Definitely Looking Like A Love Story (7)

The air of the tavern carried with it the thinly veiled stench of cheap booze, masked only by stale bread and days old stew. After almost a lifetime on the road, places like this smelled like comfort to Adrielle, signifying a roof over her head for the night and walls to ward away the unwanted company of creepy crawlies and wandering bandits.

However Zara's nose crinkled with poorly masked horror at the overwhelming aroma.

"Addie! What brings you to this shithole?" The barman, an old acquaintance of hers, bellowed over the flimsy wood of the bar.

"Mathias, you absolute bastard, I could say the same!" Adrielle pulled the man into a hug. "I'm currently a fugitive so only call me Addie." She whispered once she was close enough.

"Of course." He whispered back. "I know, it's a bit of a change from the stronghold." He immediately shifted back to his normal jovial voice. Mathias was in the same boat as Adrielle when it came to the court of public opinion. His mother was a human, father a water sprite. Hence he had webbed hands and gills adorning either side of his neck. Other than that he had largely human features, with crystalline blue eyes and sandy, wavy hair.

Once he showed her how he could close a second pair of eyelids.

It was one of the few things she'd seen over the years that thoroughly disturbed her.

Needle-sharp teeth glimmered when Mathias grinned at Zara. "And who do we have here? Has young Addie finally made a friend?"

"Oh shut up Matt," Adrielle turned to Zara, "don't listen to him, he's an idiot."

"You wound me." Mathias placed a hand to his chest, tone flared dramatically.

Zara sinks into a curtesy beside Adrielle, head bowed. "I'm Zara, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Wow, polite and a friend of Addie's. I'm surprised you haven't tainted the poor girl yet my friend." Mathias moved back behind the bar, leaning on the flimsy surface once again. "So what can I get for you ladies?"

"Two pints of mead." Adrielle slid a couple coins across the counter. "When did you even get here?"

"About a week ago now? I needed to move away, ya know?" He pushed their drinks over to them. Mathias used to live at an orc compound called the Stronghold. They welcomed all creatures that humans treated poorly, and tried to maintain a bubble of peace. He'd moved there with his parents when he was young, and had lived there almost his whole life. Whenever Adrielle went to visit he would rant about wanting to live life outside the Stronghold's walls. She was glad to see he'd finally seized his dream.

"I'm happy for you, truly I am." Adrielle placed a hand over his for a moment, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Though I think Zara would really like to sit down, we've had a bit of a long day."

Mathias' mouth formed an 'o', nodding in understanding. "I'll leave you to it then. And I expect the full story from you about your… fugitive children's book idea, alright?" He put emphasis on the word 'fugitive', making Adrielle roll her eyes.

"Of course, I'll fill you in tomorrow." She called over her shoulder, leading Zara to a table in the far corner. The bar area was rather empty at that point, with only Mathias and a group of young men occupying the space besides them. "So Princess, ask away."

"Ok, what's this?" She muttered, sniffing the mead Adrielle had placed before her.

Adrielle laughed, taking a sip of her own drink. It surprisingly didn't taste like complete shit, likely due to Mathias for giving them spiced mead rather than the regular. "Mead, trust me it's not terrible."

"Are you sure?" She muttered, staring into the mug with a disgruntled expression.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure."

Zara stared at her suspiciously for a moment before taking her first sip of mead. Whilst Adrielle downed her whole drink, still maintaining eye contact.

"So, what's your first proper question for me?" Adrielle signalled Mathias over for another drink.

"Ok, what kind of mythical creature are you?" From anyone else that question would have earned them a punch to the face, but Adrielle knew Zara meant no harm.

"I'm a type of elf."

Zara nodded, taking a large sip of her drink. "Is that why the man didn't pay you properly?"

"Yes. See elves, as well as fair-folk, can't touch iron. It burns our skin and can even kill us if it touches us for too long. It can also burn us through fabric. So the bag wouldn't have done shit to protect me."

"So he treated you differently just for that?" Zara scoffed. "See my father wouldn't let me learn about people like you and Mathias. He thought you to be inferior, and no matter how hard I try I just can't wrap my head around it. You have been nothing but kind to me."

"Unfortunately he's not the only one princess, in fact he is one of many. See even Mathias, who's only half water sprite, is treated like some sort of monster by some. It's just something you have to live with when you're like us. Even regular Elves are treated like dirt."

