He ignores whatever retort Henrietta was going to give and follows Tiffania to the nearby river, the girl sitting on a stone outcropping and patting the place next to her. "Something on your mind, Tiff?"
She gives a slightly sullen nod, "I spoke with the princess earlier... She says you attacked them first. Is this true?"
"I mean, yeah, if you want to look at it like that. They refused to hand over the book, so there was only one other option forward. You understand that, right?"
TIffania gives a tentative nod, "I do, but, the princess said that she would have let us borrow the book if you had explained why you needed it. I think she was being honest too..."
Michael shakes his head, "No... We can't even tell them why we need it, first because it'd reveal your status as a Void Mage, and second because they wouldn't let us have it if they knew we intended to leave this world. They'd fear that we'd take it with us." he states, not mentioning that he would indeed have stolen the book at that point... It wasn't like they'd be able to chase them for it, is it?
"I think... We should listen to Henrietta, and make a deal, instead of keeping her as a hostage. We are already being hunted, do you wish for that to continue while I am trying to learn from the prayer book?"
Michael lets out a sigh and rests his hand over hers, "Tiff, you shouldn't listen to her. She's only trying to convince you because she's in the weaker position. If our roles were reversed, she'd have had us executed in front of a public audience the first chance she got. These are not people that can be fairly dealt with, even if she manages to convince you otherwise."
...
Tiffania was still looking conflicted, and Michael isn't really sure how to convince her that his method was the correct one. "Tiff, do you trust me?" he asks and she nods. "I'll see if anything the princess said was real, but if that fails, know that I tried. Alright?"
She smiles, "Thank you."
Michael grins back, "Now, shall we get our guest home?" he says while getting up and holding out a hand to assist Tiffania, the girl happily grabbing it as he helps her to her feet. "Ok, lets go."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two hours later :
Michael is standing atop the hill that he'd designated as the meeting point with the princess tied up next to him. He chose this location specifically because of its vicinity to a large forest south east of Tristania. This would allow him to escape towards Lake Lagdorian and into Germania if shit really hit the fan, not to mention make it difficult for Tristain to set up an ambush.
Tiffania and Ralf were watching from a stone outcropping a mile or so away, the latter ready to summon his dragon if the situation arises.
"So, I head you were talking to Tiffania... A peaceful resolution, was it?" he asks while scanning the surroundings for Louise and her entourage.
"I was, and I believe we can end all of this without fighting... True, you might get the book using this dishonourable method, but Tristain wouldn't allow you to go after kidnapping me."
Michael just shakes his head, "Alright, say I listened to you. What would it take for me to get the book? What would you ask for? Aside from your freedom." he sarcastically says regarding the last option.
"If you had no material worth to trade, then you would need to pay with your services." Henrietta states with a neutral look.
Michael crooks a bored brow at her, "And what would these 'services' involve?" he asks, wondering if she'd ask him to assassinate the King of Gallia like how Loutiel had.
"Unless you possess talents I am unaware of, all of your uses would be related to the military. Specifically the elimination of high priority targets... This would not be difficult for you, and I think it a fair trade for the use of a national treasure... No other country would be willing to offer such generous terms." Henrietta affirms.
Michael laughs, "Yeah, but no other country has had their princess kidnapped either. You might need to add abit more to persuade me, princess." he says, eying her up suggestively, though, not serious in his offer at all. He was only making a show of negotiating because Tiffania had asked him to. He simply didn't trust Henrietta at all, and was sure she would betray him whenever possible.
Henrietta shrinks slightly under his leer, but lets out a heavy sigh, "I-if that is what it would take to secure your loyalty then..." she trails off, not daring to voice her accent to such a vile deal. Indeed, the mere thought of selling herself to him had bile rising in her throat. But, what difference would this be compared to Teiter Gramont? At least this would likely only be a one time thing, instead of marriage.
Michael just bursts into laughter as she begins psyching herself up to accept such a term, unable to keep his composure at this stupid princess. True, she was sexy, with curves and beauty most women would sell their souls for, yet he wasn't interested in her at all. The sheer amount of baggage that'd come with her, along with Louise and Tiffania's reaction wasn't worth the reward in the slightest. "Hahaha! Keep your panties on, princess. I was only joking! I'd not touch you with the tip of Derflinger, let alone my own sword."
Henrietta growls with a steadily reddening face, angry at being japed at in such a situation. "You-... So my attempt to deal with you was for nought?" she asks, doing her best to ignore his improper actions and concentrating on securing his loyalty.
Michael shrugs, "No, it's just that you've offered little to nothing. I wouldn't even technically own the Prayer Book, so I'd essentially be receiving a library card for my kidnapped princess and services... Not even close to being a fair deal."
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With that, negotiations between Henrietta and Michael fall through. The former attempts to offer various things afterwards, such as noble titles, lands, gold, and even the commission of magical artifacts, yet Michael rejects it all.
