Two guards dragged the struggling princess to her room, while the other guards forced the elf to walk towards the prison below the castle.

Aria couldn’t believe they would treat her like this, like a criminal for loving someone. All she had wanted was to find someone who loved her as a person rather than her position, and she had finally found him, only to be taken away to be used in her father’s ridiculous games. She couldn’t help but feel betrayed by her family and the people around her.

Aria slammed on the doors of her room, making as much noise as possible but there was no response. She knew that her room, being royalty, would be more private than others but for once, she despised her privacy. White curtains partially blocked the sun from entering the second story room while freshly brewed tea sat atop a table in the corner of her room.

She understood that political marriages and appearance were all a part of royalty, but she so desperately wanted to live her own life. She was no longer a child, a woman at the age of eighteen years. And she saw the way people would look at her, as if she were the same as her fool of a father and mother. Those two were too selfish and absorbed to understand that most nearly everyone looked at them with malice.

She had not been blessed like her brother in fighting nor in intellect like Everard, but regardless she also wanted to be someone, not just the royal princess who wears nice clothes all day. She wanted to do to things for the sake of others, she wanted to feel proud of who she was.

Out of frustration, she tore her elegant pink dress off her body and threw it against the door. She jumped on her bed fit for three people covered in plush animal furs and screamed into one of her many pillows. Yet, she had done nothing, accepting whatever came her way. What a hypocrite she was.

Calming down, she looked up at the ceiling. Its texture made it very difficult for her to tell if it was smooth or not. Letting her angry thoughts subside, she understood that her outburst was not going to get her anywhere. She would need to come up with something, anything. She vowed to find a way to let them be together, even at the price of her position.

But first, she should put some clothes on.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The Crown Prince, Dorian Fendrel’s, heavy steps echoed throughout the second story of the castle. A butler and a maid, attempted to follow but could not keep up with his quick and determined pace. He walked while rubbing both hands through his clipped short, dark brown hair, his tall and muscular stature overlooking most in the castle.

“I don’t understand my father! What is he trying to do, incite a war that would probably destroy the kingdom?” Dorian continued walking as he vigorously rubbed is head, utterly confused by his parent’s crazed antics. He was just so glad to have been brought up by his uncle, a general in the army, otherwise he probably would have ended up just like his parents.

He quickly approached the doors to his father’s study, guarded by two men in golden armor. Letting the Crown Prince go by, Dorian slammed the doors open, his armor making loud sounds as if to voice his anger.

“Do you understand what you are doing to his kingdom? You do realize that a war with the Elves is nearly a sure thing, and although I have faith in our army, the kingdom will be devastated. Have you any brains left father?” Dorian quick-fired the questions, knowing his father won’t even answer. For over a decade, his father had been making decisions that did more harm to the kingdom than the nobles had, usually a rare occurrence if history lessons were correct. Although his father had been a rather bad monarch, he never did enough to bring the kingdom so close to a disaster like now.

“Don’t worry son, I have everything under my control.” Rainier gave his son an overly large smile. “Ah, do you think you could get me some herbal tea for my head. My headaches have been worse today than it has been in years.” Dorian’s father’s eyes looked bloodshot and glazed over.

Seeing his father in such a state, he no longer felt the desire to argue right at this moment. He immediately turned around and walked out, informing the butler and maid that had eventually caught up to him to retrieve what his father desired.

Going over his thoughts, he wondered, “He’s been drinking that tea for years now, but it’s never looked like it works. When did some of the other people start drinking it too?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The elf prince looked down as he walked down an endless flight of stairs. He was determined not to give any information to the king, even if they killed him. He knew that this was his fault and he would have to handle it himself. He would not survive an escape so he would have to endure for the time being. Everard just hoped that his sister wouldn’t do anything too rash after not hearing back for so long. He knew she was too weak to handle the rigors of the world outside the Elven Kingdom.

Finally downstairs, small light crystals dimly lit the way. It was a narrow and damp corridor and each side of the wall had numerous barred cells. But Everard wasn’t placed into any of them. Confused, he kept walking until he reached the end of hall where several doors instead of cells now fitted each side. Pushed into one of the brightly lit rooms, Everard tumbled forward and promptly tied down into a stone chair. He faced a man with burn marks all over his face and a vertical scar that ran from his left eyebrow to his chin, standing behind a table full of tools. The top half of his right ear was missing and his left eye was wooden. The man wore a dark robe that covered his entire body neck down. The two guards stood by the door, to make sure nothing went too far.

The robed man clapped his hands as if applauding, causing his eye to fall onto the table. “Oops, can’t be losing that now can we. I need that to see!” He pushed aside some of the tools before licking the wooden eye and shoving it into the socket with a popping sound. “Ah, much better!”

“Hello there elf prince, do you mind if I call you Eve during your little stay? I heard that’s what the princess calls you.” The man cackled in laughter, his yellowed teeth showing. “Don’t worry too much, I’m just an assassin class who like to dabble in torture. It’ll be a good way to pass the time and learn more about each other. So let’s put a smile on that face!” Brown hair fell over his eyes when he leaned forward on the table. Moving his locks aside, he revealed a smile full of insanity.

“Besides, I heard some rumors saying elves regenerate.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Two hooded figures were drinking out of wooden mugs around a tall bar table. The air inside was stuffy and sweat gleamed off of the two foreheads.

“I still don’t understand why you chose this place. I know it shouldn’t the Noble’s District, but you could at least bring me to somewhere–” the man was interrupted when a drunk man bumped into him, causing him to spill the contents of his drink onto the table. Pushing the man off of him, he continued, “These people smell disgusting, the place smells disgusting, and I have no idea what I’m drinking. You could have at least brought me somewhere more civilized. If we weren’t trying to be so hush-hush about this, I would have killed that man right now. You’ve never picked a place like this. Hmph.” The man pulled his hood tighter over his face to try and hide his apparent anger.

“Calm down, Ellis. This place is so crowded and everyone is too drunk to understand our conversation. I received good news earlier and that’s why I thought this was a good place to tell you. I was told that we can finally return. That was the last batch of sugg weed to finally put this kingdom down and drag the elves with them.” The other man smiled at his friend.

Ellis’ eyes looked up, no longer filled with anger but with relief and joy, “That’s the best news I’ve heard in years! What about the maid girl you got to fall in love with you?”

“It’s been taken care of. Tonight will be the last night I meet with her. The poison will take her out in a week, and make it look like food did her in.”

Downing the rest of their drinks in one go, both men got up and walked out, laughing as they walked through the narrow alleyways of the Outer District.