Old Grudges

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"You, elf." A gruff sounding human man was seated in a tavern in the human village of Earlestown. It had once been a bustling market place, a meeting place for merchants and scholars. But now... It was lucky if a handful of hunters passed through on their way elsewhere. The people here lived close to the neighbouring kingdom that boasted that is was the seat of all civilisation, Elven, of course. The exact border was somewhat of a foggy issue, meaning battles often broke out over ownership of land. Elves passed through, most of them simply wishing to look down upon what they considered the uncivilised and rather boring humans, before returning to their own cities of silver.
"Elf?" The dark haired female asked, spitting that one word back at the man who had called it to her as she walked past his table. "You do not address the other women here as 'human', so not call me by my race either." She added rather haughtily.
"Well la-di-da! Ain't you just lady of the manor!" The man sneered, banging his glass down on the creaking wooden table. "Your kind aren't welcome here! You never will be! Get your knife ears back to your own side of the border!" 
The elven woman sighed heavily and with silent and sudden movements, she was in front of the human, her ornate elven dagger slammed into the chair all too close to his privates. "Do not test me, human. I have no humour for your kind this evening."

"Well I am not his sister, and I have no intention of doing a single thing to please my father!" Dahlia huffed, her pert nose in the air as she folded her arms across her chest. 

"I would say it is none of your business." Abalas replied. "Dahlia is just a child, by elven standards. She cannot be trusted to do what is best for her future."

"It could be your only way to freedom." Isla reminded her, letting go of the silken dress. "It would be worth an hour or so of playing nice to get free of this place." She added, sighing as she sat down again. 

"Indeed. I respect your wishes, but right now you are in my realm. If she refuses to go with you, I will not force her. Child or no." Saul said firmly. "I will see the lot of you for dinner, sire." He added, turning on heel to walk proudly back toward the castle entrance.

Dahlia glanced at the dress again and sighed quietly. "Alright, I'll do it, but just so we're clear... This is just so I can get you out of here too, okay?"

Abalas watched Saul as he walked away. "Rothain, I need you to be clear on something; we are not leaving without Dahlia. No matter that humans claims."

"Oh no. The dwarf stays here." The servant said, shaking her head. "The king said so."

The silent elf nodded his head and turned to leave. He vowed to find the king's daughter or die trying. Or perhaps start a war. Whichever came first.

"The king can say what he likes." Dahlia snapped. "Leave us, I don't need some stranger to help me dress."

Once he was alone, Abalas rubbed at his head. He was weary, and the sooner Dahlia was under control the sooner he could rest.

As soon as the servant was gone Isla again looked the dress over. "If I had more stone dust I could make myself look like you and you could get free of here." She whispered.

Saul headed toward the dungeons. This was not going as well as he'd hoped. But then again very little ever did. He didn't have the skills to bring together nations like his father did.

"Never be something you aren't, at the very least never try to be me." Dahlia sighed. "Isla, its okay, really. "I'll play their game... I'm used to them."

"Okay...." Isla nodded slowly. "I'll wait here for you. I'm not sure what else I can do."
Above them yet more guests were arriving. They were a group of dwarves that seemed to be looking for a missing slave priestess.

Dahlia felt like more of a prisoner in this dress than she had when her wrists were in irons and she was locked in the dungeon. It was a reminder of why she had fled her father's kingdom. As soon as he dragged her home, she would be forced to marry and her wings would be broken for good.

Saul opened the door to the dungeon room, his face betraying nothing. "Your father is waiting for you, Dahlia." He told her softly. "He seems eager to see you again."

"Is that what he told you?" Dahlia asked coolly. "He just wants whatever will get me back into his gilded cage."

Saul actually chuckled. "I was being sarcastic. I told him that I would only let you go with him of that was what you wanted. And I mentioned nothing about you and your friend trying to kill me."

"Why not?" Dahlia asked suspiciously. "Not that it would matter, because that isn't what happened anyway." she added with a regal sniff. It seemed no matter how much she hated being part of the royal house, she couldn't hide her upbringing.

"Abalas has the same royal sniff." Saul pointed out. "Perhaps escaping him isnt such a good idea." He held out a hand for her, smiling. It would be too late to cover the weariness buried deep in his bright blue eyes.

Dahlia placed her hand in Saul's only because she had promised Isla she would get them both out of there. "Did you also tell him that you stole from me?"

"I did no such thing." Saul shook his head. "Everythingthat belongs to you will be returned when you go home." He promised. "Except the dwarf..." He added when he saw the little red head waving from the now locked cell.

"You kissed me." Dahlia replied bluntly. "You manhandled me! Just like every other human, you think you can take what you please!" She added in a hushed whisper.

"The kiss..." Saul stopped where he was and shook his head. "I don't know what happened there. That wasn't like me at all. The only thing I can say is...I'm sorry." Again he shook his head, feeling like a fool. "I wouldn't blame you if you hauled off and punched me. Just...don't try to kill me again. Okay?" He leaned close to her, giving her the perfect chance to hit him on his chiseled jaw.

Dahlia's fingers did curl into a fist, though she didn't punch Saul. "for the last time, I wasn't trying to kill you." She snapped. The elven princess found herself looking up into those human eyes, and she hated that she hadn't really been angry about that kiss at all.

Saul was only half ashamed to realize that he wanted to kiss her again. But he knew better. He had his wits about him. His entire kingdom rested on the fact that he could keep his body to himself. "If you say so." He finally grunted.

"You really should believe me when I say If I had wanted you dead, you wouldn't have seen it coming." Dahlia huffed, her dark hair swinging out behind her as she stalked on ahead.

"Oh I believe you and I appreciate the fact that you decided against it. So it was the dwarf's idea then? I'm not sure how to feel about that." Saul said as he followed her toward the dungeon exit.

"It was no ones idea, human." Dahlia growled. "You seem to think yourself far more important to us than what you are. We were not looking for you, you had gotten yourself skewered by a very sloppy hunter!"

"You were talking about watching me crawl through the forest forest until I was dead." Saul snorted. "Oh yes. I heard what you said, woman. I was injured but not deaf." He hissed.

"Still stupid though, it would seem!" Dahlias shot back. "Not helping you, and actively killing you are two completely different things! You're brute of a hunter shot and poisoned me! You are not without your own guilt!" She added, turning to shove her hands roughly against Saul's chest.

"What the hell did I do? It wasn't as if I could have ordered him to hurt you. I wasn't there to hurt anyone." Saul asked softly, turning away to hold open the door to the first floor for her. "I came into those woods to ask the wood nymphs for a favor. Give them a trade. My sister's little girl is dying. They know things we do not..." For a moment he lost his voice and hung his head. "Molly is my joy...I can't lose her..."

"My mother loved me. A human hunter stole her away from me. Save your sob stories." Dahlia spat, storming through the door without a backwards glance.

Saul said nothing more. He followed her, scowing at the line of silent elves that now lined the walls around them.

Dahlia didn't look at any of the elves. She kept her chin up and her gaze ahead of her. The young elf didn't want any of her kind here. Their arrival meant chains to take her back to her father's kingdom.

Saul stepped ahead of her as they reached the dinning room and opened the door. He silently held it open for her until she was through. "Abalas will be here soon. You decide what you want to do, Dahlia. I'm not going to make you go if you don't want to." The human king said again.