Corpus Tamrielicum - The Imperial Library

94 2. THE ELDER SCROLLS CHAPTER 2: DAGGERFALL
[30] King Edward
[30.1] King Edward I
King Edward, Part I
by Anonymous
Chapter One: Departure from Daggerfall
Long, long ago, when the world was in its springtime, before the Redguards came and the
glorious Septim Empire was formed, but after the goblins had driven the dwarves out of
Hammerfell, a son, Edward, was born to King Corcyr I of Daggerfall and his Queen, Aliera of
Wayrest.
The young boy lay drowsing in the palace orchard, high on a breezy hill overlooking the deep
blue bay of Daggerfall. The constant autumn fog of Daggerfall had blown away for the nonce
and the sky was a deep endless blue. Moments like this were rare for young Prince Edward;
this afternoon was the result of days of scheming, for he craved solitude as the other nobles he
knew craved companionship. Now his tutor believed him engaged in extra arms practice, the
master of arms believed him to be chasing deer with the huntmaster, who thought he was
studying Elvish. His father had no idea where he was and didn't care, being occupied with his
young wife and their sons and other pleasures of noble life.
At the plop of an apple barely missing his head, he opened his pale grey eyes; there was a
sweet rotten smell in his nostrils. He sighed and stared up into the blue. Why should things
fall down instead of up? If you stared at the sky long enough you could feel as if you were
falling into it his eyes glazed and the pupils grew huge as the dark-ringed irises dilated. He
was weightless, drifting another apple fell, grazing his ear, and he thudded to earth, crying out
as first his rump struck and then his head. A silvery laugh sounded. Edward sat up abruptly
and stared around, jaw hanging slack.
Two mounted men stood ten feet away, still as if they were carved from stone, regarding him
intently. Princes are not easily intimidated, not even the gentle souled kind, but Edward had
never seen or imagined anything like this pair. One had golden skin and eyes, was clad in
white cloth trimmed with gold and rode a (Edward blinked. It is was still there) a unicorn!
Beside the unicorn was a golden dragon, wings neatly folded. And on his back was a man
clad in dark chain mail, a long sword at his side. He was bareheaded; his eyes glowed red in
his dark face and his pointed ears "You're elves! What!"
"He's a clever child." The dark elf's voice was sardonic. He spoke perfect Bretic, Edward
noticed, his mind still working, although something seemed to have gone wrong with the rest
of him.
"So it would seem. He did that mostly of himself. Remarkable for an untrained child. I merely
helped him to concentrate." The high elf also spoke Bretic, but hesitantly and with a slight
singing accent. Edward's tutor said that elves were incapable of human speech.