The Seeker and the Source Pt. 02

This was the first time Aurelia had been standing next to him, pressed against his chiseled chest just beneath the layer of his tunic. It had just occurred to her just how big the prince was. While she was no giantess herself, she was definitely not short for a human. However, coming up to just about his chest level, she was dwarfed in comparison to the big brute of an elf. This wasn't fair.

"I did warn you about using that against me veela." he murmured in her ear. His mouth found a delicately bit the round of her ear as a hand roamed across her struggling frame to caress her breasts before slipping beneath her tunic to grasp and pinch at a nipple.

Aurelia moaned at the shockwave caused by this, her back arched lifting her face up, in unanticipated pleasure. Hating how her body responded to him.

"Stop that Elf" Was all she could breathlessly manage in protest as she struggled to regain her composure.

"I have a name you know." he murmured holding her gaze in his deep viridian eyes. He wanted to hear the sound of her melodic voice saying his name. "Illandriil"

His face leaned down suddenly pressing his lips into hers. Holding her back to balance her, he kissed her deeply. She closed her eyes in surprise before closing them as she kissed him back enjoying the feeling of her lips on his, opening her mouth enticingly, letting his tongue sink in and flick across hers. The addicting scent of his skin enveloped her. She moaned against him letting him. His kiss, his tongue felt almost urgent with desire, claiming every inch of her mouth possessively, stealing her breath. He felt perfect against her, something in her body just craved him further. Her mind on the other hand...

She snapped her jaw down onto his tongue roughly biting him enough to draw blood on his lips. He grunted and pushed her away from him. Aurelia staggered back glaring at him while wiping his blood from her lips.

"Next time, Elf-," She said emphasizing her lack of desire to use his name "keep your body away from mine."

The prince chuckled mirthlessly, his eyes dangerous and threatening, like a carnivore encircling his prey just before the pounce. Bending down to pick up her dagger he paused deliberately as if debating on killing her right then and there. She glared back at him, defiantly daring him to sink the blade in her. Instead he tossed it roughly downward towards her feet.

"Next time think twice before trying to raise a blade to me" and with that he turned and stomped out of her room slamming the door behind him.

Aurelia shook her head incredulously, letting out the breath of air that she did not realize she was holding. Even his stomps are graceful.

Alone Aurelia rubbed her lips and tongue trying to get the taste of him off of it. She sank down to the floor, surprised, but frustrated in being alone again in the room.

###

She woke up the next day finding herself humiliatingly naked again, with more books mysteriously on the table next to a meticulously folded tunic.

A note was placed neatly on top, written in the delicate script that was the prince's handwriting.

Unfortunately most books in my library are in Elvish but I have managed to pull out a few books written in Common, perhaps one of these will be more to your liking.

-I

She smiled upon reading the note, before resuming a scowl. What was wrong with her? How could she be letting this man effect her like this? He was set on turning her against her people. Yet one look from him sent shivers down her skin.

###

Aurelia was feeling more sullen than usual. She had been trapped in this room for days with little to do besides reading, exercising and talking to either Maesys, or the prince when they visited. Maybe it was her imprisonment but the prince was getting to her more than usual this night.

"Aurelia look at me," Illandriil commanded. His face, authoritative and emotionless like he was ordering around one of his men.

Aurelia glared at the bowl in front of her willing herself not to follow the simple order. Annoyed at her attitude he reached across the table to roughly grab her chin to look up at him.

"Elf" She said that like she was spitting out something disgusting. Her eyes casted downward in defiance.

"When I tell you to do something I expect you to do it immediately" He said threateningly

That's it, she thought as she cracked. She didn't want to obey him, She didn't want to want to see him. She didn't want to want to see him. He was driving her up the wall and in this room there was no escaping him. The intense feelings he stirred in her at every touch, the way he smelled when his lips were pressed against hers.

The worst part was the more he visited, the more she longed for his visits and hated herself for it. All because some stupid prophecy supposedly said she should. If he was to be believed that is. In all likelihood, this was just a falsehood to turn her against her people. A pawn. That was all she was to him.

