The Seeker and the Source Pt. 02

*****A word of CAUTION there are strong non consensual themes in this part (chapter?)

If you do not feel comfortable reading about rape, battery and sexual assault please skip this.

All characters are over the age of 18

Author's Note:

Wow, I'm pleased as punch. I wanted to thank everyone for all the really nice comments. It's definitely been a journey writing this.

You know one thing I've learned while writing this is that I can't write sex scenes worth crap. You would think, that I would be able to considering I've been with my partner for 3 years and in general have had sex? I'm going to go ahead and just blame my autism.

I'm currently looking for editors to help me with the editing, solo editing is not easy and this story has been through so many revisions a fresh set of eyes looking for cohesion would be a god send. So if you're willing to edit and read my crappy writing feel free to reach out!

Now if only I could get someone to write my sex scenes hahaha...

OOOOH also! Let me know if you guys like long parts like this or shorter parts like the first one. More pages? less pages? Less filler?

Anyways without further ado

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As soon as the door closed behind him. Aurelia sat feeling flustered by the exchange. Binding what does he mean by binding? His words drummed through her brain. This prince had been chasing her down, all her life. The reason she was forced into hiding from birth. Her supposed 'Seeker' if she were to believe his version of the prophecy. Even if he was telling the truth there was no way she would become his mate that's for sure.

She furrowed her brows in disgust at herself, having sat in his lap and drank water out of his hands. She felt angry with herself having felt comforted by embrace, despite knowing the amount of pain he had caused her people. She drew her knees to her chest and focused on holding back the tears that threatened her eyes at the bitter memories.

She heard the door unlock, as a small older woman came toddling in with a tray. She fixed Aurelia a look of concern as soon as she saw the state she was in.

She was a Halfling judging by the size. Halflings lived in remote villages away from humans and Elves, for the most part they were happy peaceful people that didn't disturb others.

She flew into a frenzy asking if she was okay gesturing at the bruises and scratches that lined the exposed part of her body. Part of Aurelia wanted to roll over and laugh at the worried features contorted on the tiny woman's face but at the same time she realized she really must have looked awful.

In truth, her body probably had seen better days, her arms had a long gash gained during a brief skirmish with an elf that night. Her torso still held the deep purple bruise not to mention the newly added red marks compliments of his royal ass, during their water fiasco, that she was certain would leave a few bruises tomorrow. Aurelia did her best to reassure the old woman who introduced herself as Maesys.

She glanced over at the tray of food the woman had brought in with her, the smell of herbs, meats and spices filled her nose.

The pretty silver tray held a bowl of meat and vegetable stew, next to that were two slices of freshly baked bread still steaming like it had just come out of the oven. Food, I need to keep up my strength if I am going to find a way out of here. Aurelia graciously accepted the tray and set upon devouring its contents.

Sighing to herself she began asking her new friend about where she was in order to ascertain information about the area. Her brain began filling with ideas and strategies on how exactly she was going to escape from this place.

Unfortunately, the woman seemed hesitant about divulging such information, Aurelia didn't blame her, assuming the Prince was as evil as his reputation claimed. If Maesys were caught aiding her escape who knows what he would do to her.

"I am just happy to see you're doing better. I was so worried when they first brought you in." Maesys chatted pleasantly.

"How long have I been out for?" she asked curiously.

"It's been about two days since they brought you in dearie."

"How have I been asleep for that long?" Aurelia exclaimed. "It feels like I've only been asleep for a night."

"Stasis can do that to you" Maesys replied, but sensing the girl in front of her hadn't a clue on what she was talking about she continued to explain.

"Stasis is an elven incantation that a few of the high ranking Elves can perform. It's usually used as a means to put those who are injured to sleep. I'm not certain how it works exactly but I do know you could go almost a week without eating and not feel a thing. I've seen a few commanders around the post using it." She offered her a weak smile of sympathy that showed that there was really not much more she could say beyond that.

