The Princess and the Blade

[Emora Deen]

Tenara forced a smile. “Lucky for me, I care very little what your court thinks.” She sighed and pushed the plate of food away. “This was a mistake. I think me and mine will take our leave of you. I appreciate the hospitality and the use of your healer.” Tenara rose from her chair.

[Soran Nightblade]

Cera tapped one black-pointed nail on the table, and the two guards at the door stepped into Tenara's way.

"You will leave my domain when I permit you to," Cera said blandly, raising her cup to her lips. "Unless you mean to cause another scene here like the one you caused in Kishva's estate." She nodded to the guards. "Take their weapons." One of the guards put her hand out sternly for Tenara's sword, while the other approached Laurius.

[Emora Deen]

“Tenara…” Laurius said through his teeth, taking a step back from the woman approaching him.

“If you touch me I will burn your hand to the bone,” Tenara warned the guards, red light blooming in her eyes.

The magic came easy and quick, and dizzyingly strong. It wasn’t hard. Tenara’s emotions were total chaos—oscillating between rage and fear. But, power drew energy, and like her kingly father, it drew a lot. She hadn’t eaten or slept nearly enough in days, and the rush of it made her dizzy enough to sway on her feet and warp her vision. She held her ground, though, and gripped Havi’s sword.

[Soran Nightblade]

"That's it. The skill I told you about. She used it in my compound," Kishva rushed.

"Open them," she ordered the guards.

Both guards pulled a metal broach from around the neck and opened it like a locket. Havi and Ren both doubled over at the same time. There was no physical blast, but it felt like lightning had just gone off inside their heads. The sword and dagger both crackled, and the links to their holders went eerily silent. Havi clenched a hand to his chest, struggling not to fall out of his seat. Ren bowed forward, pressing his forehead to the table to try to quiet the sensation.

"Hm... That wasn't how I expected them to work, but I suppose it's still a plus," Cera murmured. "The sorcerer told me it would counter any spell or enchantment." She peered at Tenara curiously.

"Ok, but will it stop HER?" Kishva demanded, gripping the chair beside her as if to use it as a shield.

"That is the idea," Cera mused, watching the Ivie's reactions with confusion. "Has she passed the effect to them somehow?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenara’s eyes widened when she saw how the lockets affected Ren and Havitharon. Then, she heard the faint crackle of wrongness coming from the sword at her hip and felt the mental link between her and Havitharon fizzle out.

The light in her eyes flared and she nodded her head back toward the two guards. An invisible force struck them hard enough to send them back into the doors behind them. But the exertion of magic sucked Tenara’s strength with it and she crumpled, landing hard on her hands and knees.

No, no, no… Tenara lifted her head, and struggled to stand.

Laurius grabbed Ren and dragged him out of the chair. Then, he reached down and tried to pull the princess to her feet. “Come on, Tenara. Up.”

Tenara heaved air, panic moving just as fast as the dark edges creeping over her vision. She focused on the door and curled her hand into a fist, pulling it towards her. The doors opened inward just enough for a body to slip through, and Tenara collapsed against the cold floor.

“Fuck,” Laurius hissed, but didn’t waste the opportunity. He grabbed Ren by the collar and dragged him toward the door.

[Soran Nightblade]

Ren stumbled where Laurius dragged him. He caught a blurry glimpse of Kishva as they moved, and panic tore through him. That was a smile she only wore when she was about to punish someone.

Then the guards were there, more than before, and muscling them to the ground. It took little to bring Ren down. He was vaguely aware of strong hands pulling his arms behind him and pinning him, and the others being treated similarly.

Cera clucked her teeth at the display. "Shit. She really has Bound them. And powerfully, if they suffer this much when she's attacked. If we continue, it might kill the Ivie."

"Would that be so bad?" Kishva snickered.

"Watch yourself, Kishva. This is my estate, and unlike your little thrown-out toy over there, my brother is extremely valuable." She barked to her guards. "Secure them first, then put the wards away. Quickly, before it does permanent damage."

[Emora Deen]

Laurius thrashed against the hold the guards had on him, throwing every Ighten curse he could remember.

