Knights lined the corridor as she made her way toward her own doom. This would not have happened if her closest friend and ally had not been sent away when he had. 

The knights were more loyal to Sir Percival than the King, but the king and his men sent him away to the front lines before he caught wind of their plan to pawn the high priestess off. 

She glared straight ahead, angry at the thought that all these people were submissive to the institution. 

Hypocrite. She thought looking down at her hands. The gods had not been answering her pleas ever since the final message which frustrated her more. 

"Presenting her eminence." One of the knights announced as they entered the large marble foyer.

She grit her teeth walking past the knights that flanked her. In front of her were three elven rangers. They appeared weary from the travel but kept their guard up as she approached. 

Isadora heard of the elves in stories from her grandmother. 

Before the gods had torn the continent in two, the elves and humans were at peace. However, some humans had grown reckless with the magic gifted by the gods and challenged the gods themselves. 

The gods that favored the humans were at odds with the gods that favored the elves. This event created The Great Rift. A bloody war that has been going on for centuries. Countless people on both sides were killed and tortured, all in the name of their gods. 

The gods that sided with the elves had enhanced their magical abilities, splitting the land under the four gods that remained with them. 

To the north where the moon was never changing, the moon goddess had taken control. To the south, the god of light had remained to wander the deserts. To the west, the god of the skies stayed within the mountains. And to the east, the goddess of the earth took her place within the forests. 

The moon goddess had granted the elves that followed her the ability to heal. The god of light had given his followers the ability to bend and manipulate all forms of light. The god of skies gave his followers the ability to reign over them. The earth goddess gave her elves the ability to hide. 

Isadora knew the Myrkwood Elves were the most dangerous of the four courts in the elven realm, but this was her first time encountering three of them. 

The elven rangers before her had the symbol of the earth goddess, a golden tree with a snake encircling it, emblazoned on the armor covering their shoulders. 

"Your eminence." One of the rangers bowed as she crossed over to the trio. 

Her eyes narrowed as the other two bowed before her. The first one, a very pale elf with golden hair. He seemed to be the one in charge. 

"May I know your names? After all, I will be leaving with you three." Isadora asked. 

"You may know my name." The blonde one straightened, towering over her. He looked down at her. "Apollo." 

"I see." Isadora bowed. "I am the High Priestess of Eridanos. But, you may call me Isadora."

Apollo looked a bit taken aback at Isadora's introduction. His sharp, golden eyes searched her face. 

The elf turned on his heel. "Tell your king the offer was accepted." He began to walk away as Isadora followed, but he stopped and turned his head slightly to look back at the knights gathered in the hall. "May the gods have mercy on your souls." 

Isadora closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of the sun on her face. This was it. There was no turning back now. 

Apollo shackled her wrists helping her up onto a black mare. "You are now a prisoner of the elven courts. The general is awaiting our arrival."

"General?" Isadora asked as Apollo attached the reins of the black mare to his horse. 

She gulped as he said nothing more and led the group out of the palace's courtyard toward the elven camps. She had heard stories of the elven generals from the knights that went up against them, but it was always so vague. 

"Will you be able to manage this journey?"  

"Of course." She called to him. 

Isadora stared at the shackles around her wrists. What would they do to her once they arrived at the camp? Would she be discarded and forgotten about? Killed? Whatever this general had planned, she needed to make sure that she convinced him that she was an asset to winning the war.

Am I coming off too eager? She thought watching the elves riding on horses behind her. 

"Where exactly are we headed?" 

No answer. 

The only sound she heard were the hooves on the dirt road. She sighed trying not to pout.

This was going to be a long ride.