[M] (Heson and Seras) To end the hatred...

[Heson Shadowbane]

Dro'tase. The name was echoed across the caves in mixed voices. Some spat upon his name and his son and called them traitors to the dark elves. Other sang tales of praise of a possible end of the hatred between the two elven races divided many eras ago. Dro'tase's son, Dro'est, was a part of an uneasy attempt to bring peace between the dark elves of the underworld and the high elves of the surface.

Dro'est was being married to some high elf princess or noble or something. He really didn't know or even care. As the eldest of the head chieftain of all the dark elf clans, he had no choice in the matter. He tuned out the dronings of the elf's beauty and her intelligence and other such things. He didn't care for the pale skins and light hairs of those above. He much preferred the various shades of darkness his people had from blending into the underground darkness.

His dark blue face frowned as his lizard pulled carriage approached the cave opening leading out into the light of the surface provided by the giant fireball in what they call a sky above them. It was nothing like the natural light of the glowing plants of the underground and nothing like the smokeless torches lighting the cities he grew up in. He nodded to the guards at the entrance as he continued past, followed by more carriages of the chieftain council and various merchants and nobles whom were going to attend this historical wedding.

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Seras was in her room, pacing. She was in some pants and a long tunic, not the traditional clothes a princess should wear but Seras liked to ride and see her people. Making sure that things were fair and no one was oppressed.
That and she liked to get away from the court life as much as possible though today it was different. Today she had heard the news from her mother that she as to be married off to some stranger. Seras was furious! How could her mother expect this of her?! She simply wouldn't marry the man, even if it was for the good of her clan! She gave up a lot in her life and she wouldn't give up her only chance at love!

[Heson Shadowbane]

In the council carriage, only four of the seven dark elf clan chieftains were present. Dro'tase was seated among them, head bowed as he listened to the bickerings of the four that came.

Faso'ja, chieftain of the dark elves living near the caverns that held rivers of magma, was the only one who disagreed with the wedding between the elves that came on the journey. "I speak for those whom are not here Dro'tase! If this union comes to pass, we will invoke a pact of separation from the tribe. A dark and high elf union can only produce an abomination!"

Keti'lames, chieftain of the dark elves who brave the underwater rivers tsked at Faso'ja. "We elves were once one and the same, coming from ageless forests. A child of our two people would be of the image the gods first created us in!"

Huf'kun, chieftain of the dark elves whom grow the cavern fruits and vegetables gave a nod. "Not to mention that some of our people would enjoy seeing the much talked about forests of our ancestry without running a risk of dying."

Faso'ja scoffed at that and turned to Uras'damjo, chieftain of the dark elves who learn the art of magic. "Surely you have some sense Uras'damjo! Our magical natures are on total opposite ends of the spectrum. And even worse they mate with humans and share magics with them!". The magic chieftain didn't say a word, instead turning his head to Dro'tase who nodded.

"Faso'ja, you have made your points very clear, but we have decided upon this decision of this union already. I will not let four decades of negotiations be for naught because of your hard headed bigotry! You'll have your pact of separation if you still will it, but you will respect the traditions in the meantime. In the week following a wedding of a chieftain's child, political matters shall be put at rest. After that, we shall discuss upon your pact and not a moment before!"

----

Dro'est opened the blinds of his carriage a sliver, whincing a bit at the sun light before he saw the surface city he was heading to. He could see artificial cave walls around a big portion of the town with a huge stone structure in the center of it. He was in awe of that nobody was living inside of the walls, but in bigger versions of the houses that dominated huge cavern areas in the underground. He closed the blind and shook his head, hoping he didn't have to stay in this surface world for a long time.

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Seras could hear her mother banging on her door,
"Seras! You come out of that room this instant! You need to be measured for the dress!"
Seras opened the door a little and hissed,
"I'm not marrying some stranger! I don't even know who this dark elf even is!!!"
Then she slammed the door in her mothers face.

[Heson Shadowbane]

The first two carriages, carrying the elite dark elf warriors and mages selected to protect the groom to be reached the gates first. The dark elf commander talked with the high elf commander, showing the first signs of cooperation between the two elven races as they agreed on plans to keep the visiting dark elves safe and from causing a war sparking incident.

