Even the rose petals did nothing to hide the gold kissed skin of the princess as she elegantly moved her arm in a seductive manner, swiping above the water surface before ,with a smile, tracing her lips.
"Why don't you join me?'
It wasn't the first time the princess had invited him in any of her romantic endeavours so he wasn't surprised at all, instead he twirled his eyes at his welcome.
''If I had known you were taking a bath I would've waited."
No he wouldn't, he would've left and the glimmer of amusement made it obvious that the princess thought the same.
"Now where would be the fun in that?"
As naked as the day she was born she moved to the edge of her bathtub, arms crossing over each other as she mentioned him closer with playful movement of her finger.
Moving without much thought, wet fingers rapidly traced his lowered arm. She was once more determined to seduce him in bed or in this case bath.
He loathed getting wet so without much ado he took his arms back and folded them too.
"Your father would have my head."
He wouldn't, in fact he had already given him permission to keep his daughter busy and content in whatever way she wanted. Which ,more than once, has proven to be a nuisance in itself.
''We don't know until we test that. Don't you agree?"
"Be that as it may, I'm not here for that."
Dismayed the princess retracted, twirling wet strands in one hand and inspecting her flawless nails on the other.
''You're here for the elf.''
"I'm here for the vampire child and the mission assigned to me."
"Don't bother, in fact why don't you tell me all about him.
I heard you had some fun."
Exasperated he sighed, how nosy. She never changes, does she?
Without a falter he grabbed a strand of her ashen blue hair, ignoring the thought of the elf's hair being softer popping up inside his head and crouched down, now face to face.
"Fun? Yeah, one could say that. I could have so much more.
If, ofcourse, I have your permission to take him home."
Surprised by his word choice, it took only seconds before his hands got twisted and he rather missed the times where he could boss everyone around.
With one knee hitting the ground obediently, he reasoned with his temperfull princess.
"He's the elven sage, if we let him roam the kingdom and people become aware of his presence, it won't be long before we are joined by the rest of the races. If any of them even have an inkling that we won't hand him over, a war will start to shimmer on the horizon.
In this case it's better to keep an eye on him.
It's too dangerous if you do that, while letting someone else do it is too lax.
Having him stay with me is perfect as I can observe him more closely."
"Ah yes, how could I forget.
Have you found anything already?"
"I'm afraid not. He keeps a tight grasp on his mana."
Avery didn't know why he lied, was it the fact that he wanted more information?
It must be.
"As expected of the Elven sage.
There must be a reason why you're so intrigued."
Avery was more than used to the way the princess gauged information but just watched until he got what he wanted. A play between the two of them that had passed over decades and time...until one relented.
"Alright, alright I see your serious.''
Ripples in the water was his first hint to the movement of the princess, the second her figure rising out of the water. And was it anyone else there would have been a stutter, a rise of blush or a whole different range of reactions.
"Your reaction disappoints me."
Hand traced his arms once more as she circled around him, watching him like a hawk, still very much naked.
"You're wet, please refrain from touching me.''
''Right,my little cat.'' She smiled as with a movement water rose and engulfed her, morphing into a bathrobe. A small pool circled around her feet and went up streams in, details extraordinary but that still didn't make it anything but water.
"Keep an eye on him."
Even if she noted the euphoriaus reaction, she didn't say anything.
"I'll be sure to do that."
With a respective bow he planned on leaving.
''You have a month, I expect information by then. If not, he shall be under my care.''
''I understand." The door closed before him but not before letting him see the water freeze over.
A month he could deal with that.
What he couldn't deal with however were the hushed whispers that came out in an excited way, the resulting all staff rushing to the exit.
Following along, he quickly shaped an image in his mind, one he didn't like at all.
''I can't believe it. Here, of all places....''
''The..the prophet, do you....do you see that?''
"I'm not sure. Maybe i'm dreaming.''
"So...stunning.''
Numerous eyes lingered on the elf, the mountains of maids and quards alike fanning all over the minimal movements of the elf, all in a trance like state.
So in trance that they didn't even notice his fuming as ,instead, they oohed and aahed at Aethelstan moving his silky blue hair behind his hair.
And it was not the time to notice that.
