She was The High Queen of The Realm – the queen of queens.

She was a warrior of warriors, and assured as no other.

Her reign was without question; her authority unchallenged.

Yet, as The High Queen rode back to the Valley, the just concluded confrontation had left her wondering if she knew anything at all about her Realm.

When the truth of the deception had been told, she had become, in the same instant, wholly enraged as well as unbelievably elated. 

While often angered as High Queen, yet also while often well pleased, she couldn’t recall ever being so completely and happily amazed while at the same moment being uncontrollably enraged. Both at the same unexpected and staggering truth. 

The return ride from the clash with the Spirit Mother had been with as much haste as Ann’wn, the High Queen’s Force Leader, could provide. The astonishing events of the turn had left few moments for preparation of the eve’s celebration, and The High Queen didn’t wish to be overly late, not knowing when or if her newfound yet unwanted sister would present herself. She knew that Jandra was most bewildered in learning she was not a human, but a Mystical Elf, and guessed that Sam was also in need of someone to talk her through all the lies of which she had just learned.

But there were no moments to do so.

So San’lr’in’thel’ineln’, The High Queen, hurried them back to the Valley, hoping that she would be able to provide what they needed at a later moment. 

She studied Jandra’s thoughts throughout the return so as to ensure that she wasn’t overly shaken by learning of her true identity. Worrying that too much had come Jandra’s way, overly soon, The High Queen knew that if she had been supplied with such knowledge of herself, she would be most confused and upset. And knowing that both Jandra and Sam wouldn’t know how to comprehend that their minds had been forcefully bent toward each other so as to ensure Sele’s birth, she thought to herself, For all of that, I know not how to take all this new knowledge. But I now know why I felt Jandra as special.

The High Queen knew as such, for in that single moment in the forest when she had first gazed upon Jandra and had first touched her feelings, she knew something special existed in her.

But having only recently learned that the Spirit Mothers of the Falls had deeply deceived The Realm, The High Queen wondered how they had managed to keep their secrets from her own Spirits of the Valley, as well as from the Deep Mystics. The extent of the deception was beyond understanding.

How could they have hidden Jandra from the entire realm? And for so long as this?

Never prior feeling such an odd assortment of feelings, she was enraged at Far’lin’ter’il, the Spirit Mother, for her deception, stunned that she had an older sister, and fully elated that Jandra was really Sle’nel’, a long-hidden Elfin-kind.
Yet, her instincts kept her wary, wondering, Why was I not informed that there was yet one Elf remaining in The Realm?
She could feel her anger exploding at herself as well as at The Realm, yet her feelings wouldn’t allow her to remain focused on this anger. Instead, it was as if they jerked her back and forth between immense anger and surprising delight. 

Jandra, My Sle’nel’, is of the long-prior Elves.

Following her questioning of the Spirits of the Fall’s leader, Far’lin’ter’il, she and her escorts had ridden quickly back to the Valley.

San’lr’in’thel’ineln’ knew that there was no way for Jandra to make sense of the fact that she had been hidden in Woden when a young child—deeply hidden so that the Elfin-kind could never again return to The Realm.

But why? Why would they not wish the return of the Elves?

On the return ride to the Valley, Jandra kept trying out her newly found name to herself.

My name is Sle’nel’ Ni Riain.

The High Queen smiled to herself, pleased that Jandra seemed to quite like her new name.

Also on this well gnarled and twisted moment of truth, Far’lin’ter’il had been forced to inform both Sam and San’lr’in’thel’ineln’ that they had an older sister, Sume’n’tinel’ti’non, who was part R’kin’dles, the Mystic race who long-despised the Elves. The High Queen wondered what she would be like, learning that the just-found sister was quite angry in her own right. 

Buy this book!