###

Maesys proved to be an excellent companion, after her initial wariness they slipped into easy conversation like they were old friends. Aurelia enjoyed the motherly tone and attitude of the halfling. She found that Maesys had been serving at the particular outpost for almost 25 years. After finishing their conversation and the woman toddled out the door after giving her a warm hug, Aurelia set about making more affirmative plans.

She walked over to the door and closed her eyes, a yellow glow of aura danced across her skin as she studied the hallway beyond. While she could not see colors she could make out shapes and heartbeats of guards standing outside to watch her.

Aurelia rubbed her head and sighed, leaning back from the door to collect her thoughts. Two men were posted at her door and one that had walked by the hallway, to the right of that hallway is a door that exists outside. The reconnaissance played out through her mind. There were bars on the only window in the room she was in but looking out she could see that she was ground level, a forest line temptingly close to her but there was no way to know how many more soldiers she would run into past the three that she had already accounted for.

I'll just have to bide my time and wait for an opening.

As she thought this she rubbed her head trying to think through the mental fog that hung in her head like thick condensation in the early morning. This had been one of her reasons for not using her abilities initially.

As a Source, her power allowed her to pull off feats of magic that would take even the most talented wizard decades to master. Normally, magical talent comes from the learning of spells and rituals.

Her magic came directly from her very being with divine blood running through her veins, she didn't need the written rituals and incantations or the hours of study needed to produce the effects she wanted.

She wasn't entirely sure how her abilities worked, save for the few feats she learned on her own. From what she could tell it required some focus, and strong feelings.

However, despite her divine blood she still had a human body with all its caveats. She could perform some strong acts of magic as a Source but, the difficulty of what she wanted to do and the length of time doing it often resulted in the fog. Unfortunately, she also lacked the strength to pull off anything particularly incredible.

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The sun outside her window was setting the next day when she heard a knock at her door. The day had been mindlessly dull, she paced her room up and down, alternating between walking and jogging. When she tired of that she laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, plotting her escape, listening to the comings and goings of servants and guards. Was it three people? Four? Did the same person come back?

She briefly debated using her powers to scope this out but decided against it, not wanting to waste the energy. Hour after monotonous hour passed with nothing done. Maybe that was his plan. To bore her to death.

A knock came at the door that broke her from her private reverie.

The door unlocked as a familiar friendly face came waddling in to greet her. Maesys carried a silver tray with plates set on it.

"Hello dearie, just coming in with some supper, thought you might be hungry"

Aurelia couldn't help the smile that spread on her face, glad to finally have someone to talk to and break the monotony of her prison. The tray she carried a bowl that was unlike something Aurelia had ever seen in her life. The bowl was made of solid rose quartz with intricately carved designs surrounding it. The spoon was similarly carved to match the exquisite dish. Elves truly lived up to their reputation for craftsmanship. The bowl alone was worth a month's worth of rations for her camp. Inside the bowl was more soup with the same bread that was served to her earlier.

"I'm sorry about the lack of variation, his highness doesn't quite feel comfortable giving you anything but..."

Aurelia shook her head grateful to be fed at all.

As Aurelia ate her dinner, she asked Maesys all sorts of questions to get to know her more. She enjoyed listening to the old woman's tales about the halfling village she grew up in. Their life seemed idyllic, with festivals almost every other day. Halflings loved any excuse to celebrate life.

As she went on about her life Aurelia's eyes closed, picturing life in a peaceful halfling village.

Maesys in turn asked about Aurelia's life growing up. Stories about her strange upbringing similarly fascinated the kindly halfling.

"Ummm I was taken at a very young age, from my parents to protect them. So I don't exactly remember them" she furrowed her brow trying to think of what information she could be safe telling this woman.

"I was raised by the Cyrrhod mages guild, they moved me often, along with a contingent of rangers who provided more protection. I honestly, never got to stay in one place long enough to get to know my surroundings well."

Maesys nodded her head in sad understanding. Aurelia bristled at this, though she appreciated this woman's sympathy she didn't need to be pitied. She was happiest moving outdoors. Over time, the camp grew in size as followers found or brought with them husbands and wives. Kids of all ages ran around them despite the threat of the war.

