A giant wearing black and deep blue attire, jumped inside the croft, bending to fit as he advanced toward Nicoleta and the lady who still had her form bowed to the floor.
He bowed, one arm under his breast and the under hidden behind his back.
"Satospansta" he said, before lifting himself up as best he could in the confined space.
He lifted a hand and made a gesture with his hand, and before anyone knew it Phoenixes appeared at the door of the croft, mouths open ready to open fire on the girls.
Nicoleta screamed, swinging her arm and combating their flame with her own, "No stop- " she shouted getting up on her feet. The man fisted his hand, and the Phoenixes stopped.
"Do you wish for them to be unharmed, your highness?" He asked cocking his head in question. "Yes yes" Nicoleta said in a rush.
"As you wish, your highness." He bowed again, and signaled for them to go, the Phoenix flew away from the croft, he turned back to her.
"Is there anything else her Highness would like me to do?" Nicoleta looked around the croft, at all the scared faces, her eyes landed on Laura.
Laura took her hand and squeezed it, forcing a smile on her face.
"W- what a- a- are you g- oing going to do- do now that you h- ave ave- have found me?"
"You will be taken home, your highness," she trembled.
Nicoleta was the princess, she was the rout behind all the war, all the dead people, all the ruined cities, her friends-
"P- please don't kill anyone else- " she begged, her voice shaking, the man nodded, "as you wish your highness" he bowed once more, and tapped the ladies shoulder, she lifted herself up, exchanging some words with him in a foreign tongue.
When the lady turned she courtised, then left. The man extended his hand out for Nicoleta.
Nicoleta stared at his hand, then at all the girls inside, she fought with herself to put her hand in his, telling herself it was the only thing she could do, half the elite forces were dead because of her, the least she could do was protect the ones left.
She reluctantly placed her hand in his, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and flew her out of the croft.
Nicoleta yelped when they got outside, the rain pouring down on them.
They landed on the wet ground. The man turned to the Phoenixes and men and women behind him, and spoke loudly in the strange tongue; they began to follow as he led Nicoleta deep into the forest.
As they moved, a loud voice brought their walk to a stop.
The company turned around, Nicoleta and the man turned and flying down towards them was James Westinsenson, with no parachute, no jetpack, even, nothing to help him fly other than himself.
He opened his arms as if he was going to hug them, and the phoenix opened their mouths preparing to kill him, when Nicoleta shouted for them to stop.
The man held up another hand, he spoke to them more sternly that time, making them cower, and fall away behind them.
"We should make peace!!" James Westinsenson shouted, "this shouldn't have to happen for the third time- we should make peace between the crimsonians and the humans- " he ran closer to them, his voice getting louder and louder, "the generations after us shouldn't have to suffer- if there's any time to make peace it is now!!" The company stood still.
James Westinsenson waited for a response staring restlessly at Nicoleta and the man that had his arm around her waist.
"Well!" He shouted, seemingly frustrated. The man removed his arm from around her waist.
"I will inform her majesty about the matter" with that the company turned around again, and began walking away.
Some of the Phoenixes landed before them with their backs turned to them, the man encouraged Nicoleta to climb on one of them, and she did reluctantly, grabbing on tight to their feathers like she did with Jackson.
The Phoenix took off into the sky, and Nicoleta did all but stay calm, when the wind blew her hair back, hitting her face violently.
She closed her eyes, and tugged her head inside the Phoenixe's feathers, holding on tightly to it, as they flew to an unknown location.
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They slowed down when they got deeper into the forest. Nicoleta lifted her head after an hour, and looked down, there was nothing there, why had they stopped?
The Phoenixes detoured downward, and the closer they got to the ground slowly people came into view, numerous people, spices filled her nostrils, chatter lingered in the air.
People danced to strange music, and amidst them all was a tall red haired woman, who looked like the version of herself that Nicoleta saw.
She looked much more beautiful however, with her sparkling skin, and shimmering red hair even in the night.
Nicoleta slipped away from the Phoenixe's back, landing on her feet firmly.
They all bowed down to the woman that looked like Nicoleta's older version, and the man gently pushed Nicoleta down, forcing her to bow as well.
She stood up on her feet, smiling down at her subjects.
Nicoleta stood up despite the man's hand forcing to keep her down, the moment she did her face was grasped, hard, by the Queen.
She turned her head about, examining her like an animal.
Nicoleta trembled. A hand rubbed at her back almost reassuringly.
The Queen spoke to the man in the same strange language, Nicoleta watched them communicate, then the Queen's gaze locked on Nicoleta's again, her grip tightening around Nicoleta's face.
She let her go, and stepped back, staring at her with displeasure.
"She looks malnourished" said the Queen, Nicoleta Stayed quiet, looking all around them, at the people eating, and being merry, as if outside wasn't ruins, and dead.
"I will make sure she is fed" said the man, the Queen nodded, returning to her throne, afterward, the man placed a gentle hand on the small of Nicoleta's back, and began leading her away.
As they went he told the Queen something, to which she replied to him with a chipped answer, waving him away.
Nicoleta was taken into a big room, and rushed into a bathhouse, where a woman stripped her naked, and forced her into the water, before scrubbing her clean.
She switched the water three times before it came out nice and clean at the end, by that time Nicoleta was glowing red from how painful it was. Wasn't bathing supposed to be comfortable?
"Her majesty is very beautiful" she whispered as she washed Nicoleta's hair, massaging her scalp gently. Nicoleta leaned into it, her heavy eye lids dropping more and more, as she poured warm water on her head.
"And your hair is very easy to work with," Nicoleta nodded, growing sleepier by the second.
