The Last Rose

The Last Rose

Avalia's POV

It was several days after I turned 19 that I saw snow for the first time.  In Melagoya, the forest in which my city lay, it never snowed, but that day it did.  I couldn't explain the feel of it, or even the way it smelled, because it didn't.  All I can say was that it was cold, or so said the servants, and white, a pure white.
"It is as white as the innocence surrounding you," my mother said softly as we sat there together in the palace library by the window.  Surprised, I turned to her.  My little sister Telane disregarded the words, staring at the quickly falling snow flakes with all the wonder and awe a child like her should have.
My mother was a noble woman, to say the least.  She was the queen of Toyun, the main elf city in which we lived, and a beautiful elf.  I was lucky enough to have inherited her coppery red hair, which hung in curls over her slender shoulders.  Her eyes were large and bright, filled with so much wisdom.  Our father often told us how she had always deserved to be a Dragon Keeper because of her wise way of speaking and listening, for she knew how to listen as much as speak in that soft, flowing voice.
"What do you mean by that, mother?" I asked, fingering the end of my braid.  I curled up on the couch underneath my long, purple silk robes.  My olive green eyes fell back upon the snow outside.  Normally, so many elves went about outside the white stone palace in the marketplace, but the snow had struck fear into them.  That was why I asked of its innocence.  It barely seemed innocent to me.
"You do not understand why the snow is here," she finally whispered, standing and neatly straitening the fabric of her red dress, and then walking the other direction.  I scowled and went to follow her.  Telane ignored me and continued to watch the snow, her soft brown hair falling in cascades over her long blue robes.
"Why is the snow here?" I asked sharply, watching my mother's expression, even though I knew that was useless.  She could win an argument with a dwarf.
She took in a deep breath.  "Avalia," she chided, "you know of the griffins in the east."
"Of course," I replied.  "Ever since the Dragon Keepers moved into the forest, they strayed back to Shamba Lake and refused to go.  They've wreaked havoc on this world." I paused, alarmed. "Did they cause the snow?"
"Yes.  Your father has sent Yenst and Ovaln to find them only this morning in hopes of stopping this snow before it overcomes the forest."
"But snow falls in Melagoya south of here," I argued as we walked out into the halls.  No one was there.  I always wondered what the point of the wide, bedecked halls were if no one was there to walk in them.  "How could a forest possibly be overcome by snow?"
"If the snow doesn't stop, we will all be trapped.  Even with the magic of our voices, we could not completely shield ourselves from it.  If we wove a tangle of brambles ten feet thick over our heads, the snow would eventually weigh it down." That sounded silly to me, but what did I know?  I was only the princess.
With slight anger I walked off and into my room.  What did Yenst and Ovaln know?  Sure, they were Dragon Keepers, but they were foolish elves that didn't immerse themselves in what they did like the great Dragon Keeper Valli.  It disgusted me how they lacked in physical and mental strength but charmed my father to the point that he cared for them as his own sons, and that was what I was afraid of, because it would affect my own future since I was expected to marry and my father had only two daughters.  Telane was only eight.
I had never told my mother or father, but I wanted to be a Dragon Keeper.  I was never to touch the few dragon eggs my father, King Surin, had in possession.  He was absolutely adamant about that, and I couldn't find a way around it.  Even though I was the princess, my father was the king.
Still, I found my way into the training field once in a while when I was supposed to be off reading with Telane.  She was as good with words as my mother, and enjoyed it when I left because she could trick our tutor and get out of reading herself.  The training I received from various elf masters in the training grounds was enough to easily ward off attackers or even go into battle side by side with the elves.  I disguised myself using a mask Pollin helped me make.
Pollin was waiting for me as I walked into my room.  She was a darling girl, an absolutely beautiful elf, and my close friend.  She was made my lady in waiting on my 10th birthday at the age of nine, and I happily viewed her as a companion instead.  Pollin and I got into massive heaps of trouble when I was a child, and only when she was threatened with being moved to a different position did we subdue ourselves.  If I lost Pollin, I would lose half of myself.  I trusted her with my deepest secrets and fears.
"Have you seen the snow outside?" I asked her as I sat down on my bed, not caring if I slouched.
"I sat and stared at it for an hour," she replied with delight, sitting beside me.  "Would you like something?" She sensed my bad mood.
"Yes," I replied, my eyes glowing.  "I want your help.  I've decided it's time for me to take action." I told her the cause for the snow and my idea.  Afterward, she was bursting with excitement.  "But you must keep it a secret for now.  Don't even tell Telane; she would absolutely be struck dead if she told anyone."  Pollin nodded several times very rapidly, smiling deviously at me.
This plan couldn't fail.

