Peace for a Price (1x1)

"I have three that can go with you and ensure you have a safe journey," Duke Perovskia agreed readily. "The journey there is safe. It is when you arrive that things get a little dangerous." He smiled, a glint in his eyes. "My warriors will protect you and bring you back safe. If it is your choice that I do not tell the king, I will not, as long as you are back at a reasonable time, of course. I would not want to wait too long if you were in trouble, but I will stay silent for as long as I can. If you wish to leave now, I will have my warriors meet you at the gate."
 
Malisia bowed deeply, thanking him for his help.

"Thank you for your help, sir Perovskia."


She took a deep breath and a moment to look at the hall.

"I will make sure we are not back too late. Though the process of getting the object does require a bit of care, and, in respect of my traditions there is one small ritual to do which might take up a bit of time. Nothing complex, I have what I need, and I am ready to leave for the nest."


The princess would head out as soon as possible, forgetting to tell her handmaidens as she was in a rush to get what she desired.

Truth be told, the ritual mostly consisted of prayers to Pgier so that her children do not unleash their wrath on the unfortunate person who will approach, in this situation, being herself.

She wasn't particularly religious, however, anyone would be worried to enter the territory of a bird that could pick up a bull without much effort. There were ways to avoid getting murdered, though in Valeskiar it was difficult to tell if it was a matter of luck, or actual skill to survive.


Lowering the body to the ground, covering your arms with the soil of the valley or cliff that the animal claimed as its territory, moving slow, and NEVER showing any signs of agression.

To the eyes of someone who held the old traditions, these all represented devotion to Pgier and the land that she'd given life to, dragging yourself on the ground, praising the land, similar things to that, however looking at it from the point of view of logics and dealing with wild animals, making yourself small and slow to the eyes of a predator who's very, very large, it all made even more sense.

A bird that needs to eat so much wouldn't go for something that is not a threat, or worth hunting.
 
"I wish you safe travels, Princess," the Duke said, bowing slightly. Bowing did not come easily to his body type. He pointed the way back along the hall to where the three Oni soldiers waited for her.

Two of the Oni were male and only slightly smaller than Duke Perovskia. The third was a female, and she was shorter than the three males by about half a foot, but naturally built wider and broader. She rippled with muscles just as impressive as her male counterparts, if not even more impressive, and they were very much on display as she wore the same type of sash as her male counterparts that left her chest bare. Very bare. The sash did a good job mostly covering the things most women in most races and cultures wanted covered, but if she moved too much without thought, things tended to show.

The two male Oni carried a sedan between them, a small but reasonably comfortable chair with a shade cover, and they politely invited Malisia to ride in it. Their long, long legs could cover the ground as fast as any horse and with greater stability when it came to the rocky ground they'd be heading for. Malisia could not possibly keep up with them, and they couldn't ride a horse. Plus, horses tended not to like them.

Once Malisia was comfortable, the female Oni - who was clearly in charge of the other two, took the lead and ran ahead a few paces while the two males jogged along with great speed behind her. They would be at the cliffs in no time!
 
Malisia wasn't exactly sure what she had expected as transport. It was defintely not this.

Of course, she remained polite to them, greeting each individually and making sure to remember their names for the future.

Any other human would likely be, much more concerned at their attires, but the princess did her best to be polite and not comment on it even if she was a bit confused, she remembered that there was still much more than she needed to learn about the cultures in Cravonid, given how many races shared the territory. She tried not to dwell on it, she was much more focused on the very, very obvious amount of stength all three of them possesed, particularly the woman who was their current lead.


She wasn't intimidated necesarilly, but she was definetely concerned at first with how stable the trip would be, and was rather surprised when she was lifted efforetlesty and they began to advance with little effort.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips, and she remained in her sit, trying her best not to move too much as if it would help the Oni carrying her have less difficulty, when they clearly needed no help from her part.


They indeed were there in no time, she realized after a while that the terrain was changing once again, turned into something much more like what she read in the books. Tall and imposing rock formations began to loom over them, painted with specks of green from where the wild vegetation managed to grow, and the sounds of wildlife caught her attention every now and then, though not as much as the occasional bone, or bones, did.