Henrietta goes silent after realising that Michael never really intended to accept any deal she offers, and half an hour later, Louise arrives at the bottom of the hill with a good-sized entourage comprised of Agnes and her Musketeer Knights, and two squads of supporting mages.
Louise and Agnes leave the entourage as dictated by Michael in his note. The duo scaling the hill until they are eventually standing a couple meters opposite Michael and Henrietta.
"Louise..." Henrietta mutters, feeling both happy and upset that she'd disobeyed her orders and come anyway.
"Princess." Louise weakly smiles back, Brimir's Prayer Book tightly tucked into a pouch on her side. "You haven't been harmed?" she asks, sending a scathing accusatory glance at Michael who merely grins toothily back.
Henrietta shakes her head, "Aside from waking up on the floor, no. But, I would rather you return back to the palace, Louise. Tristain should no negotiate with terrorists. If this leads to me being harmed, it will only prove how unworthy they are to treat with." she states as she ignores Michael entirely. She would be left with a burn scar around her neck for the rest of her life, but that hadn't happened in Michael's care... Though, that wouldn't stop her from using it in any future negotiations... Pity was an easily manipulatable emotion after all.
Michael tugs on her bindings as he locks eyes with Louise, "Yes, leave. Honestly, I'll get what I want eventually, so letting me spend more time with the princess would suit me fine." he retorts with a lopsided leer that Henrietta can't help but turn her face away from.
"Unhand her your beast!" Agnes angrily exclaims but doesn't draw her flintlock pistol for fear of the negotiations fully falling through.
"Hand over the book and I will!" he swiftly replies, eying the rather conspicuous book-shaped bulge present on Louise pouch.
Louise scowls at his treatment of the princess but refrains from throwing explosions at him for now, "We will! But you must let the princess go first!"
Michael scoffs, "I only want the book, you can have her once I have it! Just throw it over here, and I'll let her go!"
...
Louise grits her teeth, shaking her head and breaking her gaze from Henrietta's own imploring look. Clearly, she thought the Prayer Book was more valuable than herself. Not that Louise felt the same, was it selfish to want her best friend back at any cost? Or was it selfless to give up all the opportunities the artifact afforded? Argh! Why does she even have to make this choice in the first place! "Fine! I'll hand it over, just promise that the princess will be returned unharmed!" she asks, pulling the Prayer Book from its pouch and displaying it clearly for Michael.
"Louise, don't!-Ugh!" Henrietta starts but is cut off as Michael tugs harder on her bonds.
He grins, eyes implacably locked onto the book, "Throw it over, and I'll let her go." he confirms, his grin only becoming wider as Louise finally throws it at his feet... At least, that's what would have happened.
The group are all stunned in shock as a familiar-looking hand made of darkness sprouts from the ground and snatches the book from mid-air. Michael snarls angrily while looking around for the culprit, Agnes doing the same as she'd seen this before as well, back in Albion.
"Sheffield!" Michael roars, scanning the area until he spots her lithe figure on a nearby hilltop, holding the Prayer Book with a shit-eating grin on her face.
"Oh, is it not my pet Gandalfr? How are you getting on? Things haven't been the same since you escaped... I've had no one as interesting to play with." she casually remarks whole rolling her wrist, causing the hand of shadows connected to her bracelet to mimic the motion.
"Bitch, you better give that fucking book back or I'll make the things you did to me look like a massage!" he shouts back, barely holding back from flying into a rage and charging her.
Sheffield tuts while casually flipping the Prayer Book open, her face frowning slightly as she lays eyes on the blank pages, "Now, now, is that any way to talk to your master? I have to thank you though, if you hadn't set up this, 'meeting', I'd have had far more difficulty acquiring this." she explain, now drawing the ire of Henrietta, Louise, and Agnes.
Agnes finally draws her flintlock pistol and points it at Sheffield, demanding her to hand over the book or she'd fire, but Sheffield just laughs at her. "Princess, you should leash your dog before it hurts itself. As for the book? I think I'll be keeping that."
Michael seethes but manages to maintain control of himself well enough to begin preparing his attack on her. She wouldn't escape this time if he had anything to say about it. Unfortunately, Sheffield was more than prepared for him.
She lets the shadow hand fade away as she presents the back of her hand towards the group, specifically, showing the Ring of Andvari that steadily begins to glow.
"Get down!" he shouts towards Louise and Agnes, knowing that Sheffield intended to take control of them. He forces Henrietta to the ground and covers her with his body, knowing that he'd be able to endure the artifact now that he had magical and mental defences.
A flash of light washes over all of them, taking Louise, Agnes, and even their entourage at the bottom of the hill off-guard. Henrietta is saved from its effects as Michael takes the brunt of it, but as the light fades, he quickly finds himself outnumbered by Sheffield's mind-controlled forces.
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