Belvan's POV

With a laugh of excitement I ducked under the low branches, Golque right behind me.  He was tittering like a girl.  I suddenly saw flashes of light glinting off the trees and realized that he changed into his dragon form.  I glared at him over my shoulder.  He was a brown-scaled dragon with gleaming yellow eyes that reflected the sunlight.  He always thought my scales were better looking, and I often refused it but secretly agreed.  My dragon form was long and slender, and my scales shone silver even on the darkest of nights.  My eyes I rarely saw unless I peered into my ragged reflection, as I didn't really care for them.  Those blue orbs betrayed all my thoughts to whomever looked for them there.
Those eyes were blinded momentarily by my silver hair, and that was all it took for one little branch to sneak up on me.
Fine, it was a big branch.
In fact, it was so large and low that it caught me right in the stomach, and I fell backward into Golque.  The dragon growled and then sneezed on me, spurting a little flame onto my shoulder.  I hurriedly patted it away as the soldier turned the corner and saw us.
"Stop!" he shouted.
Can't he see we've already stopped? I asked Golque sarcastically through our minds.  As dragons, we could both use mind-speak.  I picked myself up and saw that Golque was in his human form again, brown hair tousled by the fall.  He had a scrape on his right arm, but when was that unusual for us?  I turned and faced the human.
"Humans don't belong in Melagoya," I said boldly to the soldier.  Golque smiled at me.
The soldier pushed his sword tip into the dirt and leaned on the hilt.  "If I'm a human and you're a human," he said, most likely thinking himself smart, "then doesn't that make you a hypocrite?" He hadn't yet seen me in my true form.  With a snarl I quickly merged into a dragon, my smaller shape since we were in such a tight spot.
What made me proud to be a dragon was the fact that I could speak aloud even in that form to anyone, unlike the regular dragons of the north.  "If I'm a dragon and you're a human," I said, leaning against a tree as he was to his sword, "then doesn't that make you a meal?" Golque and I howled of laughter long after the soldier ran away.
"You're too much, Belvan!" he roared.  I could only continue to laugh until my sides hurt.  Finally, we sat up, and the realization of where we were set in.  In fact, I didn't exactly know where we were.
"Golque, Golque," I murmured, tapping him on the shoulder.  He sat up and wiped an eye.  "Where are we, lad?" He looked around.
"We ran pretty far," he said, unsure and standing up.  "That soldier chased us from the fourth mountain onward." That was when my memories flooded back to me.  Golque and I were assigned to poison someone.  As a dragon shape-shifter, I was an assassin working for the griffins, even though I didn't really care for them.  They were bringing the snow that covered the ground, and even though I was used to it from my homeland, I didn't expect it or want it here.  By that time the snow had been falling steadily for three days.
I wasn't sure who it was we were supposed to poison, but we were to find out from a griffin ally near the fourth mountain, the one we had been camped near for two days.
"It's the snow that's delayed him," Golque would always say, but he was even more impatient than me at times.  "Belvan, we have to have some fun," was the next thing that came out of his mouth, as he saw the small band of soldiers at the bottom of the mountain.  That was what started the chase.
What started the tiring walking back to the mountain was only our need to meet with the griffin messenger.  We grudgingly started trekking the way we thought was south; it was a myth that dragons could sense direction acutely.
It was only when we reached an odd wall of brambles and vines that I realized with dread where we were. "Golque!" I cried with dismay, pounding my paw fist against the wall. "Do you know where we are?" It is always a man's inclination to accuse his best friend of any mistakes, and Golque and I never offended each other because of it.  "These are Toyun's walls!"
"An elf city?  What a wonder!" I glared at him and he subdued himself.  His form shifted and merged into that of an elf.  "We might as well blend in, if we're going into the city."
"We can't get into the city, Golque; it's hidden!" I still changed into my elf form.  I enjoyed my elf form almost more than the human, as my silver hair was shaggy and covered over my easily-read eyes.  The clothes were all the same, though: a green vest over a long white shirt with brown breeches and my trusty old boots.  "Besides, we have to be going now."  Just as I turned toward the other direction, what I was sure to be south, I heard a slight sound and my elf ears angled toward the bushes on my left.  Nothing got past my acute hearing.
I silently walked over to the clump of bushes and smiled, looking down at the nearest bush, where I could sense two beings hiding; they were two elves.   "I can smell you," I muttered.