They were close, and perhaps, way too close to their destination.

She had only thought about it for a moment, but given the weather, and the location of the Roc at the time, it was likely molting season, that would easily help her get a couple good specimens of feathers if she was careful, the troubling part was when molting tipically ocurred.


Usually, molting ocurred after breeding season, which meant that the bird in question would be on high alert, and likely much more agressive while taking care of its nest now, which was far more concerning considering that they already defended their nests fiercely even when there were no chicks or eggs present.


She cleared her throat and thought for a moment, but she was far into this already, no going back and no time for regrets.
 
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The three Oni slowed as they approached the cliffs, moving with more caution now. The female in the lead checked the sky constantly, but all seemed quiet. There were plenty of birds and a few other rock-dwelling creatures, but no terrifying birds of legend. Yet.

Finally, the two carrying the sedan stopped and set it down with great care, and the female walked back to them. "The Roc should be nearby," she told Malisia, her voice low and slightly gravelly. "We must walk with care. If you wish to find a feather, you will have to look carefully. We will walk with you."
 
Malisia slowly got out of the sedan, clecnhing her fists and then relaxing them as she tried to relax her muscles for the task at hand, trying to act as if she hadn't been a mess of anxiety along the short trip.

Once she found her footing and heard what the female Oni had to say, she nodded. She took a moment to observe the terrain, they couldn't know for sure at which moment the Roc could appear, and yet, she felt as if she was already being watched.

She agreed to the words of the woman, however she made sure to remind all three of her companions of how to handle the situation, just in case they were unaware, and since she hadn't warned them previously.


"Walk with me... However stay low, we must crawl if its needed, we shall not make any agressive movements or loud noises, we are still in its territory- So we have to be respectful, the smaller we make ourselves the better, yes? No fighting "


She smiled kindly to them thankful for their protection nonetheless.

The princess took a deep intake of air as she leaned down to gently take some dust in her hands, muttering a few prayers in a tongue unfamiliar to the Oni, though as much as she faked confidence, her voice broke a few times.

"Pgier- Famiri dag ajlel'ies van protej nus almha. Nu adom sce terren gov a tus habere-" (Pgier, protect our bodies and defend our souls. We honor the ground given to your children.)

She repeated these words several times as she drew stripes along her arms and moved in a slow manner, her head down and back slightly hunched, making herself smaller, her prayers were silent, however, she kept on saying them over and over, and over again. She could be nonchalant and calm in social situations, dealing with deadly creatures was a completely different thing.
 
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The Oni nodded and watched her soberly, making no sign as to whether or not they had any idea of what she was doing. They might have approved. They might have disapproved. There was no telling by their expressions. They did as she asked and followed her lead while keeping an eye on the cliffs and the sky. Everything about this mission currently rested squarely on Princess Malisia's shoulders. They were just there to ensure she didn't get eaten.
 
The princess lowered her body even more, struggling with her dress as she tied it on one side so it wouldn't get on her way, she should've thought about it prior to this, but it was too late.

She ceased her prayers for a moment, as she spotted a large object on the ground, easily well above the length of her arm. A feather from its wings, pristine and ready for the taking.


Her confidence grew momentarily, though it didn't take long to falter, as a large sillhoute hovered above the cliffs, worrying her that much more the lower it got as it scanned the terrain with its highly adapted eyes.

Malisia bit her lip hard enough to leave a marking, she gave up on trying to move while crouching, getting on her hands and knees, forgetting about the damage that may be done to the dress with the jagged rocks and tough ground, she tried to move as quickly as she could without getting too much attention on herself, and managed to get the feather, taking it by its rachis. She breathed deeply, but even then she felt as if the air didn't reach her lungs.

The creature was flying closer, but she didn't allow anxiety overtake her, she didn't break the line of sight with the Roc, crawling backwards, slowly as she made sure to know exactly where it was.


But despite her efforts, her luck had seemingly ended, as the bird began its descent rapidly, making its presence known with the strong flapping of its heavy wings that almost blocked out the sun and a clear warning screech that left Malisia stunned as it landed mere feet away from the group, particularly close to the princess.


