Heart Over Sword

The elves attention was to their prince; she watched as they walked by and bowed their heads. But much like how Evanna does not stop and speak to anyone in her own palace, Arawn was the same. He looked ahead and paid no heed to the elves who greeted him. Yet, her own situation was different from his; the nobles despised her for being the king's bastard, so she blanked them.

Evanna did, however, see out of the corner of her eyes the hushed whispers of she-elves and servants. Did they wonder who she was? Or suspect anything? A few giggles made her realise it wasn't her they were looking at, but prince Arawn. She turned her head back to look at his side profile but looked away quickly when he glanced at her and smirked, which vanished promptly as they approached another room.

Evanna glanced around, her instincts kicking in to look for ways to escape. She had to remind herself that she wasn't a princess visiting the elves; she was a thief and their prisoner. However, as she walked through the clear double doors with white leaves ingrained in the glass, Evanna found herself staring at a hall filled with elves. None of them looked at her in disdain, like the previous night when she was first captured. 

She subconsciously touched her hair and realised her ears were still mostly covered. They thought she was an elf. That must be it. But what she could not understand was why she was there and in front of the king, who sat at the far end with a long wooden table before him with plates and cutlery. Evanna stopped her steps and glanced at the varying faces, all dressed in their best clothes and what appeared to be of the richest materials. A musician played their harp quietly in the corner by a grand window that arched together with beautiful designs in the wood.

Prince Arawn turned his head and raised a brow at her as if to ask, what are you doing standing there? Evanna subtly gulped, lifted her chin slightly and pulled her shoulders back. Her posture was never substandard, though. She was taught how to constantly stand, walk, and act as a princess from the age of four. Now, Evanna would use these lessons.

Stepping forward, she now stood in the middle of the hall. Servants and guards stood by the walls, and the nobles sat in their chairs at the two long tables on either side of the main table the king sat at. Evanna curtsied, keeping her head lowered, she did not know if she was meant to talk, but fortunately, Arawn came forwards and spoke in her stead.

"* My king, this is Evanna. A guest to the Flori. *"

Evanna frowned at the prince's comment but quickly composed herself. She was not meant to know Muranthian.

"Please rise and take a seat by my side, 'guest'," The king's voice resounded in the hall, and he put a little bit more emphasis behind the word 'guest'.

Evanna straightened up and followed behind Arawn to her seat. He pulled the elegantly carved wooden chair back for her, and she sat down. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she kept her hands in her lap. She was now sitting in between two of the most powerful men in the woodland realm. 

Evanna forced herself not to show any signs of nervousness or that she was a threat. It was a delicate balance between the two, one she hoped fared well.

She glanced to her side at Arawn and found him staring intently at her. She wished to ask him why she was there, but she could not. Evanna was sitting in the spotlight of not only the King and Crown Prince of the Flori but the nobles and councilmen of the kingdom. After dinner, IF there was an after, she would speak with the prince once they were in private.

As much as she did not wish to be there, she had no choice.

"For a brief moment, Evanna, I forgot you were a thief."

Evanna turned her head to look at the king, who looked at her with his head tilted. He clicked his fingers and pointed at the table; soon after, a servant placed a golden plate with meat and vegetables on the table. The king gestured for her to eat, but she turned her head slightly to look at the prince for permission. He nodded his head. Was this poisoned? No, her senses would tell her if it was..

"Thin-era, your highness. You are far too kind to treat me in such a way," She politely replied and raised a golden fork with meat on it.

The king chuckled, "A thief dressed up in pretty clothes is still a thief.."

Evanna paused her fork before taking a bite and looked back at the king.

"Do you know what we do to thief's here, Evanna?"

She placed her fork of meat down on the plate soundlessly, her attention still on the king. Evanna subconsciously held onto the knife still, she had no intention of harming the king, but if something was to happen to her right now, she would not hold back from defending herself.

"No, your highness," Evanna replied politely.

The king glanced at Arawn, and she followed his gaze.

"We chop off their hands," The prince finished. Evanna watched and pulled her hand back in time for the prince's knife to slam into the table where her hand was placed. She gasped; she did not realise there was another hand that reached there. The knife had been stabbed all the way through the man's hand, sticking him to the wood. A loud yelp sounded from behind her.

Within a flash, Arawn stood up, pulled a sword out from his side, and swung it down on the man's wrist, dismembering the hand from his body. Blood squirted out and coated the table before her, along with her plate of food.

The man fell back, wailing and holding his wrist. Evanna watched in shock as the guards came forwards and dragged him away. She looked back at Arawn, who was wiping his blade with a handkerchief nonchalantly before sheathing it. She stared wide-eyed at the prince, but her attention was brought back to the king, who continued to eat as though nothing had happened.

"Just remember that the next time you wish to steal from us." The king said lightly as he relaxed his cutlery and stared at Evanna, "You may be my son's new plaything, dressed up to look pretty, but do not fool yourself into thinking that he will release you once he is bored of you. You stole a gem that is of great importance to him."

The king returned to his meal, releasing Evanna from his stony silver eyes. She glanced around the hall and saw everyone was still eating, not paying them any heed. Evanna was not shocked by the act of violence, she too, had seen a great deal in her own palace, from her own father. But she was shocked because the king and prince decided to act while everyone was eating. She placed her hands in her lap and looked at Arawn again.

He was now sitting and eating his own meal. It seemed the only placement of the blood was on her plate and partially down her dress. She looked back at the prince's emotionless face again and almost looked away when he met her eyes, but she didn't.

"How long had he been stealing from you?" Evanna queried, keeping her voice level.

"He hadn't," Came the prince's reply.

Evanna parted her lips, her brows knitted together, "He-"

"Was not a thief," Arawn looked at her frostily, and she felt herself grow colder. "Your actions have consequences, Evanna. I am allowing you to roam freely in this palace until I get my answers. But if you do anything that displeases me, just remember that you are not the only one I can play with."

Evanna looked down at her plate as any form of escape vanished from her mind. She could not let others be treated how that servant had been treated. He was merely a pawn thrown away with, just to prove to Evanna that the prince could do anything he wanted. 

"Are you not hungry?" He asked in a concerned voice.

Evanna glanced back at the stone-cold flawless prince.

"Funnily enough, I lost my appetite."