Naimh gave two or three big sobs before taking a deep breath. As she exhaled, she stood up and made her way to her balcony to watch the stars appear in the evening sky. The colors of twilight spread over the Elven kingdom like waves on the faraway ocean.

Niamh leaned over the edge of her balcony and movement caught her eye. She saw two children playing outside of the castle wall. The young elflord was trying to reach an apple hanging on a branch out of his reach. His smaller, ...