Peace for a Price (1x1)

Eleazar turned from his picked-over plate to address the king. "Will you be staying the night? It is a long journey, and your wife may feel better after a bit of rest." He kept his tone calm and controlled as he spoke. From the outside, one might think he was attempting to disguise his annoyance, but, in truth, he was relieved to be rid of this quarrelsome pair as quickly as possible, if only for the night.
 
The king shook his head nervously.

"I am sorry my lord, she- Insists we return home, as soon as possible. We will depart before nightfall, and, truth be told, I do have bussines to attend as well, however, we thank you for your hospitality and of course for... Taking my daughters hand."


He glanced towards Malisia, and this time, she did as well, locking eyes for a moment. He had an apologetic look, but the princess didn't allow that to move her heart in the slightest, her expression neutral. "Safe travel." She said, without an ounce of emotivity behind their goodbye.

Though, the queen wasn't just yet ready to leave, she stood up, setting down the now empty glass of wine with a bit more force than intended, looking at Eleazar, then Malisia, back and forth. "Tsk, you will not even bid farewall to your poor father properly? Ungrateful child... After we tried so hard to find you a suitable husband. I hope you're happy with this... Thing-"

"Pay no mind, my lord- It's the wine talking! Dear, we should really depart now, a good long sleep on the way home will fix you right up." The king interrupted, she had really gone too far this time.


However, Malisia was not just going to let it slide. Her father knew, if Malisia inherited anything from her mother, was her temperament.

She stood, her fists clenched sp tightly she was digging her nails into her palms... But agains tall odds, she took a deep breath, she bowed, and with her expression just as serious as it always was around them, in a calm, respectful tone, she spoke to them.


"Thank you. Your efforts did pay of. I finally am with a good man, not 'thing'. You can depart with calm in your hearts, I will be well in this place... Anything else I can help you with before you return home, father, mother?"


Both of them were unable to reply, merely looking at their daughter, but the king was far too fearful to leave without hearing the final word from Eleazar.
 
Eleazar stirred at their comments, his wings shifting slightly, but he remained in his seat, his expression impassive. He wasn't sure how far he was going to allow them to push him, but they were reaching the end of his tolerance level. Taking over their kingdom was still technically an option, and they did not really have strong bonds with their neighbors - and he was beginning to see why - but no matter how easily they could overcome the Valeskiar army, deaths would still occur. This peace treaty was a better option, but he was beginning to wonder how "peaceful" this treaty was going to be.

Then Malisia rose and had her say.

He did not smile, but his expression softened just a fraction. It might not have been enough for strangers like Malisia and her parents to recognize, but those who knew him would see it. He settled back in his chair and let her have her say. There was still the chance that this was all for show, but he did not think so. If this was genuine, it might do her some good to get it all out.

When she finished having her say and the king looked to him, Eleazar gestured lightly with his hand. "Safe travels. May the wind be at your back," he said mildly. "I will have some troops escort you to the border to offer some protection from the wild animals. There have also been some reports of bandits in the area. We would not wish for anything untoward to happen to you. We are..." his voice dropped to a near purr, "family now, after all. Are we not?"

He gave a slight nod, dismissing them gracefully. They were free to leave. There had not actually been any bandits in the area, though wild animals were a bit of a problem, but what was the harm in planting a tiny seed of fear in their minds? Just a little gift to remember them by.
 
Malisia's father was relieved that Eleazar chose not to execute them in the spot, he thanked him in an almost erratic manner, and made sure to take his wife with him, and leave the castle as soon as he could, unsure how much more patient he'd have for them.

The princess sat back down, her cheeks slightly reddened for almost having an outburst, her soft eyes looking towards her husband with shame in her expression. She had almost lost control, again, but she didn't regret speaking up, for once, she did more than just sitting there and taking her mother's nonsense.

With a quiet voice, Malisia couldn't help but pour out her heart to him.


"I cannot believe I once again have to apologize for my parents' behaviour. Forgive them my lord, our kingdom is young, and I worry for them- A mere three generations since we began, and they are already in so much trouble, if only they had... A better ruler." She said with a soft sigh.

Soon, she realized she had likely sounded... Almost like a traitor, to which she corrected herself.

"Please do not think ill of me... I would never, believe myself to be a better ruler than anyone, but I believe you were able to see that the current ruling of Valeskiar is not- Well, the most qualified. I hope that, despite their mistakes they can learn something from this treaty..."
 
Only a few people noticed the king and queen rushing away, but no one really bothered to question why they were leaving in such a rush.

Eleazar placed one elbow on the table and rested one cheek on his fist as he looked at Malisia, conflicted between amusement and exasperation. The exasperation came through more than the amusement as he asked, "Does this mean you desire for me to train my new in-laws as if they were children? I am afraid I doubt how much they desire to lean anything from a Thing. It is in my benefit if they succeed in their ruling, per the treaty, but I do not think I can give them classes. Remember, this kingdom is not much older and is only on our second ruler."
 
