Peace for a Price (1x1)

The man looked confused by her question. "I meant, Your Highness, may I cut in?" he repeated.

"He is asking if you would consider him your next partner in dance," Lance told Malisia gently. "If you do not mind, you simply turn toward him, and if I do not mind, I first check to make sure you are willing, and then I hand you over to him. Do you wish to continue your dance with him?"

The man was now blushing as he stood awkwardly waiting to see if Malisia would say yes or no.
 
Malisia tapped her forehead with her palm, feeling a bit of shame as the realization that she had misundertood the man's request came through.


"Oh right, right, I need to- Dust off my lexicon."

She thought about it for a second, and she didn't mind, but it was a bit strange for someone to be so forward about dancing with the newly wed princess. Then again, she had just danced with Lance, and didn't have a single issue, so she nodded, accepting the request.

"Perhaps just a quick dance wouldn't hurt, may I have your name sir?" She said kindly,
 
The human brightened, clearly excited, and bowed again before taking her hand. "Of course, Your Highness! I am Damen Stonesmith. Baron Stonesmith. I came to represent my family instead of my father as he has been ill and the journey would have not done him well." He led Malisia in dance a good deal more clumsily than Lance, but he was enthusiastic and determined in his efforts. "I hope I did not cause offense by requesting this dance, Your Highness, but I thought perhaps you might be feeling overwhelmed by all the non-humans and desire a bit of a more familiar face." He blushed deeply. "Not that I am saying I am personally familiar to you, Your Highness. Please forgive my forwardness. I am more accustomed to stone than people, but it was important that our family be represented on such a joyous occasion."
 
Malisia rose a confused eyebrow, rather impressed by the amount of energy the man held within himself, though she did find herself trying not to crack a smile at some of his clumsier movements that threw her off balance.

She was not exactly overwhelmed, or upset, if anything, the one that seemed the most anxious here was the man holding onto her hand.


"I see... So your profession is related to stone? Mining perhaps?" The woman asked, thinking that making small talk may be polite, rather than truly being interested in speaking to the man. In fact, she glanced towards Eleazar every so often, just to check if he was doing well.

"Anyway- I am getting more and more familiarized with the folk of Cravonid every second I spend here, nothing to worry about, though I appreciate your concern."
 
"Many families in Cravonid have surnames based off of their occupations," Damen explained. "It is an old tradition that never ceased because most of us are still working the same crafts now as we did back when we first established those surnames. As a stonesmith, our family works with stone as a blacksmith works with metal or a runesmith with runes. In fact, my father's father and his father helped to craft some of the stones in this very castle!" He swelled a little with pride. "In fact, our family was one of the first humans that High King Zecial dared put his trust in, thus why he asked for our aid in building the castle when we were still trying to establish ourselves as a kingdom and not just a no-man's-land full of so-called monsters, vagabonds, and criminals. My father was present at the building, but he was much too young and untried to actually put his hand to the stones. It was the first official building to have ever been erected here in Cravonid, which is why we consider it our capital even though most other countries have their capitals farther from the borders if possible. There have been other castles and offical buildings made, but this was the first, and so we are quite proud of it!"

He blushed again and nearly tripped over his own feet in embarrassment. "Forgive me. I let my enthusiasm carry me away. I am sure you have much loftier concerns than stones. I-I will take you back to Lord Hearthrune. He must be a far more interesting conversationalist than I."

For his part, Eleazar watched Malisia dance with idle interest, mostly to ensure she was doing well. He leaned to one side in his ornate wooden chair wishing it had better cushions. It had been a chair favored by his grandfather and thus molded to someone else's body. He was fine, but a bit bored and ready for the celebration to be over. It was still going strong, and the servants had had to bring in more food. He was well beyond full and only sipped his wine slowly as he let his gaze wander over the gathering.
 
The woman was calm, knowing that Eleazar wasn't showing any other particular emotion but that of being bored. Her attention shifted back to Damen, she had to pull him back a couple of times to make sure he wouldn't fall over every time he seemed to lose balance, he was mostly catching himself but she still showed a degree of concern for the other human.


"Don't take away value from your work saying such things... Stones are interesting sir Stonesmith. I may not seem like it, but I am a fan of the arts. I was already wondering who had ensured to create this masterpiece of a castle... So I do indeed value a good history lesson."

She said with a kind smile, finally, he had managed to capture her attention, her big and expressive golden eyes shimmered a bit at the glow of candlelight.


