“Am not,” replied the elf. “Besides, they are just silly trinkets and not worth anything so what do any of you care?”
“One man’s silly trinket is another man’s treasure,” remarked Zann, shoving the Seyadillo tooth into his pouch.
“The real issue here is that you cheated,” said Rhys.
“Yes, you cheated. In more ways than one it seems.” Darium scowled at Persimmon’s father.
“Let’s eat.” Elric was ready to leave as usual. It seemed to be what he did best when he didn’t want to face something. Like all the times he’d left Persimmon and her mother, just when they needed him the most.
“Nay, no one is leaving yet.” Zann stood up and so did his brothers.
“We want the truth,” said the big one, named Rhys. “But then, how can we really expect the truth from someone who cheats at cards?”
“That’s right,” said Darium with a snort. “And he had the nerve to call us dishonorable? Elric, it seems to me that you have some explaining to do. And not just about the card game either.” His gaze traveled over to Persimmon when he said it.
“I agree,” said Zann. “But first, let me call over my wife. Lira!” He raised his arm in the air and waved her over. One woman came to the table, followed by a few others.
“Nay, don’t!” begged Elric, cringing, but it was too late. The woman named Lira and the other women in the group who had been visiting and talking, joined them.
“What is it, sweetheart?” Lira reached up and kissed her husband on the mouth. Then she noticed Persimmon standing there and her green eyes opened wide in surprise. “Oh, pardon me. I didn’t know we had a guest. Hello, there. I am Queen Lira Penworth.”
Her husband cleared his throat.
Her eyes flashed over to him and she grinned. “I mean Queen Lira Blackseed now,” she corrected herself, blushing in a bashful manner. Her hand went to her mouth and her fingertips daintily covered her lips. “Sorry, Zann,” she told her husband. “I’m still getting used to us being married.”
This woman seemed to be close to Persimmon’s age of twenty-five. Her beauty was beyond compare. She sported a long braid of strawberry-blonde hair trailing down her back. Her eyes were green like the new life of a spring plant. Pointy tips turned upward from the tops of her ears, a true trait of an elf. She also had a kind and bright smile. Lira was dressed in a fancy gown, depicting her noble status. And over her clothes, she wore a fur-lined long, green cloak. “Zann, aren’t you going to introduce me to our guest?”
“I would if I knew who she was,” muttered Zann under his breath.
“Perhaps your father would like that honor.” Darium glared at Elric. All three of the men did, actually. The air was thick between them. Persimmon could tell by the way her father shifted his weight from one foot to the other that he was feeling uncomfortable right now. So was she. This was a strange land to her since she’d never set foot on Mura before, even though she’d lived her entire life just across the water in Lornoon. Persimmon didn’t know anyone here but her father, and she’d barely spoken to Elric at all while growing up. Nay, nothing here was familiar to her and neither did she feel at ease here, even if she wasn’t really sure where she would feel comfortable.
Slowly, Persimmon released his arm. “Go ahead, Father. I’m sure everyone would like to hear your explanation of who I am.”
“Persimmon, these are the Blackseed brothers, Zann, Rhys, and Darium,” announced her father, pointing to each of the men in turn. The brothers were handsome men. Rugged and strong. Two of them were dressed like nobles and the other in clothes suited for traveling the land. “These are their wives, Lira, Medea, and Talia,” he added, introducing three of the four women. Medea and Talia, just like Lira, were beautiful women. Talia was the smallest. She wore earthen-colored clothes and lilies in her hair. The strong scent of the flowers wafted through the air. Persimmon realized Talia must be a fae. Medea, on the other hand, had more exotic looks. She had long black hair like Persimmon, but dark eyes. She seemed mysterious, as if she held secrets.
“Hello,” Persimmon greeted them with a quick nod.
“And last, we have the Blackseed boys’ Fae Queen mother.” He pointed to a woman at the back of the group.
