"It's wonderful to have you returned to me safely, my precious daughter!" King Bellanyx proclaimed from his throne.
"I am grateful to have returned to you as well, Father." Mint knelt at the base of the King's throne, her knights and attendants stationed behind her in the same fashion. The other nobles of the land were in attendance, and all cheered her safe return. Really, it was all show. They weren't grateful for her return; they only were happy they could trade her off again. But she couldn't voice that. "It is by Elfania's divine will that I arrived safely, and by the hand of her Champion, Sir Verk."
The only one not kneeling before her father was Verk. Normally, such behavior would be unimaginable: a half-elf refusing to bow to a pure-blooded elf such as the Nacht King. But it was obvious—even without the knowledge of his parentage—Verk was of a higher stock than even her father. Being Elfania's chosen champion also boasted his status, as no matter what station a mortal held, they were all below the Goddess's purview.
"Yes, yes, indeed." Her father's smile strained as he looked upon Verk, but there was little he could say against him. He wasn't his subject or from their clan. "Your exploits, brave nymph knight, will be sung for the rest of eternity. Should you desire anything I can give, please ask it now."
Mint felt her heartbeat faster; if Verk asked for her hand, it would be the most favorable outcome. It was fleeting, but she thought for a moment it was possible, but she quickly dashed that hope away. Perhaps her own appraisal was undervalued, but recent events have shown she had a worth beyond being a mere bride. Even if Verk desired her, Elfania had other plans for her, and Verk would abdicate to their goddess's will.
"I've no personal demands," Verk said, stepping forward. "However, it is the will of Elfania that Princess Minette be kept safe, and thus, I ask you to make me her personal knight."
"Such a thing is no trifle; very well, for henceforth you will be my daughter's personal knight. Until such time, your services are no longer required."
With the public display of her safe return over, the throne room was cleared, and Mint was left with only her and her father's entourage.
"Let us discuss your future now, dear daughter." Her father said, sinking into his chair. "Our business with Halifax may not have gone as planned—but it was still prosperous for our kingdom. During your absence, I have worked tirelessly to find you a new suitor, worthy of a daughter of mine. And have found some prospects."
"I will go will you desire, Father." Mint intoned.
"Yes, of course," King Bellanyx replied with perhaps a hint of regret. She probably imagined it.
Since their deal with Halifax fell through, her father sought another suitor that would benefit their kingdom. Unfortunately, all the other Nacht kingdoms were satisfied, thus her father had to look to other elf nations for prospects. Finding three who fit his needs.
The first was of a young salamander prince in Hidalgo, who offered to send a great many of his sisters in exchange for her. Salamanders—fire elves—were perhaps the most common elves in the world next to their forest elf cousin, the nymph. Given the salamanders' nature to breed with powerful warriors of any race, they were plentiful. The nation of Malta was founded by the descendants of Salamanders—ironically, the nation itself was Solarian.
"Introducing salamanders could benefit our military needs." The War Minister voiced, listing off the Salamander Prince's proposal. One hundred full-blooded salamanders and fifty half-bloods, all female. "They also offered to plant a Salamander grove, so we'll have a constant supply of pure-bloods."
"Yes, but where Salamanders prosper, become salamander. In time, I'm sure they'd replace our kind without consideration, and we Nacht are already so few." Her father said, voicing everyone's concerns and his own. Could they really be called Nacht if there were none of them left?
The second offer came from a mermaid kingdom, of all places. Strange for a coastal/underwater nation to offer anything to a landlocked kingdom, but apparently they were interested in seeing if they could breed another type of fresh-water mermaid in their lakes as they'd done in the north-west. This deal was less a marriage offer—there were no mermaid princes—and more an of daughter exchange. What they planned to do with Mint was not stated.
There was little enthusiasm for this offer from anyone in the King's cabinet, much to Mint's relief.
"I have determined the gnome's offer to be the best." Her father's declared. "I imagine their settlement would be the most familiar to you, dear daughter."
