Came all and bear witness to the crowning of the ninth princess, Minette Franka Bellanyx! Who will wed Prince Havick Ivanwood Halifax!
The crowd erupted in cheers. That day was marked in the kingdom as one of glorious celebration for my coming of age and engagement.
For me, while I sat beside the King and Queen, who spun fantastic tales of an upbringing I would never know. It was the worst day of my life, as my actual mother held back a dam of tears behind a bright smile.
"Today, we are only a maid and her mistress, Lady Minette." My mother told me privately after the ceremony.
Not even alone in my lavish new room, was I allowed to cry. Not that I was ever truly alone from that day forward. A servant was never far to attend to my needs, or more likely, ensure I didn't break script.
I wish Mother and I could escape from this bejeweled prison. Yes, that had been my deepest wish that night as I glared with silent tears at the canopy of my bed.
It was the most fervent and selfish wish I ever had after a life of wanting for nothing. Though I was under no illusions that it would ever be granted.
--break
Mint awoke in the dim darkness. Her blurry eyes quickly picked out an assortment of familiar shapes that one expected to find in a bedroom. None of it was hers, so the encounter with the Night Yeti wasn't a mere nightmare.
Leading her to reason that the encounter with the Nymph bathed in golden light was equally real. Following that logic, she had to be in that Nymph's home.
"But where is here?" Mint mumbled while sitting up. The fur blanket fell from her shoulders, giving her quite a chill. She wrapped her body tight as she searched for her clothes. Tattered as they were, they could still provide a modicum of warmth. Try as she might, she couldn't spy them. "Hello?"
Climbing out of bed, Mint shivered as her bare feet touched the wooden floor and made her way to the closet carved into the wall. There was an assortment of clothes inside, all of them very light articles that wouldn't aid in protecting her against the cold.
She called out again, walking towards the door, a faint orange light glowing through the seam.
"Thank you for helping me," Mint said as she entered the other room. She expected to find her savior, but no one was there. There was a low crackling fire in the fireplace, though. Quick as a fox, she darted across the half-cold, half-warm floor and sank to her knees by the fire. "Ah…"
After warming herself, Mint discovered a pile of folded clothes nearby on a lounge table. With the green garments was a note!
That she couldn't read!
"Is this… ancient Elven?" The handwriting was excellent, each word artfully transcribed onto the parchment. All of it in a language not even her paternal grandfather's grandfather would use.
Given how close the Nyx elves tied themselves with humans over the generations, with many dialects and regions, adjustments needed to be made so everyone could understand each other.
Ancient Elven, the literal language of the Goddess Elfania, was difficult for the average human to understand. Though some elders considered it shameful, most people, Elves included, spoke and read Solarian. Which had been the common language before the goddesses' conflict.
"Well, I assume this reads to make use of these clothes and this abode." Mint carefully set the letter aside and pulled the rather baggy tunic over her head. "It doesn't fall quiet as far as I'd hoped."
Though the material was thicker than what had been in the closet, the tunic, or perhaps dress, fell above her knees. It was also sleeveless.
"Oh, there're leggings as well!"
Even fully equip Mint knew full well she wouldn't last a second outside. Perhaps that was the point? Was she being imprisoned here?
A look around the interior of the house told her probably not. Besides, if the nymph that found her was indeed one of the Great Sisters, a divine nymph, a Demi-god, she wouldn't be as wary of the cold as a mortal such as her.
"Still, what a curious home." Inspecting the walls, floor, and ceiling, as well as checking outside the window. Mint concluded that she was in fact inside of a large tree that had been hollowed out. "I know nymphs live in trees, but I hadn't thought it was so literal."
Large didn't quite do the tree justice; not only was there space for a lounge, a dining room, and a kitchen, there was another bedroom besides the one she exited and stairs leading up and down. Meaning this tree had to be absolutely massive.
"Still… this is quite messy." As fantastic as this abode was, it was filthy! Dust and dirt littered the floors; there was soot on the ceiling; pots and pans were piled high with crusted food. It was all so disgusting! The maid inside of her couldn't stand for it! "ARGH! I know there are more important things to do, but I can't leave this be!"
Tossing more wood onto the fire, Mint rummaged around until she found a mop, broom, duster and rags. All clearly never used. She tied a handkerchief over her hair and stared at her battlefield.
"Where to start? Some hot water would be nice." Much to her surprise, there was a pipe in the kitchen sink. Did this place have plumbing? "How does this work?"
