{"id":1252,"date":"2026-06-19T21:36:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T21:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/?page_id=1252"},"modified":"2026-06-26T17:02:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T17:02:04","slug":"naspreview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/index.php\/naspreview\/","title":{"rendered":"Preview: Nettle and Song"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chapter One: Roel<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fuzzy caterpillar crawled along the edge of Roel\u2019s sword. It was bright red, and its sharp, tiny mandibles were black. What it was doing here was a mystery: in winter, its kind burrowed into the rotting flesh of plagued corpses, bursting forth as crimson butterflies weeks later to mark the arrival of spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cYou\u2019re early,\u201d Roel sighed and shifted in his seat, careful to keep the sword level so the tiny creature wouldn\u2019t fall off. \u201cAnd lost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


He rose from his armchair and stepped off the wood patio into his garden. There, he squatted near a flowerbed growing strawberries and gently picked the caterpillar up, placing it on the earth under a particularly lush cluster of leaves. He watched it for a while until it disappeared among the green, then stared off where it had vanished for another few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


That had been a bloodmouth butterfly. Despite its apparent early arrival, those were a good omen, if one believed the superstitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel didn\u2019t. He\u2019d outgrown such things some fifty years ago. But any enemy of the remnant was a friend to him, no matter how small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Quick steps came down the garden path. The gait belonged to Lex, Roel\u2019s distant cousin. Roel stood up to meet him and turned around just in time to see Lex appear from behind an overgrown trellis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThere you are!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cRoendel\u2019s ship has arrived. He\u2019s waiting for you.\u201d
\u201cGreat,\u201d Roel muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


He walked past Lex, pointedly ignoring the other\u2019s curious gaze. They both returned the way Lex had come, in silence at first, though Roel could almost sense the questions burning in Lex\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cNo, I still don\u2019t know why Del has asked to speak to me, and no, I don\u2019t know if he\u2019ll let you join.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cActually, I was going to ask why you seem so displeased to meet him. You two are close, aren\u2019t you?\u201d Lex wondered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel glanced over his shoulder, though not at Lex. Instead, he caught the last glimpses of his garden before stepping inside, quiet longing stinging in his chest. Whatever the reason for Del\u2019s visit, Roel hoped it wouldn\u2019t take him away from home for too long. He still had most of the summer to enjoy the break between remnant assaults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWe are. Or were,\u201d he conceded as they made their way through the vast and quiet halls of Duath-Naelas. \u201cBut he has a kingdom to run, a wife to entertain, and a child on the way. And I have my own duties. We can\u2019t be bound to each other as we were before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cSure, but that means you should be happier to see him, no?\u201d Lex pressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cIf this was a simple family visit, he wouldn\u2019t have been so cryptic in his messages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cYou think he brings bad news?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cOr something he knows I won\u2019t like. Something bad enough that he has to tell me in person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Lex didn\u2019t press him again. Roel was grateful for it, as it let him ruminate in peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


He hoped \u2014 and feared \u2014 that his brother had news of Ariel. It had been more than thirty years since their sister disappeared after a particularly explosive argument with their father. The king had died only a few years after Ari\u2019s disappearance, but she still hadn\u2019t returned home. With Del busy at the throne and Ava busy with her priesthood, Roel wondered if perhaps Ari would have kept him company, if she were around. She hadn\u2019t even been a proper adult when she left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


What if she was dead? Or, more likely, she simply didn\u2019t want to return to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


He didn\u2019t blame her. Whatever left of Father\u2019s rage that Del couldn\u2019t handle would usually fall on her and Roel. But Roel had stayed, despite everything. Why did Ariel leave, and why hadn\u2019t she come back? Was it possible she didn\u2019t know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Lelann stood waiting at the entrance to the landing tower, fidgeting with her jewelry. Her pale eyes lit up when she spotted Roel and he took a quiet, arming breath as he approached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThe king is here, Roel,\u201d she said, hand darting out to smooth down her light brown hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI know,\u201d he replied curtly. He wouldn\u2019t be making for the landing tower otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Her use of his short name always made his ears curl. He knew she had the right, given what they almost were, but it grated nonetheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