That was the way of humans though, they persevered in the face of adversity, in the face of danger. The camp was her kin, and they collectively had raised her.

Especially Augustes, her older mentor. He was patient, encouraging and while he was never afraid to be strict with her he still treated her with the loving tenderness that a parent would give to a child.

Maesys quickly got up and excused herself briefly. Aurelia watched curiously as the halfling slipped out the door and quickly brought back a large tub of warm water. Aurelia eyes widened in surprise at the strength of the halfling. The tub while small was still fairly sizable and was full to the brim with warm steaming water.

Instructing Aurelia to undress, Maesys reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a small cake of soap.

The woman helped Aurelia into the tub and proceeded to gently bathe her. Aurelia let out a sigh of relief, relaxing, inhaling the sweet scent of juniper berries and orange blossom.

As she sat in the tub Aurelia chanced a question to the halfling.

"I don't suppose you have any books I could borrow?"

"Or sewing, I can do some mending for you if you'd like, I'm skilled with a needle" she offered when Maesys shook her head to her first question.

She would have preferred a book to read but she was desperate for something, anything to do.

This too prompted another shake of Maesys head.

"However, I'll see what I can do" Said Maesys when she saw the crestfallen face of her charge.

After her bath the halfling proceeded to rub a healing salve onto the wounds on Aurelia's body, taking extra special care of the large bruise on Aurelia's stomach.

The soft soothing massage made Aurelia sleepy as she pulled on her tunic and Maesys tucked her into bed. It was nice to, for the first time, be inside a warm building, enjoy a hot bath, and lie in a soft bed. It made it feel like, for just a moment, everything was okay and soon Aurelia drifted off into a sweet dreamless sleep.

###

The prince was in the middle of going over supply reports with a few of his men when he spied the halfling servant from the corner of his eye. Maesys, that's what her name was. He had hoped she would help his Source feel more comfortable during her stay here. So far from what he could see, the two had become fast friends. So why was she here?

He gestured for her forward.

It can often be difficult to approach him, especially if he was in a mood. Thankfully he had spent his day rather delightfully thinking about a beautiful luscious human captive he had in the military outpost they were currently occupying. No other woman had ever taken up his thoughts as much as she had in the last two days.

Not that him being in a mood should have prevented her from coming to him with her troubles. While he did not personally command this outpost, he certainly wanted his subjects to approach him with whatever troubled them. Especially when said subject was in charge of easing their captive into her new life.

"Your highness, forgive me but just what do you intend to do with the girl? You should see the state I found her in, covered in bruises and cuts. Shame on you if this is how you treat your guests." Maesys said, taking the tone of a concerned mother.

"That is none of your business, your job is to see to her care" he replied curtly, feeling unnerved by the way this halfling woman was speaking to him.

"I have lived many moons boy and you don't scare me. Now you listen closely, if her care is my job then I will tell you this right now. You cannot keep a person locked in room for hours at a time with nothing to do. That's cruelty beyond all measure, I don't care if she's your prisoner." She said with her hands on her hips. She'd served at this outpost for so long there was little the oversized Elves could do to scare her. To her the prince was just another commander that could do with a little scolding.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The Halfling, in the way that she spoke to him, was somehow more terrifying then some of his best lieutenants and that was saying something. He was so busy that day that it honestly hadn't crossed his mind she was left with nothing to do all day. There was his mother to contend with, informing her that he was delaying his trip back through spectral communication had left a sour taste in his mouth.

Sure she encouraged his feelings toward the Source, but she also did not hesitate to remind him of his duty to his people. He knew the underlying meaning behind her words. The Quene was a formidable force to reckon with, and while she gave him a certain amount of deference as her heir, her patience was wearing thin. In the end he had managed to logically convince her that waiting for the arrival of his cousin so that they could travel in a larger force would provide much needed protection.