There were two gems atop the pipe, one red, one blue. She tapped them both, expecting water or something to come out, but two tiny beings, no bigger than her palm, bathed in light appeared.
"Spirits?" Mint blinked; she'd never seen spirits before. "An undine and a salamander?"
"Do you need something?"
"You can talk!" Mint stepped away, the two spirits dancing around her as they chattered and giggled.
"Of course we can!" The spirits spoke in unison. "We've been here long before you were conceived, little night flower. Our Master said to attend to your needs, so what do you need?"
"Oh, um, hot water, please. If it's not too much trouble."
"Hot water? That's easy!" The Undine and Salamander danced over the sink. Water and flame met as the two spirits worked their magic, filling the sink up with boiling hot water in an instant! "Anything else?"
"Well, I want to clean the soot. Using the fireplace will make more to clean, but I don't want to be cold either. Could you do something about that?"
"Easy!" The salamander did a twirl and shot into the wall. Instantly, the entire interior of the tree house lit up, the walls pulsing with light and warmth as heat radiated from the floor.
"Anything else?" The Undine asked.
"Well, can you clean up the dirty water as I clean?" Mint expected to get scolded for using a greater divine spirit, the precursor to one of the great Elven races, in such a way, but…
"Sure! Clean away!"
"You don't mind?"
The Undine cutely cocked her head in thought. "I mean, if Master hadn't told me to help you, maybe, but I'm bored, so it's fine!"
With the permission of the spirits, Mint went about cleaning the home of her savior. It really was all she could do to express her thanks. First, she started with the counters, using boiling water to soften the crusted food on the pans, and putting them in the cabinets.
When that was finished, she dusted, letting all the cobwebs and dirty black soot on the ceiling and furniture fall onto the still dirty floor. Before finally mopping it all up. The undine and Salamander provided her with plenty of hot water and simultaneously gathered up the dirty water and dried the floor.
"Huwf!" Mint wiped her dirty brow with the back of her hand. Proudly standing in the middle of the formerly filthy kitchen. She would have loved to use polish to really give the wood décor a nice finish, but there was nothing she could use. So she'd have to let it be.
"Alright, time for the bedroom!"
Mint repeated the process in the room she woke up in. And had the undine and Salamander wash and dry the sheets. She would have done the laundry as well, but that seemed a step too far.
"Nothing here seems like it's been worn in a while," she said, pulling at the clothes in the closest. There was an extensive selection of women's clothes, fine-looking ones too, for someone living in a forest. There were some male clothes too, though they were patch worked to oblivion and on the verge of falling apart.
Peeking through the window, Mint guessed it was past noon, and still no sign of her savior. The snow had come in force, so there were no tracks leading to or from the entryway.
"I'm certainly not going out in that." Mint picked up the tattered men's clothes on the floor and neatly folded them, placing them on the side table in the main room by the fire. "If I find some needles and thread, I'll fix this up later."
The condition of her surroundings had spurred her maid instincts, but now that she's gotten everything a fair bit cleaner. She realized how nonsensical her actions had been given her current situation.
"I should probably explore more." Mint eyed the stairs going up and down, and called out to the spirits. "Is it all right if I go look at the rest of the house?"
The undine and salamander paused in their midair dance. They seemed to enjoy the cleaner house, which made her happy.
"It should be alright?" The Undine said as it orbited the Salamander. "What do you think?"
"She has permission, yes? All will be well. It's not as if she can venture outside." The Salamander said as it landed on the gem it originated from. The undine landed beside it. "Summon us if you have need of our services, young moonflower."
"Yes, it was fun!" The undine chirped as both spirits merged into their crystals.
"Yes, take care." Mint waved and blushed. It's not like the spirits were leaving.
They had said some interesting things, though. Apparently she had permission to explore; perhaps the note she couldn't translate said as much, or the 'master' of the house merely told the spirits personally. However, she couldn't help but wonder, could she truly not leave this place?
Given the frozen landscape outside, and her lack of suitable winter clothing, she wouldn't dare go outside unprompted. And her cleaning efforts have yielded no articles of proper winter wear. Every piece of clothing was of the summer variety.
"Regardless of whether I want to go outside, can I?" With her eyes on Spirit's gems, Mint approached the front door and placed her hand on the handle. It turned without resistance and opened smoothly without a squeak. The hinges were well oiled. "Well, I can leave."