She nodded at Lex, and waited for them both to pass before joining the impromptu entourage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel wasn\u2019t sure why either of them bothered to tail him; the king had only asked for his brother to come. Well, Lex probably wanted to meet Del. They were cousins, too. Lelann, though? What was her excuse?<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel trudged on, two steps at a time, absently admiring the view through the curved stained glass windows of the tower. For all the grimness of his city, its place in the eternal war and the weight with which people spoke its name, nothing could beat that vast, mountainous vistas that surrounded it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel pulled open the door at the top of the landing tower and squinted in the midday sun. Del had taken a smaller, faster skyship here. This wasn\u2019t an \u201cofficial\u201d visit, so no need for other dignitaries or extra guards \u2014 that was the only thing soothing Roel at the moment, that this meeting couldn\u2019t have been all that important. The ship perched on the stone landing pad glimmered in the sunlight, its sails folded neatly like the wings of a dragonfly. Del stood on the deck, and even at a distance, Roel could tell he wore his usual satisfied grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A couple of guards lowered the ramp, wood striking stone just moments before Roel stepped aboard. He couldn\u2019t stand ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Lelann remained on the landing pad, but Lex powered on without a care in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cGood day, my sweet prince,\u201d said Del to Roel, half-teasing and half-sincere, as usual. \u201cAnd you, Lexis. Still as eager as ever, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cGet on with it,\u201d Roel interjected before Lex could reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del sighed, closing his eyes in exaggerated disappointment. Then he nodded solemnly and gestured toward the slim door leading to the lower decks. His guards remained still, watching them leave. Lex remained as well; he wasn\u2019t that<\/em> eager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel watched his brother\u2019s back as Del led him to his on-ship quarters. He hadn\u2019t changed a bit since they last saw each other. How long ago was it, now? Almost a year. It wouldn\u2019t have made sense for Del to change in such a short amount of time anyway, but Del had always been more adventurous. Roel had at least expected him to do something new with his long hair. Though perhaps Del had to ask for permission to alter his hairstyle now that his wife\u2019s lock was braided into it. The red silk band was the only indication that Del was married; the queen\u2019s hair was just as black as his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del stopped at a door at the end of the cramped corridor running the length of the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAfter you,\u201d he smarmed as he opened it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel responded with an annoyed glare and stepped inside. It was a small room, with a double bed tucked into a corner and a writing desk under the window. There were some documents on it, and as Roel stepped closer to look, it took him a moment to recognize the script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201c\u2019Eberia: Customs and Traditions<\/em>?\u2019\u201d he read out in the Eberian tongue before turning to stare quizzically at his brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cHad to dig those up from the old archives, before Father\u2019s time,\u201d Del replied casually as he locked the door. \u201cI imagine they\u2019re quite out of date now, given how quickly the humans, er, develop, but it\u2019s better than nothing!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWhy are you reading human documents?\u201d Roel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cIt\u2019s been thirty years since Father\u2019s\u201d \u2014 Del rolled his eyes \u2014 \u201cunfortunate<\/em> demise. There is a new king on the Eberian throne, one I hope will be amenable to softer relations with our kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel heard it, that telltale lilt in his brother\u2019s voice that heralded a proposition. He bit back a hasty assumption and sat heavily down on the only other chair in the room, waiting for his brother to explain himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del smiled and smoothed out his robes before sitting behind his desk and plaiting his well-manicured fingers. He wore a slimy little smile that Roel knew others found appealing and comforting \u2014 one he could see for the blatant attempt at appeasement it truly was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI have made contact with the Eberian royal family. Their king is open to discussions of an alliance. The diplomats are arranging a time and location.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel did not respond. That wasn\u2019t why Del had come here. It was something he could have told him through a message, something that had nothing to do with Roel and would likely have little to no impact on his life. No, if Del was here to discuss this in person, then he had plans to involve Roel somehow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel gripped the chair\u2019s armrests tightly and forced himself to think of the bloodmouth caterpillar. It was a good omen. A good<\/em> omen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cYou have excellent instincts, little prince, I\u2019ll give you that,\u201d Del sighed. \u201cBut it needn\u2019t be such a bad thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The king looked through the documents on his desk, shifting them around in a manner that suggested less searching and more uncovering something he\u2019d hidden before Roel arrived. He found whatever it was, and brushed his fingers gently over the aged parchment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI was doing research to see how the old human kingdoms sealed alliances between each other. For inspiration, you see. Before Father\u2019s time, the elves and humans had a sort of live-and-let-live approach to our international politics. But after a war that great and a quiet thirty-year truce, I figured it\u2019s time to clear establish true, lasting peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThere was little in terms of diplomacy on our side to set a precedent, especially after the fire that destroyed the Living Library, so I wanted to know how the humans did it among themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel did not comment, even when Del met his gaze for a reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del\u2019s confidence wavered at that. He looked down on the parchment again, frowning, reconsidering. For a moment, something akin to regret passed over his face. Then he sighed and put the parchment down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel wanted to give Del some time, but was also running out of patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWell?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del\u2019s smile returned, a little sadder this time. Roel noticed tiny, barely visible wrinkles around his eyes. The king would soon turn two-hundred. Still early in his prime, and yet, he was already showing signs of age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cMari suggested something to me that was quite intriguing. You see, before the unification of the human clans, their various chieftains would secure alliances between each other by marriage. Nowadays, the same thing applies to their noble houses, where children of nobility enter political unions for the sake of monetary gain or in order to increase their status.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel pursed his lips. This had bad implications, as did many other things suggested by Queen Damaris. \u201cElves don\u2019t do this,\u201d he simply said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cOf course not. But \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del trailed off. Instead of speaking, he shifted his gaze from Roel\u2019s eyes to his head. Or, more accurately, his hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel wasn\u2019t sure why. It wasn\u2019t uncommon for a male blood elf to shear his hair. It was done to signal their commitment to solitude \u2014 or their acceptance of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cIf you do not want to marry a fellow elf, then would it matter if you married a human?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cDo you hear yourself?\u201d Roel spat. \u201cRepeat those words and tell me how they sound.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cIf you are committed to a solitary life, if you won\u2019t marry an elf and contribute to the population, then you might as well make yourself useful in another way, no?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAnd a half-elven child isn\u2019t contributing to the population? Are you suggesting we hand it over to the humans once it is born?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWhat? No, of course not\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cBesides, I make myself useful by fighting the remnant. I already give everything I have every fall and winter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del sighed, \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I don\u2019t want to use such arguments on you, little prince. Let me try something else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cBy all means,\u201d Roel scoffed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThe political marriages among humans are just that, political. They facilitate the exchange of titles, land, influence, or keep these things in the control of the families involved. It is rare that the spouses actually want each other. Most of the time, they have a legal spouse and a lover. And in this case, the marriage would be purely symbolic, something to strengthen the existing alliance, if the humans agree to one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel crossed his arms, \u201cMeaning?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cMeaning<\/em> that I wouldn\u2019t demand or even expect that you and your human wife, you know\u201d \u2014 Del gestured vaguely \u2014 \u201cconsummate the marriage. Should you change your mind, you could still keep an elven lover. And humans only live for less than a hundred years. The commitment wouldn\u2019t be that long for you. You\u2019d be in perfect marriage age by the time your human wife passes on. So, no losses there, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel realized now that he wasn\u2019t in the company of Del, his brother, but of Roendel Caentei, King of the Elves, who had held the elven people together when the previous king\u2019s behavior almost tore it apart. Who, in the end, had his father\u2019s throat cut to protect his family and kingdom from more bloodshed. And who married the woman holding the knife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