Malisia shook her head, realizing she hadn't expressed herself properly, but she didn't let herself be intimidated.

"No my lord. I would never ask for such a thing. They have raised three daughters. They should know how to raise a kingdom... I was simply thinking out loud. not that you have to teach them, but that they learn by themselves to be- Well, more open minded. But, as the commonfolk, you cannot teach an old dog to learn new tricks.."


The woman fidgetted with one of her curls, unsure if she should keep speaking or she had already done too much.

"Besides, your highness... I don't think that it is beneficial to me to have them come over every other day to receive a little class given how well they handled things today."


She took a small sip of her wine, looking towards him once more.

"But enough of that- Time flies and up until now I couldn't truly enjoy the party... I was about to request your hand, but I suppose you wouldn't like to join me in a dance, and forget of the stress, would you?"
 
Eleazar chose not to comment on the idea of having the king and queen coming constantly for lessons. That sounded like a level of misery that he could not even fathom, and he had seen a lot of misery. He was glad that she didn't actually want him to try to teach those trolls anything. It was not something he was willing to even consider.

Her request to dance did take him by surprise, and he looked at her in silence as the music swelled louder, the voices grew to contend with the music, and the laughter grew ever more boisterous.

"I do not dance," he finally stated. He did not want to completely ruin her day, but the idea of trying to drag himself around a crowded floor of flailing limbs. "If you desire to dance, I shall not hold you back."

Just then, the other Daefur came over, fluttering his wings to clear the way. "My Lord Ashwing, and our new Lady, Ferevorn! Forgive my impertinence of approaching uninvited. Again, I greet you!" he bellowed happily. He was perhaps two inches taller than Eleazer, but still shorter than Malisia. He swept a deep bow. "I know you have met many, so I shall reintroduce myself! I am Duke Judius Diclaw!"

"I have never known you not to be impertinent," Eleazar said dryly.
 
Malisia let out a soft, charming laugh, showing no sign of being upset or sad, in fact, she even seemed amused. After all, he didn't deny her chance at having fun, even if he chose not to join.

"Perhaps another time. I wouldn't want to embarass my husband with my poor dancing skills in front of so many people."


Malisia's attention turned to the other Daefur, tilting her head in a respectful greeting. "Salutations, it is a pleasure, sir Diclaw."

She was a bit curious due to Eleazar's reaction towards this other, but she decided not to fish for information, already suspecting the newcomer would state his bussiness.

The woman was fascinated by all the people around them, everything was just, so.... Different, but not in a bad way. She wanted to get to know all of them, though she was aware this was unrealistic.
 
Duke Diclaw chuckled at the king's response and turned to address Malisia conspiratorially. "Though I am not the king's senior by much, I served with his father in wars that helped to build this kingdom. I remember a few tales about your husband when he was a wee little lad that I think affords me a certain amount of impertinence. If you ever have need of a bit of blackmail to get your way, do please contact me!"

Eleazar closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on. "My Dear Duke Diclaw, if you are going to whisper secrets to my new wife, you could at least repay her by dancing with her and giving her a little entertainment."

The Duke backed up a step, blushing. "Oh, Your Majesty! I just remembered a most serious matter that needs my personal attention. Would you please be so kind as to excuse me and allow me to slip away?"

"I will be looking for your gift in particular," Eleazar said in mild threat as Diclaw began backing up.
 
Malisia smiled, looking at Eleazar with a puzzled expression.

She wondered how long it would take for him to soften up, if he ever did that is. Perhaps it was just being around all these people, after all, she had already been warned by his right hand that the man kept to himself quite a bit... That made her lose a bit of hope, but she didn't show it, instead, she focused on trying to engage with her husband, even if it was, very awkward small talk.


"It has been... A pretty nice party. Thank you, I truly did not deserve this, after all, I'm sure many other women were fighting their way to have your hand..." She released an awkward yet soft chuckle
 
"A few, the majority of whom attempted to lie about why they were interested," Eleazar replied, unconcerned. "If I am to marry for my station, I would much rather both parties be honest. It is easier that way."

"Oh, come, now, Your Majesty," purred a silken voice at Malisia's shoulder. "Must you be so dour on this, your wedding day?" Lance smiled at the pair from his spot just behind Malisia and a step to the side. "You will have to pardon him, Princess. He never was particularly romantic. It is a fault I have attempted to train out of him."

Over time, the lights had dimmed so slowly that almost no one even noticed it happening. Now, as the evening deepened, the lights were much lower with mostly candles casting their light. It was enough for most to see without much problem, and now the room seemed to have a few more faces that had not been there before. Lance was not the only pale giant now, and there were other shadows drifting at the edges of the room. Eleazar was unsurprised by Lance's appearance. He had noticed the lights and seen some of the others joining the group and knew his right-hand-man would not be far behind.

Eleazar lifted a hand in a shrug. "There are some things, it appears, that are difficult to learn no matter how much one might wish to. Unfortunately, this is one."