She couldn't speak, nor move, her eyes locked with the beast's. It examined them, inquisitive with piercing eyes that could reach the depths of one's soul.

When she realized she was staring into its eye, she lowered her head, putting her forehead against the dust of the ground, her form shivering ever so slightly as she did so. Running wouldn't help, and this close to it, she guessed it was also futile if her current guards attempted to protect her. At that moment, it was only a matter of the bird's decision not to shred her to pieces.

With her free hand she gestured to the group behind her, in the least conspicuous way posssible, that they do the same, freezing again as she heard the Roc's talons drag along the ground, it was moving again, but with her head down, she couldn't know if it was away, or towards her.
 
The Oni glared at the Roc, muscles tensing for a fight. They were accustomed to roc, since they lived in the Roc's territory, but they never, ever went out of their way to actually challenge the bird or be anywhere near it. They started to prepare for battle, but then the Princess splatted herself face down in the dirt. They hated this idea, but she was technically in command, so, grudgingly, and fighting against their natural aggressive tendencies to change the threat, they followed her earlier instructions.

As the roc landed - an unusual thing for a bird of this size since it was incredibly difficult to take flight from the ground - they gathered close to the Princess. The three of them stayed on their knees and did not look at the bird square in the eye, but they all did their best to keep it in their view as they shuffled forward. They bent over the Princess as much as they were able, using their own bodies as shields for her. They might die, but the Princess would live. That was their honor and duty. They would protect by any means necessary, whether that be dying as a shield or fighting the bird barehanded.
 
"Don't- Don't move... It will leave- It will surely leave..."

The animal ruffled its feathers in anger as the Oni moved to protect her,

She spoke as quietly as possible, she hated the idea of them putting themselves between the bird and her, she knew it was their duty, but she didn't want this to end badly for anyone, much less given that this was her idea. If anything happened to them, she'd die with the guilt, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to supress the shame, ever.


The animal approached further, its appearance just as imposing as its size, a sharp, hook-like beak larger than her torso, its talons easily the size of a soldier's blade. Its eyes, had a hint of orange and yellow like fire. She'd heard stories of this creature devouring an animal from another land called an 'elephant', which was much larger than any bull, the common prey, and offering given to the Haberepgier in Valeskiar.

And now she knew this was no legend at all, this animal could easily devour them all if it desired, and yet it just watched over them.

Its forked tongue was visible as it opened its beak, and snapped forward, making a rough sound that reminded on distant thunder or rocks smashing against each other, as if testing the Oni rather than attacking them. It did this a few times, as a warning.


The lack of movement seemed to lower its agression over time, not taking more than a few minutes to begin to settle down, lowering its head to the ground and dragging its claws back, slowly. If one looked at it for long enough, it was clear there was a level of intelligence to this animal, perhaps not sentience, though of course, one could never tell with creatures that had so little information written about them such as this. It understood that whatever it was looking at was choosing defense rather than agression. The larger creatures were defending the smaller, weaker one.

It didn't leave for a while, making sure they would truly not attempt to go for its nest as soon as it took flight, and it stayed liked that for around ten or so minutes, though to Malisia's mind it seemed like painful, agonizing hours.


Eventually however, it moved back, not without making sure to give another warning snap to the group. It began unfolding its wings, and pushing itself off the ground with its powerful legs. It flapped its wings, with a strength that pushed the air around it like a whirlwind, and began to fly, low at first, but soon enough it picked up what currents of air it could to advance back up to its nest at the top of one of those cliffs, although, Malisia remained unmoving, as if afraid it could come back any moment.
 
The Oni ignored both the angry bird and the princess when it came to not moving until they'd fully covered the princess. Then they went completely still, from the outside appearing very much like one singular green, partially clothed, rock. They stayed in that awkward hunched position for as long as it took until the bird left, and when they finally felt safe to move, their muscles shook from fatigue and effort.

"The bird is gone. We will go now," the female Oni said, and it was not a question.

