After entering the forest way past the point of no return they finally reached a house. "How'd you know there'd be a house here?" Ace asked as in he turned to Alice.
His brow was raised but she already thought about it in advanced. "My sister told me a story about this country once. Deep in the woods lives seven powerful spirits."
It wasn't a lie that her sister told her about the woods, she just never said there was a fully furnished house with men that were criminally underpaid. Life's still rough for spirits, huh.
Unlike the fairy tales where everyone is happy in a forest far from the world these spirits actually needed money since none of them could cook and always ordered from restaurants.
"Achoo!" She heard a large sneeze. The first it seemed of her victim to throw this man to and possibly leech off of.
The spirit constantly sick due to being allergic to pollen and most of the wilderness, his medical bills rack up a ton from doctors. He stopped trusting his brother's medicine after he added a bunch of honey and tree sap in it making him nearly empty his insides.
She mentally cheered. For once things were looking up. "Uhm, mister!" She called out while lowering his staff to show no harm as she bowed. No matter how low on the social ladder he was an actual spirit of the forest. He had short brown hair and honey eyes with a pretty tall frame when he was standing.
Another sneeze and an onslaught followed. When it finally stopped the man looked at her from his spot at a tree and came out. "If you're here to collect tax it's the wrong time."
Poor things but unfortunately it was worse. She has an annoying prince. But she did wonder if any soldiers actually walked this far out to collect money from actual powerful forest spirit.
She tried to speak but Ace took over. "Prettyboy needs a place to stay and we want a…" she quickly interrupted.
He would only make things worse. "Currently due to unforeseen circumstances we ask you to kindly take care of our friend." She smiled.
"No." She heard a sneeze. Well it's not like he could deny what she would tell him next. Ace proceeded to pull out a puppet but she quickly stopped him.
Shaking her head she huffed, tired of manners by now. "Please negotiate! We can use him for labour." The prince squealed and looked at her.
Although there was no talk about it she turned to the still-coughing man. "He can cook. He's able to also see if you try."
What! The prince didn't tell her any of that and nearly felt insulted. "I'm a tough asffuewhirwz" he squirmed and yelled as Ace wound up his magic on the little girl and the puppet begun to approach him.
Karma. "It must be expensive living with many brothers, surely a homecook would lower expenses in your…"
There was no need as she was shushed almost immoderately by the spirit with a finger on her mouth. "He is staying." With that, they were invited in.
Ace followed with hands tucked behind his head and looked around touching everything while Alice remained professional.
There were three more boys this time with one smoking a pipe bragging about how he had recently taught a class. His hair was bright blue and eyes honey.
The next was a man with the most annoyed glare. He was dressed in a child's attire and likely was victim to a prank as youngest. His hair was green as dew and his eyes honey.
Next to him was a boy laughing hard at said green-ette with gold hair and honey eyes. That must be the one who bullied him, undoubtedly.
"Who's he?" They all asked differently and begun to chatter. This was chaotic but at the very least there's some progress.
With a sneeze and clap the brunette explained, "he's here to cook and sleep on the floor in exchange for hiding him." The prince jumped.
This wasn't him being pampered but treated like a house pet! "At least he won't die." Alice told her partner as the prince quietly sat.
She told the scary guy why murder was wrong even if he did something wrong and he really preferred staying with spirits than them.
As soon as he could escape, just wait. They'll regret treating a noble beautiful boy with disdain! Super-suddenly a book was shoved into his hands.
A cookbook with a whole lot of recipes within it and a bunch of guys telling him to make food! Desserts to full out diner experience at the finest tavern to simple eggs and for some reason combinations which screamed stomach pain.
All worked out Alice thought as she sat back and discussed with her helper. "Maybe we could stay?" She suggested only to be turned down. There was no room for her.
"Look kid tax is expensive and maybe you try getting firewood for that many guys." Ace burst out laughing. They could find a house elsewhere probably.
"We can't just say we're traveling traders," she insisted, "why not make them explode?" "Absolutely not they don't get fixed!" "So we can fix them with a bit of"
The banter continued for twenty minutes about valuing human lives but alas none of it stuck. Two stubborn members who would not budge.
"Value human life!" She said as she got up, now dizzy. The others had begun to watch chanting sides while the prince hid in the kitchen.
Perhaps she now got a headache from his illogical thinking. "The little girl is right," Doctor man spoke while taking out some broken glasses and fixing his blue hair "The border won't let you pass without reason."
They didn't push the reason they needed to be there just that they had to no matter what. "We can sneak.." he tried but the blonde cut him off.
"At best you'll be able to get out after one am for ten minutes but they'll get you." He spoke as though that was horrifying.
It was likely experience actually. Stuck in a forest with all his brothers. The only way to smile at this point was to tease them.
"Hmm then how about compromise then?" She hummed while turning to Ace. "You can use your puppet making ability to create a woman who can pose as your wife." She suggested.
"We will be visiting a relative of high status that normally receives guests." She apologised in advance to the duke of the country who's wife often invited her relative to their warfilled country.
She knew what she looked like so no suspicion would be put. "We could try to look wealthy, my ring doesn't exactly look one gold." She showed her core.
The rather beautiful jewelery was pure crystal. On top of that it matched her eyes to a bright degree. "Huh but I'm fifteen?" He said baffled and standing up.
There's absolutely no way that's true. "It's a compromise do you think I want to go? Using something like your age is a bad excuse," she pouted. "You're clearly over twenty."
Their sideliners laughed as his face flushed while he's insisting that fifteen was genuine. Really persistent with this she thought.
"And I'm twenty seven." She sighed and rolled her eyes on accident. He violently shook his head and spoke accusingly.
"You're fourteen! If I'm an old man what are you?" He hissed. She was starting to believe him as he was quite adamant and had a profile card signed by the queen.
"Ace of Hearts… Ace Mienederfrine?" She read his name off. Something a bit unexpected like a father naming their child football legend.
"Shut it! Anyways the answer is no!" He said hastily putting it away. A fifteen year old boy who had too much milk and grew to a giant.
She also learned he was only registered under the name Ace position after five scribbles. Someone must of really not wanted him.
Wait where was her card? As the five went back and forth with ideas the night came to an end. The meal was nearly finished and the others would return soon and yet they had absolutely nothing. Not one idea everyone had agreed on together.
"How about we fly in?" He suggested as she shook her head. For the umpteenth time she said she wouldn't be able to use magic to that decree.
Picking up her staff she begun to hold it up trying to manifest thoughts. "The wisdom of your stick saying anything?" He whispered.
Oh how'd she'd fight rather than flight against this man in a physical one on one. If she wouldn't lose of course. Oh future Alice, save her.
Alice always had a network of connections but she didn't. She was just a girl who got sick at young and stayed alone knowing nothing about anyone except her sister and these strange men so just how on earth was she going to get far in her mission?