Avalia's POV

My first reaction was to laugh.  "You can smell me?" I burst, rolling out of the bush and into sight of the person before me.  My breath caught in my throat.  An elf!  He would know who I was!
"Yes, I can," he shot back, obviously confused at my finding that humorous.  He growled at me, face turning red, and looked to his equally handsome friend for help.  I didn't think I would get caught so early into our adventure.
Pollin came up behind me and giggled at the boys.  She played with the end of her ponytail and watched our confrontation.  We had left Toyun only an hour ago together, ready to search for the griffins at all cost and stop them.  What could Yenst and Ovaln do about it?  Nothing!  So we left and didn't tell a soul, though I was sure Telane knew of it somehow.  She would be quite a queen one day.
"Who are you, and what do you want with us?" Pollin finally demanded.  The young elves looked shocked, staring at us in turn.  The first elf was quite handsome.  He had silver hair that shone in the meager light streaming through the trees, and his blue eyes were startling; they seemed to betray everything about him to me.  I could almost see a fear in them.  I almost snorted aloud.  Fear!  I was truly mad now.
"My name is Golque," the second elf offered, stepping forward, "and this is my best friend Belvan.  Who may you two beautiful ladies be?" Before I could realize what he had asked, I found myself staring at Belvan.  Belvan: what a name!
"You don't know me?" I then blurted.  Both boys shrugged their shoulders uneasily.  "Very well.  My name is Avalia, and this is my friend Pollin.  We just left Toyun, and it would be wonderfully appreciated if you didn't tell on us."
"Tell on you?" Belvan snorted.  Suddenly, he tensed and looked to Golque, finally turning back to us.  "We promise not to tell on you if you promise to join us for a meal." I looked up through the tree branches to see dwindling light, then shared a knowing gaze with Pollin.
She replied, "Fine."
We sat down in a glade by a small river, shadowed by several tall trees.  Golque started a fire while Belvan talked with us.  I watched his every movement.  The way he pushed back his hair, the way he fiddled with his hands, the way he sat were all so interesting.  It was as if he wasn't an elf at all, because he didn't act like one, but his ears were pointed and his gait was correct and his figure was obviously elfish.  What would my father think of him?  That was one of the many questions that popped into my mind, one of the questions that surprised me.
"Where are you headed?" Belvan then asked us, and I was suddenly frozen with terror.  If we told him about the griffins… but he was an elf himself, and he didn't even know who I was!
"Westward," I replied quickly, before Pollin could say anything.  "We would like to visit the famous Dragon Academy and meet Valli the Millennium Keeper and Natasha Iceheart." Belvan nodded his head slowly.
"I've heard much about them." That was all he could say.  I couldn't explain why I didn't tell him the truth, just as I couldn't explain the snow that fell in those days.  We talked late into the night and I realized how much Belvan and I had in common, or, rather, how much I wanted us to have in common.  I was thankful when they suggested we sleep by the fire with them, as there could be danger in Melagoya so late at night.
Pollin was the least enthusiastic, but I tried not to show my excitement.  For a moment, I almost forgot the goal of our journey.  I fell asleep watching Belvan tend to the fire.

Belvan's POV

I tended to the fire and watched Avalia fall asleep.  What a gorgeous name!  Avalia… She was the most beautiful elf I had ever seen, and I wondered from our time talking together if she was really who she said she was.
It was Golque's fantastic idea to not say anything about our dragon forms.  He admired the two girls for what they were doing, and I did only secretly, though I was sure my eyes gave it away.  Besides, I realized that night that I loved Avalia.  She was beautiful, sweet, and innocent.  The only problem was that I was sure she could never love me back.
So I tried to forget her as I fell asleep, but I never did drift off into the dream world.  I watched first Avalia, Pollin, and Golque begin the steady rise and fall of breath: sleep's common toll.  No matter what I trained my mind on, though, it drifted back to Avalia.
In the morning I relit the fire and made breakfast.  I was hoping the girls would stay to eat, and they were kind enough to do so.  "Will you need any help on your journey?" I asked them.  Pollin shrugged her shoulders and looked to Avalia.
"No," she said softly and kindly.  "We have to be going."  I hated to have her leave, but I knew it was good for me too.  I had to forget about Avalia.  After all, I was an assassin, and she was beautiful enough to be the princess of Toyun!  After the girls left and went westward, I led Golque back to our spot on the fourth mountain, where we waited for the griffin.

