Chapter 1: Sword Dance
The city was bustling with activity as usual and the smell of the fresh cooked and baked goods filled the air, one might expect the smell of something akin to sulfur as it is a a city built into the mountain with magma rivers and lakes. The main magma flow went straight through the middle of the streets providing generous light but the grate built over it was enchanted with various magics to block the vast majority of the heat so that people did not simply cook as they walked the city streets as that would likely be bad for business and quite the tragedy. The street went nearly farther than the eye could see and followed the mountain range all the way across the continent while the homes were built into the stone of the walls as you really didn't wood to be catching fire from any accidents. If you listened closely above the general chatter of the public you could hear the forges and the ring of hammer on anvil as they work day and night to keep up production of everything from simple blades and farm tools to the most elegant and beautiful jewelry with optional magical enchantment but that was well out of most peoples price range. It may seem like the city would turn into an oven but the dwarves did not mess around when it comes to their architecture and the ceiling had various vents that lead straight up to the surface of the mountain that were disguised as large thick trees as the last thing you want is any kind of hostile force sliding down into the middle of the city. Air flow was a little more difficult however but they thought of that too and the chimneys or 'trees' were pierced with smaller holes up the trunk that curved down and sent the cold mountain winds into the city.
Far above the street there were a number of alcoves carved into the walls so that the builders could rest but that was a very long time ago and now it was occupied by a far lazier person, princess Grezelda. She was supposed to be on duty but instead she sat against the back wall fast asleep in her dark chainmail. The sounds of the city and scents from the food court had lulled her to sleep though she wasn't exactly one to expend unnecessary energy patroling like the rest of the guards. It didn't take all that long for King Athren to show up and sigh in disappointment , he knew Grez was quite lazy but this was getting ridiculous. He picked up her sword she had leaned against the wall and dropped it with a loud clatter of metal on stone and Grez shot up alert and mostly ready. 'Oh it's just you father, I thought something serious was going on.' He looked at her and he couldn't help but be annoyed so much that it must have shown on his face as Grez immediately started looking guilty.
"I'm sorry alright? This patrolling nonsense is just mind numbing and nothing ever happens here, nobody is stupid enough to do anything illegal." She was trying to be as convincing as possible but clearly failing terribly, the king simply looked over and pondered for a bit. They were standing in the road with four royal guard standing by like they were in a box as you can't ever be too careful anywhere. "It does not matter Grezelda, you are assigned to do a patrol and so you need to do it whether you like it or not. If every guard just upped and went to hide somewhere to nap then we'd not get any kind of protection and the city would inevitably descend into chaos." Lord athren told her sternly and his gaze was nearly enough to burn a hole right through the city walls. Grez looked somberly up the street and casually gazed at the various people walking by and giving their group a wide berth as the royal guard were known to be a little over zealous to protect their beloved king. She walked over and sat down on a stone bench outside a home and the king sat down next to her then sighed, he was getting too old for this nonsense. He leaned against her touching shoulders and she gently leaned back as the guards proceeded to move into a better position to guard but also to let them have a view and a bit of privacy for their conversation. "Why must you be so damned stubborn these days? You can be the best spellblade in this land if you would just stop being silly and keep up with your practice." He told her trying to be as motivating as possible but he knew it was likely to be in vain.
Grez rested her head on his shoulder and looked out on the city. "I won't ever get to be in line for the throne will i?" She asked sadly though she tried to sound neutral about it. "I'm sorry my dear but no, I wish you could but you know your mother and the people are not likely to take a liking someone of your...." His voice trailed off but she knew full well what he had meant by his words. "Deformed? Disfigured? Screwed up? Malformed?" She asked unintentionally adding frustration to her tone. "No not at all, you are unique and special. You Have an incredible ability to sword fight and cast various magics. You don't need all that royal business weighing you down, you will be greater than that and be able to do what needs to be done without the hurdle of politics holding you back. And I love you grez so I want you to be able to succeed."
