Private Tales Concerning Turn of Events

[Myrcella Bochanan]

After being rescued from the cell within the mysterious cave at the edge of her family's lands by her betrothed; Richard Henry the Eighth , they were still very much lost. Myrcella clung to him while he carried her through the stone labyrinth that appeared to have once been an old Dwarven city.

Her ankle was still sprained, not to mention swollen and bruised due to not being able to rest it properly. Yet that hardly mattered. Both were eager to get out of the cave and away from the monsters within.

"My mother must be beside herself with worry. I feel so lost. We'll need to find a place to hide so that we can sleep." They needed to be safe. Yet she doubted Richard would sleep for long, if at all. But he needed to.

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

"Neither can I," Richard looked out at the cave while Myrcella rested her ankle. The path was clear of Redcaps who were no doubt hot on he and Myrcella's trail. The two of them have been traveling for sometime now. Myrcella kept saying they were lost but the Bard Knight does have a good sense of direction. He also made sure to mark the places he has been while trailing Myrcella.

Richard placed sticks with a piece of his clothing on it on certain locations. The first place they were approaching was near a statue of a Dwarven King. Skeletons of Dwarves surrounded it giving the place an eerie feeling and the Redcaps took extra steps to avoid the place for some reason. It was a good area to have Myrcella rest.

Richard placed Mrycella down and gave her a loaf of Elven bread. "Hungry?" Richard said sitting down next to her. "We've got a ways to go before the next checkpoint. So rest up."

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella eased her ankle up on a rock after Richard Henry the Eighth set her down. She shivered a little in spite of herself after she was relieved of his bodyheat. The cave was warm, but damp and the chill of the wet air started to feel as though it was reaching her bones.

"I am, thanks." She took the Elvish bread and started to eat it. She was thirsty too, but it wasn't as though water was in any short supply.

"How many more checkpoints do we have?" And how long before they were free? This was the longest that she had ever been away from home and she hated it. But at least she wasn't alone. Was this how it was going to be in Elbion? Her alone in the dark with enemies all around? Hopefully her lessons in politics would pay off.

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

Still holding his palm on the hilt of his Longsword, Richard squinted at the path ahead. It was hard to see since it was mostly dark. During the chase, Richard tried to look for materials to create a torch sadly he couldn't find any while scavenging the empty houses. "About five checkpoints," Richard said still keeping an eye on the young girl. "They're very far from one another so it'll take a while travel. There isn't anything dangerous when I went after you but it was hard to see."

As Richard explained to Myrcella before she was kidnapped, the city dated back to the Age of Wonders where technology was at its peak. The Dwarves were known to create machinery that came to life without the use of magic. They served the Dwarves at their every whim whether its for service, war or pleasure. Richard even heard that a few of them are still active today.

"As soon as you finish," Richard said kneeling down at Myrcella. "And your ankle is feeling better we will get going. I'm already trying to come up with a reason to your mother why we were gonefor so long."

The Bard Knight smirked. "One scenario is that we were so in awe by the majestic cave that we wanted to live in it for our honeymoon."

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella nibbled on her bit of Elvish bread. She really didn't need to do much more than that as it was so filling. But still she was determined to finish it. At least that would give her time to rest.

"Five more checkpoints?" It had already felt like forever that they were here. And now it felt like they'd be there for a long time still. "I hope that they don't catch up to us by then." No doubt Richard Henry the Eighth was thinking the very same thing.

Of course his line of thinking was for a joke. Or at the very least Myrcella thought it was one. "What are you planning to do? Try to convince my Mother that we eloped? She'd be furious." Surely their wedding would be a grand affair, would it not? Two kingdoms joining together in the best possible way? Yet it was no secret that both Richard and Myrcella weren't exactly thrilled with the idea. Surely everyone knew it.

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

"All right," Richard said shrugging. "Terrible joke I apologize." Richard couldn't resist cracking a joke especially during a time like this. "If I spend another minute here without trying to lighten the mood, I'm going to go mad."

He was hoping that Mycella would laugh as well but considering the trauma she just endured. Of course Myrcella didn't like the fact that there were five more checkpoints to go. It was grueling enough trying to keep pace with the Redcaps. At least Richard didn't find any other threats. "Well think of it this way," Richard smiled. "At least you have me as your personal Horse."