"I would be glad to hear some more of your family history... Perhaps your wife or father could share some stories too?" It was a request rather than a question, though she hadn't stop to ask the age of the man, much less if he had an established household of his own, it was perhaps a bit insensitive, not that Malisia was the most tactful person ever.
 
"Oh? Really? You are interested?" Damen asked with more shock than was technically proper for such a function. He caught himself and reeled in his surprise. "I mean... If you happen to be up by the way of Cambria Village, I am certain my father would love to tell you all the tales of our family, but he is under physician's orders not to travel much for his health. So much so that when we sent word accepting our invitation to this wedding, His Majesty sent a messenger ensuring that it would be me and not my father coming. In any case, he will be pleased when I tell him of your kind interest. As for my wife, she could not tell you. I mean, that is to say, I do not have a wife, so my wife could not tell you any stories, since I do not have one. A wife."
 
"I see-" Malisia nodded, struggling a bit to follow the conversation with how much the man said in so little time.


"Well, I will make sure to visit in due time. As for the case of your uh- Lack of partner, it is not a matter to worry about. I'm sure the right one shall come, with such a valuable profession, I'm quite sure they will come running to you in no time."

She smiled, trying her best not to seem too awkward despite the previous exchange.


"The time is late, and I should return to my husband now. However, I appreciate the pleasant time we spent. May your future keep holding prosperity sir Stonesmith."

Malisia let go off him, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder as if to bid him farewell. Her mind was already drifting somewhere else now.
 
"Of course, of course," Damen said hurriedly.

The songs being played never really stopped so much as they blended into the next song without bothering to pause, so he didn't wait for the song to end. He led her back toward the king but did not take her all the way. He did not dare approach the king, himself. A foreign princess was much easier. He bowed to her multiple times before hurrying away and letting her walk herself the few steps to her chair.

Eleazar watched her aproach with mild interest. He almost asked if she had enjoyed herself, but it seemed like a pointless question.
 
Malisia sat back in her sit, breathing out with a satisfied smile. She had fun, of course, but she had a pretty long day of worries prior to all of this, rest, was indeed needed.

She noticed Eleazar looking at her, and though he didn't say anything, she smiled at him warmly. Perhaps she had been too harsh with her judgement about him that she had until now, after all, he had been looking out for her during the dance with both partners.

The woman would give him the benefit of the doubt, and keep going with her attempts at getting closer to him.


She gently brushed away the wrinkles of her dress, gathering her thoughts.

"Thank you for your permission. I enjoyed myself. Although, I assume you would like to have a break from all the noise... I'm sure they wouldn't mind if the party stopped now, many of them can barely stand anymore." She said this jokingly, though, with the amount they ate, the drinks and all the dancing, it was true most folk were bassicaly melting into their chair from sheer exhaustion.
 
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Eleazar glanced toward the group. "They will catch their second wind and rally for more. Some will be done, but others will be here until the morning light," he predicted. "Some of these gathered here are naturally prone to living their life at night rather than during the day. However, if you are tired, then we may excuse ourselves."

He wondered if she was prepared for the commotion that would follow them leaving. He stood and took her hand, leading her out of the chair and toward the door. The attendees quickly noticed, and a cheer rocked the room. They opened a pathway for the newlyweds to the doorway, cheering and waving excitedly as they saw the couple off.

The castle was dark now, but Eleazar had no trouble finding his way through the dark to a set of stairs far from the ones Malisia and her family had used when they'd arrived. These steps were more toward the back, but not tucked away like servant stairs would be. It was wide, dar, and winding, but Eleazar kept a firm hold of Malisia's forearm as he led her up. The stairs kept going up for two flights, skipping the second story entirely. The stairs finally opened up to the spacious third-floor corridor. This corridor looked a bit gloomy, empty, and barely furnished. Eleazar barely paused or glanced about as he led Malisia to the last door at the far end of the corridor and opened it.

The room on the other side was just as big as the one she'd used to ready herself for the wedding, but this was all set up purely as a sitting room. Massive double doors opened onto a balcony large enough for a table and four chairs looking out over the city and the mountains beyond. The sitting room was not very well furnished, but what was there - one simple chair, a lounging couch, and a bench seat at an arched window - was clearly the best money could buy. Eleazar led Malisia through the room to two smaller doors and opened them to reveal an opulent bed chamber nearly as large as the sitting room. The large bed, easily big enough for two or even three, looked as though it was waiting for someone, its covers turned down invitingly with rose petals strewn about. A bottle of wine and two glasses sat on a small side table.
 
