Chapter 46 I Always Try My Best— Even When I Desire To Rest
The Orcs, as most people were well versed on, were known to be vicious and aggressive creatures. They feasted like wild savages, screaming and partying every time they had an opportunity to do so. They lived on the mountains, and were generally avoided because all they did was cause problems for the people around them.
Any reasonable person would hear all of this and say that it was pointless to meet these people. They were akin to wild beasts— coyotes, goddamn it! And the last thing anyone wanted was to accommodate those damn animals!
Maeve, dear Maeve, couldn’t hold back the joy flowing through her veins. She was staring down at the map Amir had drawn for her, a new beautiful image flashing through her thoughts.
Workers. Hard workers. Farm workers.
“You can stop drooling on the map because you are not going anywhere,” Adrian’s voice was the one echoing through the treehouse they were in as he ripped the map from the table— and neatly folded it before he placed it in his pocket. “Why are you so stubborn?”
Maeve turned her attention to Amir. “You are letting this happen?”
Amir, who was now standing at the window folded his arms, sighing as he said quietly, “I do not wish to agree with that man who is evil and demonic—”
“You could not help yourself, could you?”
“But he is right,” Amir finished. “It is not safe for—”
“I understand that you care for me,” Maeve was in front of the poor man before he could run, and before Adrian could tell him to do so. His eyes widened as he realized how terrifyingly close she was, especially as she grabbed the sides of his arms and squeezed it gently, “Are you really that terrified of a lovely life with me forever?”
Amir was not used to emotional manipulation, nor was he used to touch. She had never used both techniques around him before but as one would say, Maeve did not understand how to do things normally when she needed something. “N-No, it is just—”
“Three trials,” She cut in, her eyes gaining more fire. “I cannot do them here. All the women know this. All the men know this. But I must not give up! Look at me. Do I seem like someone who does things half way?”
“You surely ask these things to embarrass yourself. I am certain,” Adrian was behind her now. “And stop letting her say those things to you. She keeps showing her real self in every statement she makes,”
Maeve turned, ready to apply the same pressure she was using on Amir but she didn’t even have the face on before Adrian said with his eyes closed, “Please do not insult me by trying that. I am not him,”
She turned away immediately and faced Amir who looked like he was suffering a terrible headache, “I know none of this means anything and I understand that it is for something selfish, but have you even considered the fact that amongst the three trials, the last one involves you speaking to my goddess— or for better use of the words, receiving a vision from her,”
“And evil beings do not receive visions,”
Maeve could feel her eyebrows furrowing together as the need to lunge at Adrian and drag her nails across his face flashed through her head but she fought it down as she said instead, “Look. I need the trust of all the elves here. It’s the only way I can try… anything really. And I know personally that the only way to get people comfortable enough to trust you is to partake in the events that are important to them,”
Like attending baby showers with your coworkers . Birthdays. Even funerals when you know not a single person there just to make friends.
Not that it worked in Maeve’s defense but she did not care.
Anyway, the thing was Amir could sense a sort of… dishonesty in her statement.
Whatever she needed to do did not need their trust, just like everything else did not need their trust. She could do whatever she wanted, just as always, but for some reason, she preferred to take the hard way… just to make sure everyone else felt comfortable.
How was he supposed to say no? “Okay.”
Adrian’s eyes opened there. “What?”
“I cannot leave the village at this time as they might believe I wish to assist you on the trial, which is forbidden,” He continued like he hadn’t heard the man speak, his eyes focused on the woman in front of him with a smile on his face. “So you must take the Duke with you.”
Maeve sighed. “I had never planned on going anywhere without him.”
“I believe decisions should not be made without the person in question being asked but if I am asked, my answer remains the same—”
Duke Adrian Valecourt was a man of principles… keyword being ‘was’ because Isabella Montague was slowly turning him into a man he was not, the man in question being him currently standing far away from the borders of Satyr… while she hugged the beast… remember the Irae? Yes. Tightly.
“He was waiting all this time,” Maeve sounded so happy as she wrapped around its neck. The beast thing still unsettled Adrian so naturally, his hand stayed on top of his sword all throughout. “Isn’t Thomas a good boy?”
“When do you plan on fixing the so-called curse, Miss Montague?” That caught Maeve’s attention slightly, causing the woman in question to raise her head in confusion as he continued, “We have been here long and nothing has happened, nor do you seem the type to put yourself in a… marriage that puts you under anybody,”
Maeve, who had on a different attire than the ones he had seen in him, sighed as she climbed on top of ‘Thomas’. “I don't think I can free their land from the curse, Adrian. I don’t think there’s much I can do in that regard. If Amir cannot fully understand it, then neither can I,”
“So why lead them on?” Adrian didn’t like this. He didn’t like the thought that she was lying… that he couldn’t trust the woman in front of him no matter how hard he tried. “These people… this is their home—”
“They would not follow us back to Aeltherra willingly, would they?”
Adrian felt like he had just been slapped hard across the face. Very hard. His eyes widened in shock, his entire body frozen for a few minutes before he said quietly, “What are you… You swore an oath to Eldoria, if you do not fulfill it—”
“I promised to make them allies and give them fertile lands again,” Maeve cut in, “And their lands would only be fertile after they are gone. It is because they are here that the land dies. It feeds on them. Forgotten what we have seen with the land Thomas was guarding? Or with my farmlands? The grounds become more fertile the less actual life survives on it. The only way to save Satyr is to take them away from it,”
Adrian wanted to tell her it wasn’t true… but he couldn’t doubt it. He knew her theories made sense somehow… and he also knew they wouldn’t leave.
Elves were a proud race and they wouldn’t take to being relocated kindly. Especially by a human.
… but they wouldn’t treat her as just a human when she marries Amir, would they? Elves had a tricky courtship situation called a bond… so if things went the way she desired, they would see her as… one of them.
“Can we go and meet the Orcs now?” Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts, her eyes staring upwards. “I already feel hungry and I know we are on a time limit,”
Adrian did not know how to feel. He had expected her to give one of her humour-filled responses about the elves, something backhanded about why she was actually planning on doing as she had sworn even though she went about it the wrong way but she hadn’t.
And he realized…
She had a plan. She had always a plan.
And the thought terrified and amazed him.
He wanted to ask what the orcs added to the equation but he knew his window for being let into her head again had closed, so instead, he nodded and bowed— the very first time he was showing her any ounce of respect, “Of course, Miss Montague,”