The Bard Knight mentally sighed, another joke habits do die hard.

"Then again," Richard said. "All the bloodthirsty Redcaps in the world will pale in comparison to an angry mother. Believe my dear Myrcella I know what it means to have an mother yelling at you. By the time she's done, you would wish that you'd hang yourself."

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Oh, Richard Henry the Eighth was trying to make a joke. Well now Myrcella felt a bit bad about taking it so seriously. She paused in her eating as she listened to him explain their journey a bit more. As tedious as it was going to be, he did make for a fine 'horse'. She smiled a little and placed her hand on his cheek. "And what a fine, noble steed you are."

Myrcella caressed his cheek a little with her thumb, looking into his eyes for a moment before her cheeks turned a dark shade of pink and she had to look away. How was she going to justify hating him now? This was all going to turn an already difficult situation into one even moreso.

She then sighed as he did. Of course she didn't want to face her Mother's wrath. No one would, for her Mother was quite stern when she needed to be. And intimidating.

"We'll just tell her the truth. We went out for a ride and I let my pride get the better of me. Then we were attacked by a troll and I was dragged to the cave where you pursued and rescued me. She'll see my dress, so she'll know it to be true."

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

Richard smirked. “I aim to please,” he said. “How else can I get rewarded with oats if I don’t transport my rider in where she wants to go.”

It was then Myrcella began to caress Richards cheek. The Bard Knight frowned a bit feeling the softness of her thumb brushing against his skin. The girl quickly looked away but Richard could tell that she was falling for him. It was hard to believe it as just a few days ago she was threatening to find a way to anull the marriage.

There were many things to admire Myrcella for: her creativity, determination and astute observational skills. Richard had admit that he was growing close to her everyday but he kept it to himself. A marriage was inevitable and one that could change both cities. The only thing that was left we’re the motives behind the marriage and why is it kept a secret.

“I always prefer to take the scenic route,” Richard sighed. “It would be more epic to tell an elaborate lie. Many tragedies start out with a little white lie.”

If this alliance was going to work, then it was best to be honest. Still, Richard didn’t want to worry Myrecellas mother than it was possible. “Are you finished?” Richard asked. “We should really be going before the Redcaps mobilize.”

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

"Well if there's one thing that you should know about my mother it's that she can easily sniff out a lie when she hears one. So you'd have to be really gifted in order to get away with it." For all Myrcella knew, Richard Henry the Eighth could be one of those gifted people.

She took another bite of the Elvish bread and then handed the rest back to him. "I'm ready." Once she wiped her hands on the bits of her torn gown, she slowly lowered her foot onto the stone ground. Taking in a breath, she placed a hand on his shoulder and then rose to her feet, waiting for him to pick her up again.

"I never thought that I'd become a damsel in distress like in some fairy tale. And here you are, an actual knight in shining armour rescuing me. Hopefully there are no dragons in this story. The Redcaps are bad enough." She knew first hand with being their captive for some time. Horrible little monsters that they were, always arguing about whether or not to eat her. She hardly slept a wink!

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

Richard knew well how easily Myrcella's mother can detect a lie. He remembered Celty attempting to convince her mother that she eat her beets only for to rebuked when her mother said that her knight witnessed Celty only eating sweets. Richard felt tempted to his Bard abilities to influence Gwedolyn but decided against since one: He wasn't very good with bard magic, two: who knows if Gwedolyn has anti magic items on her. Nobles tends to dress themselves with the most stringent anti magic properties to protect themselves from being probed. Those fancy jewelry that noble wear to parties were actually wards to shield their minds from telepathy.

"The truth will set you free," Richard said picking up Myrcella in a bridal carry. "It is simplest path to walk on but most people prefer to walk on nails."

The next checkpoint will be miles away, Richard hoped that Myrcella's ankle will be healed up by now. Alas judging by the bruises around it. The chances of healing to the point where Myrcella can walk would be unlikely. "Don't think of it as a fairy tale," Richard said cheerily. "Think of it as a grand adventure where you get to meet fascinating creatures and see strange places."

Richard approached the stone bridge he crossed to follow Myrcella. The Redcaps were talking about a monster who dwelled here and asked for tolls. It sounded like a Troll to be honest "And I'm," Richard said. "A person who is showing you new things."