She hugged her body as she stood at the elevated entrance of the tree house. The top of the ladder marked where she could climb down if she so wished. She could even mount it; no barrier of magic prevented her from simply climbing down.
What did was the snow only two steps down. Given the height of the tree house and the surrounding trees, it was deep.
"Miss Salamander?" Mint called through the crack of the door. The ball of flame quickly appeared, instantly warming her, even as the wind chilled her.
"Need something already?"
"Yes, apologies, but could you melt the snow to the base of the ladder?" It felt like a gamble to ask; perhaps she would cross a taboo and her treatment would go from courteous to dogmatic, but the Salamander obliged her request once more.
Mint stood agape as the salamander dug into the snow, creating steaming wisps of vapor, as it burrowed further and further into the glistening white land. She leaned over the edge of the tree house's porch, staring into the abyss of the snow tunnel.
It was eight feet deep!
"Told you," the Salamander said, floating out of the hole. "You can't venture out."
"Yes, so it seems. Thank you, I'll return inside."
"Wise choice, young moonflower. I'll warm the rest of the house, so you can explore in comfort."
"Thank you."
-break
Mint's first exploration was the basement. It was funny to think a treehouse had a basement, but this one did. Stones were embedded in the walls and interwoven with roots, creating a rather unique structure.
Though there was light provided by the Salamander, it was still cold. Not surprising as this was a food store. Mint picked through the stock, finding preserved fruits, vegetables, and meats. As well as a variety of seasonings, but most importantly, salt. So she wouldn't starve at the very least.
"This is pretty fresh." Mint examined some of the meat. Once more, her maid experience proved more valuable than her hasty princess education. Though she wasn't a mainline castle cook, she did her fair bit of meal prep during the castle's many banquets. "There's flour too, and yeast; I could make bread!"
Who lived here? She was certain it was the nymph who saved her, but nymphs didn't need to eat. They could, but water and sunlight would suit them just fine. There was no need for a Demi-god to house such a stockpile of supplies. There were also ingredients here that, frankly, she didn't expect to find in a house of any kind in the woods.
"Is there a village or city of some sort hidden away in these woods? Actually, which woods am I even in?"
Mint did not have extensive topography knowledge; what little she knew was focused on her homeland, and the kingdom she was to be married off to and not much else. She knew a bit about the land between her home and her future home and even studied a few maps of the route. Nowhere did she see a settlement of note marked on any of the maps.
Not that there weren't any; settlements could pop up anywhere, but surely the captain or someone of her guard would have mentioned one.
"Captain Tallinn," Mint made a prayer gesture as she thought of her valiant escorts and their noble sacrifice. "Goddess Elfania, please tend to their souls with care. They were truly worthy of your love… unlike me."
The scene from the ruins came back in force. It was her fault they were attacked; her doubt and selfishness led to the death of her faithful countrymen. They gave their lives for an unworthy princess.
Mint left her troubled thoughts in the basement. It seemed like a good place for them. Whether she was still considered an Elfanian, or even a princess, wouldn't change the fact she was stranded out in the woods. Perhaps when the snow thaws, she can rekindle her connection to her patron goddess and find her way home or something.
"Something indeed."
More troublesome thoughts plagued her mind as she ascended to the second floor. Surely her father would investigate her disappearance when she failed to arrive in Halifax. They'd scour the roads, find the scene of the attack and assume she'd perished.
She froze in the middle of the stairway. "Would that be so bad?"
If she were pronounced dead, she wouldn't have to marry the prince; she could escape to live the simpler life she was accustomed to. Her mother wouldn't be killed or treated any differently than she has been.
Of course, that assumed Elfania wouldn't interfere. The goddess knew she was alive; she could tell her father via an oracle or directly if she so wished. Her rescuers could merely wait for spring before setting out to retrieve her. Even if she were to run, they would find her.
"Would she care?" Yes, Mint has earned the goddess's attention, but did she earn enough for Elfania to hound her until her dying day? She was quite literary an ant from the god's perspective. "She answered my prayer though; I think?"
If after her wavering at the ruins, Elfania listened to her plea for aid and answered, it would be a death sentence for Mint to further backhand her goddess's charity. That led back to her current question: was she still an Elfanian?
"Ugh, not today." Mint briskly traveled the rest of the stairs to the second floor. She was done thinking about this, at least for now. "I wish I had kept cleaning." She bemoaned, though she would have all winter to fret about her future.
