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."

"We don't have sunflowers in the forest." Abalas replied, neither confirming nor denying whether he liked the wine.

"That is what I have been trying to do." Dahlia breathed before leaving and shutting the door quietly behind her. She didn't belong here with these humans anymore than she had felt she belonged with the elves.

"Then you're missing out." Iris said, once again attempting to open the door. "I have to go, your grace. I needed a breather and you needed better wine. Forgive me for intruding..." She opened the door and made to step through it, wondering why her body wanted so badly to stay. "Goodnight." 
She couldn't ask him. In the end she couldn't ask him to give his blood, no matter how much she wanted her daughter to live. It wasn't right. She had no right to ask him for it.

Saul sighed softly, the sound shaky at best. He was losing so much. It was all he could do not to beg Dahlia to stay. But in the end he couldn't. It wasn't right. If she didn't want to, he would be cruel to make her.

The two women would walk different routes to get where they were going, and miss each other. Dahlia had returned to her father, ready to beg for the life of that human child. "You should hear my terms if I am to return to the palace with you."
Abalas was again seated at the large table, and was now simply watching his daughter. She didn't know it, but she a glow about her that was fading now she wasn't near Saul.
"I want you to cure the child, Molly. If you do that... I'll return with you. I'll... marry Rothain." Dahlia continued when her father said nothing. "No more running." The defeat in her voice was quite obvious.

Rothain nodded at this, thinking the idea a grand one. "I could heal the child. No sense in wasting royal blood on something so worthless." The guards man said. He was already having visions of his wedding night, of coming back and murdering the humans when he was done with the princess. Fire would be a nice way for them to go.
He was too foolish to know that only the king could save the little girl.

"No." Dahlia told Rothain firmly, fixing her hateful gaze upon him. She had agreed to marry him, it didn't mean she had to like him. "I want my father to do it. No sense in making the girl any sicker with the blood of a mere guardsman." She sneered.

"You can't talk to me that way. I am soon to be your husband. I will be as royal as the rest of you." Rothain hissed, slamming his hand down on the table. "Why would your father save a simple child? What use would her life be to him?" He spat after a moment of frustrating silence.

"You are not my husband yet." Dahlia pointed out coolly. "And it isn't the child's life that matters... It is the terms that saving her afford." She added, her gaze now back with her father. "One little vial of your blood, and you can hand me over to that retch like the object you both think me to be."
There was a split second when Abalas almost seemed aghast at the thought of doing such a thing, but it quickly passed and he nodded. "One vial. If it does not work, it is no fault of mine."

"What? You two must be joking. It will extend her life as well as save it." Rothain hissed. "I refuse to take part in Saving even a small human!" He roared. "Go through with it and I will kill the mother!"

"Do that, and I will kill myself!" Dahlia hissed, not sure where that sudden desire to self sacrifice for this human house came from.

"Do you hear this, your majesty? They have poisoned her. This is not proper behavior for an elven princess of your lineage! They have enchanted you to act this way. That dammed human king!" Rothain howled. "Do you not see it, majesty?"
"Enough!" Saul snarled from the doorway. "Its too late. Molly is gone. Your blood and Magick can...no longer save her..."

Dahlia closed her eyes, but didn't turn to face Saul. She couldn't. The dark haired woman had tried to do the right thing, and it hadn't been enough. 
"And what now? You came to expel my from your..." Abalas paused to glance at his surroundings. "Home?" He finished with a disgusted snort.

"That is up to my bride." Saul said, trying to keep his voice low and even. "Things have not changed in that respect, Abalas. No matter what kind of bargain she came to you with." He added. "She was trying to help the people she's come to care for. She wouldn't listen to me when I told her that the sacrifice of losing her was too great." He glared at the elven king, daring him to call him a liar. "I won't lose Dahlia too." 
Rothain's hands shook as he fished for the dagger from his belt. He was going to end this. He wasn't about to lose to a human. Not when he knew the man was lying.

"Explain something to me, King Saul, how does a woman go from being chained in your dungeon, to becoming betrothed to a king?" Abalas asked thinly. "Was this before or after she enchanted you into freeing her? You really think she feels anything for you?"

The moment the words left the other man's lips Saul frowned. They made complete sense. As much as he wanted to deny them, they did. The kiss had been the beginning of it. It had to have been. Ever since it, he'd done nothing but shout and champion for her. It wasn't really like him at all. He didn't even treat his sister that well. What made Dahlia so special? 
"Are you so sure this is not a plot for us to take over your kingdom?" Rothain purred, his fingers now far away from his dagger as he helped his king pour more poison into the human's ear.

Abalas smiled and nodded. "Send in our beloved, beautiful princess... Watch as you drop your defences, as you wage war all in her name. After your marriage, and with no heir to the throne... She kills you while you sleep, and as the Queen of your kingdom she of course turns to her loving father to take the throne of a kingdom without a ruler."