Zara stares at Adrielle intently, dark eyes filled with an intense curiosity she hadn't expected. It only then occurred to her, once Zara downed the rest of her first pint and waved Mathias over for a second, that maybe she'd never drank much alcohol before. "What do you mean 'regular Elves'? You're an Elf too." She slurred ever so slightly.

"Technically I'm a Frostfallen Elf. In terms of the Elven social hierarchy my kind are right at the very bottom. There's the bottom of the barrel, then there's us." Adrielle watched nervously as Zara took another sip of her second drink. She'd definitely have to keep an eye on the princess that night. More people had begun to trickle into the bar by that point, tables around them filling with people.

"Ok, but why is that? You're just you, and you is…you." Ok so it was clear that the alcohol was taking hold of Zara's body.

"Thank you. I can safely say I'm actually happy to be who I am."

"As you should be, my lovely hero." Zara held Adrielle's hand for a moment, embarrassment flooding her face as she let go. "What is a Frostfallen Elf anyway?"

"That's a long story your Highness." Zara continued to stare intently. "One I see you wish to hear. See there aren't that many Frostfallen, we're quite a small community. A long time ago there was a kingdom of Frost Elves that lived amongst a collection of glaciers. They were prosperous, and the population only continued to grow. The Gods also protected their lands, for the Elves were always loyal to those they served.

"One day a God, who has long since been forgotten, warned the Frost Elves of a civilisation-ending snow storm that would leave no survivors. That is, unless the Emperor was willing to sacrifice half of his people in payment for the God's protection."

"Oh my god, that's so cruel!" Zara cut in, leaning forward further and further as the story went on. "How could he do such a thing."

Adrielle shrugged. "It was either half died, or they all died. So the Emperor selected half the population and forced them out of the city walls to die from the cold. And in payment, the other half lived. But the weight of what they'd had to do was too much. So soon the civilisation was abandoned. The bodies of those sacrificed were left to be consumed by the cold. It froze the magical veins in their body, most notably in their faces and limbs.

"One day the Goddess of life, Calibani, was passing over the area when she felt the overwhelming presence of loss and pain. She collapsed to the earth under the weight, sobbing as she drowned in the tragedy. And yet as her tears soaked into the earth the bodies began to thaw. All those who were sacrificed came back, though they kept the makings of frost on their skin. As well as the purple stain to their lips and the wells of frozen dark magic in their eyes. My people were called Frostfallen Elves and have since worn the curse of our ancestors everywhere we go."

Zara had a small, reassuring smile over her lips once Adrielle had finished speaking. Her hands now softly clasped Adrielle's, eyes staring deep into hers.

"I know, it's not exactly the most attractive thing to look at, is it?" Adrielle motioned to the markings on her face and hands.

An instantaneous frown settled over Zara's features. Those wide eyes then travelled over every inch of Adrielle's face, tracing every marking and imperfection. A gaze that settled slightly longer on Adrielle's lips than what could be deemed necessary.

"There is no conceivable way that you," Zara booped Adrielle's nose, "cannot see just how devastatingly gorgeous you are. With your perfectly sculpted cheekbones and delicate yet dangerous expression you look like a fine art piece my former courts would spend hundreds of coins to simply glimpse. Do you truly see your own enchantingly dark eyes and not comprehend the way they capture light and reflect back galaxies? Adrielle I know I have not been around as many people as you, however I can easily say that you must be the most beautiful person, Elven or otherwise, that I have ever seen." Zara had been slurring, voice tinged with drunken mischief, and yet her words were spoken as though they were a precious oath; a promise she would vouch her life on.

Adrielle was sure her face was absolutely stained with bashful embarrassment.

"You needn't humour me Princess." Adrielle brushed off the comment easily. Though her heart slammed frustratingly against her rib cage. A drum beat that reminded her that Zara was the first human to ever tell her she was beautiful.

And the first human who's opinion of her made Adrielle flush.

Zara sighed. "If I truly am humouring you, why have the men at the bar been staring at you like a precious jewel?"

Adrielle's eyes cut hastily to the bar, landing on the men in question. "Zara, while it's true they're staring I can promise it's with nothing more than boarish lust."

"Not true." Zara shook her head firmly. "Thanks to my abhorrent father I can safely say I've been subjected to that sort of look from more men than I could count. Each a prince or a Royal who only saw young women as playthings and incubators for their equally abhorrent children. They stare at you like a woman, not a piece of meat."

"You know, I think I hate your father more and more by the second." Adrielle concludes with a final swig of her mead.

