Dagon sat at the table enjoying his meal and the company of Peter as they laughed at a few jokes.  The food and drink never seemed to end.  Dagon couldn’t remember the last time he ate so well.  Usually he spent most of his time with his sister in the woods scavenging for scraps for the two of them.  A sad feeling of remorse went through him at the thought of his sister was in the woods by herself with no friends around her.  In fact she probably didn’t have much food considering how difficult it was for her to catch a meal by herself.  As a giantess, she had a problem of sneaking up on a meal without it noticing her large form towering over them. 

“What’s wrong,” Peter asked Dagon noticing the sudden change in his features.

“It’s my sister,” Dagon spoke carelessly.  He flinched at the mistake he just made.  No one knew he had a sister.

“You have a sister?  I thought you were an orphan,” Peter asked shocked.  “Why haven’t I heard about this?”

Dagon made a note to watch what he said.  He had a little too much to drink already.  “She’s not in town if that’s what you’re asking.  I plan to meet up with her tomorrow.”

“You should bring her by next time.  I would love to meet her,” Peter said grinning at him.

“You’ll be in for a big surprise,” Dagon said trying not to laugh at the thought of his sister showing up in town.  Oh boy that would be something…

Trying to change the subject from his sister Dagon asked Peter some question.  “Do you happen to know the princess’ name?”

Peter cocked an eyebrow at him, “That’s not a very good idea,” Peter warned.

“What?”

“Don’t even think about fooling around with her,” Peter said with a serious tone.

Dagon looked shocked as can be.  “When have I ever messed around with a woman?”

“That’s what scares me,” Peter said as he ordered another drink.  “Of all the times that I have seen you, you never asked me anything about a girl.  In fact I almost though you weren’t interested,” Peter said teasingly.

Anger rose up in Dagon as he felt insulted at Peter’s comment.  Just because he had never been with a woman didn’t mean he wasn’t attracted to them.  There were numerous reasons why he hadn’t been with a woman yet, but one reason would be his condition… well that and the fact that he wasn’t around people very often and had no people skills.

“I’m just having fun with you,” Peter said trying to lighten the mood.  “But seriously you shouldn’t even think about her as anything except as a customer who just gave you a large sum of money.  The king would have you killed in seconds,” Peter told him in a very serious tone.  “I’m just looking out for you.  You’re like family to me.”  Dagon scoffed.

“I don’t know about that.  I paid a lot this afternoon for that stand.”

“I said, ‘Like family’,” Peter said laughing.  “I’m still running a business.”  Dagon laughed.  “Where you staying by the way,” Peter asked.

“I don’t know, probably in the inn across the street-”

“Why don’t you stay with me and my wife?  We got an open room,” Peter offered.

Dagon finished his drink, “Sounds great, you about ready to go?”

“Give me a minute,” Peter said as he gulped down his drink and waved over the waitress that was serving them.  She came over to check on them.  Peter proceeded to take out some money and pay the waitress for their meal and drinks.  “I got it this time,” Peter told Dagon who started to pull out some money too. 

“Thanks,” Dagon said surprised at his generosity.

“Like I said you’re like family.”  Following Peter back to his home he was greeted by Peter’s wife.  She welcomed him into their home and showed Dagon his room.  Dagon thanked them again as he got ready to go to bed.  Dagon had mixed feelings about how friendly Peter was to him.  It was nice to be accepted like this yet it hurt him by showing him what he would never have.  Trying to not let this affect him, Dagon tried to drift off to sleep.  He had a lot to do tomorrow.

Princess Olivia woke up in her luxurious bed.  She didn’t move as she spent this time just relaxing on her mattress enjoying the only time she was alone.  As a princess she was never alone, she either was with her guards, handmaids, or some other noblemen.  Yet the only person she wanted to spend time with, her father, she couldn’t.  She wasn’t always like this.  After her mother’s death Olivia needed someone else to fill that void, someone she could bond with and talk to.  Yet all those people turned out to be false people who cared less about her and more about the status she had.  She hatted to be alone yet being around people who didn’t care was worse.

Sighing at the truth of how pathetic her life was.  She was just some pitiful tool to be sent off to a nobleman to help improve relationship between towns.  Olivia rolled over in her bed as she looked out through her window to see how beautiful it was outside.  If only she could go out there and enjoy it like a normal person, but she wasn’t allowed to.  She was practically locked up.  The other day when she went shopping was the first time in a long time that she was able to go outside and even then she had to beg her father to let her. 

There was a knocking on her door that broke her thoughts.

“Your majesty, are you up yet,” One of Olivia’s maids called.  Olivia closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.  Maybe she would go away and Olivia could spend more time in her comfortable bed.  The door creaked open.  “Your highness, it’s time to wake up.”

Groaning Olivia said, “Just give me a few more minutes.”

“Sorry, but the king specifically told me to make sure your up. He wanted to talk with you before breakfast.”

Olivia rolled out of bed with a loud groan.  Of course her father would want to talk with her now when she just wanted some alone time.  Her father had perfect timing.  “Ok, I’m up,” Olivia told her maid as she got out of bed. The maid opened the door and came into the room to help prepare the princess for the day.  Olivia was cleaned up, dressed, and prepared to meet her father for breakfast.  As the maid led her down the hallway to the table where her father was, Olivia thought about what her father wanted to talk about but didn’t have the slightest idea.  Olivia came up short as she approached the dining room.  The large room had a table full of food with her father sitting at the head of the table alone.  Usually there would be someone there but it was just Olivia’s father.  This must be important if he only wanted to speak with her and not his advisors being present.

