Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 05 Pt. 01

He nodded, "The water is a good forty feet deep under the falls. The caves behind go up in a spiral to the upper area and the rooms are up there. You can dive off the ledge from up there and not break your neck. That upper area is fifty feet up, the ceiling another 10 from it. That end is only five feet deep and it has a small incline on the corner so you can walk out without having to climb out."

Brima looked at Jarronus, "Why would you do this?"

He smiled, "Remember the horses. The original design was much shallower and a homage to Silent Falls. Came in handy when they cast it in the field to let the horses graze. My last mount was killed in the explosion. Technically before it but given the state of the stable, he would not have survived. Look up."

They looked where Jarronus pointed and at the balcony off the back of the bedroom. The ladies went rushing up.

They saw just the one bed and the double doors going out onto the balcony. He opened the doors to the balcony. A table off to one side with 6 chairs sat on the balcony. He looked at them, "In case you want food without going to the dining room you can get it from here and eat."

He pointed, "There is a small ledge that you cannot see from below that allows you to walk over, behind, and into a small cave at the top cliff behind the falls. The main house is an entryway. Another one of these will be for the guards and staff. One will monitor communication crystals, they will come inside and contact me on this communication crystal."

He set it next to the bed and went downstairs. "We should bring the horses inside and brush them down. Apprentices. Come with me."

He opened trunks, "Take this one in for now, and this one." He did that until they found the trunk he was looking for. "Take the others in besides this one."

He went and took the horses out back and brushed them down. He walked to the side, "Oats with five apples."

He left the horses to eat. He went out to the one chest and opened thirty portable holes. He looked at his apprentices. "Unload and bring to the library. Ladies if you want to help them that would be great."

He walked to a wall and started those spells again but only 3 of them on this portal. The portal opened to a library that could seat 60. He walked down to the end and pressed on a bookcase.

It popped open and they saw the mannequins, tables, and chests. He looked at them "Those other five chests have House Silvertree branded gear. Stuff that cannot be sold and some rare gear that has a family history like the blade I gave Jack. I just realized you have not given us your first name."

She chuckled, "Zirra Silver Flute. My parents went to work for some who were trying to get the Knights going again. They never returned. That was 12 years ago. I divined they were dead a few months after they left. I have a room at the enchanter's shop. My family holdings are nothing. Most of the assets were sold to pay the debts they owed.

That is why I work there. It used to be a great place to work once. Then they got too controlling. That is why there are 80 enchanter shops these days. Not that the prices came down. Just enchanters get a better percentage if they have a master's certificate and were Academy trained. If they own the shop all the better. Use to be four main enchanter shops."

He looked at her, "Three at one point. A thousand years ago."

She nodded, "We do not have the trade we use to have. It is mostly custom work and consumables."

He pointed out where different parts of the library needed to go. Three hours later and they had it all in place. He pulled a crystal, "Your Majesty, Count Silvertree. Just letting you know I will be unreachable until at least tomorrow morning."

He heard her chuckle, "I tried to reach you earlier."

He smiled, "I was in my own war room, your Majesty. The new one I built on the estate. I am moving tons of gear into it. The library took longer to unpack than I had hoped. Thirty portable holes."

She gasped, "I thought you said fourteen?!"

He smiled, "That have arcane spells, your Majesty. I have the collective works of reading material from the Academy for the last 1,400 hundred years and various other texts as well. No, I have not read them all only the last thousand years' worth."

She chuckled, "Get some rest Champion."

He looked at Zirra, "Staying?"

She nodded, "I think I am safe."

He laughed, "From me but not the other ladies. Especially Brima and Mirama. If your virginity is intact, they might take it easy on you. If not, they may want you to join them in playing."

She turned red-faced and she looked over, "I am not a virgin but I am about as close to it as you can get. The tiny fuck broke my hymen came and left. Come to find out he wagered he could get me in bed with his true love, another man. Apparently, he preferred receiving rather than giving. I found out he had a woman lined up once.

She found out what little he had. Also, he was infertile and she threw him away. She works in the shop and she found out she was infertile too. She just fucks the owner and his wife to get the good projects. The man is pushing seven hundred! I do not see how he could still get it up."

Jarronus laughed," String with twigs wrapped around it or he could be using a strap-on on them."

She laughed at him. They stepped back inside with the holes picked up. He did not silence the one out here and someone had been knocking on the door. He looked at her, "Step inside" She stepped inside he undid the teleport after sealing the portal. He teleported outside by the Great Silvertree. He looked over.

He thought, "Fuck. At least it is not dragons."

Karti'Ros chuckled, "No need to tell you danger." Jarronus had six giants including a fire giant outside his home in those damned rings. He activated the crystal, "Your Majesty, there is a knock at my door and I teleported outside. I have six giants in the Capital in those cursed rings. I thought you might want to let your city guard know when they find the mess."

She sighed, "What have you done?"

He smiled, "Not what I have done, what I am going to do. Tell them they will find them right outside the city gates."

He heard her sigh. He let the crystal go dark and went invisible. He snuck over and got close enough. He rolled into the middle and teleportation circle to 50,000 feet just outside the city gate. Cast feather fall and teleported back home. He waited for it.

