"We hear you, Lord Lorian," Runa spoke up, in her steady voice, "I request that His Highness grant us a small window of time to ponder upon this matter. Meanwhile, for the sake of the children…"
Lorian gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, "We shall see."
He turned on his heel and walked out of the cell, signaling the guards to lock the door. As he walked down the dark corridor, his cold mask finally slipped for a moment. He leaned his head against the cool stone wall and let out a long, shaky breath.
"That was harder than the raid," he whispered to himself.
A guard noticed the Prince in that condition and rushed anxiously to check on him. The man looked genuinely worried- likely fearing the Dwarves, those 'Bringers of Misfortune', had cast some dark hex upon the heir. Lorian quickly collected himself, placed a hand on the guard's shoulder, and thanked him for his concern.
The guard stood frozen. He was baffled as to why the Prince would thank a man for simply doing his duty. However, he quickly reminded himself that the Prince was reputed to be of an 'outlandish' nature and decided to move on. Lorian ordered him to send warm clothes and food to the Dwarves, along with torches for warmth and light. The guard, no longer surprised by the Prince's peculiar instructions, went to obey.
Lorian's next destination was the Elves who were rescued during the raid. Among all the demi-humans, Elves were generally treated with the highest favor by humans. Six had been saved- two adults and four children. Of the children, only one was male; the rest were girls.
When Lorian arrived, the scene was a sharp contrast to the Dwarves' gloom. The children were playing around the two ladies, seemingly without a worry in the world. However, the two women were clearly deep in thought. The guard knocked on the gate and intimated the arrival of the Prince. The two ladies stood instantly, lowering their heads in a practiced courtesy, while the kids scurried to hide behind them in fear of the unknown human and his scary-looking guard.
The guard announced Lorian's arrival and his full designation, which prompted both women to take their knees. Lorian noticed a natural, liquid grace in their movements and was quietly impressed.
"Rise, and introduce yourselves!" Lorian waved his hand, issuing the command in a dramatic tone to match their own.
One of the ladies approached Lorian and bowed again, "Good Morning Your Eminence. We offer our most profound salutations, my Lord," she began, her voice a melodic stream of words. "Before all else, permit me to convey the staggering depths of our immense gratitude for your intervention. To be plucked from the blackened, merciless clutches of such singular evil by your hand is a mercy that transcends the simple boundaries of speech. Indeed, our thankfulness knows no earthly bounds."
Lorian raised a hand to stop her. He could feel the 'flowery' words beginning to pile up like a thick fog. He needed to proceed with his actual inquiry before he drowned in her metaphors.
The second lady had a smirk on her lip as she stepped forward. "Good day, Prince," the second lady said, her voice was sounding like wind over salt-spray. "I'm Vespera Thal, first mate of the ship 'The Silver Horizon'. This lady beside me…" she took a breath, a playful glint in her eyes, "…is the high-born Sylfia Moonbrook, daughter of the Moonbrooks."
Lorian realized the 'Moonbrooks' were likely a big deal among the Elves. He did not interrupt, allowing her to finish.
"These two Goldpetal lasses are Lyra and Fia," Vespera continued, gesturing to the children, "And this boy and girl are Aerith and Valen- the children of Caspian and Iselda Wayfarer."
Sylfia gave Vespera a look of pure, aristocratic exhaustion- the "Are you quite finished?" look. She then turned back to Lorian. "Your Highness, I must humbly entreat your forgiveness for my companion. She is sadly bereft of the proper cultural etiquette and eloquent graces one might expect. Given the salt-worn background of her station, she is not well-versed in the refined nuances of linguistic cadence or the traditional…"
Lorian felt like pulling his hair out. The way she stretched her sentences made his ears feel like they were going to bleed. But it would be improper to cut her off, so he steeled his nerves and 'sacrificed' himself to the barrage of Sylfia's monologue.
When the meeting finally concluded and Lorian stepped outside, he was completely exhausted. He felt as if he could die right there on the ground. However, the exhaustion was worth it. These were important, interesting people- and they were involved in an event that was about to open an unprecedented opportunity for him.
The Elves had always been a reclusive race, following a strict isolationist policy. However, the war with the Human Empire of Indoris had shown them that isolation had made them weak. They had decided to open trade with the Seven Cities, but the city-state of Sylvanna had managed to secure a monopoly. All trade between the Elven Empire of Beladhithl and the Seven Cities passed through Sylvanna, making that city immensely rich.
Elven merchants, realizing they were losing massive profits to the Sylvanna middlemen, petitioned the Royal Court of Beladhithl to fund an exploration for a direct sea route to Seven Cities, mainly Veridia and Port Azure. Their first expedition via the North Sea had ended in failure;- for the Elves were not accustomed to frozen seas and icebergs.
The next voyage was sent via the south. Captain Elowen Sunstride commanded the Silver Horizon, with Vespera Thal as her first mate. The Moonbrook family, one of the most prominent merchant houses of Beladhithl, was the main backer, sending their daughter Sylfia as their representative. Another minor merchant house, Goldpetal, sent their member Orion Goldpetal, who brought his wife Mina and their daughters Lyra and Fia. Also on board were the explorer duo Caspian and Iselda Wayfarer with their children.
The voyage had been smooth until they entered the Iron Sea, a place infested with Orc Pirate Corsairs. The Orcs had captured the ship, killed most of the men, and taken the women and children. Some were kept, but others were sold to slavers. And that was how the six Elves ended up in the dungeon of a greedy human Baron.