Grez couldn't help start chuckling at his words, she was able to calm down after a few moments and looked down at herself. It's true she was far different than others as she had four arms and her feet were claws like that of a dragon and she had scales black as night that went up to her ankles. "What did go wrong when mother was pregnant with me? Surely it's not just bad luck right?" She inquired though she didn't expect he actually had any real answers. "Grez a very long time ago there were two very different types of demon, one was like me and the majority of the people whole the others were more creature like and violent as back then our god was constantly waging a hopeless war against the holy ones and always tinkering with our form trying to make one optimal. And you know what happened after all that so It's likely something just went weird while your mother was pregnant." They stayed sitting there for awhile while she let it all process in her mind, Dema would probably be happier in her role as a major princess and Grez expected that she would never cut it as a warrior since she was too worried about how she looked and stressed about staying in the public's good graces. "Come on Grez, you got that sword dance coming do you not? It'll be a perfect chance for you to win over the people or at least prove you're not the lazy guard everyone thinks you are." He said as he bumped her to get up. "And if I don't care to do any of that fancy event crap? I'm not exactly all that concerned with what the people think of me these days." She replied as she sat up and stretched. The king stood and stretched too, he was getting old yet unlike humans he was not going to be feeble and useless even after a life of more than he could count. "Do this and I'll talk to the captain about sending you outside the city on a patrol across our lands." He told her and as expected she sat up straight and he could feel her excitement. She was going to say something but he was off with his guards back towards the palace.
Grez's mind had been buzzing all week, could she actually get a real patrol across the country? She'd been dying to do so but the captain as far as she could tell was a complete cunt, he seemed to just not care and discriminate just like everyone else she ran when she was trying to get anything done. The frustration from it often got her in trouble when she mouthed off to very nearly anyone regardless of rank or status which would get her the reputation of a snobby royal girl who was simply spoiled and not taught proper life lessons. What they didn't know though was that her mother secretly hated her, Queen Annalise was by all appearances they were the most beautiful woman alive or at least according to the ones that were not familiar with her aggressive side. Father seemed to prefer Grez but he was far better at staying loyal to both daughters and not picking favorites though Grez felt that he did indeed prefer her because she reminded him of his old days when he was a force of destruction on the battlefield. Enough daydreaming she thought to herself, there was no time for that and she had to get dressed up all nice and pretty so they wouldn't toss her out of this dance even though she absolutely hated the idea of dressing nice, armor was her preferred attire as it was far more functional than a short dress for ceremonial nonsense. She unpacked the dress from her armoire, it was a fancy dark red and black and came down to her knees. There was some lace under the main part that made it look more useless and pretty. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed in disappointment, this was the last time she was going to ever wear a dress.
There was a knock on her door and Demara came in and after seeing Grez dressed up she had a smile that could have lit up the darkest pit. "You look so nice! I told you that a dress would really enhance your appearance." she said as she closed the door and skipped on over though her dress was far more elegant and fit for a queen. Dema twirled around and her deep red dress flew up for a brief second showing off her painful looking heels then she adjusted what the seamstress called a halter top though it meant nothing to grez. "We are going to look great tonight little sister so try not to look so miserable." She said as she walked around grez taking it all in. Of course Grez was not thrilled in the slightest but maybe even regretting agreeing to this awful dance party or whatever it was. "Lord alaric will be here for it and I'm sure he's interested in a dance." Dema whispered into her ear and immediately she perked up at such news though it had been some number of years, he would likely be at least 26 by now and she had not seen him since she was 13 thought technically demon have been bred to reach maturity by the age of 16 so that they can be fully ready for the war hundreds of years ago. She pondered to herself if someone like him would actually be interested in her even if she was only 18 and according to human standards just barely an adult. "Oooooo got that brain working overtime huh? Try not to burn it out since you don't seem to use it much." She teased grez as she put her arms over her shoulders from behind. "Fine Dema, I'm ready to get going." Grez replied defeated and Dema squealed with delight and ran to the door more excited than that time mother had gifted her with her own princess tiara.
The ballroom was getting crowded with so many people and they all looked amazing in their fanciest attire. The king and Queen sat at a long table at the end of the hall and they watched the guests sample the food and drink and the musicians got set up for the evening. Dema practically dragged Grez over to their parents and showed Grez off like she was a prize, mother even looked impressed but didn't say anything as Grez sat next to father while Dema sat next to mother with the king and queen between them. They sat and watched without saying anything for a while until the king broke the silence. "You look beautiful Grez, don't try to hide it behind a goblet." He told her as she was attempting to hide the rather uncomfortable amount of skin she was showing from her neck to her chest. She intended to make a snarky remark but a group strolled in, they were old looking men and women each with a staff with a different stone atop it. The headmasters of the school of magic and elements, they came up to the table and bowed deeply while saying their greetings and warmest wishes for the family and took their seat at a table for them just off to the right. Then a very intimidating lord strolled in, he was older for sure but built like an orc with muscle and height at roughly six feet and twelve inches. He came up to the table and King Athren stood and shook High King Valdis' hand, "It's been ages Athren, you look like you went through a second world scouring." He chuckled as he stepped back. "Kids do that to you especially when one of them is hell bent on doing as litle as possible." He told him gesturing gently to Grez. The High king greeted the rest and headed off to the next table on the left and was chuckling his way across the room and enjoying a large stein of ale.