The crystal buzzed, The Queen laughed, "The guards wanted to say thank you for doing that outside the city. Next time please make it further from the walls. Several got sick from the explosion of bodily fluids."

He sighed, "Your Majesty, I ensured they did not take out half of this district. Next time I will look to take them to the volcano. "

She chuckled, "That you did. Interesting idea. It won't work once the shields are restored though."

The crystal went silent. He redid the lockout for teleport and silenced the entry. He opened the portal and walked inside. He walked over toward the ladies.

Brima looked upset and yelled, "You locked us in?!"

He nodded and explained about the giants and his chat with the Queen. He looked over, "Seal portal. Secure entryway!" She watched three walls two down and one up of clear diamond that blocked off the first 40 feet.

He looked over, "Activate entry security." That sat there and watched all the blades and spikes going up and down. From the floor and the ceiling.

He looked over, "Set security control access for all of the ladies in this home. Deactivate entry security. Someone gets inside here, there will be a communication crystal for the guards to talk with us. If they are a dragon, giant, or wearing a necromancy ring then I will shred them between the two. He activated a crystal. "That locks out the ability to teleport into this area."

She nodded, "Keeping a red dragon from getting to the Queen."

He nodded, "Yes. The same design I will use for the Queen. Her current shelter does not have these security measures."

They sat down at the table and made small talk. Zirra looked at him, "How do I know I will not be disappointed in bed?"

The ladies chuckled. Brima smiled, "You know the first champion had 6 wives and he is doing 4."

He pulled off his armor and then his shirt. She stared at the symbol. Olivana looked at her, "The Lady of Dreams shut down objections from my father. Three fathers really when it came to his apprentices. She appeared at Silent Falls."

Zirra asked, "Lots of revelations?"

Olivana just nodded. He looked at his apprentices, "I will be running you ragged helping to unpack. Then introduce you to the training ground from the hells. Get some sleep now."

They nodded, "Yes, Master Trainer."

He headed into the falls not needing to tell the ladies where he was going. He stripped down and jumped in. He got in his 40 laps in the larger pool. He went up behind the waterfall. He got to the top and stood there with the water running over him. He looked out and they did not disappoint. He jumped off doing a triple rotating flip and went straight down in the water. He surfaced and they stood there smiling.

Zirra looked shocked. Jarronus went and took the walk out of the pool to get dressed and passed his clothes. She just stared at his crotch which grew faster as he walked up to her and kissed her.

She moaned out he walked over and dressed and she was ten shades redder. He looked at her, "The Knight Paladin could go12 straight without losing an erection. Then he was back up in fifteen minutes. I do not know if mine will be like that or not. I have mental attributes in my amulet. Physical in the ring. The goddess seemed set on me having 4. He walked over and kissed the other 3. He smiled at them as he walked out and up.

They followed. Jarronus turned, "Good night ladies. Play nice."

He closed the door and secured the room. He heard a groan when one tried the door. He went and got undressed and threw his clothes in the corner. He turned on the second set of crystals he had, leaving sound open. He crawled into bed.

He heard the words, "Damn it." from Brima.

He heard laughter as he fell asleep. It continued as she approached him. He was sitting at the falls this time. She sat next to him.

"You will perform like the Knight Paladin. Except there are things they will discover you can do that he could not."

He sighed, "Maybe it would be safer If I slept for a week."

She laughed, "No it would be bad for your health."

He looked at her, "I lose another before this wedding and I will never marry. I will love them, have children which I will claim, but never marry. The attacks are becoming way too frequent. I have a non-detection item on. This makes no sense."

She smiled, "It does. They have spies everywhere looking for you. The non-detection is stronger but it is not fool-proof. I cannot guarantee their safety unless they never leave the shelter you have built. That would be almost as good as them killing you. The people would have nobody to protect them as you would not have those with you to protect you in the field."

He sighed, "My new guard contingency should arrive tomorrow. I hired 200 with 40 of them being mages. Not all are very skilled but they will have the necessary skills hopefully."

She looked at Jarronus, "It would be extremely bad for your house to not have a legitimate heir. Some will challenge the existence of the house. Doing it after this conflict would create conflict between those born before and after you married."

He sighed, "Give me a solution where they live and you have your legitimate heirs."

She groaned, "Best I can do is try and get you to change your mind if something does happen."

He looked at her, "Given this whole constitution issue that was not 'supposed' to be there. Yes, I feel like I was lied to or misled on that. I will not replace a fallen wife unless I have a desire to do so. I will not agree to that. I told you what I would do upfront."

She looked at him, "Part of being a Blade Singer is being reverent to the Gods."

He nodded, "I will give that up if you require it of me. I will not seek to atone for expressing my own free will over my heart. I do all of the things you ask of me to protect the elven people. I have put the framework together to protect the house from corruption. You have the power to override my decisions after I die. Just get the Palace to recognize them as my last wives.

Of course, if the future blade wielder is not with one of the wives still alive that would be a potential problem for you. There have been so many Blade Singers who have done things like assassinations. Yet you have not struck them down. I am not doing those things.