One of the males picked Malisia up and held her close to his chest as the female moved ahead and the other male hung behind, all of them fully on guard. They made their way down to the sedan with great care and caution. Now that the roc knew they were there, it would be alert and suspicious of everything. They had to get away before it decided to patrol again.

They reached the sedan safely, and the Oni carrying her bundled Malisia into it without much grace before he and his counterpart picked up the seat and started back toward the castle double time. They didn't slow until they were nearly halfway there, and they never stopped moving forward. When they arrived at the castle, they set the sedan down in the front courtyard and helped Malisia out.

Meanwhile, Eleazar stood talking to Duke Perovskia in the front hall. There was no way Malisia could go inside without him noticing.
 
Malisia was still rather shaken by the experience, she held the feather tightly in her hand, admiring the soft pattern of dark colors that traveled along its different extensions. Truth be told, the animal they faced was beautiful, like an eagle, yet, so much more regal in its appearance that one may lose all the breath in their lungs in its presence, hwoever she could not forget how dangerous it had been, she had been too careless?

Not really. People in Valeskiar often lost limbs when attempting to get a feather from the animal, even in less dangerous times of the year, and without a group of guards behind them to take care of the situation.


It was said that the animal could sense greed, and it dispised it greatly. Its feathers were valuable, and it would not stand for any sort of attempt at profitting from its nest, or even its discarded feathers. Malisia didn't believe all that, but it had to be true at least partially. It had all the reasons to harm them, and the means to do so, it landed, it watched them- Yet it did them no harm. She supposed it sensed that her intentions were not to get glory but herself, but rather to make someone else happy... She nearly smiled at the thought, ridiculous, that couldn't be true.

Once they made her way back to the castle, she made sure to thank each of them with a firm handshake... As firm a human could give to an Oni of course, and apologized many, many times. The princess would make sure the Duke would reward them properly, after al, they defended the princess of Cravonid bravely, putting their lives at risk for her, never before had she experienced anything similar, and she grateful, deeply grateful.


Malisia invited them to come along inside with her, so that she could thank them before the Duke, but as soon as she crossed those doors, holding the large feather in hand, she saw Eleazar, her eyes widening in worry behind her now incredibly scratched glasses. Her dress was torn from several parts, and dirty, as well as her hair being a mess from the quick work the Oni did to protect her and take her away from danger, in general, she looked as if she'd tumbled down a hill.

A shaky breath escaped her lips as she gathered the strength to face Eleazar, not having a single clue of what he'd say, she expected to be clean and ready to speak to him before she saw him again.

She took the feather, and held it behind her back, hoping he'd not ask about her appearance, or say anything as she moved quickly and tried to stay as far as possible, in an attempt to walk past them. She tilted her head down, a light bow to greet the king and the duke.

"G-Good evening my Lord- Sir Perovskia, good evening to you too, I wish to speak to you in a few minutes if possible-" She gritted her teeth, begging under her breath that Eleazar would not stop her.
 
The Oni tried to say no at first, but she was the princess, and since they had no direct reason to deny her, they had to obey. They trailed along behind her sheepishly, wanting very much to be anywhere but here. They stood awkwardly behind the princess as she addressed the king and the duke, unsure of what to do next.

King Eleazar turned toward Malisia, his mouth framing a question as he did so. The question hung forgotten as his usually impassive expression shattered into one of confused shock. It took him a moment to come to his senses enough to ask, "What on earth happened to you? Are you injured anywhere?"

Duke Perovskia smiled proudly at her. She'd returned alive and right on time!
 
CURSES. He noticed, of course he noticed, she was foolish to think he'd not notice.

She stopped in her tracks, gritting her teeth further, enough to feel as if they'd shatter if she dared press them any further. She unclenched her jaw, as she realized she truly had no way of escaping this situation.

Malisia took a deep breath, in an attempt of relaxing her muscles.


"N-No my Lord, I am not harmed... I will go wash myself and meet you in our chambers, yes? No need to worry."