Coughing loudly they were quickly startled awake and just as fastly scattered around. Some mumbling a rapid apology and others even bowing away.
That ,at least, brought a smirk back on his face and it would have stayed if it weren't for the continuous giggles and laughs.
Even out of earshot he could hear them speak about the stunning and breathtaking beauty of the elf, he knew that they weren't wrong and he could even admit to the fact that they had great taste.
So why did he feel so annoyed?
Avery watched till the two disappeared out of sight before turning towards the person of their fascinations.....and his.
A person that closely observed everything and no doubt stored the information for later use.
Even just standing in the outer garden could leave the elf with some vital information, the rotations and positions of the guards. Avery didn't even know what the elf had done while he waited, had he observed through eyes only or did he add mana? Only in his eyes or even in the surroundings?
With the way the elf was capable of using every single drop of mana, Avery wasn't sure if he did or didn't use it. There was no difference in his core but even a millimeter would have been enough for him.
And how Avery hated the mere fact that he acknowledged the other's strength.
In a show he smirked, approaching the other guy and reveling in the mere fact that silver eyes immediately landed back on him.
Now standing just inches from each other, he waited but after seconds of that his patience ran out.
'So it seems that you've gathered yet another group of fans.''
''Hmm.''
Is that all, everything he got was a little bit off acknowledgement?
"They even considered you valuables, a beauty even.''
Frowning, Avery wanted more of a reaction. He couldn't care less that he wanted exactly what the princess wanted for him, whose eyes were without a doubt on the two of them.
He was sure that the elf had showcased himself in a way to let people become aware of his presence.
It didn't help himself that the other was capable of hypnotizing someone.
In the five second glimpse Avery hadn't noted a change in any of the princess's personnel but maybe he should come back for a more thorough search.
It seemed like the other was in no mood to play as he rapidly retorted.
"Get to the point. How was your talk?''
"Nervous? Afraid that I told on you?''
Despite the taunt, Aethelstan did nothing but gaze upon him, looking for something.
Something that he didn't find, so he instead he abondent that task and went back to the carriage where Adrian and Dawn were waiting.
Clicking, Avery reached out, turning the elf back around and guiding the other carriage, standing in the opposite way.
"Please enter.''
Smugness ever so present, he opened the door with a small bow, watching how Aethelstan flickered over the light blue color covered with dazzling stones and last but not least the carriage being engraved with the influential symbol of the royal family.
A golden crown, enhanced with mana and in it the trace of the royal family, the golden eye.
An eye representing the omniscience of those with the blood of royals and the crown a sign of their power.
"I made sure to get one that would suit your needs, especially your famed beauty.
The one that seems to enchant just about everyone."
Stormy eyes gleamed in frustration as an audible sigh left his mouth.
"Can't you say something worthwhile?"
''They say it but I can't say it?''
Aethelstan was getting tested, breathing in more deeply he ignored the wandering eyes and entered the new carriage.
"So where will you take me?''
''Home, my home.''
"What about Adrian? He needs me and so does Dawn"
"I admit Dawn needs you but Adrian?
Does he need you or is it you that needs him?"
"I still don't see how this concerns you.''
''You owe me, the lives of the villagers, the secret bond and the fact I need to keep all that secret."
As soon as the words owe me fell into the air, mana washed over them and a silvery shield came into existence around them.
"You didn't tell them?"
Were the words underlined with gratefulness or was the other skeptical?
"Not even the way you hypnotized the robbers."
Both eyes reflected thoughtfulness as they looked back on the journey.
The elf had proved to be a great distraction, as the chains had proven to be more than just a little nuisance. Even more difficult were the surroundings guards, they made it difficult to move much.
But after the word and the start of the massacre he pretty much had all the time in the world, the small fire had burned hotter and larger through the chains.
Even when blood had scattered across the room, his concentration had never faltered. Instead he had turned into a game to see how long everything would last.
What would last longer the elf's mana or the amount of breathing hypnotized robbers?
But they had lessened with each passing second, until only one had left.
At the last suggestion, well more like a command, she had thrown her spear in search for another to fall to her might.