Lance bowed deeply to the pair. "Princess, if I may be so bold, may I offer you a dance? It would be my greatest honor to dance with you, Your Majesty."
 
Malisia was a bit by the sudden appearance of the man beside her, but was soon relieved as she noticed it was Lance, a familiar face, that brought her comfort.

She understood the situation, well, mostly. The woman understood the king was not the most outgoing person, though, the voices in the back of her brain were chewing away at her confidence with horrible remarks about her appearance. Did he find her unnapealing? Well, time would tell.

Malisia heard Lance's request, and considered it, perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea, to push Eleazar just a bit and see his reaction, not enough to make him jelous, but just to see what kind of man he truly was.


"I would be glad to dance with you sir. As long as my husband would allow it, of course."


She said, glancing towards Eleazar. He had allowed her to dance, but she was pretty sure dancing alone would be different to dancing accompanied by another man.

To a degree, she knew this was a good chance to interrogate Lance a bit as well, the more she could learn about the Cravonid king, the better.
 
Eleazar inclined his head, impressed that she would ask first and oddly pleased. He didn't expect her to ask permission for everything, but accepting someone's hand to dance on their wedding day in front of everyone when he hadn't danced at her yet was a rather significant thing. He appreciated her looking to him first. "Lance is a decent dancer. You will enjoy yourself more with him."

"Decent? You wound me, Your Majesty," Lance said lightly. He bowed again and offered Malisia his hand. "You honor me, Princess."
 
"Thank you my lord." She said, standing up from the table.

She wasn't meek, or dependant of others, but she wouldn't be defiant towards someone who hadn't done anything to anger her.


Malisia took Lance's hand gently, yet confidently. She wondered what type of dance she had to prepare herself for, something calm? Perhaps something with a bit more movement, regardless, she was excited to finally be able to stretch her legs properly.

"The honor is mine, sir Hearthrune. Feel free to take the lead."


She glanced one more time towards Eleazar, with a soft smile on her lips, before finally setting her attention on Lance.
 
The music was boisterous and uptempo, meaning most of the dancers were moving fast and quick-footed, but Lance led her to a less crowded corner that was still in Eleazar's line of sight. He guided her into an easy but quick dance step that was still slower than those around them, but still quick enough to be exciting. He didn't say anything at first, letting her find her feet and get used to his lead. His touch on her hand and waist was so light it was barely felt, yet firm enough to give the appropriate signals.

"You look absolutely stunning in your gown, Princess. It is perhaps a little too early to ask, but how are you liking our kingdom so far?"Lance asked pleasantly, swirling her around.
 
Malisia kept a smiley expression through the dance, following the man's moves with little effort, practice, all it took was practice and she had quite a bit of that.

Although she was dancing with Lance, her glance did dart towards Eleazar every so often, almost as if checking what he was doing, any reactions or expressions the man let slip out.

The princess giggled sheepishly, she had forgotten about her dress all this time, just now realizing how good it looked on her, the effort had paid off, even if it wasn't her new husband who was telling her how stunning she was,


"Thank you, I was worried it may be a bit, too much for such a fancy event."

She let out a calm and content sigh as she thought of how to reply to her current companion's question, but, truth be told, she trusted Hearthrune for reasons even she couldn't understand, so she chose to be honest.


"Well, from what I've been able to experience, It is certainly the best place I could've been brought to. Even if I do wish I could grow closer to the king... I suppose you did warn me about his personality."
 
"How could you possibly be too much for your own wedding?" Lance asked with an amused smile. He spun Malisia gently. "You two have only had less than five hours together. You must give yourself and him more time. You will have your honeymoon, as well, to grow closer and to learn more about each other. Tomorrow, you will rest, and then I know he intends to take you around a bit to show you more of our lovely kingdom. There is a lot to see."
 
"I am aware its been a short time... It is just quite confusing to experience everything so fast, except for the part where I can speak to my new husband without feeling as if I am making a fool of myself."

She laughed softly, as if trying to hide her worries and play it off as something that neither of them should be concerned about.


"Regardless, I will try my best to be patient... I wouldn't like to disturb his peace."
 
Lance chuckled softly. "Princess, you have been disturbing his peace since the beginning of the peace talks. He has not known quite what to do with you or about you, so I suggested you two discover that together. And worry not, Your Highness. You could not look like a fool in front of anyone's eyes here. There is nothing about you that could say 'fool.'"

A human walked up and bowed shyly. "May I cut in?" he asked tremulously, as if expecting to be told no.
 
Malisia rolled her eyes a bit, she didn't particularly buy all his kind words, not that she thought they were dishonest, but she wasn't used to getting so many compliments, they made her a bit defensive, even if she didn't conciously made the choice to act that way.

"If he doesn't know what to do with me, then... I suppose I will feel right at home." She admits.

Truthfully, she wanted to ask Lance what would happen to her if Eleazar decided she wasn't fitting- But was soon interrupted by the stranger.


"Yes? How may we help you?" She asked, trying to figure out if she'd seen this person before during the party, though it was all a bit of blur.
 
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