“Tenara! Now would be a good time to fucking tear the mountain down!”

But Tenara was limp where she lay on the floor, not even rousing to fight for the sword at her hip as they pulled it away.

“Havitharon!” Laurius snarled. “Do something!”

When they brought Laurius to his feet, one of them reached for the dagger and he kicked his feet out, striking them hard in the chest.

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi's temper snapped when he saw Tenara collapse. Hands were holding him back, but he pulled toward his Yurivis. A sharp strike with his elbow easily snapped one of the hands that pulled at him, female or not. He reached Tenele and kicked the guard trying to secure her dead center in the chest. Then he dropped to his knees, covering her with his body even while more hands wrenched his arms behind his back. "Don't touch her," he snarled, the gold of his eyes flashing with power.

Cera sighed and crossed her arms. "I offered you dozens of qualified matches, and you refused your nature. Now you finally feel like being a proper Ivis with this stranger?" she scolded.

"Yes."

She strolled up and knelt elegantly in front of her brother while he used his body to shield her. Havi stared up at her, looking abnormally pale and sweating. "Fine, dear brother. She can have you. AFTER she fulfills the challenge.

"Cera, it's already DONE-"

"She can fulfill the challenge, or I'll unbind you, one way or another," she snapped. With a wave of her hand, she commanded the guards to take them. "My brother goes to his quarters. He is to be guarded. The other three go to the lock-room. Let her little harem carry her. Remove the bind when they're secure."

"Cera!" Havi shouted, but his head kept spinning.

"Cera, this hardly seems fair. Arty is rightfully mine. There is no reason for him to go with her."

"Patience, my greedy friend. All will soon be sorted. As you can see, the precious Ivie are in no state to make such decisions." Havi's eyes were unfocused as they glared at her, glowing with protective ferocity. "We must do this the right way. Removing a bond like this carelessly can cause permanent damage."

[Emora Deen]

Laurius settled when something struck his head. He swayed on his feet, felt warmth on his brow.

“Carry her,” someone ordered, and Ren didn’t look like he was any shape to do it.

When they released him, his hands bound in front of him, he thought of going for the dagger… But he was outnumbered.

He gritted his teeth and stooped, worming his arms under her body. Laurius paused to meet Havitharon’s eyes. He said nothing, but the promise to watch over her was written in his green eyes.

Tenara was light, but awkward to carry with bound hands and he almost dropped her once he stood. The way to the lock room was a blur. Laurius kept running scenarios in his head, calculating if he could get the bonds free, and how many guards he could take out before they took him down. But without Tenara being awake, it was useless. They could only wait for her to wake and hope when she did she could focus enough to get them free.

Then, there was the matter of not knowing where the sword and dagger had been taken, or how to escape from this compound, or how to get back to their world. They were fucked, but Laurius didn’t have the same haunted feeling as when Arken had sat at his table and set his home on fire. Maybe because he knew their depravity… and what to expect, so the dread was justified. He knew nothing of these people, and perhaps that was the most dangerous thing of all.

[Soran Nightblade]

Havi stayed back with the guard as he watched the others be dragged away. With his towering height and reflexive grip squeezing the life out of the guard's forearm, it looked more like Havitharon was in charge of delivering these people to their quarters than the other way around.

"This is petty, even for you," he growled at his sister.

"Is it? We had an agreement." The tone of her words seemed to drive the temperature of the room even colder.

He felt a tremble start up the arm of his guard and released her with a hiss. "Marquis Ruthe," the guard attempted, but he swept around her before she could attempt to coax him calm. "I will play your game this last time. But if anyone harms her or the others while they reside here, all bets are off. I'll go on a rampage so sordid, it will rot our reputation from the inside out and then fester in its corpse."

He waited to see the fear starting in his sister's eyes before turning for his quarters, dragging his escorts with him like damaged suitcases.

_____

Ren struggled to walk straight as they moved. He should be helping Laurius. He should be helping Tenara. His body felt so strange, like he'd dived into water without taking a proper breath first and was gradually losing air. He tried to get a better look at the broach the guard was holding, which apparently disrupted enchantments. Disrupted him. After all, what was he if not an enchanted knife? If his soul lacked a focus for long enough, would it fade away? If he ran out of air completely, would his soul just sink into the depthlessness of the sea?