It was surprising that Damaris would suggest such a diplomatic approach. What wasn\u2019t surprising was Del\u2019s eagerness to go along with the idea. Del was a cutthroat and a schemer. Roel wasn\u2019t sure if he could be anything else. Of course he would consider foisting some hapless human woman upon Roel as the best path to political gain. It made perfect sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI doubt the humans will see it that way. They\u2019ll probably want an heir, to make sure both kingdoms are equally invested in the alliance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWho cares what they want?\u201d Del retorted. \u201cI won\u2019t force my precious little brother to sleep with a human if he doesn\u2019t want to. And it\u2019s not as if they\u2019ll be standing in the bedroom, watching whatever happens. Or doesn\u2019t happen, as it were.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel wasn\u2019t convinced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Was Del really asking him this? Sure, it would be temporary for him, but that was still, what, fifty to seventy years spent with a human? Even if he didn\u2019t love her, or sleep with her, he\u2019d still have to tolerate her presence in his home. Take her on meetings with generals and officials. And what would happen during winters? Would he bring her to the border, or leave her behind to remain alone for months on end until he came back to be a standoffish and cold husband? No matter which way he twisted it, no matter how much quiet disgust he held for humans, he couldn\u2019t deny that it would be cruel to treat a woman like that. To use her for \u2026 what, exactly? Del had mentioned that human marriages were exchanges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWhat are you hoping to gain with this alliance? So far I\u2019ve only heard what I\u2019ll be losing, and not what we\u2019ll be winning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del\u2019s self-satisfied grin returned in full force. \u201cI am hoping to exchange the human princess for the Winland Peninsula.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel wrinkled his nose. The elves had conquered that land during the war. It was still human territory in every sense but the literal, given that it held naught but abandoned mines and factories, and few elves wanted to live there. But land was land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAgain, our loss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAh, but see, I also intend to ask them for military support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