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

"At least some people can walk. Or at least walk well enough..." Although Myrcella's ankle wasn't broken, she was certain that she'd be limping along and that would only slow them down. Richard Henry the Eighth was strong and lucky that she was of a fair size with room still to grow.

Myrcella smirked as he tried to change her perspective on their current turn of events. She spoke to him with a sarcastic tone, "Oh yes, fascinating creatures that want to eat me and sacrifice me to whomever they serve." But she had to admit that the old Dwarven city was a wonderful place to explore. If only they weren't running for their lives.

Her brows furrowed as she looked to the bridge. With the way that Richard stopped, it was almost as if he was expecting something. "Is it safe?" Myrcella almost didn't want to breathe. She just held her arm around his shoulder as she studied the bridge in front of them. "Is this another checkpoint?"

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

Richard chuckled picking Myrcella up. "I know it's frustrating," he said to Myrcella. "But think of it this way you get to fulfill your dream of your bethroed obeying your every whim. I'm your personal Pack Mule all you need to do is tell me where to go."

Boy Myrcella will be absolutely smug about having a husband as her servant. It was also Richard's worst nightmare to basically become a slave to his wife. If anything Richard preferred if she and him shared the burden of running a noble house rather than just have all the work go to Richard. "It's nothing," Richard said looking down. "All we need to do is cross this bridge and-"

A loud snort echoed through the cavern causing Richard to look around frantically. "It came from the bottom of the bridge," Richard said gently placing Myrcella down. "I'll look for it," he said kneeling next to Mrycella. "You'll be safe up here I promise."

The last thing Richard needed was a monster chasing them throughout the cavern, might as well take care of it now.

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella laughed a little in spite of herself. Yes for the moment Richard Henry the Eighth was obeying her whims, but that could be partly through guilt too. Outside of the cave and once she was mended, that'd be a different story. "I don't need a servant for a husband. I need a friend." She was going to be alone out there afterall.

The snort caught her by surprise. Or maybe it didn't. The bad luck that they had been having wouldn't afford them an easy crossing. "Be careful..." Myrcella's heart began to pound as she sat there alone once Richard went off to investigate. She whispered to herself, "By the Gods, my Mother would kill me if he dies..." But Richard's death was sure to bring about her own. The Gods, the Fates, all of them were cruel to put them through this. If it was some life lesson, she figured that she had learned it by now.

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

"You'll get a friend," Richard turned around and knelt besides Myrcella. "If you stop resisting and let me help you. Please Myrcella I may not like the turn events that got us married and I like being in this cave even less despite the astounding Dwarven architecture but no matter what happens we must face it together."

The Bard Knight placed his hand on Myrcella's cheek and smiled. "And just know that I will protect you." he said. "As a future husband and Knight."

More growls came from below the bridge and Richard drew out his sword. "Well I better face this creature," he said. "I'll be back I promise."

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella's shoulders slumped a little as Richard Henry the Eighth suggested that she stop resisting. She was stubborn and she knew it. But there was a time and place for that. Now certainly wasn't it.

As he placed his hand on her cheek, Myrcella leaned into his hand. She just wanted this trip in the cave to be over so that she could go home, have a hot bath and then lay in the comfort of her own bed for a while.

"Alright. I'll stop resisting...our marriage. I will honour the wishes of our Fathers." She gave him a small smile in a bid to try to reassure the both of them. Yet she was too worried about whatever monster lived beneath the bridge.

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

"Well we need to figure out why our fathers wanted this marriage," Richard said slightly squeezing Myrcella's hand. "Then you can decide whether or not you can hate me forever."

The Bard Knight turned on his heel to check out the monster until he saw a big, blue hand cling on to the cliff near the bridge. Richard jumped back holding his sword in front of him. "I don't who you are!" He yelled. "But you're not harming my bethroed!"

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella figured that she'd only hate Richard Henry the Eighth if he had planned all of this; the betrothal, the trolls, the Redcaps, everything. Yet he seemed just as perplexed about it all as she was. Unless he was a very good actor....

She stiffened as she saw the giant blue hand. Already her mind tried to figure out just how hideous the head looked. "Give him your bread! Some of that might fill him up enough to let us pass!" Better to have some of their food eaten, than to be eaten themselves.