She winced as his fingers dug into her jaw.

When her eyes finally met his, his grip on her face relaxed and a thumb brushed her cheek.

"Stop that," Aurelia said, her cheeks flushing at his attention.

His eyes lowered seductively, as he gazed at her, enjoying the slight pout of her lips.

"Why? You seem to be enjoying this" he mused.

"Don't flatter yourself, Elf"

"Oh? Our kiss the other day suggested otherwise" he said in a suggestive tone.

"How are your lips anyway? I do hope I didn't leave a mark" she glowered back, her tone dripped in sarcasm.

"I have had wounds far worse than that." He brushed it off. He paused as if contemplating his words before continuing in his infuriating suggestive tone. "-besides I'd gladly take another one of your bites if it means a few more minutes of what happened before." His mouth twitched up into a cheeky grin.

Aurelia flushed remembering how he felt against her skin. He was toying with her.

He leaned across the table bringing his face so close to hers, she could feel his breath on her lips. Aurelia slowly inhaled trying to remain calm, his breath smelled sweet like ginger and honey. Her spine tingled at his touch. He was tantalizingly close, it felt like she was losing control of herself as her body begged for his touch, even has her mind revolted.

"Well little one?"

It felt like she was fighting against instinct when she snarled and snapped at his mouth. The prince easily dodged this, chuckling at her. He swiftly planted a kiss on her neck pausing briefly to inhale her own sweet scent. He stood up and casually walked towards her. He bent down beside her chair clasping her cheeks into his hands. Smiling at her like he was gazing at a lover as opposed to a prisoner.

"Biting like an animal doesn't suit you little one" he murmured gazing into her seething sapphire eyes.

"FINE THEN, How about this?" Aurelia exploded glaring at him, she willed mental thorns into his brain, tearing deep into his mind. The pain would have been akin to having your brain torn apart whilst simultaneously being compressed.

A sinister black aura licked across her skin emanating from her body. He gasped falling onto his knees, clutching his head. She didn't care, she wanted him to feel pain, the pain of failing her race, the guilt she felt for dining with the enemy and allowing him to manipulate her emotions.

She hated using her ability to inflict pain, it went against everything her mentor taught, not to mention the tremendous amount of mental effort it took just to maintain her focus. It always took a large volume of mental energy just to do anything to living beings but in that moment it didn't matter.

He was doubled over now in pain, his pale blond hair made messy by his desperate hands. She pushed herself not to care, all she wanted to do was make him suffer for as long as she could, hoping it would ease her inner turmoil. She fought hard to fight whatever feelings her body seemed to have for him.

It couldn't last though. Strained, she felt her abilities ease to a stop, as her dark aura faded away. Her mind, foggy at the strain of using her abilities, her breath, panting like she ran for twenty leagues without break.

His eyes flashed from anger to looking deeply pained. Despite this, his face quickly resumed a more gentle expression.

He glided over in two long, graceful steps and yanked her up pulling her down to the bed with him. He forced her between his arms and she growled and fought against him. Instead of retaliating he simply held her facing away from him. Holding her easily with one hand he used the other to stroke her hair gently and hum into her ear.

"Calm down my angry little human, all I said was that fighting doesn't suit you" he soothed, blanketing her in his calm aura unbeknownst to her.

She shuddered in his arms, his voice was soft now, peaceful. Listening to his words was like feeling warm chocolate slide down her throat. She hated herself for letting him soothe her, it shouldn't, what he was doing was fucked up, and yet she found solace in his voice as waves of comfort washed over her.

The worst part was that her own body was betraying her by responding positively to his hand gently running through her silky locks.

"I know you're upset because you feel like you've failed all of mankind. Please believe me, you are far better here than in their hands. They would see you die to fulfill their version of the prophecy." His words carried a growl as he said this as he thought of the idea of her lying dead on an altar, as her blood drained out her lifeless body. His arms tightened in possessive anger around her small body.

Aurelia shook her head, she didn't want to believe him but as she attacked his mind, she sensed his thoughts on the prophecy, knew he wasn't lying to her when they first talked about it. At least, not to his knowledge. A perk for having been in his mind.