With his chains almost destroyed, he watched Aethelstan taunt the absolute giant and get himself cornered just as quickly, the new pair of chains wrapping around his breakable wrists.
Shaking his head he got rid of that train of thought, he was so used to thinking of the best ways of destruction that he was doing it unconsciously.
Pieces of metal clattered silently on the ground, with the help of mana, there was no one to keep his eyes on him so Avery was in luck.
Hand wrapped around the handle of the spear and with a smooth swift movement he ripped it out.
Reinforced it with mana and launched it in Aetehelstan's direction, it whistled as it flew through air, so fast that heads moved in slow motion right next to it. Watching as it hit the gorilla sized male in his lungs, barely going by Aethelstan's head, whose hair had flowed with the breeze yet he didn't give a flinch.
The giant had grabbed the spear with bare hands, his hand had reached out as if he went to grab Aethelstan, a motion that left the other taking half a step back.
The giant hadn't said much, his face kept getting adorned with that hideous grin. A grin that was soon wiped as poison filtered through the wounds.
It had been Avery that had smiled as he walked towards the elf with fast footsteps, ignoring the shocked gazes and muttered shocks.
"What were you thinking? Letting them place those chains on you?".
''If I didn't, you all would have died."
"What about you?"
"I'm too valuable."
It was the first time he had heard the elf speak such arrogant words, disbelief had actually covered his entire face yet Aethelstan had given it no mind at that time.
Instead he had pointed to the spear, black droplets now dropping and burning through the floor like acid. "Either way I could have died because of that.''
''But you didn't."
''He will.''
The words directed to the larger ape, now on his knees, dragging on his breaths.
"Don't care."
" Well maybe you should. What about the other's, there are still plenty of robbers."
Not for much longer.''
As soon as he had finished speaking, chaos entered the atmosphere even more.
Reinforced walls broke as magical swords and arrows rained down upon the robbers, each and every single one of them hitting them perfectly in the chest.
"Just perfect, now they're all dead.
Would it have been so hard to knock them out instead?''
"Such a goody two-shoes."
In"formation, Avery, information."
That moment had actually felt like the elf was scolding him, beside a frown he couldn't react more as his guards had entered through the rubble. Five robbers tied neatly in between them, the freed non fighting personnel hesitantly finding it's way inside and had started freeing the other's with relieved whispers.
"There you have your information."
Cheers, intertwined with relieved whimpers and bursts of tears had all but taken over the room yet Aethelstan had still been sassy.
"It seems your quads have better patience and even better intelligence than you."
His chains now clanged to the ground as Vandryk Roe was no more, his assistance had long since vanished but Avery had all his attention on the elf._
"As I trained them all, I deserve all credit.''
"Whatever you say.''
"So you should be grateful.
It was quite a chore getting the princess to agree with letting you stay with me.
It would have been the dungeons or even getting kicked from the kingdom.
So to keep it a successful secret, you are not allowed to go outside."
"You're going to keep me locked up." Silky voice was void of anything as he stated the words like nothing.
"Don't worry I'll let you go eventually.'' A playful wink, combined with a joyful smirk went Aethelstan's way but the sentiment wasn't shared as he looked at the carriage with Adrien in it vanish. Even just feeling him through the bond soon faded it away.
''What is the difference with a dungeon exactly?''
"You won't be bored, I'll keep you entertained."
"And what if I don't want you to, don't want to understand this?'
Their carriage still waited, surrounded with fields of flowers and flowers.
"Do you still feel the boy?"
"....no."
"Good, then you won't feel him die.
There are two informants, one at my home and the other riding the carriage of the vampling.
The one at my house awaits us, should we not arrive together in an hour, she will alert the other and the boy will die a gruesome death.
I'm saying informants but we both know I mean assassins."
Avery was proud, he even gave the elf enough time to think about his next course of action.
The elf was processing the information, his mind taking up ways to use the new developments, developments that could be useful in the future.
''You know very well that I'm not above blackmailing you.
So why? Are you taking this long thinking about it?''
Relenting with a sigh, he prodded. "What about Dawn? He wasn't with Adrian when he left."
With a jolt, their own carriage soon passed the fields off flowers, away from eyes and ears upon them.