514 Rest Well
“The lands themselves are indistinct and ever-changing, a beautiful but dangerous collection of haunted woods, snowy peaks, and gorgeous sun dapple meadows,” The Princess started. “Their true layout is beyond the comprehension of most mortal folk, and only a few maps of the Fey Realm existed. And if it did, it would be old. Lost to time. For these lands changed every day.”
“Who’s Floraia Springpetal?” Ren asked, deciding that this was the last glass for the night but found himself reaching for another cup of ale.
“A lesser Archfey of the Summer Court,” Elena replied after drinking her fifth mug. “She represented spring, though. Princess Floraia Springpetal is the nominal ruler of Hedgegrove, the maze city of trade and tribute. She was put in charge of that place as punishment over a perceived slight to the Summer Court and has been a ruler for almost 7000 years of that place.”
Elena pulled her gaze to the dancing fire, and her face was serious when he gazed at Ren. “A quick warning, the Princess feels stifled by the near-endless hedge maze that surrounds her and wields her power as ruler like a petulant child. Quick to anger and insult, but also easily distracted by flights of fancy and fascinations.”
“I think you should be the one who ought to be careful, Princess,” Ren said.
And Glitz agreed.
“Me?” Elena’s eyes widened, and she looked genuinely surprised. She raised her mug, some of the liquor went to her breastplate and quickly disappeared, leaving the metal polished and stain free as ever.
“Letting you know, I could be the most courteous lady if I wanted to.”
Ren didn’t know about that. “Does that mean we will have to bring her gifts?”
“I like it that you’re quick to catch up.” Elena beamed. “Don’t worry. I have an endless selection of gifts for her.”
Ren was doubtful after knowing that she took in Glitz as a pet because he was a good brewer of ale. “Pray tell what it is.”
Elena shot Ren a mischievous look, one where her eyelids were half closed, and a toothy grin spread her lips. “It’s a secret.”
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“Oh, it will.” Elena was about to chug down his sixth mug when Glitz snatched the bottle from her hand.
“Enough, Princess. You have reached the daily limit,” the dragon said in a soft voice.
Elena pouted. “Just one more.”
Glitz gave a hard shake of his head. “NO. Honor your contract with me. A rule is a rule. I need to get back and brew some more to replenish my supplies. Don’t call me after a week. I need to dry and cure some of my ingredients.”
The cauldron and many jars and ingredients disappeared, and Glitz himself seemed like he was raring to bid his goodbyes. “I have to go and try new recipes. Besides . . . Ale is like a fine dessert, a treat to be savored and enjoyed in moderation for the best experience.”
Glitz winked and disappeared in a blink.
Elena grimaced. “I hate it when he does that.”
“He is going back where exactly?” Ren was curious, and he quickly drank the contents of his mug when the Princess’s eyes narrowed at his cup.
Elena’s face was crumpled when there was nothing left in Ren’s mug. “In my storage dimension.”
“You can . . . store living things in there?”
The Princess nodded without care and went back to polishing and restoring the durability of her weapons using a [Grinding Stone].
“Yes, you can. As long as it’s your pet or captured beast.” The Princess paused and stared ahead but never really seeing. “Come to think of it . . . I think that’s the only reason why he agreed to become my pet, so he can hide in another dimension and brew all day without being disturbed. After all, my storage dimension is always full of things . . .”
Her expression then turned to shock when she realized something. “No wonder my materials and items disappears to who knows where. I thought I lost them . . . who knows that he was the perpetrator all along?” she muttered to herself.
“He brews you great ale, so I think it’s only fair,” said Ren, trying to lick off the last drop of the Ale on his mug. It was that delicious.
And the effect . . . he was a little tipsy, but the Princess was still sober as ever.
“Do elves ever get drunk?” the words just came out from Ren’s lips.
Elena smirked. “I wish we could. Or at least I wish I could. Then I would be able to forget . . .” her voice was so soft and thin at the last sentence that Ren couldn’t hear the rest.
Ren felt that the mood got heavier for some reason and thus quickly changed the topic. “So what’s this Hedgegrove that you were saying?”
Princess Elena crouched beside the crackling bonfire, her delicate features bathed in the flickering light. The forest around her was dark and dense, the only illumination coming from the flames and the faint moonlight filtering through the trees.
“Hedgegrove is the common name for the topiary hedge maze town ruled by Princess Floraia Springpetal.”
With a focused intensity, she set to work polishing and sharpening her daggers, her hands moving deftly over the gleaming blades. The sound of metal on stone echoed through the clearing as she worked, the only noise disturbing the otherwise tranquil surroundings.
“Hidden within the towering walls of green are shops, markets, and bazaars of every kind imaginable. Hedgegrove lay somewhere in the heartland of Everwood, right on the border between golden summer lands and the chill winter lands. It was a town that none of the Archfey had a high opinion of but that every civilized person on the plane visited at least once. In short, a place of necessity.”
Once satisfied with her daggers, Elena turned her attention to her bow. She carefully inspected the sinew and arrows, making sure that everything was in top condition. She strung the bow and tested its tension, nodding in satisfaction at the satisfying twang it made as she pulled back the string.
As she worked, Princess Elena’s thoughts wandered to the task ahead. She knew that danger lurked in the darkness beyond the clearing, and she was determined to be ready for whatever lay ahead. She had always been a skilled huntress, and her training had honed her instincts to a razor-sharp edge. With her weapons in top condition, she was ready to face whatever dangers in their path.
But for now, she allowed herself a moment of quiet reflection. She gazed into the dancing flames, lost in thought, as she contemplated their path. The sound of the crackling fire was the only noise, and the warm glow of the flames was a comfort to her.
When she noticed that it turned quiet, her head whipped in Ren’s direction and found that he was already asleep. He sat on the root while leaning on the giant bark, still holding the end of the mug by the tip of his fingers and thumb.
Elena gently shook her head, rose to her feet, and wordlessly placed a quilt over Ren’s shoulders.
“Rest well, Ren.”
[Your Relationship Level with Princess Elena has increased!]