TBATE-ONESHOTS

Honorbound

Moonlight shined through the dense canopy of Elshire forest, basking the forest underneath in a beautiful light. One such being gleamed radiantly in the light, with her silver hair that she had flowing freely. Her sleeveless dress hugged her body nicely, showing off her beautiful curves and voluptuous breasts, but it didn't hinder her as she knelt on the mossy floor. Her gorgeous teal pearls were locked on the sparkling pond before her as she ran her fingers through the water.

Tessia Eralith, the elven princess, was undoubtedly a sight to behold and was considered a goddess of beauty by many. Yet, the nickname she had grown accustomed to was the lunar goddess since her beautiful silver hair sparkled in the moonlight.

A content smile graced Tessia's smooth pink lips, feeling at peace as she heard the birds chirping around her and the leaves rusting in the wind. She has always loved the sounds of nature, which is why she cherished being alone in the forest. However, today, she knew it was reckless for her to be out there. After a fight with her father, she managed to slip out of the elven capital of Zestier without any guards, as she just wanted to relax and be alone for a while.

However, Tessia didn't care how reckless of a decision it was since she needed space from her father. This was the fourth argument they had this week, and all because she denied a suitable suitor for herself. Tessia scoffed, just thinking about it. Her father had been like this ever since she turned eighteen last year, and honestly, it was beginning to wear her down. She was growing immensely tired of her father trying to pick who was best for her. When she met the right person, she would know, and it would be her decision to marry him or not.

Tessia's hand stilled in the water as she heard near-silent footsteps approaching her from behind. A sigh escaped from her, thinking her father had sent elven guards, and they had finally found her.

"You know," Tessia called out, not hiding the irritation in her tone. She heard the footsteps still behind her. "Even a child could hear your approach since you're so loud. I thought you guards were supposed to be good at stealth."

A menacing chuckle sounded behind her, and Tessia's eyes widened slightly while a shiver ran down her spine. Now, she didn't know who was behind her, but she definitely knew they weren't guards.

Tessia forced herself to relax physically, showing calmness and confidence in the presence of danger, as her grandfather taught her. She calmly looked over her shoulder, and her eyes settled on five individuals.

The five individuals ranged in age, with three of them looking like they were in their early twenties, the fourth looking to be in his late thirties or early forties, and the fifth looking to be in his fifties.

Tessia studied them, taking in as much information as possible as fast as possible. Seeing their physical features, she quickly deduced they were humans, and by their filthy hide armor, she knew they were either bandits or, worse, slave traders.

"Well," Tessia sighed, not showing a bit of fear. Her eyes flicked to each of them individually, assessing them. "You aren't elves or guards of any type."

"We could be guards," One of the younger individuals said. He grinned, showing his disgusting yellow teeth. "Maybe not fancy guards."

"Fancy?" Tessia scoffed, raising a brow. "Definitely not."

Tessia noticed how their eyes narrowed on her, and she knew she must've irritated them a little. She kept her back to them, continuing to look at them over her shoulder, showing she wasn't afraid of them.

"So," Tessia sighed. "What brings you here?"

The middle-aged one simply shrugged, "Looking for our next payday."