That made Roel pause. The elven military had suffered great losses during the war, so much so that even the blood elves had to be drawn away from the border to fight humans instead of remnant \u2014 they had lost miles of land since. He wasn\u2019t sure if the humans would be willing to send their own soldiers to an old enemy. What would they be fighting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI know the blood elves are weakened,\u201d Del said solemnly. \u201cI know the situation is difficult at the border, Roel. And I figured \u2026 The humans have machines. They have their rifles, cannons, all of it. And though they are susceptible to the remnant themselves, their military prowess, their metal toys, and their sheer numbers should still prove useful to our people, no?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Even though Del was a sky elf, he spoke of blood elves as though they were his, as well. Roel couldn\u2019t help but appreciate that, in some half-dead part of his soul that still remembered their father\u2019s hatred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAnd you think the humans will give their weapons and people to an old enemy in exchange for a piece of land and a marriage alliance that won\u2019t produce heirs?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWe won\u2019t tell them it won\u2019t produce heirs, silly. And don\u2019t dismiss Winland. They had mines there, quarries, factories that even our greatest engineers weren\u2019t able to figure out. They want that stuff back. That\u2019s where they produced a large bulk of said weapons, you know. Why do you think Father threw so many soldiers at it back in the day?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cSo you\u2019re giving back their weapon factories and then asking for the weapons they make there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cPretty much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del was practically preening, now. But there was something else, a playful glint in his eyes that was tempered by \u2026 Was that embarrassment? Not Del, surely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWhat!\u201d Roel demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThere\u2019s another thing. Something I thought of during the trip.\u201d
Interesting. This was something not even Damaris knew of yet. Must\u2019ve been something truly unhinged if Del was the sole mastermind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWars have grim consequences for everyone involved, but while the humans are quick to recover, we elves are ironically more fragile despite our longer lives.\u201d Del drew a heavy sigh. He was clearly stalling, telling Roel the obvious like this. \u201cThe war has had a rather devastating effect on our population. We have plenty of women left, but few men, especially at the southern border where they\u2019re most needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel\u2019s ears flared up, \u201cYou\u2019re not suggesting \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI am. Human soldiers would help restore the border.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The revulsion was so sudden and intense that Roel stood up and started pacing in front of the window, unable to face his brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel was no elf supremacist, but this \u2026 Was Del truly suggesting bringing in human men to intentionally have children with elven women? Instead of the few elven men left in the country? No, not instead, alongside, but that didn\u2019t make Roel feel much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


He took a deep breath and pressed his forehead against the window, staring out across the mountains without seeing. \u201cOf course you would suggest something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWhat, because I married a half-human?\u201d Del replied behind him, a slight challenge in his voice. \u201cYou can\u2019t tell me I\u2019m wrong, my dear prince. The border is thinning. We can\u2019t afford to let the remnant encroach on our lands more than we already have. And when humans have children with blood elves \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201c\u2026 the children are always blood elves.\u201d Roel pinched the bridge of his nose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


That was the reason Queen Damaris had been accepted as Roel\u2019s spouse. Mostly accepted, anyway. Her being a blood elf was still a subject for many debates and general unrest in the kingdom, but if people knew her father had been human? There would be riots. There could be riots if Roel married a human, too, though being fourth in line and already much disliked by the nobility, he suspected people wouldn\u2019t perceive it as too much of a threat to the throne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cBut these things are only the beginning,\u201d Del said. \u201cTrade, resources, services, labor, diplomacy. All of it would benefit us. There\u2019s a reason Father failed to invade Eberia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cHe was stabbed,\u201d Roel retorted. \u201cIn his sleep, no less.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cSure. But not before giving the invasion his best shot. My point is that the humans were a formidable enemy, even with their short lives. That means they\u2019ll be powerful allies, too. And they know that if we were to fall to the remnant, they would be next. Helping us is in their best interest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The glass had warmed under Roel\u2019s skin and no longer provided a cool respite. He stood straight, then turned to face his brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThis is madness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThis is politics, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAnd you really believe that my marrying a human will help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI do. Wholeheartedly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Roel looked away again, unable to meet Del\u2019s earnest gaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


He knew Del wanted what was best for the land. He knew his king was doing everything to make sure no elf would have to endure another war. And he knew that if Del said he wanted peace with the humans, he meant it. Which in turn meant Roel had no right to stand in the way of such a grand goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


But why him? No, he knew why. Avanel was second in line, marrying her to a human would be alarming to many. And she was \u2026 fragile. She always had been. He wouldn\u2019t trust a human man to take good care of her, and he suspected Del held the same opinion. Ariel would\u2019ve been a good candidate, but only the gods knew where she even was. Roel was the only one left, and as a soldier, a blood elf, he was expendable. Not in line of any throne, far away from courtly intrigues that could question the marriage. And yes, he wasn\u2019t looking for an elven partner anyway. So he might as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cYou\u2019ll do it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cYes. I\u2019ll marry a human woman for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Del\u2019s grin widened even more somehow, making him look oily enough to slip between the floorboards. He gathered the documents on the desk and smugly arranged them in a neat stack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cDon\u2019t worry, little prince,\u201d he said. \u201cIt won\u2019t just be any human woman. You\u2019ll be getting a proper princess. Nothing less for my dear Roel.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chapter Two: Teddy<\/mark><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mask was starting to get swampy. Teddy kept her breathing even, knowing there was no way she\u2019d lose even with a disadvantage, but it wouldn\u2019t be very triumphant to win while feeling like a molting lizard.

George swung, right hook, aimed straight at her. She blocked it, smoothly leaning into the movement and ducking as he responded with a left hook, anticipating her block. He struck out again, right hook, and this time she dodged it and aimed a kick at his exposed ribs. The attack connected and George grunted, losing his balance and nearly toppling to the side. His pale eyes widened, though it was hard to spot in the dim light.

