A/N: Hello fellow readers and writers. Just a few little things I would like to say before going on to the story. Reviews are asked for along with well-meaning criticism but flames are definitely NOT welcome. Any flames will promptly be fed to my pet panther Shadow :)

Recognition: I would like to thank Lexington’s Hammer and DragnBreth for the support they have given me in writing not just this story but others.

Disclaimer: Any resemblances to real people were intended in certain circumstances and for those of you who recognize yourself, feel free to tell me how to make your character better. Now on to the story.

Prologue

More than a million years ago, elves, humans, dwarves, and other races lived peacefully together. Then came the release of the demons into the world of men and it all dissolved into war. Originally all the good-ly races had been on one side and the eviler races on the other. Eventually, though, the leaders of the hu­mans became corrupted by the seductions of the demons. Though the goodly races won the war against the evil races, it was not over by far. The demons were still loose in the world and until they were banished no attempts at peace would work.

The humans, spurred on by their own racism but driven by the seduction of the demons, turned against all non-human races left on the face of the earth. All the elves, including the less goodly dark elves, the mages of the other races being persecuted, and the few humans and misfits who disagreed with the hu­man leaders banded together to create a haven, a world in another dimension that would be unreachable by the humans (who had lost all affinity for magic because of the murders of their brothers-in-arms). A few elves (of all races of elves) stayed behind to work at banishing the demons that had been set loose in the mortal world. The mages who created this separate world also created a gate between the two and left the key to it in the hands of one of the elves who stayed behind to work at banishing the demons. The gate was singularly curious. It was always open on the one side, the one where the demons weren’t, and could be entered by anyone at any time. On the other side of the gate, however, none could pass through unless the key was placed in the arch that represented the gate on the physical plane and then and only then could a person pass through. When the key was in the arch anyone could pass through the gate so the gate was only opened for special circumstances such as an elf wishing to return to his/her family.

The elves who remained in this world cast illusions over themselves or shape-changed into hu­mans to fit in and avoid persecution. One line that is important to our story became the royal family of Ireland. For a reason that no one understands, the first rulers decided to make a crown that would pick the next ruler and would only pick females. The heirs had to be of the royal line and of a noble heart.

The key to the gate was placed in the hands of the first of this line and was handed down from mother to first-born daughter until the kingdom of Ireland was established. When this kingdom was started and this particular line of elves became the rulers, the key was passed on from queen to heir instead of mo-ther to daughter, in this way it was ensured that the bearer of the key would be of a noble disposition and willing to use it to only when she was sure that no harm would come to the elven people because of her.