The priness tried her best to avoid more questions, but given his expression and reaction to her current appearance, she doubted that he would let her go so easily. She gave a look of worry to the Duke, as if hoping he'd help her get out of this problem, but she was starting to suspect that there was no force in this planet that would stop the king from interrogating her at this point.
 
Eleazar's dark features darkened even more as he crossed his arms. "You look like a refugee who has crawled here on their hands and knees but with the guilty expression of a child just returned from a forbidden exploration. You are certainly allowed your secrets, but this is..." Words failed him as he looked her up and down again, caught between worry and bafflement.

The Duke avoided her gaze, knowing that if the king thought he had anything to do with this, he would be getting a good deal more than just a confused interrogation. After all, the Duke had not only knowingly the Princess to go into a very dangerous situation, he'd also provided the means to get there. Arranged and loveless marraige or not, the King would not be happy about the Duke's involvement.
 
The princess sighed, realizing there truly was nothing to do here, she couldn't lie, but she couldn't put everyone at risk of the king's anger, so she simply lowered her head in shame, and thought of what do to do, not taking more than a couple seconds to do so.

"I am- Sorry... There is no point of keeping this secret." She gently held out her hands, the feather gently placed atop of them, presenting it as if it was a blade.


"I wanted to retrieve something for you- A Roc's feather. I had been tracking one's path, and noticed it wasn't far from the city's outskirts.. I only asked these kind warriors to take me close to the cliffs, but they insisted in protecting me. No one was harmed- Beyond our hearts pumping faster than usual. We respected the bird's territory and it left us alone, it was scary surely but, truly, believe me my Lord, no one was harmed- The dirt and cuts on my dress are from the dirt and rocks from the terrain..."

She smiled sheepishly, trying to make the mood lighter, but failing as her worry overtook her.

"Y-You mentioned crawling and- Yes, I was indeed crawling. But we were never in danger- Rocs are... Rocs are incredibly smart and are sacred in Valeskiar, we adore them greatly and bringing one of their feathers to one's love is done as a way of proving loyalty and devotion..."


Malisia realized how insane she was sounding, how foolish it was that she'd done this, so she was quick to defend the Oni that came with her, not mentioning the Duke in fear that he would also be in trouble.


"Do not- Be angry at these three, they couldn't have said no to my actions- They only did what I told at all times, only disobeying when I asked them not to protect me, they were brave... But it was my idea, my- Mistake to think it would be a good idea to leave without telling you..."



She didn't dare look into Eleazar's eyes, given his reactions to what she'd done previously, she could only guess he was absolutely furious at her now, perhaps this time she would actually be sent away, so she just braced herself for whatever he could say next.
 
He didn't know where to begin. The feather? The three Oni soldiers? The fact that she'd put herself in danger? The fact that she hadn't looked for any kind of permission before doing something she wanted to do? The fact that she'd seized her moment? He stood and stared for a long time, not taking the feather, his eyes on her torn dress.

"You should clean up," he said at last. "A physician should see to those knees in case you are injured more than you realize." He held out a hand not to take hers but to guide her along, taking care not to actually touch her.

He paused and frowned at the three Oni, who stood stiff and professional, their eyes careful not to meet his. "These three protected you. That is good, although I have to wonder," his eyes strayed toward the Duke, "how it is you came to be out with the lowest ranking soldiers this castle had to offer."

"The lowest-ranking soldiers are usually the ones with the most time on their hands, and even those are well-trained to protect, Your Majesty," the Duke replied with a slight bow.

Eleazar grunted and turned away. "See to it they are well rewarded for bringing the Princess back in one piece."

He ushered Malisia along in silence for a while before asking, "Why did you go to fetch a roc feather?" His voice was quiet and neutral.
 
Malisia look understandably defeated, she was not so happy with her own actions now. She had nearly gotten four innocent people in trouble, and she was defintely in trouble herself now.

The princess walked behind him, with her had lowered in submission, aware that she had done something that had upset him.


"Your majesty I'm... Very sorry." She begun, as if attempting to ease any anger he may have had during this time before, actually replying his question.