She\u2019d fought him half a dozen times. Surely the surprise would\u2019ve worn off by now?

George the Giant wasn\u2019t a great fighter, but he was massive and bald and looked like a criminal, the type of combatant people pictured when imagining an underground fighting ring. They loved to watch him beat smaller opponents. Better yet was to watch a smaller opponent beat him. George was superior to Teddy in both height and girth. Unfortunately for him, she was superior in every other aspect.

It was difficult to be proud of her accomplishments, though. It wasn\u2019t as if she\u2019d earned her strength, nor was this a good use of it.

But she didn\u2019t have any other outlet \u2014 no other way to feel the power surging through her limbs.

She corrected her mask as George recovered and took a step back, walking a careful circle around him in the sweat-soaked sand of the ring. The audience \u2014 made up of loud and eager working class folk at the very front, masked and mysterious nobles at the dingy back \u2014 shouted for her to finish him.

Teddy always felt bad for finishing him. They\u2019d have him fight others, climb his way up the ranks, then pit her against him and watch him crumble. She\u2019d bested many champions like this. She was their greatest challenge, their insurmountable odds. And she was the ace up the owner\u2019s sleeve for whenever the money dried up and people started getting bored. When the regular fighters weren\u2019t scratching people\u2019s itch.

She\u2019d been coming here for years, appearing as the mysterious warrior once every few months, and disappearing without a trace. It kept people intrigued, and her somewhat satisfied. But it was only a matter of time before people got bored of her, too. Even the mightiest hero had to fall someday. She wondered who would come to dethrone her, and whether she\u2019d be able to act the defeated part well enough to convince anyone.

George screamed a war cry and charged her. She allowed his massive arms to lock around her waist as he pushed against her, attempting to topple her to the ground. Teddy\u2019s feet skidded painfully through the sand, but she didn\u2019t fall, didn\u2019t buckle. Instead, she wrapped her arms around George\u2019s torso and heaved, throwing him with nary a grunt over her head and backward into the sand.

The crowd went wild. An average-sized woman had just tossed a man called George the Giant over her head like a sack of potatoes. As they howled, she positioned herself behind the struggling George and wrapped her arm around his throat, bracing it with the other. She had to be careful not to snap his neck while choking him \u2014 or rip his head clean off. Poor George had had enough troubles for the day.

The referee stumbled into the ring, counting by slamming his palm into the sand: one, two \u2026

A bell rang out. Most people cheered, some groaned, and Teddy released George from her grip. He gasped for air and crawled away, the anger of defeat mitigated by shock and disbelief. His large face glistened in the dim light, his eyes wide and bloodshot.

Teddy put her hand on her chest in lieu of a proper apology. She couldn\u2019t speak, in case anyone recognized her voice. Not that there were many high society bigwigs attending underground fighting rings, but better safe than sorry.

\u201cAnd so the Masked Warrior wins again! What a performance, what audacity! What incredible strength and technique!\u201d

Teddy bit her lip, which was rather difficult under the mask. She hadn\u2019t considered that it was quite the feat for a woman of her stature to throw a man that big.

Hopefully people would chalk it up to adrenaline or the aforementioned \u201ctechnique\u201d rather than anything supernatural. She didn\u2019t want to lose her only outlet because someone busted her for cheating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere\u2019s your pay.\u201d

Bradshaw, the man in charge of the venue and its book keeper, dropped a tattered leather folder on the table in front of Teddy. She picked it up and thumbed through the old bills inside. He\u2019d skimmed twenty percent off the top. Either it was getting more expensive to run these events, or he was getting greedier. She assumed the second, because the venue was still as grotty as ever.

Teddy nodded and walked out of the makeshift office. She glanced over the railing as she walked along the metal pathway, looking for familiar faces among the lingering remains of the crowd. An argument had broken out between two wealthy-looking masked gentlemen, but it wasn\u2019t violent, so none of the guards had stepped in yet.

She continued into the poorly lit back corridors of the old slaughterhouse, caked with ancient blood and grime, and stalked past other fighters and thugs who were all waiting for their payouts. They kept their distance from Teddy, though, letting her pass them and leave the premises in silence. Usually.

\u201cNice job out there, Warrior. You really showed old Georgie, here,\u201d said Harry the Slip, who was thin and wiry and liked to oil himself up before fights. He was always one of the first to be knocked out in tournaments, but his style and unpleasant personality were enough to keep people watching and rooting for him to get beat up time and time again.

Teddy stopped, cursing herself quietly as soon as she did. She had to keep her innate politeness in check whenever she was around these people, mainly because interacting with them more would risk revealing her true identity. But poor George looked so defeated, his pale, bald head glistening in the naked electric lights above, that Teddy couldn\u2019t help but stop and try to console him.