"All your people dead, all for her. All because you asked them to." Rothain breathed, his hand now on Saul's shoulder. The human king wouldn't be able to see the simple magick that was sliding into his thoughts and clouding his vision. He was already beginning to shake his head. "So much blood and all because..." 
"Have you no heart?" Iris' voice was barely above a whisper. Abalas was so caught up in his action he would not see her until it was too late. The tiny woman balled up her fist and hit him square in the nose, spraying them both with his blood. "My daughter is dead and you are...being a bastard! Go home, elf! All of you!" Her lips were trembling as she faced him, unable to help giving him an angry shove. "Damn you, you bastard!"

Abalas caught Iris' wrist, despite the fact his perfect nose was still dripping blood. "You have freedom, woman. Do not waste it." He hissed, though didn't let go of her. "Rothain, take my daughter outside, wait with the horses for me."

Saul found himself unable to move. He felt like a statue as he watched Dahlia being hauled away. The elves simply walked around him as if he didn't even exist. "N..." He couldn't force his mouth to open. There was nothing he could do. He might as well have been stone. 

"I don't want freedom," Iris whispered, her chin quivering violently. "I want my daughter. I have nothing else..." She didn't try to pull away from him, her body desperate to have more than just his fingers touching her.

Dahlia didn't put up any resistance to Rothain dragging her away. It had all been a lie, but still... She felt sick to her stomach now she would no longer be marrying Saul. 

"Come with us." Abalas breathed before he had even realised it. "Forget this place and all its misery."

"You will learn to love me." Rothain told her darkly. He shoved her onto his own horse, looking back toward the castle. "Your father is killing them. Your beloved human king is soon to be nothing but warm red blood."

Iris was speechless. She had no idea how to respond to this. This was certainly not what she'd expected from the elven king. Finally she managed a single nod, hoping it was enough.

"I will never love you." Dahlia spat with all the hatred she had. "Is this the only way you can get a woman? Through underhanded scheming?" She sneered.

That was all Abalas needed. He took Iris' hand and pulled her past her brother. "You had a chance at peace, Saul." The elven king commented as he paused. "You needed only give me back what was mine... Now you have nothing. Savour it well."

"I earned you." Rothain said thinly. "I have spent decades earning you. That upstart human had nothing to even offer you." He once again turned his head, watching for the king. He served Abalas. He would die for the man if need be. Nothing would change that. "I deserve you. Your father said so himself."

Saul glared at the white haired man's back. He would destroy him. He didn't know how but he would. He would make sure that they all suffered for this. His hatred only grew when he saw yet another elf carrying out his niece's body.

Dahlia openly laughed, her long hair swaying with the motion. "Then you will spend both our lives knowing that you could never hope to make me feel the things he did." She swore, even everything she said to Rothain was built upon the lies she and Saul had fabricated for her father.

Abalas continued walking, still holding onto Iris. "I have arranged for your daughter's body to be taken with us. She can have a place with the elves too, if you wish it."

"You felt nothing. He is human. He didn't even know how he felt." Rothain snapped, tieing her hands onto the saddle in front of her. "You will not get away from me again, Dahlia. Do you hear me?" 

Iris didn't know what to say to this. Again she simply nodded. Abalas' kindness was strange to her, it wasn't like the man her father and brother had described at all. "I...I'm sorry I hit you." She whispered.

"You plan to chain me to the palace for the rest of eternity?" Dahlia scoffed, though she kept her chin held high. 

"You call that a hit, child?" Abalas mused quietly. "When you are as old as I, seen what I have... pain isn't even an emotion anymore."

"It is what your father wishes. I do not plan to anger your father." Rothain said, his tone almost soft. "Our king prizes you above all else. I will do all I can I ensure that he stays pleased with me." 

Iris didn't look at Dahlia as Abalas brought her out of the castle with him. Instead she watched the elves who brought out her daughter's body, marveling that they treated it with such respect.

"Why don't you marry my sister? It is no secret how she feels for you." Dahlia shot back, not to be swayed by anything Rothain may say. "You would take a woman against her wishes, just to please your king?"

Abalas didn't look at the tiny body. He didn't like to think what he would do if that were one of his children... If that were Dahlia. He watched the heated way his daughter spoke to Rothain, though couldn't hear her words.

"I don't want you any more than you want me.  But yes, I will serve my king in any way I can. Even if it means my death. Which I'm sure would please you. And as for your sister...she is not for me. Your father has a suitor for her." 

Iris' chest rose and fell violently the longer she watched. She barely felt herself rising until she had been seated in front of the king on his horse. Before she knew she was doing she'd turned and buried her face against his xhest, disolving into broken sobs. The elven people around them could do nothing more than stare with their mouths open.

"If you don't even want me, then why don't you tell him?!" Dahlia demanded, suddenly wishing for nothing more than one last look at Saul before she was essentially hauled back to her own kingdom like a bound slave. "I am just his dirty secret that he could not hide after my mother's death!"

Abalas said nothing of this display, he simply patted Iris' head, and urged his steed to move on. The ice cold king that most nations knew seemed to soften slightly when close to this human female. He almost seemed like the father that Dahlia remembered as a child.

"One does not turn down a git from a king," Rothain said firmly. He climbed onto the horse behind the princess and guided it behind the king's. "And if you were a dirty secret he would not have come all the way to the human realm to get you."

Iris cried herself to sleep. She clung to the king she drifted off, feeling safe for the first time in her life.