They finally approached a large door, and the guards were taking so long with the complicated lock mechanism that Ren grew frustrated and stepped in to do it himself. The sooner they locked them up, the sooner they'd put those wards away and he could surface for air.

[Emora Deen]

Laurius did not like the look of the lock. It was... complicated in a way he didn't recognize and was unlikely to be able to figure out how to crack. Then, Ren slipped up and seemed to understand it, even if he was shaking and half-focused. He looked as dazed as Tenara had right before she collapsed onto the floor. He frowned down at the woman.

He had witnessed enough of her magic in their experiments to know it took a lot of energy. The bruising on her face was gone thanks to Toothsbane, but it hadn't restored what had been lost beneath the skin. How badly had they been treated? Had they been fed? If they had, did she eat? Knowing her, she likely had tried to avoid anything the poison master had given her. So she was starving. Great.

"Will they bring us food and water?" Laurius asked Ren as they slipped inside the room.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Yes," Ren mumbled. The accommodations are unconventional, but since the Marquess has acknowledged Tenara as a suitor, she and her harem will be treated as honored guests until after the Challenge." When they were fully in the room, he confirmed the point by turning to the guards. "Our Yurivis is unwell. Please bring her an EDIBLE meal."

Neither guard showed much reaction to the reminder of nearly poisoning their guest. Shame was a difficult emotion to wear in a court like this, if you wanted to stay on top of the food chain. "We will see to it," one of them agreed, and stepped outside the door to confer with the house staff.

The lock room wasn't glamorous, but it wasn't a prison either. It was a multipurpose room, as useful for protecting a person of interest as it was for keeping one trapped. There was a long couch and a table with enough chairs for a card game. A secretary desk just big enough to pen a letter. Ren did his best to help Laurius guide Tenara down on the couch. When she was settled, he sank back on his butt on the floor, too shaky to stay up.

"Do you... consider us secure now?" he managed to their guards.

The women looked at Tenara, and then at each other. "When your food arrives, we will secure the room and remain outside the door. Then we will lower the wards."

Ren nodded, or thought he did. He would just have to bear with it. What else could he even say without giving away too much about them, or about Tenara?

[Emora Deen]

Laurius frowned and did as Ren did, sitting on his butt with his back to the couch. He held up his hands. He could tell that whatever wards they were using were making him sick, and if they continued to use them…

“We’re good. We won’t put up a fight,” but the words came out of his mouth in another world’s tongue. He didn’t speak their language even if the translation spell seemed to allow him to understand it still. How had Tenara learned their tongue? Had Havitharon taught her? How did she speak it so fluently, like it was her language all along.

“Can you translate that we promise to be good and not move, that it is safe to put the wards away? Our… Yuviris is obviously ill, and too weak to open her eyes. It’s safe.”

[Soran Nightblade]

Ren's eyes rolled up to the guard that had stayed behind, and carefully translated Laurius's message in the strange, lilting tones of their language.

The female said something in return that didn't seem to surprise Ren. He tilted his head back against the side of the couch and tried not to be sick. He couldn't sense the knife at all. His soul felt like a jar of worms that had been poured out on the ground and were slowly spreading, undulating apart.

"She says we will receive food shortly," he spoke quietly to Laurius. "The Marquess is requiring Tenara to stick to Thvoros's arrangement for breeding rights. The princess will have to pick one of us to go against him in a duel, if she means to keep him."

[Emora Deen]

Laurius pursed his lips and turned his eyes down to the floor. He didn’t know what the arrangement was, exactly, but he knew what a duel meant. Someone was going to fight Havitharon, and the outcome would decide whether or not Tenara got to be with him.

“Would he throw the fight?” Laurius asked, rubbing the sore place on his head he hadn’t realized had been struck. “I’m not much of a combat fighter and you’re terrified of the guy… I mean that with love.”

Laurius blinked at the word. Love.

“I mean,” Laurius stammered. “If he wants to be with her, we have to win and…”