He came late, obviously, but Golque and I didn't care to interrogate him.  I wasn't in the mood and Golque was nearly asleep when the griffin arrived.  I received word from our leader to transmit a message to the assassin Belvan.  Are one of you him? I nodded and turned into my dragon form to prove it.  The griffin nodded, still out of breath from his flight.  This letter has all the information you will need.  As long as you carry out your assignment successfully, you will be paid within a week's time. With that he handed me a rolled piece of parchment paper and flew northwest, the same way Avalia and Pollin had gone.
I unrolled the letter and started to scan through it.  You will be paid a heavy sum of 400 gold pieces to travel into Toyun disguised as an elf and poison the daughter of the elf king Surin.  Her name is Avalia Eigen, and if she is killed, the king will have very little time to find another heir, giving us the chance to strike. With a heavy feeling of anger, I threw the letter toward Golque.  He picked it up and read it, then put his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Belvan."
"She didn't tell me she was the princess!" I snarled, sitting by the dwindling fire.  "I can't do it; I can't kill her."
"You have to!" Golque exclaimed with surprise and sudden dread.  "If you don't, the griffins will find you."
"It doesn't matter.  I can't kill her, Golque.  I can't bring myself to do it." I sat there for several minutes thinking.  I was frustrated that Avalia had not trusted me and told me she was the princess, and now understood why she had asked us not to tell on her.  What a fool I had been!  What a fool.  I felt something warm on my cheek that blurred my vision, so I wiped the tears away from my eyes and walked down the mountainside in my elf form, the only side of me Avalia had seen.

Avalia's POV

Pollin and I sat there in silence, waiting for my father in his throne room.  I was dressed in a lavish yellow dress that was long and laced on the edges.  It was one of my favorite dresses, but argued with my mood.  Yenst and Ovaln, the two Dragon Keepers that had gone to fight with the griffins, had returned and found us walking not very far from Toyun.  Since I couldn't tell them where I was going, we had come back to the city and palace without anyone realizing we had gone.  That didn't surprise me in the slightest.
I was thinking about Belvan and how different he was from Yenst when my father entered and sat down.  "Good morning, father," I said softly, bowing before him.  Pollin did the same.
"Hello, Avalia.  I have some news for you that I'm afraid is both upsetting and commemorative." I looked up, confused.  "We received word from several elf scouts on the border of Melagoya.  They intercepted an message headed southward about you." I frowned.  "A griffin was carrying the message, which was to an assassin, an elf himself.  The message was to poison you, Avalia, and the only thing we know about this assassin was his name: Belvan." My heart sunk like a stone.  Oddly enough, it was not because of an assassin or poison or the griffin, but that name: Belvan.  Why did it have to be Belvan?  I looked down at the marble floor and held back a tear.
"Why is this good news?" I asked, trying to regain my composure.  My father then smiled at me.
"I have chosen a husband for you, Avalia." He gestured to his left and from between the columns and red curtains came Yenst, the Dragon Keeper.  He was dressed in his finest, hand held out toward me.  The only thing I could do was take it and bow to him, though every muscle in my being was telling me no.  I had never tried so hard not to cry.  "The wedding will be held in a week's time," my father added with a beaming smile.  If only he knew how I felt…
That night I went to my room and cried with Pollin, who was just as upset as I.  She consoled me to her best ability, but could never be more optimistic than me.  Just as I finished crying, I heard tapping at the window.  Walking over and opening the shutters, I looked down to see Belvan, about to throw another stone.  He smiled up at me, but I stared down at him coldly.
"How did you get into the city?" I called, then shook my head at myself, closing my eyes so that when I opened them, he wouldn't be there.  I wished it worked that way.  "Go away!" I shouted in anger, beginning to turn.
"I can't!" Belvan shouted back.  No one was around, no one was there to hear.  "I need to speak with you!"  I was the next to shout back.

