Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

Bangles with small animal bones decorated his wrists. Where a warrior might have metal pauldrons on his shoulder, there was the top half of a beast\'s skull. His arms were exposed and he had a series of black and green tattoos covering the entirety of his skin. It was clear the artwork went underneath his clothes as the piece continued up to his neck.

It was uncommon to see a half-elf, half-beastman in Alorek which was already a slight shock. What was more shocking though was the rest of his aesthetic. Tattoos were not something that were common to find on the continent. Save for small pieces kept in hidden locations on the body, this man flaunted the art for everyone to see.

"My lord husband-to-be," Enaeria cooed, "Please welcome Sir Mer\'Krul, a representative of the nations of the Far Shores."

If everything up till now was not a surprise, this was certainly one. Everything seemed to be moving faster than he could comprehend. Mer\'Krul\'s presence here represented nothing short of a miracle of the highest caliber.

Haedda was known as an isolationist nation, the famed \'kingdom in the mist,\' so named for the magical mist that encompassed their borders which seemed to magically prevent entry by people not granted access to the kingdom. This same mist prevented many countries with access to the oceans from venturing beyond the shelf surrounding their continent.

Any ship that moved into the deep waters of the ocean found themselves turned around or disappeared forever into the mysterious mist that surrounded their continent. One exception to this ancient barrier\'s rules were the mysterious ships belonging to a country simply known as \'The Far Shores.\'

"Greetings, King Zethis." Mer\'Krul said with a bow. "I am representing my homeland in this endeavor. We of The Far Shores are allied with Haedda through marriage with their second prince and the daughter of our Great Chieftain. Haedda wishes for us to trade with Alorek as well."

"Trade?" Zethis was shocked. Ships from The Far Shores were rare sightings among nations who actually had ocean access and they would frequently trade with the ports they landed at, but no ships ever agreed to make long-standing trade pacts. They were also extremely secretive for how it was that they could navigate the mist barrier.

The goods they typically possessed included extremely unique and powerful charms that would make the likes of Aedrider jealous. Along with that, they possessed powerful alchemical mixtures with far more potent effects than the ones available on the continent. He found himself wondering where these offers were before the war\'s end.

"Perhaps we should discuss the details at length over dinner?" Zethis said, trying not to sound too desperate to establish trade relations with the elusive foreign power.

"As you wish," Mer\'Krul stated. "Would you mind if I invite my wife, Mar\'Dena, to join us?"

"Of course, please, all and any of both of your entourages are invited to partake in a grand feast. I shall inform my kitchens to spare no expense in the preparations." Zethis nodded at his messenger to prepare the kitchen staff.

Mer\'Krul excused himself and left the room. One of the palace maids directed him and his party, who stayed out in the hall, to their quarters. Zethis was about to have his new fiancé taken to quarters of her own, but she placed a hand on his arm as he started to wave over for another maid.

"My lord husband-to-be, I think it best that we retire to your personal quarters. You see, in Haedda, those to be wed offer their hand while wearing white clothing. On the eve of accepting the offer, the one asked will remove said clothing, sealing the marriage in the eyes of the gods." She whispered into his ear. "Let us be wed now, under the watchful gaze of Celestia."

Zethis did not try to conceal his nervous gulp and could barely contain his excitement as he led the beautiful woman on his arm away from the throne room personally. He was not stupid. The entire situation was extremely convenient and there was no doubt that he was getting the short end of some aspect of the deal. However, Alorek\'s future was stagnant and sealed as it was.

The way he saw it, no matter what it was these two nations wished of him, their offers were far more likely to benefit Alorek if taken than if left to its own devices. Zethis decided that even if they wanted his soul, his money, or his country, if they could destroy the Union… or even that despicable man named Titan, then they could take whatever price they wanted.

"Lord Zethis, what is it that is bothering you?" Enaeria questioned, though her tone indicated she was already aware what weighed on his heart.

Zethis took a deep breath before asking in a dark tone, "What do you want from me? Haedda and The Far Shores possess many secrets and wonderful technologies. Things that Alorek could only dream to possess. What do you want?"

Enaeria smiled and cupped his cheek in her hand. "Sweet Zethis… your time for thinking is done, my sweet."

Before he realized it, his mind became foggy. Thoughts became harder to form and grasp and any words he wanted to say simply caught in his throat. He noticed a dull glow coming from the back of the princess\'s left hand from a black sigil that he had not noticed before.

For a moment he thought about raging against the charm effect coming from the elven princess, but those thoughts faded and all he could bring himself to feel was desire. He had to make this woman his. She offered herself to him. Her mere presence brought promise of greatness to his country. Though their children would be half-elf, their blood would be strong. They would be perfect.

Zethis tensed his arms and picked his bride-to-be off her feet. "Enaeria, my love. Let\'s make our nations prosperous and powerful. With you by my side, we will move mountains."

Any concerns he had before were gone. Zethis went to bed that night content in both heart and body, with a perfect vision of beauty clung to his arm. Nothing else mattered; only Enaeria.