He allowed his mind to drift back to the matter at hand. So the girl was bored eh? Now he had to see to it that she didn't use her boredom to get herself into trouble.

This was good though, at least she hadn't tried to take her own life. She wasn't just numbly waiting for the end to come. She was bored, simple as that. The corners of his lips lifted into a smile as her request gave him an idea. He reassured the halfling that he would see that she was given books to read.

###

Aurelia woke up in the morning and stretched. She looked down to examine herself pleased that the salve had reduced the look of the bruise on her stomach. She frowned however when she realized she was naked again. Someone came in and removed her shirt last night. She looked to the side of her bed, a clean tunic laid folded neatly on the table. Aurelia glared at the offending tunic and knew which princely ass planted it there. She ripped it angrily from the table and pulled it over her head.

As she did this she noticed a book fall off. She crept over and peered at the tome. The Maiden Fair and Other Fairy Tales. She wanted to smile at the gesture but knew better than to let him easily curry favour with her. Nevertheless she appreciated the distraction of a book.

She sat back on a chair and opened the book to read.

###

Sometime after supper as Maesys was packing up the dishes the prince came in. Maesys dipped into a quick clumsy curtsy that almost made Aurelia giggle as the halfling teetered out of the room. Leaving her alone with him.

"How are you? Are things to your liking?" He asked his face impassive, his stoic, royal features not betraying his emotion. His hair was tied behind him exposing his long sharp tipped Elf ears. A stray strand fell in front of his face that should have looked out of place on his perfect face and yet he somehow made it look intentional.

"You mean for a prison cell Elf? Do you want me to crawl to your feet and thank you for treating me so well? I'm sorry if I'm not grateful but I'm used to having a little more freedom Elf" she spat.

He cocked an eyebrow as if he were amused by her outburst, while his face managed to remain emotionless. Ignoring her question he gestured at the book

"Can you read? I wasn't sure if you could read or not when I got you that book."

Aurelia paused unsure how to respond. She wasn't quite expecting such a casual question. She was so certain he would have retaliated with violence. Or at the very least that he would have admonished her for her insolence.

"Yes I can read" The mages taught me

"Sorry, it is to my understanding that there's a large population of humans that are illiterate. Elves are taught to read both Elvish and Common from an early age, unlike you humans." He paused registering that he might have offended her with that statement. He paused awkwardly, unsure of how to continue.

Aurelia rolled her eyes. There it was, the famed Elven conceit, the attitude that their race was better than every other race. The divine blood (albeit small) that runs through their veins giving them this preconceived notion that they ought to be rulers of the realm.

"Do you like fairy-tales?" he asked feeling like a love stricken youth trying to engage a female in conversation.

"No I hate them" she lied poorly. "At least with my dagger I can practice burying it in your face." She snarled referring to the dagger he had taken from her back in the forest. Her voice was coated in venom as she spouted this. She didn't care if he hit her for it.

He let out a loud breath, his face impassive, ignoring her obvious snipes at him. His hand reached to his side and withdrew her dagger from his side. He strode toward her but instead of striking her, he simply placed the dagger on the table.

"I took it away because I didn't want you harming yourself when you woke up especially since you asked me to kill you myself. Now that you seem to have no interest in taking your own life, you may have it back" he stated simply.

"However," he paused before continuing, "I would think twice about using that blade against me"

Aurelia paused shocked, unsure of what to make of this gesture. She walked over to the table where he stood and snatched her dagger back. She looked it over in her hand, the simple iron blade, striped of leather stitched around its hilt.

It felt ironic that he would be worried about her health when he was the one who seemed intent to kill her. She glanced up at him studying his features trying to gauge what his reasons were. Whatever it was he was going to regret giving her weapon back.

Grabbing the blade she naïvely swung up to strike him.

His hand deftly caught her wrist with too much ease and squeezed, causing Aurelia to yelp and let go of the knife. The knife clattered on the floor and in one fluid motion he swept her out of her chair and into his arms, with her back facing him and held her in his embrace.