoplehave never known. Our task is to aid you. Sleep now." Waves of sleep assaulted Edward's mind, one after another."But--" he meant to ask Moraelyn about his mother, but the lastwave was too big; it crashed right over him and he slipped intodark fire-shot dreams.