Zara laughed, a bright sound that sent her head back and caused her shoulders to shake. This was the most free Adrielle had seen the princess since their escape. "I do believe that is something we can agree on."

"Not to mention…" Adrielle boldly leaned forward to tuck a strand of hair behind Zara's ear. "You are positively the most beautiful woman in this whole country."

"Oh..?" It was now Zara's turn to grow flustered.

"Darling you are like your own sun. I swear you glow like a goddess, with the way light is caught in your hair like jewels and entrapped in your eyes. Any man with half a mind can see you are positively ethereal."

Zara stared at Adrielle with the wide-eyed wonder of someone who'd never been truly valued before.

"For the first time in my life I feel like… someone sees me." Zara muttered, seemingly not realising she'd spoken aloud through her drunken haze.

Another wave of boldness washed over Adrielle as she took Zara's hand. "Let it also be known, Zara, that I fancy the compliments of a lady quite a bit more than those of a man."

Slow realisation blossomed over Zara's features, spurred on by Adrielle's lips against her knuckle. "If this adventure we're on has taught me anything so far, I do believe I'm quite the same."

In all Adrielle's years of living she's never had anyone see her in the way Zara does. In a way that makes her feel like a person, and not one of nature's anomalies. For once she looked at someone and knew they were both seen as equals in the other's eyes. And while this waltz they would navigate would be difficult, they would be facing it together, and suddenly the obstacles of race and class seemed to merely be small hurdles.

Clasping her hand more firmly, Zara stares at Adrielle for a long moment. "May I ask you for a dance?" While her words were largely jumbled Adrielle at least understood the sentiment.

"I would love nothing more."

And hence Adrielle was led to the dance floor by a stumbling princess.

The melodies of lutes and lyres drifted through the tavern as Zara bowed clumsily to Adrielle. Knowing both that Zara was heavily intoxicated and of a more expensive upbringing, Adrielle figured that she was unlikely to be able to follow the usual dances created for tavern halls. Ones that were largely hasty footwork and minuscule hand movements that resulted in a random clap at the end of each dance. So instead she retained the position for ballroom dancing, her hands easily finding both Zara's hand and waist.

Adrielle swiftly lost count of how many times Zara stepped on her toes.

After only one song they weren't even ballroom dancing, just swaying oddly and making random small talk. People stared at them strangely. Whispers blended with the swirling melodies to create the strangest cacophony of sound Adrielle had ever heard.

And yet for someone who absolutely hated dancing, Adrielle would do this again in a heartbeat.

Zara leaned heavily against her, staring up at her with the most beautifully star-struck look in her eyes. It seemed Zara truly wasn't kidding when she'd said she found Adrielle to be beautiful. Those tempting ruby lips had long since remained caught in a nervous smile, gaze occasionally finding Adrielle's own lips and enticing a deep blush to coat her cheeks. While the princess was about as subtle as a bleating mule amongst ponies, Adrielle found this only served to make her even more adorable.

However it wasn't long before Zara's cheek came to rest against Adrielle's shoulder, eyes fluttering sleepily. With the bar almost entirely empty by that point it was easy for Mathias to notice her signal for help. The barman shoulders half of Zara's weight as they move carefully to a room he promised he'd already rented out for them.

"Hey Adrielle?" Mathias turns to face her as he's about to leave. "She's a keeper."

"Oh trust me, I've more than realised that." She muttered as her friend closed the door for them. There were two beds, so Adrielle gently tucked Zara in and moved to get into her own.

Until a hand takes hold of her sleeve.

"No, don't go." Zara grumbled, luminous eyes sparkling in the dim candlelight. The air became thick with uncertainty in that moment. Adrielle didn't know if she was crossing a boundary by accepting the offer. However she also recognised she would truly love nothing more than to share a bed with the goddess before her. "Stay with me, please?"

The covers rumple, hay mattress shifting with the added weight. Adrielle is instantly hit with the aroma of pine needles and mountain flowers. It was a smell she'd grown to associate with Zara, yet had never been this close to. Warmth bubbled through every vein and artery of Adrielle's body, developing into a scalding heat when Zara wrapped her arm around her waist. The weight of the Princess' head on her shoulder felt as though it belonged there, soft snores already ruffling the fabric of Adrielle's shirt. Their bodies fit like puzzle pieces. It was clear that there was a high chance that Zara was made for Adrielle, and vice versa.

Though these were all thoughts for another, more sober day.