"Let's see what's up here!" The stairs bent around the curvature of the tree, so Mint couldn't see the next room readily. Her first sight was of a platform, which led to more stairs leading up and an entryway on her right. When she looked into the doorway, she found a large round room with shelves carved into the wall and covered in books!
"Wow…" it was larger than the castle book room. None of the books were even chained! She followed the curve of the room, eyeing the worn spines. She pulled a book out periodically and explored the contents.
There were plenty of old Elven books, but just as many were written in old Solarian. The verbiage was more articulate and philosophical than what she was used to, but she could read it. Though she didn't quite understand the meaning of some of it.
"The fire of her heart flickered brightly as a rising dawn, casting shadows as deep as a moonless night?" Mint held the book at length, turning it this way and that way as she studied the accompanying image, which was fully colored and depicted a man bowing before a female silhouette with a blue flame floating above her breast. "Is this referring to Solaris?"
Azure-blue flames were associated with Solaris. She supposed this was an account of some follower seeing Solaris in person, perhaps?
Mint replaced the book, checking others every so often. Curiously, there were books about all three goddesses, their various children, folk tales, mathematics, everything really. There were even books on magic, flora, fauna, and craft smithing.
"This…" Mint cautiously replaced her most recent pull. "This is more than a wealth of knowledge."
Not only was the knowledge here invaluable, but just the monetary price of these books would bankrupt her homeland.
"This supports my divine nymph theory." She still wasn't certain who her savior was, but nobody sane would allow such a treasure as this to be left unguarded. No mortal could accumulate such a collection, even in generations. Not with books this old. "I'll just leave these for now."
Mint politely excused herself from the library and went up the next flight of stairs. Following the bend of the tree as she climbed. When the top came into view, there weren't any more stairs, but a high ceiling. She stepped onto the top step and found herself in what could only be an auditorium.
It was large and circular; a stockpile of every kind of weapon rested on the racks near the top of the stairs with various bits of armor for both male and female. The rest of the room was bare, save for two mannequins stationed at the center of the room. That's what they appeared to be, but she knew what they really were.
Ents.
Ents were a nymph's familiar, born from nym that failed to sprout into elves; their souls were repurposed into these wooden beings. They came in various shapes and sizes, whatever creature their master wanted, really. The Nacht, her clan didn't possess such magic, but she knew about them.
She knew enough to know not to get any closer to them. These Ents weren't in the form of beasts, such as wolves or horses, but were that of a man and woman. Armor was interlaced with their vine-like bodies; manes of glowing emerald flowers made their hair.
These were Green Knights. Ents made from powerful warriors.
Keeping her mouth shut, Mint slowly retreated towards the stairs, never letting her eyes leave the two wooden beings. As she descended, she saw their helmeted heads following her.
"Miss Salamander! Miss Undine!" Mint yelled once she returned to the main floor. The two spirits heeded her call.
"Yes?" they replied in unison.
"The Green Knights…" Mint huffed, greedily sucking in air. Running down two stories hadn't been a great idea. "They can't come down here, right?"
"The saplings?" The Spirits looked up at the ceiling, as if they'd forgotten the Ents were up there. Maybe they did. "They are merely Master's playthings, to keep their skills sharp."
"Can they leave that room?"
"Not unless commanded too?"
"Why do you sound so uncertain?" Mint stressed, as the two spirits looked at each other and shrugged.
"It's not important?" One said.
"Why is there cause for concern? Did you break something?" Asked the other.
"No! Of course not, I was merely taken by surprise, is all. I didn't expect to find two green knights up there." Now that she had the chance to calm down, Mint realized how silly her reaction was.
Ents may be autonomous, but she was an elf herself, not a nymph, so there was no reason the wooden familiars would attack her unprovoked. That was what she thought, but a part of her feared her transgressions against Elfania might be used as probable cause.
Get over yourself, Minette! She wasn't that important, but she was a guest. So long as she behaved, everything would be fine. As her heart calmed, so did her mind, and the spirits' wording baffled her.
"Excuse me, but did you say those green knights were your master's 'playthings'?" The spirits nodded and danced.
"Yes, they keep the master's skills sharp!"
"Though master has not used them in sometime, as they have become predictable, they say."
"Predictable?" Mint inquired.
"They no longer provide a challenge," the Undine clarified.
"I see, so your master is a warrior of note?" Green knights were some of the most powerful familiars the Elfanians could produce. For the older green knights, it's said they could rival the might of a Solarian Saint or a Minervian archdemon. They were, according to her political tutor, a strategic asset. One of her half-sisters had been married off to procure one.
