Chapter 05 : Princess, and the Warlock?
1691 Words
"Yes, and you are?" asked Princess Eva, eyeing the disheveled bard.
"Bene...dick, I mean Benedict, Benedict the bard," stuttered Benedict, while the Warlock seemed to have sensed a certain type of magical energy lingering within him.
"And what would you want, Benedict the bard?" asked Princess Eva, her tone laced with suspicion.
"A... I don't know, I guess I don't want anything, maybe," replied Benedict nervously.
"You came all this way, running around, to say you want nothing?" quipped Ryia, the innkeeper's daughter.
"Hey! I wanted to see the Princess and the esteemed Warlock the town speaks of, I didn't think of anything else..." continued Benedict, as Burton, who had been searching for him, approached. But upon seeing the Warlock, Burton immediately hid, fear written all over his face.
"Where are you from again?" asked Vorkalth, the Warlock, noticing something fishy.
"Here..." said Benedict, scratching his head.
"He is from here, my lord. Benedict and his dad came to our town and settled here since," interjected Ryia.
"Hmm... I see," murmured Vorkalth, his eyes fixed on Benedict.
"Well... now that everything's cleared up, can I proceed with my request?" asked Princess Eva, her voice firm.
"You have a request?" asked Benedict, his curiosity piqued.
"I'm afraid yes. As I mentioned earlier, my father and mother do not agree with the pardon I would like to give you all. Instead, they've asked to inflict a form of punishment," replied Princess Eva.
"What is it?" asked Ryia, her eyes narrowed.
"Uhm... a labor of work?" hesitated Princess Eva.
"She meant servitude," clarified Vorkalth, his voice cold.
"What?" exclaimed Benedict, aghast.
"Vorkalth, please, let me handle this," implored Princess Eva.
"You want us to be your slaves? That's what this was about. Ha, I should have known," spat Ryia.
"Please, Ryia, my only true intention was to help you all, nothing else, I swear," pleaded Princess Eva.
"Then help us. Why do you need to ask your dad?" retorted Ryia, her tone biting.
"Mind your tongue, girl, or you won't have one," warned Vorkalth, his eyes flashing with anger.
"Forgive us, sire. I will make sure she won't speak again," apologized the Innkeeper, rushing to Ryia's side.
"Enough, father. Why must you beg them?" questioned Ryia, her voice low.
"Please everyone, just stop! All of you!" yelled Princess Eva, her frustration palpable.
"If I don't reach an arrangement here, my father has plans to pillage this entire town," she continued, her voice softer.
"So we will be forced to come to an arrangement, is that it? Sounds like servitude," spat Ryia.
"Ryia, just calm down, okay?" interjected Benedict, sensing the tension in the room.
"Look, Princess, we're all grateful for your compassion towards us. The entire town will be in your debt if you wish to fulfill our needs. But s*****y is something we cannot afford. We can't be forced to work in the kingdom in return for promises to renovate the town. If we do that, we wouldn't be able to return here at all," reasoned Benedict.
Princess Eva stood before the humble town of Millfield, watching as the sun set behind the horizon. She had heard tales of the town's beauty and prosperity from travelers passing through her kingdom, and had decided to visit it herself. As she approached the town square, she saw the locals gathered around, with one man standing before them. His name was Benedict, the town's mayor.
"I will make arrangements, I swear," said Princess Eva. "Not just that, better wages, suitable accommodations, I will make everything you need to make your life comfortable. It won't be like servitude at all."
Benedict paused for a moment, looking at the princess with a mix of admiration and worry. "I know in my heart, you only want what is best for us," he said. "But like you've mentioned earlier, the king and queen do not share that vision, and there would be repercussions for both you and us if this arrangement takes place."
Princess Eva's expression softened as she realized the gravity of the situation. "I understand," she said. "But please, know that I will do everything in my power to help you and your people."
Benedict nodded in appreciation. "I bid you a safe journey, Princess. Farewell, and thank you for coming all the way from your kingdom to see us."
As Benedict left with his townsfolk, the princess stood worried, not knowing what to do. Vorkalth, her advisor, approached her.
"Come, Princess," he said. "I told you there won't be negotiation with these idiots. Let them die."
The carriage pulled away, leaving the princess to ponder the fate of the peasants and the future of the inn she had cherished from afar. Despite her obvious concern, Vorkalth seemed to care less, looking aside through the window without speaking a word to reconcile her.
Meanwhile, Benedict and Ryia, a trusted ally, gathered everyone else in the town to come up with a plan to escape the wrath of the King and Queen.
