The Kindgom of Heaven and Hell

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Faline all but cowered at the back of the great hall. She hated meetings. They were often times full of loud angry men who had a tendency to throw things. This night was no different. The entire village had shown up, despite the raging storm outside. Every man from every family was there, shouting to be heard over the next.
Her father, the Jarl, was seated at the head of it all, one long leg draped over his ornate throne. For a while he remained silent, his eyes not one the villagers, but going from the young woman hiding under one of the tables near the door to her sister who sat on top of it, holding onto a rather heavy broad sword. He shook his head at both of them. 
Oalf sighed heavily and held up a hand to silence the crowd. "I am fully aware of the danger we now face from the outlanders. And I am aware that those who cross our borders are far from human. However, I am not sure if we warrant help from out bordering villages. If we decide to seek help, we will need to go to the king. But...he is a bartering man. I am not sure we have anything he will find worthy enough..."

"You may have a point there." Again her cell mate's head jerked and she was again forced against his body. "Quiet." He hissed, listening to something. Whatever it was, it was above them. "Lucian is moving. He's stepped off the throne. He must have taken interest in your carriage of feathers. I would suggest you pray to the gods that he doesn't decide your sister would look better as a frog." 

Faline hesitated though she wasn't sure why. For a long moment her fingers remained on the dress and she simply sat where she was. "They were trying to impress you, sire." She whispered. "There's no need to insult my village for trying to please their sovereign."

Cessily was frozen in what would almost seem like fear as she was pulled against her cell mate, all too aware of what little material covered the upper part of her body. For now she was silent however, needing to learn all she could to keep her sister safe.

"And your king would be most pleased by you allowing him to give you a dress more fitting to your beauty." Lucian breathed, still holding his hand out.

"Or perhaps he will take her as a lover. That will buy you time." Her cell mate said softly, bending his head so that he could look at Cessily. "You did a terrible thing bringing her here. You will never be able to take her home again." 

Faline felt confessed and afraid. This wasn't how things were supposed to have gone at all. Now the future was more than a little uncertain. She didn't even know if she could trust this man to send a few soliders to her father. Never mind let her sister go to hunt for a dragon's egg. And what if Cessily never came back?

There was a fierce determination in Cessily's green eyes as they met those looking down at her. "I cannot return home anyway." She breathed. "So I could take her and run, once this fool mission she feels she must do is done with."

"Of course... I could have you both executed for murder instead, if you prefer?" Lucian asked, his patience gone and his tone rather icy.

"You never told me your name." Her cell mate breathed. He could feel something changing in the air, Lucian's mood was changing. He didn't know why that should bother him but it did. "The last thing I heard anyone call me was Braun. So we will say that is my name." 

"Do what you must." Faline whispered, shaking her head. For some reason she couldn't take his hand. There was something inside her whispering to her to keep herself guarded from this man. "I do not know you well enough to simply trust my fate to you, sire."

"Cessily." The young woman breathed, thinking this may well be the last person she spoke to anyway. "My sister is a beauty unlike anything you have ever seen, I have no doubt that this magician, Lucian, will be taken with her instantly. If you know of a way out of these chains..."

"Yet you would sell yourself to me as a concubine, as your own father asked of you?" Lucian asked, his fingers finally curling in on themselves.

"And if I do? What will it earn me?" Braun asked her. This time he didn't move. She wouldn't be able to tell it but his eyes were sweeping over her face. "You will leave me here the moment I have set you free."

"My father asked it of me. He did not ask me to sell my sister as a adventurer. He wanted her to come home and protect the village. None of this is what he asked of me."

"I would free you in return." Cessily insisted, not considering the fact that maybe Braun wanted more than that from her.

"You father would rather that vile creature returned to him, than to see your beautiful face again?" Lucian asked,reaching out to brush Faline's cheek lightly.

"Fine. But if Lucian turns me into a toad, you are going to kiss me and turn me back into an ugly man." Braun told her softly, his powerful hands wrapping around the chains that held her wrists. "Do we have a deal?"

"My sister is useful." Faline said softly, suddenly feeling extremely tired. She hadn't slept in two days. All she wanted to do now was crawl in a warm bed. It was so real she could almost feel it right then.

"That only works for princesses, I don't think a jarls daughter is close enough." Cessily replied. "But for what it's worth... I will." She replied, thinking he was simply making fun of her.

"How about you take a warm bath and get some rest, I'll have your sister informed of our agreement?" Lucian prompted, stroking Faline's cheek again, watching her eyes grow ever more heavy.

"Swear to it, Cessily." This time Braun was a little more insistent. "Swear you will help me when the time comes and I will free you when the time is right. Taking you at your word is not enough." 

"That would be nice but..." Faline's eyes were heavy now, her lashes kept falling to her cheeks and staying there for longer and longer periods of time. "I would like to...see her...make sure she's okay for myself..."

"I..." Cessily's usually guarded green eyes were filled with confusion as they stared up at Braun. "I swear." She found herself breathing the words, even though she had meant to ask Braun what it was he thought she needed freeing from, besides these chains.

"I can't have a delicate little flower like you going down into the dungeon, but I can let you see her." Lucian breathed. He moved over to the roaring fire in the massive hearth and waved his hand. There, dancing in the flames was the image of Cessily looking up at a tall man with his hands around the elder woman's wrists. The way Cessily looked up at Braun in the flames could be mistaken for something else entirely.