She couldn\u2019t<\/em> console him, though. She couldn\u2019t tell him anything.

Putting her fist over her chest, Teddy lowered her head slightly while holding George\u2019s gaze, hoping the gesture would be interpreted as the apology it was. He looked away for a moment, then turned back.

\u201cAw, see? The mighty warrior feels bad for kicking your ass!\u201d Harry laughed, slapping George on the back a little too roughly.

George paid him no mind. \u201cCould you \u2026 teach me? How to fight like you do?\u201d

Teddy held his gaze sadly, then shook her head. George nodded. He didn\u2019t seem surprised at her reply.

Harry opened his mouth to speak again, but Teddy waved goodbye and hurried further down the hall.

She came to a stop at the old metal gate that separated the cart roadway from the garden where the animals used to be kept. The gate itself had rusted shut ages ago, but there was a small window just above it. Magic coursed through her limbs and she took a running leap straight at the door. One, two, three steps, fingertips on the bricks and up she heaved, pulling herself through the small opening. Fresh air filled her lungs as she let go, landing on the struggling grass in the old garden.

Before she\u2019d found this window, she would trek all the way to the waste disposal section and crawl through the old sewage system, emerging on the edge of town.

This was much more pleasant, but also more risky. Though there were no windows on this side of the building, people leaving the premises would sometimes mill about, particularly working class folk who lived in the industrial district.

Teddy was less worried about them, as they weren\u2019t likely to recognize her. Still, she sneaked over to the spot in the wall that looked patched-up on the outside, but was actually a collection of old metal scrap she could nudge out of the way and then carefully put back in place. Listening in, Teddy knew there were about half a dozen people outside the abattoir, but none were on this side of the building. She took a deep breath and drew on her powers once more.

Several presences lit up in the imagined map in her mind, shining a beacon on every person in the vicinity. Most were gathered near the entrance, others lingered around the eastern corner, discussing the outcome of the fights and sharing cigarettes.

One singular presence was right outside the hole in the garden wall. It stood there, patiently, turned squarely toward Teddy\u2019s spot \u2014 waiting for her.

She sighed. He shouldn\u2019t be doing this. If he got caught, all her efforts would be for nothing.

Teddy yanked off her mask, then knelt beside a hole in the building\u2019s foundation where she kept the bag containing her other<\/em> disguise. She put on the nondescript shirt, the worn plaid waistcoat and matching jacket, the drab knickerbockers and scuffed brogues, and stuffed her hair into the newsie cap until every lock was put away. Once she was done, she shoved her fighting clothes into the bag and hefted it over her shoulder, before hurrying back to the hole in the wall and quietly lifting the metal sheets to slip through to the other side.

\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be here!\u201d she hissed to her brother as she let the metal block the hole behind her. \u201cWhat if someone recognized you?\u201d

\u201cI wore a mask!\u201d Efra whined, pointing to the alleged mask. It was the kind that only covered the area around his eyes. If anyone who regularly enjoyed the newspaper took a proper look at him, they could very well clock him as the second in line for the throne. \u201cBesides, can\u2019t I take a risk to watch baby Ted beat men with her bare fists? Look at you, such a spry young lad!\u201d

Teddy stomped off in the direction of the closest omnibus station, quickly enough to remove herself from the slaughterhouse but not so fast that she\u2019d draw attention.

\u201cDo you know what<\/em> you\u2019re risking, you menace?\u201d she huffed as Efra appeared by her side. \u201cHow\u2019d you even find me?\u201d

\u201cOh, please. Don\u2019t ask me that, or I\u2019ll tell you,.\u201d

Teddy grumbled to herself.

Of course Efra would know where to find her. He\u2019d probably known for a while, but hadn\u2019t bothered to meet her before because her sewer exit had been too unsavory for him.

\u201cSo you have people tailing me.\u201d

\u201cYou\u2019re our Teddybear, and nothing should happen to our Teddybear without me knowing.\u201d

She grimaced at the old nickname and stomped on, \u201cI can handle myself. Let your spies rest.\u201d

\u201cIt\u2019s not about your ability. And my people know what they\u2019re doing and why. Besides, any assignment that involves you has been reason for plenty of infighting before, because they\u2019re always a breeze.\u201d

\u201cThen why do you insist on sending people to shadow me if it\u2019s such a nothing assignment?\u201d

\u201cBecause I need to keep an eye on you.\u201d

\u201cUgh.\u201d

Teddy was just about to say something else when she spotted the automobile parked on the side of the street. Her heart dropped immediately.

\u201cEfra! You brought your stupid car here!\u201d

\u201cI did.\u201d

\u201cWhy? Are you insane? What if people see me getting into \u2014\u201c

\u201cOh, quit your complaining and get in before someone does<\/em>.\u201d

Teddy huffed but didn\u2019t resist when Efra opened the door for her. She was then shocked for a third time this evening, as her oldest stepbrother, Eli, was sitting inside already.