"I learned that you were interested in the bird... You mentioned it, back when we were opening the first set of gifts, and saw the statue... I didn't mean to set myself in danger- But the feather of a rock, is sacred. The old traditions of the nomads that settled in Valeskiar state the value of them. Not as in item of jewelry or luxury... For wedddings, the husband often went out to the cliffs that the bird calls home to get a feather and show proof of their, bravery- But specially, their devotion and eternal loyalty to their partner. Of course the tradition got twisted over time but... I wanted- I wanted to bring you this... I thought about it, and I was reminded of its meaning, I hoped you'd- Open up to me if I did this..."


She sighed, stopping in her tracks for a moment, as if out of words, or even the will to walk, but she forced herself not to cry, not to spill a single tear, as much as her burned from holding them back. She couldn't bring herself to cry in front of Eleazar.


"I am sorry- I should've not dared to escape without your permission- Please, do not hold it against me..."
 
"When you have finished apologizing for an offense I have not even laid before you," Eleazar said, his wings rustling briefly in annoyance. "What are you talking about with 'escaping without permission?' You might have some restrictions laid upon you as you are still a foreigner, but you are not a prisoner."

They'd reached their rooms - fewer in number but far larger in size than the ones they'd experienced thus far - and he guided her to sit on couch. No one else was around. Of course they weren't. They were needed, and thus they vanished. Always the case. Eleazar knelt down and pushed the torn skirt aside so he could assess her legs for himself.

"We do not hold the roc in any particular sacred regard here. At least, most of us don't. I hold it in great regard, but I do not think it is special in that way. It is a predator deserving of respect, and as such we leave it alone unless there is no other choice. One thing anyone who lives anywhere near a roc's territory does know is that rocs sleep hard at night. They might as well be feathered stones. If you had discussed this adventure with anyone around here, they would have advised you to time your trip for a nightly adventure rather than risking your life for a feather."

Eleazar looked up from her knees and caught her gaze. "I am not someone worth risking your life for," he said firmly. "Very few people are, and I am not one of them." He rose to his feet. "I see no real damage. It is all surface level. Are you certain you are not injured anywhere else?"
 
She was not foolish of course she knew that Rocs were not active at night... That was the whole point of going in broad daylight, but she didn't try to correct him or complain.

Of course, she wasn't hurt either, mere scratches and dust from the dirt.

Malisia's lips pursed a bit as she struggled to come up with any sort of answer, mostly distracted by her shame and the clear awkwardness about his proximity.

"Injured pride perhaps..." She muttered, catching herself as she spoke out loud, causing a slight redness to appear around her face in shame.


The princess took a deep breath, she was surprised, that he'd not taken this as a greater offense, so far he only seemed worried about her injuries, which made her feel, slightly better, not that she felt that good at all.

"My Lord- It will sound bold, perhaps even disrespectful but... I do not agree." She decided to clarify. "I do not agree you're not- Worth risking my life for."

She understood that she sounded like a maniac, they'd been together for little over a week, and he'd been anything but warm and loveable to her, yet, she still, truly apreciated him. She let a lot of silence in between her last words and the next, thinking, biting her lip as if the sting of her teeth would bring any sort of clarity to her mind.

"I would do it again- If it meant anything to you. I spoke of it after our wedding... I do not want to live, like this, and I am not talking of the trips or the castles or anything of the like- Those are okay, they are fine, and so far I'm, deeply happy to live in Cravonid. But I don't want to keep pretending that I don't-" She stopped, considering her words carefully, but in the end she spat them out. "I don't want to keep pretending as if I am not hurt whenever you hide away from me..."


A sigh escaped her, she didn't mean to sound accusatory, but it was too late for that.


"I thought that doing this would bring me at least a little closer to you... And I understand, truly, I do know I am just- A product. You are not obligated to feel anything for someone who was given to you to seal a deal to feed your people. However I just wanted you to know, I did this to please you. Perhaps I... Overestimated the value of my actions-"


There was a pang of guilt in her words despite him telling her that she was not in trouble, she was being honest about it yet, how could she explain what she felt to someone who did not reciprocate.


"I am sorry.... I spoke more than needed again."
 
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