Gnomes, earth-elves—also called dwarfs—lived under mountains. At one time the Nacht were said to dwell in darkness, but that was so long ago no living night-elf remembered if it was true or not. In exchange for her hand in marriage, they would receive gnome crafted items, weapons, armor, and every other thing they could offer. All made from the best materials, of course.
"If that is what you wish, Father." She could hardly keep the enthusiasm out of her voice, given there was none to voice.
"It is, though we've yet to finalize the deal. Perhaps another will come before Solara. For now, please take this time to recover from your endeavors."
"I will retire to my quarters." This was more exhausting than her capture by Biwanari. At least then she could be defiant. The brighter side of her situation was that there were no bridal lessons to be had. She'd already been informed of her nightly duties and such; the only change to her education was researching her new home, which was undecided. For once, Mint could enjoy the benefits of her status. "Marigold."
"Yes, Princess?"
"Please prepare a bath."
"Of course."
She'd been warned of Marigold's condition by Tallinn and Lofie. Though the handmaiden possessed the same face and bright golden hair, her body was sorted to say the least. The Night Yeti's attack had reduced her limbs and large portions of her body to ash, leaving her a husk of the woman she'd once been. That Marigold survived and made it to Halifax could only be described as a miracle.
The Halifaxians took pity on her, or perhaps Elfania had other plans for her human worshipper, but whatever the case, Marigold had been infused within a Nymph tree with Nym seeds placed in her body. The results of the experiment stood before her. Marigold was no longer human in a traditional sense, nor was she an elf, but a strange mix of human and Ent.
Wooden appendages replaced her missing limbs, the roots entwining with her flesh. Marigold could freely change the size and length of her arms and legs. Turning them into long tendrils of vine that could to the work of a dozen maids.
"You seem happy with the results of your treatment." Mint said as Marigold split her arms into numerous flexible branches, each armed with a brush, comb, and soap. The wooden appendages were dexterous as they scrubbed her body.
"I could not ask for a higher honor, to be made flesh with one of Elfania's children, it is all I've dreamed of." Marigold beamed as she stood in the bath with her, gently pouring warm water from one of her arm branches. Somehow the maid could pull water from her feet and release it from her arms. Mint carefully eyed the maid, who stood naked behind her.
I suppose calling her an Ent wouldn't be inaccurate.
If Marigold's feet were roots, her waist and torso a trunk, and her arms branches, Marigold was truly an Ent in every sense, besides the fleshy bits that made up her head and torso. Mint supposed more was missing than could be seen. Patches of bark-like skin replaced the sides of her stomach, no doubt concealing a patchwork of vines that held her body together.
"It's a shame Falabien could not be so fortunate," Marigold lamented as she cleaned under Mint's arms.
Mint kept her peace. Uncertain how she felt about Marigold's transformation. She hadn't known her human retainers for long, but it was still difficult to see them disfigured. Tallinn and Lofie still resembled their former selves, but how much of Marigold was truly left?
"She and Nevi are in Elfania's embrace; to pull them from it would be cruel." Mint unfortunately couldn't remember all the names of those who died in her service, but she doubted she could bear to see them all in a similar state to Marigold.
Sometimes death is a mercy.
"Yes," Marigold said, finishing her work and began drying Mint off. "That was selfish of me; perhaps I'm a tad lonely. Falabien and I, we grew up together and served your elder sister for all our lives. We were scarcely apart. We often said we'd raise our children to be excellent maids as well, but such dreams will never come to pass."
"I'm sorry," only because they were alone could she afford to say such a thing. A princess apologizing to a servant? A human one at that? Utter nonsense.
"It's not your fault, princess."
But it was. Everyone who swore loyalty to her died needlessly because she'd been selfish.
"I would like to retire early."
"Of course, princess."
As Mint lay in her canopy bed, guilt flooded her heart. The visages of those that gave their lives for her appeared, but they were all faceless. Save for Nevi and Falabien. She'd managed not to think about them for so long, but now it was all she could think about.
They were all human. As an elf, their lives should mean nothing to me, but…
Silent tears flowed down her face. She truly wasn't cut out to be a princess.