Then the moment Grez had been dreading arrived, Prince Alaric Kulter stepped into the ballroom with his noble entourage. The moment Grez saw him she very nearly swooned on the spot while Dema was peeking around the queen with the most eager and happy grin you could ever imagine. Unfortunately for Grez the prince came striding over and she got a better look at his dark blue tailcoat that went down to his knees and it was embroidered with the other color of their house which was a stone grey color. To Grez's dismay he came up to her first and as customary she held out her right hand and he gently took it then a gentle kiss, "You look amazing tonight princess." He spoke softly and with a genuine smile. He moved on to greet the king as Grez felt herself feeling faint, she may have to excuse herself lest she actually swoon this time course her father would never let her leave during such an important event even though it happened every year. Prince Alaric sat down with the high king and they seemed to get along and were quite jovial together while something within Grez ached, it was a feeling she hated. She had tried her hardest to be a soldier and allow her feelings to be put aside yet she still felt an incredible longing for the prince even though she knew that it could never work with her deformities. The king noticed her mood had soured and he began to worry about her, she was not often this down looking.
"Are you alright Grez? You look like you just saw your favorite pet die." He asked as he bumped her shoulder with his and she glanced at the prince laughing and enjoying his evening. The king had noticed this too and he understood immediately but there was little he could do, in that moment he wished for nothing more than for his daughter to have a chance at living the dream she had rolling around in her head and that she too could be a princess yet the reality was unkind. "It's alright Grez, there are still many out there that will love you for who you are rather than what you appear to be." He gently told her and put an arm around her so she might feel some modicum of comfort. The party went on and actors danced around performing great feats of agility and skill while always remaining on their feet despite the many jumps and flips. After the excitement everyone clapped and cheered them on and then the slower music began. It was a calm and romantic sounding waltz so that the guests could dance slowly and gently for their chosen partner. Grez staring down at the table while her mind was wandering off to far away lands where she could live a normal life and happily maintain a farm or maybe a small home on a cliff overlooking a beach but no matter how much she told herself that this could be real a lie will remain a lie and she was burdened with the duties of a soldier. "May I have this dance, my princess?" A very familiar voice asked and Grez hadn't bothered looking up as there was always someone trying to make her sister swoon but she was tough with her emotions and refused to be taken by any man she didn't deem worthy. She simply moved her eyes up to the edge of the table without moving her head and she saw the prince kneeling down at the edge of the table resting his head on his arms patiently smiling. It took a moment for the shock to register with Grez as she realized he had been asking her to dance and not her sister. She almost fell out of her chair but the guards were ever vigilant and caught her and her chair without a thought. As quick as they had come they righted her chair and were gone again to their post, her heart pounding like an earthquake she noticed Alaric looked ready to leap over the table to grab her. On the other side however Dema had her head down on her arms on the table and judging by the way the table gently shook she was on the verge of laughing herself into an early grave. "May I have this dance princess?" He asked again and held out his hand. Grez was clearly shaking and even a bit anxious but she took his hand and stood up. He led her around the table and to the dance floor where couples moved and swayed in perfect rhythm, she put her upper left hand on his shoulder and held his left hand while he put his right hand on her left shoulder blade. She looked down at her other two arms embarrassed and was slightly wringing her hands. "I'm sorry that I have never done this." She said gently and even a little sadly. He simply chuckled and without hesitation placed her lower hands on his waist then got back into position. "It's alright, we are all new to something." He reassured her then gently he led on with the dance and Grez had found that it was not as difficult as she had expected, it was not too different than learning to fight as you just had to learn to move and go with the flow.