Belvan's POV

"You didn't tell me you were an assassin!"
"You didn't tell me you were a princess."
Avalia's nose wrinkled in dissatisfaction.  "Fair enough, but you will not kill me."
"I don't plan on it," I countered, seeing her eyes falter.
"What a gentleman," she sneered, shutting the window.  Scoffing, I reached for several vines growing on the wall and started to climb.  It didn't take much effort.  With a smile of victory, I rapped lightly on the windowsill.  Avalia thrust open the shutters.  "What do you want from me?"
"Your love," I replied before I could even think of what to say.  I hated myself inside, but tried to remain calm.  She could see the way I felt in my eyes.  Darn my eyes!
"I can't," she suddenly said, tears welling her olive eyes.  When I reached out to console her, she promptly pushed the shutters closed and walked deeper into her room.
"Avalia!" I called, ready to punch myself.  What an idiot!  "Avalia!" No matter how many times I called or knocked on the window, she wouldn't come over again.  I finally made several thumping noises and pretended to leave quickly, which was an unapproved decision on my heart's part.
Sure enough, though, I heard Avalia and Pollin talking.
"Don't you love him?" Pollin asked softly.  My ears picked up faint crying.
"I don't know!  Every time I talk to Belvan, I know I do, but… My father.  He's never going to allow me to do this." She broke down in tears again, and I left in heartache.  I knew from the start that Avalia would never be able to love me.  I hadn't even told her the truth about myself, let alone the fact that I was an assassin.  I met Golque around the corner of the palace, where he was leaning against the white stone and watching for any activity in the streets.  I walked past him and he was quick to catch up with me, grabbing me by the shoulder.
"What happened, lad?" he asked, eyes glowing with curiosity.
"She hates me!  She knew I was an assassin, to top it all off.  She'll never speak to me again." Golque looked saddened, but tried to remain calm in the situation.  We walked into the heart of the forest of Melagoya and the heart of the city of Toyun, glumly passing by every booth selling food or weaponry or clothing for the cold weather.  The snow didn't faze me; in fact, it helped to numb my heart as it broke.  Then, Golque and I saw a crowd gathering around a large tree, the tree I knew to be home to the dragons and keepers in Toyun.
With mild interest I joined the crowd and listened to what was going on.  One elf was shouting to a Dragon Keeper adorned in the king's finest clothing.  In all my years I've never seen such a pompous keeper, Golque noted in my mind.  I gave him a look.
In all your years? He nodded happily.
"Is it true you're to marry the king's eldest daughter?" The elf called to the keeper.  Dread set in again.  I knew the king had two daughters.  Maybe Avalia was the youngest.
"Yes," he beamed.  "Avalia and I will rule over the elves together." I gritted my teeth and turned away.  Golque followed me, sadness in his eyes.
"You can always kill him, you know," he said optimistically.  I glared at him.
"To kill the new heir to the throne would land me a place in the world's finest jail.  No, if Avalia loves him, then that is her decision."
Suddenly, a different voice hit my ears from about ten yards away.  "I heard that Avalia doesn't want to marry Yenst." It was a woman's voice, obviously a gossiper.  "She was supposedly outside of Toyun a few days ago and met a dragon shape-shifter she fell in love with." I angrily turned and walked away.  It was gossip!  It was a lucky guess from a silly elf.
That was when a part of me doubted myself, and I made a decision that would change my life.

Avalia's POV

I almost wish I had told Belvan my father expected me to marry Yenst, even though I resented it with all my being.  How could my father not see the untruth in that elf's eyes?  I loved Belvan, but after what my father heard about him, the day would never come when I could truly be free enough to see him again.  I had said goodbye to Belvan that night he came to my window.  What a rude goodbye.
I prepared myself for the wedding begrudgingly.  My mother and little sister often came and spoke with me, but I was never in the mood to talk, and I never would be again.  Even the beautiful snow couldn't cheer me up when I sat and watched it as I had that day.  My mother had been right; the snow was as innocent as I had been back then.
The day of the wedding came sooner than I would have liked, especially considering I never wanted it to come at all.  Pollin helped me get ready in a beautiful white dress, bedecked in all the king's finest jewels and beads.  Once Pollin put my hair up in an elaborate braid, I couldn't recognize myself in the mirror.  "I want to thank you, Pollin," I then said to her, slipping my feet into a pair of uncomfortable shoes.  Her brow furrowed in confusion.  "You have been my best friend through all these years I've spent trying to find my own path, and now that that is no longer possible, I'm not going to make you endure what you already have for nine years any longer."
"What are you saying, Avalia?" she exclaimed, face filled with horror.
"View it as my setting you free." She hugged me and started to cry.
"I'll never leave your side.  You are my best friend."
"My life has changed now.  I'll never find what I wanted.  You have to go, Pollin." As we drew away she looked at me incredulously, as though she didn't think I was serious.  "Go wherever it is you choose.  It's a command, not an invitation." She hugged me one more time, then walked out of the room and closed the door.  However much it pained me to do it, I couldn't let Pollin idly sit by and watch my life play out.  She had dreams too.  With a heavy heart I placed the silver crown on my head, staring at my reflection.  I dropped my hands to my sides and looked away as a tear stung my cheek.

