Luck. Luck was something her people were exceptional at, they were able to sway it in their favor, make deals with Lady Luck and bargain for whatever they wanted. However, when an unforeseen future set its course upon them, luck had little to do with it. The events that led up to the dismissal of the elven princess was barbaric, crude and downright evil. Their people had started going missing, outskirt towns and villages raided and pillaged. Women were raped, men slaughtered and children, their sacred children, butchered like corn stalks in their infested fields. It didn’t take long for the king to send in his men and women, hardened by years of training and skilled from centuries of learning. It was easy enough to beat back the onslaught, one village at a time but the elves were few in number. Where they were matched one on one, even two on one, they were subpar when the hordes of humanity gathered together.<br/><br/>The elves had maintained seclusion, cast humanity from their boundaries centuries ago, too far back for humans to even remember their exchanges with the superior species. Humans had grown too vast, too powerful in their numbers and too greedy in their minds. The elves left humanity and everything it stood for. The humans bred like rabbits, polluting their children’s minds with greed, violence and filth. Now, the elves had been left on the fringes of human society, more myth and legend than an actual race. So when the humans stumbled upon them, dwindling their numbers and stealing their people, they were at a loss on what to do. The act of barbarianism was not something the elves were akin to. Even when fighting amongst their own kingdoms and peoples a degree of honor and chivalry still existed. These humans… They came in hordes and brought nothing but destruction.<br/><br/>So, with a little help from Lady Luck, the king sparked a deal with the leader of those disgusting humans. An exchange of safety from their own kind, from their own hands in turn for one of their own. A prize member of their society, one held to the highest honor and respect. Their princess. She was not just of noble birth, something cherished and loved, but a talented warrior as well. She was one of their best warriors, holding more titles to her name than any other. She led armies of their men and women, brought peace among their different races and even bartered with the lesser known species that humanity was unaware even existed still. She was renowned and she was sold.<br/><br/>The small party was sent out a week prior, taking the less travelled roads through the mountains and forests in order to get to the barbaric camp. The princess road with three men, all decent warriors in their own right but none of the best. The elves weren’t sure they would even return, all understood that that trip might be their last. All were bound by duty and honor to escort the princess to her new husband and life. She had an inkling they were also there to ensure she went, as if anyone could doubt her personal honor and desire to aid her people. She understood her destiny and role in the world. Her body, her life, was not her own but her peoples. It was the sacrifice and honor of the royal people to hold that burden.<br/><br/>The party rode down the road on the back of elegant horses, their saddles and bags crafted by elves and therefore better quality than anything fumbling human hands could create. The stench reached their noses before their eyes laid upon the encampment. Their horses shuffled, a wariness echoing through their minds and fear of the smell of rotting flesh. The camp came into view and all four stopped on the road, staring at the horror that rested before their eyes. And perhaps they were a little naïve to be shocked, innocent in the barbaric nature of humans. The princess urged her horse forward with a stroke to its neck, causing its hooves to clatter once more. The three men followed suit, allowing their charge to take the lead. The sounds of moans and horror filled their ears and minds as they rode closer, the eyes of dead men walking clinging to them for help. The party stopped before the gate, knowing proper etiquette, among their people at least, to not enter someone’ home without permission. The tail of their steeds swished anxiously back and forth. One man with flowing blond hair tied back into a braid whispered words of encouragement to his horse.<br/><br/>Gruesome looking men and women filed out to meet them, all with subpar weapons and armor. Sure it was decent for a human, but they were nothing compared to what the princess’s escorts wore. Their plated armor almost shone in the birthing sunlight. Not a dent or scrape was seen on their bodies, their weapons crafted with expertise and precision humans were incapable of. The metal of their armor had a tinge of blue white, a metal humans were unable to coax from the ground. The princess herself wore no armor, instead a white dress that flowed down in sleeves against the horse’s side. She rode side saddle, slipped feet hanging off one side, legs covered by the skirt of the dress. Her cleavage was shown with taste, her pale skin pristine from any scars or blemishes. Long blonde hair was tied back in an elaborate braid that nestled between her shoulders blades and down her back, showing her pointed ears.<br/><br/>The party watched as they were surrounded, dread and fear filling their chests like a brick. They knew they would not be returning, knew their fate as they cast eyes over the pathetic morsels on the walls that were once called man. The group led the four elves through their settlement, the clomping of the horses hooves being the only sound the party emitted over the jeers and voices of their captors. The princess was all too aware of the looks many of the men gave her, their eyes wandering to places unseen and minds drooling over her exotic body. She kept her eyes forward, daring herself to look at the heads and bodies that were contorted into glorified works of art.<br/><br/>The party was led into a clearing, one that resembled a slaughter yard rather than one of prestige luxury. The princess noticed the large man sitting on the throne like stage before his cruel subjects, watching them enter his domain. The group that led them to the yard dispersed around the area, leaving the four elves on their thorough-bred horses. The princess was the first to dismount, her feet hitting the floor soundlessly as she gracefully slid down. Her men followed, all with the grace of gods. She handed the reins to a black haired elf with green eyes. They exchanged a look, the reins lingering between their hands for a second too long before she let go. They spoke the unspoken language of mutual doom and fear. The princess turned to the man on the throne, eyes not daring to  glance at the faces that watched her. She took several steps forward, dress trailing on the ground behind her. It was then she bowed. The princess went down to one knee, her fingers lightly touching the ground as she bowed her head in respect to her future husband. It wasn’t a show of weakness, at least to her people, but respect and an acceptance they were in someone else’s realm of control.