Braun inclinded his head, his lips brushing hers. It was all it was at first. It was a kiss to seal a deal. And then he was tasting her. He tasting winter and sweet snow berries. He'd never thought to taste them even once. 

"Oh..." Suddenly Faline was not sleepy anymore. She was staring at the fire and the sight of her sister kissing a very strange man. "Oh gods...what in the world is she up to now." She whispered, pressing her fingers to her lips.

Cessily had never known a feeling like it before, every other thought seemed to leave her until she felt those strong hands upon the bare skin of her slender waist. Suddenly she panicked, afraid Braun wanted something she wasn't sure she was ready to give to any man. "You said you could get me out of here?" She asked, though she was somewhat breathless.

Lucian smiled ever so slightly and the image died before Faline would see her sister stopping what was happening. "See, she is quite well."

Braun nodded slowly, his large hands jerking at the chains. In little more than a single snap he had them down, though they were still around her wrists. "You still have to get the key from the guard to get them off completely." He grunted, knowing there was little he could do for himself. 

"Oh dear." Faline said, though once again she was feeling rather exhausted.

Cessily didn't move for longest of moments. She stood there, staring up at the large man who had just left her ready to promise him the very stars in the sky. "I'll keep my word." She assured Braun at last as she turned away to shout to the guard that she was ready to confess to more than what had been witnessed.

Lucian was there to sweep Faline up into his arms this time. He carried her to his own bed chamber and gently began to remove the many layers of her dress until the young woman had a little more freedom of movement.

"That's a good little kitten." Braun purred as the guard came thundering around the corner. The man was already grinning like a fool. He was sure he was about to be greatly rewarded.

Faline was finally able to breathe once the layers of the terrible dress were taken away. Even though she was asleep, she took in a deep breath of relief. "Gods bless you, sire." She whispered.

The moment the cell door was open, Cessily had used the chains that hung from her wrists to choke the guard until he fell unconscious to the ground. It was only after she took the key and removed the chains and turned to unlock Braun's did she hear the voice in the shadows.
"I'll admit, I thought it would take you a little longer." Lucian purred. "But it still serves my needs all the same."

"It took the snake long enough to slither down here, didn't it?" Braun shot back. His large fingers rested on cessily's hips, silently urging her to wait before she finished unlocking him. "I thought we were done with torture for today. What's wrong, sire? Get bored?"

Lucian smiled, taking note of the way Braun chose to hold Cessily. "Silly boy, you think you are the one I am here to see he purred, his golden eyes sweeping over the dark haired woman. "You are going to complete a task for me, if you wish your sister to remain alive."

Lucian had confirms what Braun had suspected. He nodded his head at it, his fingers flexing on Cessily's hips. "Nice of you to provide light down here." He said softly, giving the small woman a gentle reminder that she could now see her surroundings. "Did you know the great magician here is afraid of the dark? I'm not sure how in know it..." He was rambling, buying her time to look for their nearest escape route.

Lucian laughed, though more of the torches on the wall came to life. "And here you are, hiding behind a woman." He sneered.
Cessily wasn't going anywhere. Whatever this man wanted, he could have it if it meant keeping her sister safe. "I'll do it." She blurted, not even knowing what wase expected of her.

"This little kitten is hardly big enough for me to hide behind." Braun said with a bitter snort. "All right then, snake, you have the woman's agreement. So what is it you will be trying to get from her? Blood from a stone? Gold from straw? Or will you save that for her sister?"

"A dragon egg. From the Northern kingdom." Lucian replied simply, his golden eyes enjoying the way Cessily was desperately trying to act like she didn't care. He noticed the way she seemed to shrink back against Braun slightly.

"Might as well ask for her to ressurect the true king." Braun snorted, shaking his head at the very idea. He had a feeling Lucian was going to propose something outrageous like this. "Don't play games with her, magician. Ask for something that can be truly achieved."

"That is the offer, and I will take wonderful care of her sister here until she returns. Don't try anything, as your sister is overly concerned with the fate of your village." Lucian warned.
"I said I'll do it." Cessily breathed. "I will need my belongings back, and my horse." She informed the magician, feeling more comfortable on this fools errand than she would arguing for the fate of her village. She would find a way to save Faline, she had to.

"Your word is meaningless." Braun said firmly, trying to make Cessily see just what this monster was trying to do. "You will not keep her sister safe. You have never kept anyone safe. Everyone that knows you on any scale dies. The carriage of feathers will be no different. If she is not dead already, I'd wager she will be in a week's time."

"She will be if that creature doesn't do as I have asked of her." Lucian replied, fixing his golden gaze on Cessily.
"Braun, please..." The dark haired woman breathed. "I must at least try, and if I die doing it, then so beit."

Braun grunted at this. "If you die the. She dies too. Remember that." He told her, straightening his massive shoulders. "I'll be going with her then. No sense in sending a tiny kitten alone with a bunch of dragons." He added with a hiss. "Give us something so that she can see her sister whenever she wishes. A great and power magician like you can do that, can't you?"

"I am not useless!" Cessily huffed, casting a scathing glance back over her shoulder. "But Braun is right, I need some way of checking that you haven't harmed her while I am off doing you silly little quest." She informed Lucian.
The other man inwardly groaned, muttering something about it suddenly becoming quite aka rent that they must be sisters. "Take this." He told her at last, holding out a simple looking crystal orb. "So long as Faline keels the one I shall give her safe, you can speak whenever you choose."