Malisia took in every detail of the castle even at this time, or rather, what she could see in the dark by forcing her sight, holding tightly onto Eleazar as to not trip while they made their way up the stairs.

She blinked a few times once they entered the room.


It was beautiful, but perhaps a bit of a problem for her nerves. She hadn't really thought about it until now, but it was expected that they spent most of the time together, that included going to bed.


The sound of a difficult swallow came from her throat as she struggled to get the saliva past the knot that had seemed to tie itself around her throat, strange, since her mouth felt incredibly dry. Her cold and calm exterior was starting to break apart, leaving behind a nervous mess that found it hard to even speak.


"It was- A very lovely wedding uh. Do you... Tend to sleep very early, your highness? I must be honest, I might stay up for a while with my thoughts, you don't need to- Wait for me to sleep if you do not wish to."


This was a miserable attempt at getting him to fall asleep on his own, if she could, she would rather stay on the couch. She didn't hate him, she didn't find him disgusting or anything similar, she simply wasn't sure she was ready to get that close yet.
 
Eleazar stared at her. A new bride asking about sleeping. Yes, because that was what a married couple did on their first night together. They slept. And nothing else. He fought down a sigh, caught between relief that he wouldn't have to deal with that particular aspect and a tiny speck of disappointment that this was how she looked at him. He'd had some hope earlier that she would see him as a bit more than just a monster to be married for political reasons, but that was unfair considering that was how he was attempting to see her. He stepped away from her hand.

"Do you see that small door there? The curtain is blocking most of it," he said, indicating the door mostly hidden in the corner. "That leads to my room. If you need anything, you may knock. It locks on both sides. I know you are eager to explore tomorrow, but I would ask that you not go far until after we have shared breakfast. I have some things I wish to discuss with you. Your maids are in the room across the hall to aid you in removing your gown. Goodnight."

That said, he walked away from her and opened the small door. He didn't wait for her answer. Even at his height, he still had to duck ever so slightly. Then he closed the door and locked it on his side before pulling the curtain down. This room was almost a mirror of Malisia's, but it was even more barren. He didn't care. It was quiet at last, and he could rest.
 
Malisia was left with the words on the tip of her toungue, she wasn't trying to push him away necessarily, but it was too late for that, she'd made him feel that way, which prompted a frustrated groan from her as she let herself fall face first on the bed.

She didn't take the time to think whether she'd be heard through the walls, but she ranted to herself for a while, trying to convince herself she hadn't done anything wrong and this was just the way he was. Yes, that was it, after all, this was all just for bussiness, no love, no nothing, this was just...

"Who am I kidding?..." She sighed. "That was so rude of me- Gods, I made this worse than it needed to be..."


Malisia paced around her room, rubbing her temples as she often did when she was stressed. How would she even fix this? She could be civil, direct, and be honest as she was used to being. But why did he make her so nervous? This wasn't like her, she never let herself be intimidated by a man before, what changed?

She wasn't sure, she didn't even want to think about it, she just laid down, forgetting to get out of her dressing gown while her brain felt like a drum was being hit against her skull, struggling to sleep through the entire time.
 
The walls were thick enough that Eleazar couldn't hear Malisia unless he actively tried to listen, which he did not. He did not sleep well that night and instead spent most of his time prowling around his rooms. He considered leaving, but just in case Malisia needed him. He couldn't think why she would since she had her two maids, but just in case. He did doze off and got about four hours of sleep near dawn before he was up again.

The servants brought breakfast later than usual, expecting everyone to sleep in. They tapped lightly on Malisia's door and waited a moment before entering and leaving breakfast for two on the table in her sitting room. Then they slid away with barely a sound.

A few minutes later, Eleazar came to Malisia's door - the regular one, not the small one between their shared wall - and knocked. Unlike the servants, he waited until she allowed him admittance.
 
Malisia stood, dragging her feet along the ground as she stood up, a headache threatening to shatter her brain from the inside out.

"Come in..." The words came out weakly, with a characteristic lack of enthusiasm.

She tried to compose herself as best she could as she allowed him to enter back into the room, she hadn't locked the other door to his room last night, as if expecting him to come back at some point.


"Good morning, your highness."

Once he entered the room, he would find a woman looking at him with what could only be described as a face of shame and regret. Her eyes were a bit red and glassy, needless to say, it was obvious, it was rather obvious to see she had been either keeping in tears, or well, crying her eyes out during the dead hours of the night.