He smiled fondly at her, making some of her frustration melt away. It\u2019d been a while since she\u2019d spent time with both her brothers without supervision. But if they had taken the time to see her like this, then something bad must\u2019ve happened.

\u201cGood evening, Teddy,\u201d Eli said gently. \u201cYou look a proper Theodore in that getup.\u201d

\u201cThanks,\u201d Teddy replied curtly as she fastened her seatbelt. \u201cDo you two have something important to share, or are you just here to annoy me?\u201d

Efra climbed in and sat down beside Eli, taking the mask off. \u201cA little of column A, a little of column B,\u201d he said.

The car engine roared to a start, halting conversation until it calmed down. Teddy hated automobiles, preferring horse-drawn carriages, but the royal family used cars nowadays for any sufficiently important event. And, apparently, for any sufficiently annoying prince. They were the ultimate status symbol, even if they were loud and inefficient (perhaps those were the very reasons for their popularity). Teddy hoped they were just a fad, but fads tended to last less than the two years the cars had been around, so the hope was quickly dwindling.

As they left the industrial district, Teddy took off her cap and threw it on the empty seat beside her, letting her hair flow out over her shoulders. Then she sat back, watching her brothers expectantly.

\u201cI assume you remember the elves arriving this week? Father has been more concerned with Edie\u2019s ceremony than with the foreign royals coming to visit,\u201d Efra said.

Teddy sighed quietly, \u201cI couldn\u2019t forget even if I wanted to.\u201d

Princess Elladine had recently turned thirteen, and her Ceremony of Purpose was supposed to take place this year. The anticipation around the whole thing had been the main reason for why Teddy had sought out yet another fight.

She was bad at handling frustration, at least in the ways someone in her position was supposed to handle it.

Eli and Efra knew this, so why did they insist on making such an entrance only to bring it up now?

\u201cHis Majesty has a lot on his plate, and the gift ceremony of his youngest is undoubtedly important,\u201d said Eli reasonably. \u201cAnd you\u2019re only excited because you want to see elves.\u201d

\u201cAnd you don\u2019t?\u201d Efra asked in disbelief.

\u201cElves aren\u2019t cute little dogs, or exotic animals. They are a people, like us, but with pointed ears and incredibly long lives. I don\u2019t see why it would be exciting to see them. Now, the political implications of the visit, however \u2026\u201d

\u201cEveryone\u2019s aware of the political implications, asshole. And reducing said people to just pointy ears seems counter to your argument. I want to see what they wear, how they speak, how they behave. It\u2019s a meeting of cultures, finally!\u201d

\u201cUh-huh. And the fact that every other elf is supposedly a dish has nothing to do with it?\u201d Eli drawled.

\u201cWe have many reasons to celebrate this development,\u201d Efra replied snootily, then turned to Teddy again. \u201cAnyway, we came to speak to you about the ball the day after the elves arrive. You\u2019ve been invited as a guest of the royal family.\u201d

Teddy grunted in reply. The obvious exclusion stung, but it was made almost comical in its audacity.

A guest<\/em> of the royal family. Not the queen\u2019s daughter or anything. But having no direct blood relation to the throne would do that to a person, she supposed. She should be happy she\u2019d been invited at all.

\u201cWe tried to convince Father to invite you as a member of the family \u2026\u201d Eli began.

\u201c\u2026 and Her Majesty was deeply upset, threatening not to attend \u2026\u201d Efra added.

\u201c\u2026 but Father was unfortunately adamant. And I imagine it wouldn\u2019t make much of a difference to you, anyway,\u201d Eli concluded.

Teddy shook her head half-heartedly. \u201cNot really, no. I\u2019m surprised he\u2019s willing to go that far, though. People will talk.\u201d

\u201cNo doubt. He\u2019s starting to get a little too brazen in his pettiness,\u201d Eli sighed.

Efra took this moment of contemplation to speak again, \u201cWhich is why I think you should use this check to its fullest extent. Get yourself something nice for the ball, to really upstage the other partygoers. Maybe even the elves!\u201d

Teddy took the slip of paper her brother had handed her with a quirked brow.

She\u2019d been given enough money to buy a dress of the latest fashions, as well as the necessary accessories, which somehow made her even angrier.

Eustace didn\u2019t have the backbone to cut her off entirely. Instead, he invited her as a guest, but secretly gave her money so she wouldn\u2019t embarrass him when she came.

She didn\u2019t like people who couldn\u2019t stick to their principles.

\u201cI\u2019m not one for dressing up, you know that,\u201d she replied, but put the check into her bag.

She\u2019d use her own money to buy a dress and give the check to her part-time maid. She hadn\u2019t been working for two years just to rely on her almost-stepfather\u2019s funds, but Miss Calloway would appreciate it.