“Persimmon’s head jerked upward in surprise when she heard him say Fae Queen. Could it really be? Sure enough, she recognized the older but beautiful woman. “Oh, hello, Alai Na-Dea she said with a nod and a slight curtsy. “I am sorry, I didn’t see you there. I’m surprised to find you here in Mura. I also didn’t know you had sons or that you’d been crowned Queen of the Fae.” She curtsied a few more times, thrilled to see the woman again after all this time, and wanting to show her respect. “It is always an honor to be in your presence, my Queen.”
“Please, everyone calls me Alaina now,” said the woman with a kind smile.
“Enough with all this addled talk of honor,” grumbled Elric.
“There’s also no need to curtsy, my dear,” Alaina assured her. “We’ve known each other for years now, Persimmon, so we are friends. After all, I first met you when you were only a small child.”
“Mother? You know her?” asked Zann. “Wait, I’m confused. How do you know each other?”
“Persimmon knows me from the time I lived with the Elementals on the island of Lornoon,” explained Alaina. “I was friends with her mother, Luna. I thought I knew her well, however, I guess I was mistaken. I mean, I had no idea Elric was Persimmon’s father until just now. Luna never told me.”
“I see,” said Zann, perusing Persimmon with a keen eye. “Can you explain more about being Elric’s daughter? That, I just have to hear.”
“Yes,” Lira agreed with her husband. “I would like to know more, too. I have two brothers, Korack and Keevan, but I didn’t know I had a sister, too. Also, you don’t look like an elf. I mean, you don’t have features like the rest of my family.” Lira had pointy ears and light hair like any good elf had. Persimmon, on the other hand had rounded ears, dark hair, and no features depicting her as having elven blood in the least.
“I’m only half-elf,” Persimmon explained. “You see, my mother was a sorceress.”
“A sorceress? Really?” Medea, Rhys’ wife perked up at hearing this. “Oh, it’s so nice to know there is another witch around here, other than just my daughter and me.”
Persimmon continued. “I don’t think I really have a lot of my father’s qualities at all. However, I inherited some of my mother’s powers.”
“Powers? What kind of powers?” asked Zann.
Persimmon looked from one person to the other, suddenly wishing she hadn’t said anything. They were all strangers to her and she wasn’t sure how much she wanted them to know about her. They waited with anticipation on their faces. She was going to have to tell them something now. “Well, my mother was a prophetess,” she answered, being cautious not to say anything about herself.
“Oh, how exciting!” exclaimed Medea. “I knew you were special the moment I saw you. Even with all my powers, I can’t say I’ve ever been a prophetess. It is so nice to meet you.”
“You’re a prophetess?” questioned Rhys. “What’s that?”
“She can see the future,” Medea answered before Persimmon could correct the mistake.
“Oh, you must be very powerful,” gasped Talia.
“Sister, I am so proud of you. Tell us, how do you go about seeing the future?” asked Lira.
Persimmon knew she should correct them and tell her that only her mother had such a skill. As much as Persimmon longed to have the same power, she sadly didn’t. It felt good to have so many people interested in her. They seemed to like her because they thought she was a prophetess. Persimmon had been sheltered her entire life. She’d never had friends, and this felt so good. Special. She wanted people to like her, and this was her perfect opportunity to start her new life. Nay, she couldn’t tell them now that she wasn’t a prophetess. If she did, they were all going to scorn her, and she couldn’t take any more of that in her life.
“Yes. I can see the future,” she blurted out, feeling like such a fake. Still, no one here knew the truth so what did it really matter? She reached over to her pouch hanging at her side, plucking out a round gazing sphere made of crystal. It was quite large and took up her entire palm. She held it up for the others to see. “I use this to scry. It used to be Mother’s but it is mine now.” Persimmon’s gaze went to her father. She had hoped hearing this would impress him and make him like her. Or, at least, make him a little more interested in her, since the two of them never had a bond between them.