"Listen lads," said Benedict. "What we just did is the right choice, but like always, it's bound to have severe consequences. The King and Queen will send their entire forces to wipe us out, and that is just the least of what could happen."
"What must we do then?" asked a concerned peasant. "We can't stay here."
"You're right, we can't," continued Ryia. Just then, Burton, one of the villagers, approached Benedict and tried to pull him away.
"Hey, Burt, what are you doing?" asked Benedict.
"Come! I need to speak with you alone," said Burton, dragging him into an alleyway where no one was around.
"What the b****y hell are you doing, Benedict?" said Burton. "I told you specifically to hide yourself, as I did."
"Wait, you've hid?" asked Benedict.
"Of course I did, and so should you," said Burton. "Listen, lad, like I've told you before, you're special. The runes on your skin, people are waiting to skin you alive for it."
"It is only visible when I'm mad, and you're making me mad," said Benedict. Just then, Ryia approached them.
"Hey, what's going on?" asked Ryia.
"Oh, nothing, just boss and worker talk, you know?" said Burton.
"Hey, are you coming, Benedict?" asked Ryia. "I don't think I can handle them alone, and we're running out of time."
"Understood, I'm coming." said Benedict as he walks only to get held back by Burton who leans into his ear. "Please, if you see him again, run." whispered Burton in his ear to which Benedict nods and walks away with Ryia.
As they approach the rest of the villagers, they continue rambling over the plan Benedict and Ryia suggested. "Leaving the b****y town, are you joking?" asked the peasant as they ramble.
"Please, everyone just stop, I understand it's difficult for all of us, but we have no other choice, we must leave for now, if we don't, the forces will kill us all." said Benedict.
"We cannot stay here any longer," Benedict urged. "If we don't act quickly, we'll all be killed. Riverwood may be far, but it's our best chance at survival. We can't let fear control us."
Ryia added, "We will face difficulties on the journey, but we'll face them together. We are a community, and we must stand by each other to ensure our safety."
Meanwhile, in the kingdom, the Warlock led Princess Eva to the Castle for their engagement ceremony. The grand decorations, crafted with sorcery, were breathtaking. As they made their way to the Hall, Vorkalth commented on the Queen's impeccable taste.
But Princess Eva was too worried to appreciate the decorations. "It's our engagement too? Just great," she grumbled.
Vorkalth, surprised, asked how she knew, to which she replied that her uncle had let it slip. They entered the Hall, where they were magically dressed for the occasion. The Hall had been transformed into a replica of the Divine's Church to hold their special engagement ceremony.
The Warlock carefully lands the Princess towards the mat and leads her towards the Castle while he and Princess glance around to its decorations. "Queen does have a eye for stunning decorations, is she not?" asked Vorkalth to which no reply comes from the Princess as she stands worried.
As they entered the hall, their attire transformed magically to suit the occasion. The Prince donned a dress crafted by Senba Ori, while the Warlock wore an elegant royal coat. Princess Eva, unimpressed by the surprise engagement, muttered, 'It's our engagement too? Just great.'
'How did you know?' asked Vorkalth.
'My Uncle has a slippery mouth,' replied Princess Eva.
The hall was enchanted to resemble the Divine's Church, and the lords and ladies stood poised to welcome the betrothed couple. As they walked down the aisle, King Hendrik and Queen Kayna watched from the balcony, and Priestess Naria presided over the ceremony.
'Do you, Vorkalth Shadowend, pledge to have Princess Eva Hendrik as your bride in the coming future?' asked Priestess Naria.
'I do,' replied Vorkalth.
Priestess Naria then turned to Princess Eva and asked, 'And you, sweet Eva Hendrik, do you pledge to have Vorkalth Shadowend as your groom in the coming future?'
However, Princess Eva remained silent, her thoughts clouded by the fate of the villagers. Sensing her hesitation, Vorkalth whispered, 'Say I do. Your father is watching.'
But still, no response came. The confusion rippled through the hall, and King Hendrik grew angry. 'Why isn't she saying yes? What is wrong with her?' he demanded.
Queen Kayna intervened, apologizing to the king and approaching Princess Eva. She urged her daughter to agree, warning her not to cause a scene. 'If I am to say yes, I have a condition,' Princess Eva replied.
Alarmed, Queen Kayna whispered back, 'If you had spoken louder, your father would have cast you out. Now, be quiet and continue with the ceremony.' Turning back to Priestess Naria, Queen Kayna declared, 'She says yes. Proceed with the engagement.'
Priestess Naria then announced, 'I pronounce you Bride and Groom to be. Your marriage shall take place in the Eve of Shai'ianla, at the halls of the Divine Cathedral.'
- Writer