\u201cCome on! When was the last time you went to a ball?\u201d Efra whined.

\u201cFive months ago? On your twenty-fourth?\u201d

\u201cOh, right.\u201d

He fell quiet, tapping his fingertips against his knee.

Now Eli spoke, \u201cSpeaking of elves, you should polish up your Iveseli. It\u2019s been a while since you graduated, so re-learning a few pleasantries won\u2019t hurt.\u201d

Teddy nodded. She didn\u2019t expect to hold long conversations with the elven royals \u2014 in fact, she\u2019d be surprised if His Majesty let her clap eyes on them as a mere guest<\/em> \u2014 but it was better to be prepared.

\u201cI think I remember most of what I learned back then, but I\u2019ll take a trip to the library tomorrow after work and read up on the basics.\u201d

\u201cThere\u2019s probably no need for that. Didn\u2019t you write a whole dissertation on elves? I bet you know more about their culture than we do,\u201d Efra said.

It had been two years since Teddy submitted that paper, and it had been about the differences in magic among elves and humans, in terms of religious views, practice, and technique. Very little of it had been about the elven cultures and customs, and most importantly, it\u2019d been based on limited first-hand and extensive second- and third hand sources. A historical account collecting available information, nothing more.

Besides, she had never been that taken with the subject. It\u2019d only been the best option of a bunch that were foisted upon her as a child \u201cin relation\u201d to the royal family. Studying magic, even if it was just theory, had been her own little form of rebellion. She hadn\u2019t been allowed to go into the army, like she\u2019d wanted.

\u201cNot really,\u201d Teddy said nonchalantly. \u201cIt was mostly a deep-dive into the differences between human and elven magic.\u201d

\u201cMaybe you should practice your Iveseli, too, Efra,\u201d Eli scolded. \u201cLest you make a bad impression.\u201d

Efra glanced up with a suspicious squint, \u201dWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean? Will I not be a delight, as usual?\u201d

Eli\u2019s expression was well-meaning yet mysterious.

\u201cOf course. The elven king will love you.\u201d

\u201cGreat! What\u2019s the problem, then?\u201d

\u201cThe prince will find you insufferable.\u201d

Efra frowned. Teddy couldn\u2019t help her confusion, either.

Someone resistant to Efra\u2019s magic? How unusual.

\u201cThat\u2019s \u2026 impressive,\u201d Efra admitted, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. \u201cIt\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve had a real challenge.\u201d

\u201cThe prince\u2019s approval isn\u2019t vital,\u201d Eli reassured him. \u201cAnd, as far as I can gather, he doesn\u2019t particularly like anyone.\u201d

Teddy remembered Efra coming over to her apartment in the city a fortnight ago and sharing some of the information his spies had gathered on the elven royals. He had historical accounts from before and during the war, then the updated reports, which included summaries of diplomatic letters that had been sent to and from the elven court. He\u2019d also shared rumors and gossip, which were his favorite, but he knew weren\u2019t particularly reliable.

Teddy hadn\u2019t retained most of it. Why would she have to, given she\u2019d only meet them once, if at all? She only knew that the current elven king had ostensibly murdered his tyrant father with the help of a murderous, bloodsucking assassin he later married. It all sounded very theatrical.

Though maybe that was due to Efra\u2019s delivery.

\u201cSo. What do the elves want?\u201d Efra asked, his expression serious once more. \u201cI have theories, but you must know.\u201d

Eli frowned, then shook his head. \u201cSorry. I don\u2019t know enough yet, and don\u2019t want to worry you with speculation..\u201d

\u201cWorry us? That\u2019s not good.\u201d

Eli\u2019s eyes darted up to meet Teddy\u2019s for a split second before he looked away again.

\u201cIt\u2019s nothing terrible. But I\u2019d rather not say, for now.\u201d

\u201cBut will the peace talks go well, at least?\u201d Efra pressed.

Eli stayed silent for a little too long, rolling his lips. \u201cDepends on your definition of \u2018well\u2019. But the alliance will be secured, with both parties satisfied.\u201d

\u201cThat\u2019s good news, then! What else could we wish for?\u201d

While the younger prince celebrated, Teddy found her oldest brother watching her with concern. She gave him a curious look, but he only responded with a small smile before looking away.

This didn\u2019t bode well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter One: Roel A fuzzy caterpillar crawled along the edge of Roel\u2019s sword. It was bright red, and its sharp, tiny mandibles were black. What it was doing here was a mystery: in winter, its kind burrowed into the rotting flesh of plagued corpses, bursting forth as crimson butterflies weeks later to mark the arrival […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"excerpts","meta":{"dsgo_overlay_header":false,"dsgo_overlay_header_text_color":"","dsgo_overlay_skip_top_bar":false,"_designsetgo_exclude_llms":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1252","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1252"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1323,"href":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1252\/revisions\/1323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/effiegreen.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}