I think this update is a bit shorter, but the next one is going to be a doozy so it’ll balance out!
Featuring: held prisoner, prison cell, elf whumpee, fantasy whump, magic whump
Taglist: @whumperofworlds @melpomenelamusa
Prompt used: “You can feel it, can’t you?”
Part Four | Masterlist | Part Six
Hollyoak, Part Five
If nothing else, the Summer Elves' prison was at least on solid ground. Well, not on it so much as under it. Only a narrow ribbon at the top of the cell looked out on the grassy forest- barred from Kelyn's reach by the sturdy roots of the oak tree that formed the prison. The rest of the cell had been scooped out from the hard earth underneath. Some enchantment had been laid on it- Kelyn had tried digging a hole in the wall, just to see what would happen, and it had instantly sealed itself back up again. There was no way to tunnel out.
The cell was quite bare. Aside from the trapdoor that led into it, there was only earthen walls and the tree-root bars running round the top of the cell- no furnishings of any kind to make the cramped space less difficult to bear. Kelyn had had trouble with his antlers- the cell had obviously been designed for a Summer Elf, who all had small, stubby horns. Kelyn had nearly a full rack of antlers to contend with. If he tried to turn around too fast, they scraped irritatingly against the packed-earth wall. And there was not enough space for him to lie down- he had had to sleep sitting up with his head on his knees. His back ached from that.
His heart hurt from the accusation. And, surprisingly, for Adaire. He'd spent some time last night imagining how angry and frightened and sad he would be if King Cyprian fell senseless at a feast. Adaire was feeling those same emotions, except in his case it was not an imagination.
Kelyn had heard someone outside his cell say that King Aritz was not expected to live; the magic had infected him, slowly creeping towards his heart. "You can feel it, can't you?" he'd heard them murmur to their companion. "Summer is dying almost as soon as it began to live."
It made no sense. Summer Elves could not wield death magic just as Winter Elves could not touch life magic. If it truly was death magic that had struck King Aritz, a Winter Elf would have had to have cast it. But Kelyn was the only one in the Summer Realm, and he had no idea how to perform death magic, much less the desire to kill Adaire's father!
Is Adaire in danger, too? Kelyn wasn't sure why he cared, exactly. Adaire had had him arrested. The Oak Prince clearly hated him- but Kelyn couldn't find any hatred for him in return.
He was feeling something, though. It had taken him a long time to notice it. But he had noticed it at last, and it was beginning to worry him.
In his room in the Summer Realm, and Adaire's in the Winter Realm, enchantments had been carefully woven in. Adaire's room was much warmer than the rest of the Winter Realm, to make sure the Oak Prince was comfortable during his six months there. Likewise, Kelyn's room in the Summer Realm was kept much cooler than the rest of it. It was always a relief to come back to the slight chill after spending some time in the heat of the Summer Realm. The magic at Kelyn's core would keep him from overheating, but it wouldn't necessarily keep him comfortable, so the enchantment helped greatly.
No such enchantment had been set on this cell. It was underground, so at first it hadn't felt too bad. But as time wore on, the heat was beginning to increase. Kelyn could feel it. The magic deep inside him struggled to keep up. His dark hair was damp with sweat.
He had tried calling out, but there seemed to be no one around. If they could hear him, they were ignoring him. It had been nearly a full day already, and still no one had come. The trapdoor had remained securely shut and bolted. He hadn't so much as heard footsteps on the floor above his head.
Does that mean King Aritz has died? Kelyn wondered. If the Summer Elves were busy with funeral preparations, it stood to reason that he would be forgotten about- or deliberately ignored. But if the king had died, it would inevitably mean war.
King Cyprian was old. The Winter Realm was a hard one to live in even for the Winter Elves. And with the Summer Elves spurred to anger by the death of their king and the leadership of hotheaded Prince Adaire...there would be no formal declaration. They would simply swarm over the border and attack.
If it came to war, the Winter Elves would be defeated. There was no way around it. Unless they were warned, and could retreat into the safety of their high mountains, the Summer Elves would take the victory.
And, likely, my father's life. His own was forfeit already; Kelyn had no doubts of that. But the thought of King Cyprian's death hurt to even imagine.
Kelyn shifted awkwardly on the hard ground, ducking his head further to avoid scraping his antlers again. Is this what Adaire is feeling right now? Do we both have to lose our fathers?