As the carriages entered the city, a messenger high elf quickly ran to the castle palace ahead of the envoy of dark elves. He reached the entrace of the grounds and spoke to the guard at the entrance. "Tell the king and queen the dark elves have arrived!"

[Strange Nerd Girl]

The king and queen were notified and Seras was dragged out of her room and primmed and readyied. She was all priettied up and sour mad about it, then she was forced to sit down in the throne next to her parents. They paitently awaited the arival of the dark elves.

[Heson Shadowbane]

Dro'tase was the first to walk through the doors, wearing some of the finest clothes of the dark elves, followed by the four council members. He walked up to the thrones and bowed his head ever so slightly. "Your majesties, I present my son, Dro'est, to you and your daughter in an offer of marriage."

Dro'est walked through the doors then, dressed in blue colored finery that seemed to accent his dark blue complexion. He had a fake smile upon his face as he walked up to the thrones. As his father had directed him, he kneeled before the thrones, looking up at the royalty. "Your majesties, as the son of our head chieftain, I offer myself up to take your daughter's hand in marriage and to bring peace to our two peoples."

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Sera's parents stood up and said their formalities and accepted the Dark elves proposal, then it was Seras turn to speak.
All she did was stand up and say,
"My name is Seras, Princess of the High Elves. I welcome you to my home."

[Heson Shadowbane]

A brief look of distaste flashed across Dro'est's face as she called herself the high elf princess. The look left his face right away back into his false happy look. "It is an honor to be accepted into your home Princess Seras. I look forward to our wedding tomorrow.". He stood up on his feet and walked to his father and stood by him.

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Seras said nothing and sat back down, she was in a sour mood.
Even though she knew that this would bring peace and stuff, she didn't want to marry someone she didn't love.
The air was stale and tense, no one dared to move now or even cough.

[Heson Shadowbane]

The dark elves were ushered to their rooms in the castle, but Dro'est was not satisfied with just staying in his room. Two guards followed behind him as he walked outside in the moon lit court yard. He was mesmerized with the light from the moon and the moon itself. He took in a deep breath and gave a small smile. "This is many times better than that fireball they call the sun. It almost feels like the magic in my blood resonates with this moon light.". The guards kept silent, keeping on the look out for any sort of assassination attempt.

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Seras had already been in the courtyard admiring the moon, today had been exhausting and troubling. Seras was in her usual pants and long tunic and began singing an old song she heard her mother sing while she was young.

"And slowly, you come to realize
It's all as it should be
You can only do so much

If you're game enough
You could place your trust in me

For the love of life
There's a trade off
We could lose it all
But we'll go down fighting

And what of the children?
Surely they can't be blamed for our mistakes?

And slowly I've come to realize
It's all as it should be

That hiding space
A lonely place"

[Heson Shadowbane]

Dro'est heard the singing and frowned a bit. He thought it sounded like the princess he met for the first time today. He walked towards the singing and looked upon the high elf. "You know. In the drow caverns, few are alone unless they wish to be. The caverns bring us dark elves closer together as a race.". He walked closer into her feild of vision, smiling softly as he gestured around. "This surface world of yours? It's wide open and there is so much room that I wouldn't be surprised if people living next to eachother knew nothing about eachother."

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Seras stopped singing and stood up and looked around and saw Dro'est the man she was supposed to marry tomorow.
"Don't make assumptions about me and my people. I'm very close to the servants here in my house and the neighboring villages. But weather you believe me or not is up to you. I just want to have some peace before I have to marry a man who I don't even know or love."

[Heson Shadowbane]

Dro'est chuckled softly. "Oh trust me, I just want the same thing. I want to get this marriage over with and consummated so I can leave this surface world.". He cracked his neck and looked at the high elf. "I don't enjoy this marriage either, but it's a sacrifice I make for my people so we don't have to live in fear of being hunted down. Political marriages are never ment for love, but it is our duty sometimes to marry something that one would not consider beautiful." He turned away from her and looked back up at the moon. "With luck I can be out of this dreadful place within the week so I can return home with my father to face the clans that are wishing to break off because of this."