Pollin's POV

I knew that it was best not to argue with Avalia, but she was my best friend.  I sorrowfully collected my things in the kitchen.  No one bothered to say anything to me as they were all busy preparing for that night's feast.  I shouldered my bag and stepped into the grand, empty hallway.  Even an occasion this big didn't change that fact about it.
As I stepped out of the palace and into the loud market, a thought suddenly struck me, and I moved through the crowd with purpose, looking for a single face.  And I couldn't believe it when I found it among all those elves.

Belvan's POV

"Golque!" I heard a voice call.  Turning on my heel along with my friend, I saw the surprise on his face as well.  "Golque!  I'm so glad I found you." Pollin's warm smile greeted us as she pushed her way past the elves moving about.  The crowd parted for her and swarmed back into place like a teeming river full of fish.
"Pollin," he said with a half-smile.  "Shouldn't you be helping Avalia?" That was when she looked at me.
"I was, but she sent me away.  She told me that I had to live my life without sitting by and tending to her.  She thinks she will never be free again," she added sadly.  I turned and began to walk away.
"She won't," I spat.  Pollin's small hand was then on my shoulder.
"She needs you in her life, Belvan.  She loves you a hundred times more than she loves the snow." It was an odd statement, but as I watched the delicate flakes fall around me, I realized what she meant.
My lip quivered.  "Why does she need me now?  She didn't need me before."
"Before she only wanted you!" Pollin exclaimed, chasing after me as I continued on.  "As soon as her father told her she was to marry Yenst she realized how much she loved you.  Please, you will save her life by doing this!" I smiled grimly to myself.  How ironic; an assassin saving someone's life.  "Don't you love her?" Pollin asked, partially hurt herself.
"I have always loved her," I whispered, blue eyes filling with tears.  I hated my eyes, but I loved when Avalia looked into them.  "I have an idea," I finally said.  "I'll be back here in five minutes.  Avalia won't marry today."  I ran into the throng of elves and out the other side, hoping there was still one place in the market where I could find flowers.

Avalia's POV

The ceremony began as I heard the trumpets far away, down the halls.  I was still alone in my room, waiting for a servant to come and lead me into the ball room.  I couldn't even think about Belvan now.  It was best to forget him and allow my heart to heal, though something told me it never would.  I put a locket around my neck and lay on my bed, feeling no emotion at all.
I suddenly heard two sounds that were created at such a short interval that I believed they were one.  I sat up and immediately looked toward the window, but heard someone calling for me at the door, calling me to the ballroom where I would be married.
Something led me to the window instead, where I seemingly knew who was down there in the snow.  I thrust open the shutters to see a silver dragon, a human closely resembling Golque, and an elf I knew all too well.  Another shout came from the door, but I ignored it.  Upon closer inspection, I could see the bright blue eyes that belonged to the silver dragon and knew who it was.
"Belvan!" I called.  A muffled thump came from the opposite side of the door, and then I heard the high-pitched speaking of a young girl.  The silver dragon lifted his wings and shook them of the snow, climbing through the air to see me at the window.  His form shimmered and changed into the elf I had come to know.  "Belvan," I whispered.  Suddenly, I heard my sister's voice.
"Avalia?" she called.
"Come in, Telane!" She entered, dressed in beautiful lavender purple, the color of the dragon Silvia.
"Who is that?" she asked, pointing to Belvan.  He smiled warmly at her.  I introduced them and turned back to the elf at the window.
"I've brought you something," he said in his beautiful voice, and I could see in his eyes what he was feeling.  He revealed a clump of pink roses and handed them to me.  I took them delicately and breathed in their fresh aroma.  "Will you come away with me, Avalia?" he asked softly, voice no louder than a whisper.  "We will fly over the sea together and into the night sky." I could sense Telane watching me, but the only thing I focused on was Belvan's eyes.  "You don't have to marry tonight."
I turned to my sister and hugged her tightly, holding her close.  "I love you, Telane," I said.  "You will be an amazing queen one day, and I will return when you rule to see you." I gently caressed her hair and kissed her on the forehead.  With a smile I came back to the window and Belvan changed once more into his dragon form.  I climbed over the windowsill and onto his back in the spot that should belong to a rider, and he gently lowered us down to the snowy ground, where I no longer felt cold.
As I turned to Belvan the elf he kissed me in the meager light of the morning and held up one rose from the clump of them.  It was fake, made of cloth.  And these were the words he spoke: "I will love you until the last rose dies."