The spirits looked curiously at one another. "Is master of note?" The Undine asked the salamander.
"What does it mean to be known?" The salamander asked, both looking at her. Seem being legendary divine spirits did not mean they were wise to the world beyond their boundary.
"I mean, are they famous? Such as the three divine sisters, or perhaps one of the nine primordial mothers?"
Undine and Salamander looked beside themselves. "Hmm, Master could be considered among the vaulted children, but is not counted among their number."
"And they are not known to the world." The salamander held up its tiny hands. "Of all who dwell here, only four know of them outside our home."
An icy chill filled Mint's heart. Has she stumbled upon a divinely guarded secret? Given what her tutors told her, all of Elfania's children were being committed to the war effort against the Solarian and Minervians. What few Elven kingdoms there were, struggled over every available resource. That's what led to her crowning and engagement. That's what she was told, and yet, a powerful unknown individual, with two Green knights essentially tossed aside like a child's toys, where just sitting here?
"Why," she croaked.
"Why?" the undine replied.
"Why was my life thrown into chaos when there are much greater means just sitting here? If we are truly so desperate, surely your master would not be kept hidden away, right?" The spirits only shrugged at her question.
Of course, they didn't know her circumstances, nor did they care. They probably didn't care for anything beyond the bounds of their forest. That was the difference between the divine and the mortal.
"Perhaps," the Salamander began, "you're where you're supposed to be?"
"Where I'm supposed to be?" Mint blinked as hot tears rolled down her cheek. It's a common phrase. That implied that even if you didn't know where you were or what you were supposed to do, the gods set you on the right path. It was essentially telling one to have faith.
Very few appreciated hearing it, Mint included. It was all her father, mother, half-siblings, and tutors told her whenever she voiced her complaints about her becoming a princess. In her opinion, what the phrase really meant was, "So long as the goddess doesn't say otherwise, this is the right path."
"I doubt it."
Feeling hollow, Mint did the laundry once more, employing Undine and Salamander. She worked in silence. Trying to scrub away all the troublesome thoughts of what-ifs, divine providence, and the politics that ruined her life. Right now, at this moment, she was a young lady lost in the woods.
After doing the laundry, she took the big pot in the kitchen and started making a stew. Half expecting the master of the house to return at noon. A spicy stew after being out in the frozen wastes was sure to be appreciated, and it seemed like the least she could do for her mysterious benefactor if she was going to use their food stores.
They, however, didn't return, so she ate by herself.
With little entertainment and the books upstairs feeling far too pricey for her to read. Mint, after a bit of ransacking through the bedroom, found a treasure trove of thread and a pair of needles. The thread was fine silk, finer than what her dress had been made of. And the needles were crafted from silver, elegantly engraved with a vine and leaf pattern, as well as some script.
"To my clumsy thumb beloved," the script was written in modern, so Mint could read it readily. "I know they meant to be enduring, but I can't imagine it went over well."
Sitting by the fireplace, Mint mended the patchwork men's clothes. She'd probably have enough time to make a whole new set over the winter, but that was for married women.
"I cleaned the house, cooked, and I know I'm sewing, what an amazing newlywed I am." She chuckled. Truly, this was the life she expected to have, and would have had if she continued to be a castle maid. All the court politics and moving to a new land were not in her ideal life, not that she'd had one in mind. "Now I'm waiting for my husband to return home from hunting."
As she giggled about the life she could never have, her fingers moved steadily, turning the rags of clothes into something more presentable. "I should reinforce them a bit, if this is how they get." Mint sewed away the afternoon and after the last rays of Minerva's sun disappeared. She had the undine and salamander prepare a hot bath.
"I never expected such luxury out in the woods." She sighed as the salamander dried her off. Flopping onto the bed, she stared at the ceiling. "Hard to believe so much happened in such a short time."
She'd been on her way to Queendom, gotten ambushed, seen her escorts killed, trekked blindly through the woods, was saved by a mysterious person, and now found herself here. All within two days. As Mint drifted off to sleep, she wondered what would come next.
"Hey!"
"Huh?" Mint's eyes fluttered open. Was it morning already? She squinted as a dark shadow loomed over her. It took a bit before she made out the stubble-bearded face of a heavily dressed man with intense silver-green eyes. Tuffs of dirty blonde hair and long pointed ears stuck out of his cap. He didn't look very enthused to see her.
"What are you doing in my bed, woman?"