"Trust me, little one, you will feel better once you stop fighting me."

"Elf I-" Aurelia started in protest but the prince cut her off.

"I don't like when you call me Elf, you know my name."

Her brain swirled with a storm of emotions combined with the thick cloudy fog that left Aurelia unable to decipher what was what. Overwhelmed and exhausted from fighting, Aurelia shifted her head into his crook of his arm.

"You, don't get to choose what I call you." she murmured into it.

Her eyes drooped as her body gave out from exhaustion. If he responded to her comment she would never know. At this point she felt too tired to keep fighting his hold. Allowing his body to provide her with the only comfort she had known in days. Her eyes grew so heavy that she gave in and slept wrapped up in his embrace.

###

Aurelia woke up in the morning, slowly blinking away sleep, she gazed at the sunshine streaming in through the barred window. It took her a moment to remember how she had got into bed last night. She reluctantly looked over to the other side of the bed expecting to find the prince's sleeping form.

Alone. She signed feeling a weird pang of sadness in her chest. She cursed under her breath for letting herself get close to the prince like that. Manipulating her emotions to suit him. Or was it the prophecy? It was hard to tell, but if their fates were entwined then it would be what influenced her feelings for him. Did that even matter though? The feelings were feelings and they felt real to her regardless of influence.

She sat up in bed and stretched noticing that she was naked, again. Aurelia rolled her eyes. This was becoming tiring.

She got out of bed and stalked toward the table. Reaching for the same folded tunic, cursing herself for letting him undress her as she slept.

She wanted to throw the prophecy back in his face. She would have told him it didn't matter even if he was telling the truth. Just because he had technically rescued her from being a walking sacrifice doesn't mean she was going to suddenly bend over and let him bind himself to her. Whatever binding even was.

Aurelia thought back to the conversation they had about the prophecy. His words echoed in her head.

'On your twentieth year, if the humans sacrifice you back to the gods, your blood will aid human victory

Why does the prophecy say that the humans will sacrifice me if I am a Source?

The feeling of fear tingled through her spine. They were going to kill me. They were raising me in the dark. Her stomach balled within and a deep sense a betrayal clustered within her. They were my family! she screamed in her head. Frustrated and hurt. She tried to picture her mentor, stern but loving, bringing her up the steps of the temple of Orris. Orris was the ruler of the gods, the serpent headed deity who supposedly sired her.

She wondered at how he would have done it. Would he have knocked me out and laid me on the altar and plunged a knife into my heart? Or would it have been done secretly and slitting my throat while I'm unaware. She shuddered at the thought.

She had always been told that the Elves wanted to use her abilities but her people were no better. She bitterly thought to herself I'm being used either way.

She was now more uncertain about her role in the prophecy than ever before. However, one thing was certain. She had an irresistible will to live.

Without a doubt the gods had given her the desire to be alive as well as her gift. But there was no way she was going to sit back and let herself be binded to the prince and turned into a pawn for the elves. She chuckled mirthlessly at the irony, of being the subject of a prophecy that involved her dying to save her people, yet being given the need to live.

She glanced around the room that served as her prison cell contemplation. She would need to escape if she were to prevent being bound to the prince. Even if she were to escape though where would she go? Running back to the humans meant certain eventual death. Staying here also meant being a prisoner and a pawn.

She stared out the window and made a vow between her and the gods. I will never be a pawn, I will never let anyone use my powers. She silently swore that no one will ever hold power over her, that she will be the master of her own fate.

I could live in the forests, alone, far away from anyone who would see to use me. Live a long and happy life amongst animals and no one would ever have the temptation of using my abilities. She smiled at the thought of setting up a small cabin somewhere deep in the heart of the Great Gaddoral Forests.

Running around barefoot through the leaves and dirt. Drinking in the fresh dew that dripped from the great leaves of the Sicha tree. Free from anyone who would wish to use her to do harm. Free from anyone. Period. A lonely existence she thought sadly.