When the lady poured more warm water on her head, Nicoleta grew curious, "how can you speak English?" Of all earthly languages.
The woman hummed, "there was a time when knowing every earthly Language was mandatory"
"Why?" Nicoleta slurred out, she drained the water in the bath, and filled it with new warm water, making Nicoleta's eyes close relaxation taking over her.
"Because King Kareyen conquered earth, and he forced his army to learn all earthly languages to prevent any coups from happening without them hearing of it" Nicoleta nodded.
The lady began draining the water, as she helped Nicoleta climb out of the bath, wrapping her up in a soft towel.
She bounded her hair up, and led her inside the room.
"When was this- ?" She looked up at the yellow eyed woman, "very long ago- I didn't exist then. Our mandatory learning of earthly Languages did not die with the great king- " The lady dressed her, and dried her hair with the heat of her flame, styling it into a bun which was held together by something that glimmered.
Later the man came by her door, saying, "Supper is ready" whilst holding out a hand for her.
Nicoleta took his hand, the exhaustion that fear knocked out of her slipping in slowly. Every step was a struggle, she yawned every five minutes. And each yawn stretched her mouth out of limit.
Along the way the man decided to introduce himself finally.
"I'am the captain of the Queen's army" he said, Nicoleta glanced up at him, straining her neck. They were all so tall, feets taller than Nicoleta.
"What's your name?" She asked, her words slow, and unprocessed. "Grayaeil Najgatrr" she processed it as best she could with her mind half awake.
At the dinning her mother sat behind the table, waiting for her. Nicoleta sat down, and food was placed in front of her.
It was a weird green substance, with some chucks of yellow inside, she stared at it with disgust written on her face.
She picked up a yellowish green spoon, and scooped up a big portion of whatever it was, hesitantly brought to her lips, opened her mouth, and forced it inside.
Flavors exploded in her mouth, all of which were the opposite of good.
She scrunched her face, forcing herself to swallow it. Nicoleta ate three more scoops, before she surrendered, knowing that another scoop would make her vomit.
The Queen stayed quiet the entire time, only staring at Nicoleta with those piercing blue eyes, that she once looked at her with in the darkness of Nicoleta's mind.
When Nicoleta sat through the Queen eating, and eating, finishing one bowl and one plate of something slushy that was served. Eventually she was satisfied and Nicoleta was taken away to her room by the captain.
Nicoleta attempted to burn her clothes and put on something more comfortable or sleep naked, and be comfortable knowing that the wickedly tight belt the lady had put on her was gone.
But her clothes stayed intact when she fell on the soft bed. Nicoleta groaned, and reached around the belt searching for an opening.
She snapped it off of her, and slipped out of the long dress leaving on her undergarments only as she got comfortable.
Her eyelids fell over her eyes immediately and it didn't take long until Nicoleta slipped into a deep restful sleep, after not being able to even eat properly for two months.
In the morning Nicoleta was woken up by four women, who rushed her through her morning routine, they brushed her teeth, bathed her, washed her hair again, and dressed her up.
When they finished everything else, they placed a small glimmering tiara upon her head, locking it inside her hair.
The captain was already waiting for her by the door, holding an arm out instead, which Nicoleta took, looking around at the gathered company in confusion.
"What's happening?" She asked the Captain as he helped her mount a Phoenix, "the Queen has agreed to negotiate a treaty- a peace treaty between humans and Crimsonia kind."
He got on another Phoenix, and ordered for them to take off in that strange tongue.
They listened to him, amongst the company of flying people, and phoenixes the Queen sat upon the biggest phoenix of them all, her attire shining in the sunlight.
They flew for some hours. And landed in front of the same base Nicoleta was taken from, waiting for them was James Westinsenson, General Lane, and some other officials.
The captain helped Nicoleta off of the Phoenix, the same time the Queen jumped off hers.
She landed seamlessly on the ground, her skirts falling on the grass and making her look mesmerising as the sun's soft hue fell over her golden skin.
Nicoleta fought to let her hate overcome her admiration for the Queen's beauty.
She greeted Westinsenson with a kiss to the cheek, leaving over some of her golden sparks on his cheek, he stepped back both shocked, and in awe.
They exchanged some words, and the Queen turned to her subjects, smiled, then walked inside with the officials, telling the captain something Nicoleta didn't understand.
They waited outside for hours, about two, before the Queen and the officials walked outside once again.
The Queen had a wide smile on her face, as she walked- strutted up to the captain.
They exchanged words, the captain frowned, his words more stiff than before. Nicoleta watched them interacting, trying desperately to try and make out even one word.
She hated not knowing what was going on. The Queen eventually turned around, and standing behind as composed, and professional as ever was Leonardo Alexander.
The captain turned to Nicoleta, "you will be hosted in government headquarters- Alexander and I will be your guardians there" she looked at Leonardo, a small smile on her face.
"I Suggest we settle the Princess into the bunkers" the captain looked visibly uncomfortable with his suggestion.
"No. We know the way" said the Captain, Leonardo looked displeased with the answer but did not argue. "We will follow your company as you fly" The Captain explained further, tightening his arm around Nicoleta's hand.
Leonardo nodded, he glanced at Nicoleta, and bowed.
"Princess" he muttered under his breath, she inhaled a sharp breath, hating the gesture more than anything.
Yet part of her hated it more when he lifted himself, tossed her a fake smile, and walked away.
The captain helped her climb upon the phoenix she rode on before. And as he took off, she glanced down at Leonardo again, that time he harbored a real smile on his face, a reassuring one, that made her guilt increase.
Nicoleta frowned, and looked away, laying her head down on the phoenix to avoid the wind resistance hitting her face.