I follow the tenants and part of that is to love any child regardless of their birth circumstance. From the first champion and blessed by the Gods. You dodged the constitution item issue."

She sighed, "It merged into the amulet when added, not when it was crafted. Came from within you, not us. Your family genetics. My husband spoke with you on this and the draconic blood with that holy amulet caused this effect to Eldar's progeny. We did not trick you. He had hoped it would have been watered down, but that is not the case.

Identify the ring and you will find that it does not do that. Identifying the amulet is more difficult because of the non-detection on it. It is very strong, just not fool-proof. It did get a slight increase during the bonding. Add to your journal that future champions will likely have a constitution boost due to dragon-blood."

He nodded, "Note to future champions. Never wear a holy symbol or never wear a magical amulet unless you want to be a breeding stud."

She glared at him, "Your sense of humor troubles me at times."

He smiled, "Product of my parents and the Gods. I could try and cut the amulet out."

She shook her head, "It would kill you."

He looked at her, "When I marry these four; IF it gets to that, I do not want any language about remarrying. I will follow my heart or my cock."

She shook her head, "You have to have a first wife. If anything happened to her then you need to remarry or have a second ready."

He looked at her, "Or retire from the field, lock my family in, and raise them myself."

She sighed, "You are being very difficult tonight."

He nodded, "I know. I have read the hopes' fears, joys, and sorrows from blade wielders to the mother of paladins. It does not give me much hope for a large family, being able to watch them grow, or the things a father should care about.

I am beginning to think that son of Eldar; the bard was who had it right. Fuck them and leave them. That is what the last two champions essentially did. They married but in the long run, it did not matter. Their children were slaughtered."

She sighed, "We have discussed this before."

He shook my head, "No we did not. You refused to discuss Jazzia's children who did not live to be beyond 100 years old. I have 6 uncles from her who are all still alive over 1,000 years later. You picked the best for the blade and they died the quickest."

She sighed, "Nothing has to be decided tonight. You should wake and get your day started."

---

The Lady of Dreams was approached by her husband in their home and bedroom. He spoke to her, "You see now why I let that remark remain in the book. You made him a promise for his children, I expect you will work to keep that promise. You developed a bad reputation among Silvertree champions.

Especially with Jazzia and her children and Brannar's children before that by putting Brannar's brother in harm's way to die on the same day as his sister. We knew you needed one, but you did not need them both, not then. It is your domain and I am not taking action, yet anyway.

She voiced her concerns and hopes for the future. Her 'dreams' that you decided to crush after her death. She put in her 'I told you so' clause and then you made it a reality instead of disproving her fears for her children. You denied them after she died taking that Draco-lich out of that battle and killing over 50 dragons in the final effort alone.

She sighed, 'She was not supposed to die then! She did her sacrifice for the dragons and the dwarves!"

Corellon shook his head, "How many others did she save? You saw the permutations we looked over afterward. She knew the death toll would be high for the elves as well. It was not just for the other two races, give her more credit than that after the victory she secured in the sphere!

It could have cut the elven population in half in several of those permutations. Most likely taken us back to the population of the time of Eldar with the extinction of the Wild elves as the most vulnerable of our elven people.

She succeeded in turning that fight because the metallic numbers were not high enough. We could not see that until after that fight was over inside the sphere. Not until we could see what was entering the battlefield with the Draco-Lich. The dwarven allies would have perished. We needed them for that forge alone. We still need them and for more than the forge.

We have been working with Moradin to be more open-minded in our people's alliances. Supported by their string of successes done by our champions that have benefited his own people. He does not have the dwarven population here as he does in other worlds.

He does not have the power to put a champion into every battle and we would not have the power we have today without Eldar's efforts. Moradin has always been more hands-off, except when the battle goes underground. Where he always likes to put his champion.

Jazzia's own concern for elven lives who would die with that many dragons as she took out every single chromatic within the dragon sphere. She completed in one battle what we thought would take a lifetime to accomplish. She did it in one shot instead of having to run around the world hunting them.

She cornered them and kept them from running. She was brave and she made the right tactical decision to save the world massive destruction from that draconic device. Which is why I honored her request with the amulet exploding. You did not like the fact she argued with you over starting a family.

You did not like the fact I put another female champion on the field. It will happen again. The last being almost 10,000 years ago. She was successful, a Moon Blade holder, and her house died in the following century of war and her family blade destroyed senselessly after the family died.

The parallels are not lost on me about your jealousy. You are my wife, not the other female champions who worshiped me. This is something we started by doing it before birth and selecting only one candidate. Now you do not like the tone being set with Jarronus but you now need him to help rebuild because of the branches you destroyed.

We will need to work with finding a solution that does not involve killing off the entire line but one...yet again or completely. Else we will lose this house altogether and they will be needed in the future as you already know. We have just about everything riding on this one family line."

The Lady of Dreams simply nodded her understanding of the situation. She did not like talking about Jazzia, even though she knew he was right about her. She hated to admit that fact, even when faced with the evidence.