###

Aurelia chewed her food apathetically as she stared off into the distance. Illandriil knew exactly what spurred her sour demeanor even if he had yet to bring it up. He simply sat there eating his food pretending to not notice. It wasn't that he intended to ignore her, he just did not know what to say to her.

He had woken up with a thundering headache. He had no doubts about who had caused it. It had taken him all his strength to fight the urge to retaliate when she eased up. But this was exactly what he wanted her to do.

He had originally expected her to use her abilities to protect herself in the forest. In fact he thought she would use it at some point during the week. He needed her to use her abilities on him. She needed to at least read his emotions on the prophecy and see that he was telling the truth. But as the days wore on with no sign of her abilities he grew impatient. He changed tactics and started trying to provoke her into fighting him.

At first he thought giving her dagger back would do the trick. Disarming her would taunt her with the fact that she couldn't overwhelm him physically. For good measure he fondled her body against him, though that had been more out of lust for her.

Then there was that kiss they shared that left him breathless. Completely unexpected. The way she demurely opened her mouth letting him explore her, tasting her sweetness. He wanted to take her right then and there.

She proved to be particularly resilient because not once did she use her abilities and he could not understand why. He knew he had to escalate this somehow. He took to dining with her every night to increase his interaction with her.

This clearly worked a little too well. The pain she caused felt like his brain was being strangled by her stems, their thorns digging into his brain, wrapping themselves around it tighter and tighter. When she finally released him and he saw the frantic expression on her azure eyes. He felt every retaliatory feeling melt away. For awhile he had simply gazed at the wild, shocked look on her face. He could tell that he was frightening her, the truth was frightening her.

She had been told only one thing her entire life and he had just tossed her into an ocean of truth with the expectation that she'd swim. He spent the rest of the night trying to comfort her, radiating the calm aura around lulling her to sleep in his arms. He swore to himself that he would be better than this as he possessively held her closer to him.

###

"I have some questions, Elf and I demand answers" Aurelia said, emphasizing the derogatory nickname she had bestowed on him.

"I assumed you would." His face maintained an impassive look, his voice neutral." But you're in no position to demand"

Setting down his fork, he stared at her intently enjoying her frustration. A slow smile spread across his face.

"What would you give me in return for my answers?"

She uncrossed her arms as her shoulders slumped down. She stared at her lap and her hands balled up on it. The idea of giving her jailer anything, even for answers made her uneasy.

"What do you want?"

"Have sex with me." He stated, more than answered.

Her face seized with various emotions, between anger and disgust. She wasn't sure if it was directed at herself because she was actively considering his offer or because he had offered at all.

"In your dreams Elf." She scoffed, blushing color rising into her cheeks at the suggestion.

He bristled at the mocking name.

"All too frequently I'm afraid. Fine, I'm feeling generous, I'll answer your questions if you sleep with me." He sighed as if relenting to offer this bargain.

"Just tonight?" She asked, straightening up.

"Nope, I want to sleep with you every night." he said with a smile as he winked at her.

"No!"

"Well it's either you have sex with me tonight or you sleep with me, otherwise you can go without getting any answers at all."

She shot him a dark scowl at his ultimatum. He couldn't help but feel pleased with himself. He had her. A few moments passed as she stared at her lap in frustration.

"Fine, I'll sleep with you, but I'm not taking off my clothes and I'm definitely not going near you."

He shot back a mischievous smile that made her cringe, thinking she might have just given him exactly what he wanted.

"It's a deal then." He said raising his palms. Yup, definitely what he wanted, she played right into that one.

A few moments of strained silence past as her face carefully thought over his words and pondered what her first question would be. Finally she asked while staring at her half finished plate.

"I want you to tell me everything."

So she really doesn't know... His eyes became gentle, but maintained his easy smile with her.

"That's a rather vague question, I will need you to specify."

Her deep marine eyes shot up to his meeting him in an intense stare, She studied his features warily. He could tell that she was unsure if she could trust him. He had only ever told her the truth though. Besides her eyes alone confirmed their mutual understanding; what choice did she have?