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Seras turned her back to Dro'est,
"I make this sacrifice to make sure my people don't live in fear of losing their lives. And I'll be glad your gone. Though I don't hate you or your people and actually I'd like peace. But I don't wish to marry you."
Seras's eyes started to well up a little, she remembered visitng a village taht had been almost destroyed by the Dark elves once. It was a horrible memory but she didn't hate the Dark Elves for doing what they did. The war was centuries old and no one even knew why each of the clans were fighting for anymore.

[Heson Shadowbane]

Dro'est shook his head a bit. "At least we can agree we do not wish to marry eachother. At the least you will not have to worry about you high elven cities declaring war upon you for this marriage. The way I see this is that I'm trading a known enemy for an enemy with my own face." He scoffed a bit, his fist clenching. "When I look at it that way I do not understand this marriage at all. You high elves can just stay all nice and safe in your open surface world while you enjoy the dark elves killing themselves off. No need to even dirty your hands with a weapon." He looked over his shoulder at her, a frown upon his face. "You high elves have the easy life, we face hardships every day in the caverns."

[Strange Nerd Girl]

"If so many of your clans are arguing about breaking off and starting their own war against their own people then why is your father going through with this marriage?" she asked him.

[Heson Shadowbane]

Dro'est laughed loudly. "He believes in renewing the united race of the elves of old. A return to the age before the gods divided us!" He laughed more and shook his head. "The gods made us two races for a reason, even if we do not know it. He thinks not of the now, but of many cycles down the road." He sighed and started to walk back towards his guards. "It's a folish endevor if it ends up killing our race before such a thing can happen if it is possible..."

[Strange Nerd Girl]

"Though if the Gods had decided for the dividing to be eternal, don't you think they would've done something about it?" said Seras.
Then she turned around and started to walk towards the exit of the courtyard.

[Heson Shadowbane]

The dark elf shook his head. "We were sent underground and became the dark elves. If the gods truely do not want us to become a single race again, then one of us may not be living at the end of the next day." He walked back to his guards who then escorted him out of the courtyard and back to his room.

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Seras was exhausted and she soon fell asleep after she fell to her bed. She had a horrible dream though.... Someone came to the wedding and killed her mother and father and everything became a turmoil. Seras woke up sweating and panting, then she got ready for the day.

[Heson Shadowbane]

Dro'est was dressed into his formal wear, wearing a sash with the symbols of the various dark elf clans imprinted upon it. Under the sash he kept two concealed daggers, expecting for there to be an assassination attempt during the wedding. His hair was slicked back and traditional markings were made upon his face in white paint that promoted a healthy marriage. He looked at his father as he dabbed the last marking and gave him a smile. "This is the start of a new era father. I just don't know what will come of it."

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Seras had gotten ready with the traditional dress what was white and had green vines wrapped all around it. High elves were really close to nature.
She stared out the window one last time before heading to the chapel where she was to be married.
Seras kept on wondering what good would come of this marriage even if some of the Dark Elves clans didn't wish this to come to pass?

[Heson Shadowbane]

Dro'est was waiting at the front of the chapel inside. His father and the four council members that had come stood next to him. The dark elf looked at the crowd in the chapel, mostly human and high elven faces there and a small section that was set aside for the dark elf guests. He had his political smile on as he waited the arrival of his arranged bride. He was surprised there hadn't been an attempt on his life so far, but it was still an early day.

[Strange Nerd Girl]

Seras came down the aisle in her dress followed by some young girls throwing white rose petals down before her. Seras had a solom look on her face, but thankfully no one could see the single tear that fell down her cheek.
Seras wondered what would happen after the wedding.....

[Heson Shadowbane]

Dro'est kept his fake smile on as Seras came up to the altar. Once she reached it, he held his hand out to her to hold as the holy man went through the ceremony. His dark eyes stared into Seras's eyes as the ceremony went on. Eventually the ceremony was nearing it's end and it was time for the vows and ring exchange. His father handed him a ring made out of pure obsidian that he placed upon her finger. "Seras. As your husband, I vow to bring forth an era of peace talked about even when we pass on from age. If there is any to threaten your life, I shall be there to protect you from harm. Be dark elf, high elf, human, or any other race, I shall be there protect you from harm. I will bring you a life of happiness and peace and I promise to love you untill my body is no more filled with life."