Oh how she wished to admit she was wrong and beg for his forgiveness, but, pride ran through the Valeskiar veins.
 
Eleazar stared at Malisia, shocked by her face. What had happened to her? She looked like she'd been smacked in the face with a firm pillow. For himself, his thick, scale-like skin helped to hide any tiredness he was feeling, so he looked the same now as he had the night before. Other than the fact that he was dressed more casually with nice but sturdy pants and a loose black shirt. Hie hair was loose from all but two braids that pulled his hair from face. He thought about asking her if she was well, but he felt it might be rude.

Instead, he said, "Good morning, Princess. I see breakfast has already been laid out. Shall we?" He moved forward to sit at the breakfast table, pulling out a chair for her. "Food and drink will help ready us for the day ahead."
 
Malisia was unable to do much else than accept the offered sit. She let herself fall gently onto the chair while running a nervous hand through her now messy curls.

"Thank you- And, apologies, for my appearance. I was far too tired yesterday to get into a proper set of clothing. I hope its not... Offensive to the eyes."


She faked a smile, as if that would fix every ounce of tension in the room. No, she was aware it wouldn't work, she wasn't foolish after all, but it was clear that she had no clue of how to handle this.

Couples had months, sometimes even years of time to get each other previous to sealing their marriage. They had time to fix their problems and understand the depths of their issues, but what about them? They had known each other for barely a day, and had likely spoken less than a hundred words to each other in that time.

What was she mean to do?


Malisia didn't dare to touch her food yet, she wanted to speak to him, even if she drove herself insane in the attempt.
 
Eleazar could not help a slight eyebrow raise at her fake smile. He was not quite sure what to make of it or why her maids hadn't helped her get up and at least more presentable before breakfast. Oh well, it was not his business how she conducted herself inside her own quarters. He adjusted his wings, the leather rustling softly, and picked up the teapot to pour them both tea.

"I requested the servants not aid us in this breakfast as it is our first together as a couple," he said slowly in a carefully regulated tone. "I wished to speak with you in privacy. I wished to establish boundaries." He finished pouring and set the teapot aside. "You will not have much power in official matters. At least, not for some time. You will have to prove your worth before you will be allowed to order armies around and such. However, you will have influence in certain, more intimate matters. For example, this room is yours to do with as you please. Whatever you like - outside of removing walls - will be done. If you desire certain meals to be served, that will also be done. Unless we have special visiting dignitaries, then I will ask that you speak to others involved in the planning before making your own arrangements with the kitchen."

He took a sip of tea. "You have one day here in this castle. There is one wing I request you stay out of, and there will be a guard on the stair to show you the way should you get... lost. Tomorrow, we will be leaving on a tour of the kingdom. We shall not see the entire kingdom, it is far too large for that, but there are five castles to visit as well as a few places and people along the way. We shall be spending time at each stop so you can rest." He paused. "Do you have any questions so far?"
 
Malisia sighed, in a way, in relief.

Things had been hard and, she didn't really care for political power, what would she use it for? Getting a new set of flowers for a garden?

Regardless, she nodded, listening to everything he had to say.


She was trying her best to seem calm and composed through this time, but once she was given the chance to speak, she said what was in her mind, even if it was stupid, or pathetic, she had been keeping it in ever since she left her kingdom of origin, she wasn't sure she would be able to go on what was a fancy road trip with someone who she didn't even know yet.


There was a long silence, perhaps a few minutes, or maybe more, she didn't know how long in fact, but she breathed in, and spoke with a very obvious tone of desperation in her voice.

"I have no questions my lord. But, I am sorry if this is- Disrespectful of me. I cannot keep up with my act... This, is not me, the fancy parties, being the silent and careful wife- I do not crave power, nor do I exepct anyone to follow my orders, but it would be dishonest of me if I said I was fine with, all of this in its current state-"

She stuttered a bit, she knew very well that anyone else might've executed her in the spot for daring to talk back to the king in such a manner.

Her voice was shaky, sounding more like a person who was about to cry rather than an assertive one.


"I- Know I am just a product. That is why I am here after all, as a proof of loyalty from my father, but if we are to coexist and make a living together, for both our sakes I hope it won't be this, awkward exchange between two strangers forever.... W-What I meant to say is, I wish... To get to know you, beyond all of the formalities, to be a proper wife."

She paused, and looked into his eyes, sounding confident for once.


"I don't... Understand if the feeling that bothers my insides is anything close to love. But if it is, I want to nourish it- Is my request, too much, your highness?..."
 
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