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

Richard was about to go to the Elven bread but the monster lifted himself up in front of the pair. The ground shook as soon as his stubby feet hit the ground and Richard nearly lost his balance. "Damn!" he said staring up at the troll who roared at them.

"Yousa!" the Troll roared at Richard. "Did not pay toll! Mesa will take blonde girlfriend!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that!" Richard said. "She'll kill me if I handed her over to you besides as I recall you were never under the bridge when I crossed it!"

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

The sight of the troll caused Myrcella to gasp. Most especially as he said he wanted to take her. The last time that she was in the grip of a troll, she was dragged around and nearly killed.

She looked to Richard Henry the Eighth as he regained his footing, standing in defiance of the monster before them.

Perhaps there was some way that she could reason with the troll. "What is the toll? If we pay it, we can cross free and clear, right?"

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

The Troll looked at Richard and Mycella. "Need Vodka!" The blue monster said. "Lots of Vodka! It's for my missus! She loves the drink! Gets rid of pain brain!"

Richard lowered his guard and began stroking his chin. "Hmmm some Vodka?" he asked. "Well Toll Trolls often trade their services to villagers for alcohol Myrcella. Which is why many villagers often look for a Toll Troll rather than a lord to help build their bridges. They're very cheap creatures."

"If no Vodka!" The Troll roared. "Then I take girl and eat her!"

"I wouldn't advise that," Richard said. "My bethroed will make a terrible meal she talks too much and is very sassy."

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Why does every creature want to eat her? As far as Myrcella was concerned, she didn't look very tasty. But then again she was quite certain that a cow or goose would say the same thing.

"We don't have any vodka on us. But...if you help us get home, you'll get twice as much vodka as a reward. That would do well to help your wife with her headaches for a while. We're lost and only a smart troll like you could lead the way." She tried to smile brightly for the troll. Perhaps Richard Henry the Eighth would sweeten the pot further, she wasn't sure. But it didn't hurt to try.

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

The Troll shook his head "Missus is suffering from painbrain need Vodka now." he said solemnly. Richard stared at Myrcella who was trying to force a smile. She's doing a good job in coercing the creature though they were dimwitted, Trolls were kind of able to see reason sometimes.

"Oh I know how that feels," Richard said sheathing his sword. "In fact I once drank a tank of ale in a tavern. I've had this tremendous headache that lasted for days. Not sure that Vodka is the way to go but if you need us to look for Vodka now." Richard then picked up Mrycella. "We can definitely do that though there is another thing."

The troll snorted. "What that?" he asked.

"I could perhaps sing to your missus," Richard said. "My singing voice was known to heal wounds and soothe restless souls. Just ask my bethroed Myrcella." Richard looked down a the girl hoping that she would back him up.

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella wondered what had caused the headaches. But then again, she didn't know trolls very well. So it wasn't for her to try to guess.

Richard Henry the Eighth pickdd her up again, and so she wrapped an arm around him to better support herself. It seemed as though he had a plan, so she was quite happy to follow his lead. She looked at him as he spoke of his singing, nodding her head quickly as she returned her attention to the big, blue troll. "Oh yes! Why I had scrapes and bruises all over me. My joints hurt. Yet after he sang for me, all of that disappeared. It was a miracle. I only wished that it worked on my dress too.. It used to be beautiful."

 

[Richard Henry the Eighth]

The Troll scratched his butt looking at Richard and Mrycella. "Magical singing," Richard explained carrying Myrcella tightly like a mother would hold her child. "I have a unique ability to sing beautiful songs that can ease whatever painbrain your missus has. Besides,"

Richard looked down at Myrcella and smiled. "The beautiful dress is nothing compared to the natural beauty of my beloved Myrcella," he said. "I'm just trying to get her home so she can be safe with her family."

The Troll frowned. "Fine," he said. "Come with me."

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella found herself blushing a little as Richard Henry the Eighth complimented her. It was almost as though he was gushing over her. But really it was all for the sake of the troll. Wasn't it?

Regardless, she couldn't help herself, couldn't stop her blushing. All that she could do was hope that he didn't notice so much.

At last the troll agreed and bade them to follow him. "Do you live under the bridge? Or just somewhere nearby?"