For the first time all night Grez was enjoying herself and smiling as they danced to each song. But then the slow music began and the other couples moved intimately close which then hit Grez with even more anxiety. Without missing a beat he moved closer and put his hand on her waist which sent shivers up her spine. She put her arms around his neck and rested gently on his shoulders, he smiled warmly and assured her that it was fine that her lower arms stayed where they were. Her heart was fluttering and very nearly in her throat as they gently swayed and moved with the calm beat of the music. "You adapt pretty well to dancing I noticed." He whispered so only she could hear yet Dema was watching with her eyes as wide as the moon itself. "I-I uh learned to adapt to any situation training with the soldiers." She replied rather nervously and anxiously. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable so he simply smiled and continued their calm and intimate dance. She didn't realize that she was gently resting her head on his as for the first time she felt safe and let her guard down. She was terribly glad she had been filing her horns down or they really would have gotten in the way let alone made her look like an evil creature. He directed them to be more in the crowd hidden from her sister and family then with his right hand he moved her hair back behind her ear and gently kissed her. Grez felt a shiver run up her back again and he moved his head back so she could feel comfortable again. "Can we try that again?" She spoke very softly and was almost too low to hear but he didn't miss a word and he gently put his hands on cheeks then slowly kissed her properly this time.
The prince moved his head back and looked into her eyes as he resumed the dancing position so they wouldn't be too obvious. The song ended and he walked her back to her seat, he bowed courteously and she sat down unable to think of anything to say. "Thank you for the dance my princess." He smiled bowed once more then went back to his seat while Grez was on an entirely different plane of existence until her fathers voice broke her out of her daydream. "You dance pretty well and from what I have seen of prince Alaric you clearly kiss well too." He couldn't help chuckle at the last few words while Grez turned to him in shock and apparent embarrassment. She didn't have any words as she was still trying to process everything that had happened. "Don't worry, your mother and sister have no idea and it's better that it stays that way hmmm?" He whispered gently as he put a hand on her shoulder. This simple gesture calmed her down and allowed her to feel like she may yet be able to find words to say. "Thank you father, I didn't realize what I was doing at first." She managed to say as her cheeks turned a darker red. He simply nodded understandably and nudged her with a finger to her temple. "If you would like you can skip the blade dance, I understand if you are feeling too many emotions." She looked up at him confused as it was his idea that she take part in this event. "Don't worry about it, I'll cover for you if anyone asks. Go get some air and I'll see you in the morning." She got up trying to not seem unusual and smiled at her father then quietly snuck away behind the crowd as they were introducing their blade dancers.
Grez found herself outside the city on the great wall that circled the entrance into the mountain city. She was leaning on the buttress of the wall breathing the cool night air and looking out at the stars of the night. The guards moved passed without a word and simply continued their patrols. The wall was at least 5 feet wide so a few soldiers could walk side by side but one stopped and leaned on the wall next to her. "It's a beautiful night for a walk huh?" Prince Alaric chimed in as he relaxed in the cold. She wasn't surprised but still he did make her a bit anxious. "You aren't going to stay and watch the dance?" She asked as it was the main reason he had come here. He simply moved a bit closer to her and his shoulder touched hers. "Nah, I didn't really have a choice but I'm glad I did as then I'd not have seen you again." He smugly replied and she couldn't help but smile while trying to hide it by looking down toward the plains. "Isn't this moving a bit fast? I mean we barely even know each other and I haven't seen you in years." She asked inquisitively though she wasn't sure she wanted to hear as it could have been a real downer of an answer. "I apologize Grez, I just thought you were the most beautiful lady in the room and i was interested in getting to know you." She giggled at the thought of her out shining her sister and she found it quite entertaining. They spent a few more hours talking, getting to know each other and sharing silly stories about their training days, the days of having to deal with very boring politics then having those formal dinners with less than appealing lords and ladies. Before Grez knew it she was laughing and sharing things she never expected, she felt like she could be herself if not safe. Alaric took her hand and led her back into the city, she felt as though she was floating on a cloud as they walked through the city.
The sound of doors opening and closing woke Grez up and she found herself in her room far too comfortable. She waved her hand and the fireplace started up with her magic lighting up the room. "Morning princess." A voice chimed in and grez jumped in surprise. Prince Alaric was comfortably lying on his chest and turned around to lay on his back to look at her easier. "I thought I was dreaming last night up and it was simple desires messing with my mind." She said while rather exasperated but he grabbed her upper right hand and she giggled for a moment then laid down and put her head on his chest while he put his hand on her back and held her close. She started to drift off to sleep again to the beat of his heart and the sound of him breathing, peaceful was an understatement of her feelings.
The door quietly opened and King Athren stepped inside startling the both of them. "We have a few things to discuss between the three of us I expect."