Lorian rubbed his face in disappointment and frustration; it was a habit that got carried over from his past life. There was an awkward silence in the room. Rena, Sylfia, and Vespera did not utter a word, for they could sense what was going on inside Lorian's mind. Finally, Lorian broke the silence.
"I understand your situation," he began, there was audible hesitation in his voice, "But, you see, the thing is... you cannot remain as permanent guests of Auric Spire. I will, of course, provide food, shelter, and safety for all six of you, but... I need to know how you intend to repay that debt."
The two Elves shared a hesitant glance before Sylfia gave a small, resigned nod toward Vespera. Vespera bit her lip in suppressed frustration and lowered her gaze. Lorian could not understand why they were acting such. However, to his surprise, Sylfia approached him and suddenly dropped to her knees. She looked as though she were forcing herself into submission as she began to speak in a slow, painful, hushed voice, "I am already 'tainted,' my Lord. If it is the price for the children's safety... I will submit myself to your pleasure."
Lorian did not understand what was happening at first. But her last sentence hit him like lightning as he realized her meaning. He literally jumped back, away from the kneeling Elf, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"What the hell, woman! Stop this!" he shouted, "What have you taken me for? A creep? What the hell!"
Sylfia and Vespera's faces went utterly blank. Then Sylfia's face reddened in shame; she stood up quickly, covering her face. Rena, unable to contain herself any longer, burst into a fit of giggles before catching Lorian's glare, "My apologies, my Lord; I couldn't help it," she said, quickly checking herself.
"You just ruined my mood!" Lorian grumbled in frustration, "We will resume this conversation later!"
He turned to walk away, but Sylfia pleaded, "Please wait, my Lord. Please forgive my insolence. I have shamed myself... please, do not leave!"
There was a genuine regret in Sylfia's voice that made Lorian rethink his decision. He turned back and asked, "Tell me honestly, do I give off the vibe of a creep? A lecher?"
Vespera stepped in. Her speech was blunt as usual, but there was an undertone of regret, "Forgive her, Prince. We were raised on tales of human cruelty and perversion. To our people, your kind are just smarter, more handsome Orcs. She didn't know better."
"Okay, okay, I got it," Lorian waved his hand to dismiss the topic, "Let's move past it. Now, tell me plainly- how exactly are you going to make yourselves useful?"
Sylfia's face was still flushed. Her fingers trembled as she straightened her clothes, trying to reclaim the aristocratic dignity she had just set on fire with her desperate idiotic act. She still couldn't bring herself to look Lorian in the eye.
Vespera, however, had recovered faster.
"I get what you mean, Prince; you don't want us to be freeloaders, and you have my respect for that," Vespera said, walking toward the mahogany table where the charts lay, "Let me tell you what makes the Elven Navy special. We don't just sail on the water like other lesser races; we sail with it. Your human captains are... well, they're blind. They just see a flat blue surface. But us? We can see the 'Lung-Currents'- deep-water streams that move twice as fast as the surface wind. I am blessed with the ability to read the currents better than my male counterparts, which is why I was eventually promoted to command my own ship."
Vespera's voice brimmed with pride, "If you give me a squadron of your fastest hulls, I won't just protect your coast. I'll give you a ghost fleet that can strike any port in the Seven Cities before they even realize they've been hit. I'll provide an edge that your people haven't mastered in a thousand years."
"Well, well, well! So, basically, you're suggesting you're better than my sailors?" Lorian smirked, "For your info, our navy is used to sailing far from land- for trade and for war. You think a navy from an isolationist nation that relies mostly on land routes has better sailors?"
Vespera didn't flinch. Instead, a smirk spread across her face as well, "Your sailors are brave, Prince. I'm not denying that. I know the stories; human sailors are indeed masters of the waves. They know how to fight a storm as well as an enemy ship. But I will say it again- they are blind. They sail by landmarks and luck. If they lose sight of the coast, they start praying to gods who can't hear them over the crashing waves."
She leaned over the table, tapping a blank spot on the maritime chart that represented the deep, open blue.
"Just because we are isolationists doesn't mean we lack knowledge. Unlike your men, our eyes don't stay glued to the horizon; we watch the stars, the moon's pull, and the color of the deep currents. As I said, your men sail on the sea. We sail with it. I can spot a reef by the way the swell breaks three miles away. I can navigate a fleet through a fog bank using nothing but the sound of the tide against the hull."
She looked Lorian dead in the eye, her gaze full of professional pride, "Put me on your flagship for one week. If your best Admiral doesn't ask to be my student by day three, you can throw me back in the dungeon."
Sylfia cleared her throat. She seemed to have regained her composure and High-born dignity, though she kept her eyes lowered still, "What Vespera is trying to say, in her rather... blunt fashion, is that humans have mastered the art of sailing, but the Elves have mastered the science of the sea. We have records of the stars going back three thousand years, Prince. Your people haven't even named half the constellations we use to find our way home."
Vespera shrugged, her smirk returning. "Like I said- better-looking Orcs. You've got the muscle. We've got the eyes."
Lorian chuckled, "You've made some tall claims, Lady. I will tolerate them for now, but I expect you to prove every word. I'll be making arrangements to put you to the test, very soon."
Vespera didn't look intimidated. If anything, the challenge put a spark back into her eyes. She slammed a fist lightly against her chest in a swift naval salute, "I'd have it no other way, Prince. The sea is the only judge that matters. Put me on your fastest deck, give me your most stubborn crew, and pick a patch of water they're afraid to sail through. I'll show you that my 'tall claims' are actually quite modest compared to what I can really do."
Confidence is contagious. Encouraged by Vespera, Sylfia stepped forward, her hands were still folded neatly in front of her like a perfect diplomat, save for the lingering pink tint in her cheeks. Vespera gave her a silent nod of encouragement.
Sylfia took a deep breath, "And I…."
Lorian raised a hand to stop her, "Let me test her first. I want to make sure her claims are true, and not just born of desperation or foolish bravado. I'm not a man who likes to keep his hopes high from the start. But I do want to ask you both one simple thing- if it ever comes down to a choice between your loyalty to Veridia and your loyalty to your own people... who will you side with?"
"Between a country that wanted us gone and a country that offers us a new life and a better future? The choice is obvious," Vespera declared without hesitation.
Lorian nodded and looked at Sylfia, who was biting her lip in thought, "What about you?"
"They disliked my guts and only tolerated me because of my surname. They always tried to suppress me, thinking me a 'lesser' Elf." Sylfia's voice was thick with pain, "But still... they are my people. I grew up with them. They may not love me, but I love them."
Lorian cut in, "Come to the point."
"Yes, my Lord," she nodded, "If it comes to the destruction of our race, or something similar, like enslavement... my heart will still bleed for them. I will... I will not be able to..."
Lorian yawned and smirked, "Hmm, got it. Have a good day." He looked at Vespera. "You... get ready."