“Olivia,” Her father called out to her offering the seat next to him.  “I had a feast prepared for you.”

Walking to the offered chair, Olivia sat down and thanked her father.  “You wanted to talk with me?”

“Yes, but first let us eat.”

Olivia prepared herself a plate of food and ate in silence with her father.  It’s been too long since they were alone together or even tried to talk that she didn’t know what to say.  Unable to think of anything she continued to eat in silence hoping that maybe something would come to her or her father would speak first, neither happened.

When they were both finished a couple of servants came in and cleared the table, only then did her father speak.

“I’ll get straight to the point.  I’ve arranged a marriage for you.”

Olivia was grateful that her father waited till after their meal to talk.  She would have chocked on her food if her father dropped this on her then.  Shocked Olivia could only come up with one word, “Who?”

Smiling, the king took this as her daughter accepting the idea of marriage, “King Ursin, from Luther’s town.”

Olivia’s jaw would have dropped further if it wasn’t already gapping at her father’s words.  “King Ursin from Luther’s town,” Olivia asked her father repeating the words out loud.  Ursin was over 30 years old, where as she was just 23.  The age gap was large, but compared to the other kings that ruled their towns, Ursin was young.

Still smiling at giving the news Olivia’s father continued talking, “I have been trying to arrange this for some time.  Now I know that King Ursin is a little old, but don’t worry my dear he’s not as old as your old man here.”  He started to chuckle at his joke.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” Olivia told her father as she was still trying to wrap her mind around what her father was telling her.  Finally she quickly found her words.  “I’m sorry father, but I don’t want to get married.”

The king quickly laughed, “What are you talking about?  You’ve always dreamed of getting married.”

Sure, when she was 5…

“Father, I don’t want to get married, or at least not to Ursin.”

Scoffing at her remark, “What are you saying?  If not Ursin then which king?”

“That’s just it, maybe I don’t want to marry a king.”

Before her father could continue a maid that intruded on their talk.  “Princess, there is a man here saying that he is delivering pelts you bought the other day.”

Olivia used this distraction to get up and leave the table before her father could respond to her.  Following the maid to the door where the merchant was waiting for her.  The man had the 2 pelts in each hand.  “Thank you for delivering them,” Olivia told the man who seemed to look just as embarrassed as the other day.  Olivia couldn’t help but smile at this.

“Olivia.”  Olivia’s father was coming after her to continue their talk.

Trying to use this distraction to the fullest Olivia quickly pulled the merchant toward the stairs up to her room, “This way please.  I would like you to help set them up.”  The man followed along still seeming embarrassed as ever.

Dagon didn’t know what was going on.  He came to drop off the pelts but before he knew it he was being dragged somewhere with an agitated king calling out for his daughter.  Dagon couldn’t tell what was going on, but really hoped that he wasn’t in any trouble.  The princess brought him to a large room that he was guessing was her bedroom.  “Now where would be the best place to put them,” She asked.

“I..um…well…” Dagon was at a loss for words.  For starters he had never seen a room like this before; he was used to the woods or a tavern.  Also it didn’t help that he knew nothing about interior design, so for her to ask him something like this was way out of his league.  Finally the loud shouts of the king calling out for his daughter didn’t help much either.  “I think your dad wants to talk with you,” Dagon told her.

“Don’t mind him,” She told Dagon.  “Why don’t you put one over there,” She pointed near her bed.  Dagon headed over there to put one of the pelts down when the king came into the room.

“Olivia, we are not done talking.”

“I am father,” Olivia told her father.

“Olivia, I have already arranged for your marriage.  You’re leaving for Luther’s town.”

Olivia looked at her father with hatred, “How could you do this without talking to me first?  You didn’t even ask if I want to marry him.  You never talk to me and yet you act like you know what I want.  You’re just going to sending me away to get married to a man that I don’t even know at all.”

“I don’t know where this is coming from but it’s already done, you’re to leave the town tonight and be escorted to Luther’s town.”

“I wouldn’t leave tonight,” Dagon said reminding them he was in the room too.

The king looked at Dagon as if he were nothing but a pile of trash that needed to be swept up.  “Who are you?”

“Sorry your majesty,” Dagon said as he bowed to him, “I’m just here to deliver these pelts that your daughter bought.”

“Then I suggest you hurry up before I have you escorted out by my personal guards.”

Dagon held back a remark that would probably get him killed.  He decided it was best to just drop this pelt somewhere and get out before he did something that he would regret doing.  Not wasting any more time he quickly dropped the other pelt down somewhere on the floor and left the king and his daughter to fight it out.  Dagon needed to hurry anyway; his sister would be waiting for him.  He still had to spend the gold he got.

Heading to a few stores, Dagon went shopping and found some useful items.  He got a couple of long bladed daggers that he could use, found some traps that would be helpful snaring meals, and then bought some supplies.  About to head out Dagon decided before he left that he thank Peter for his hospitality.  Heading to Peter’s home he went to say goodbye but when got there he found that Peter was already gone.

“Well, can’t say I didn’t try,” Dagon said out loud.  Just as he was turning around to leave there were a few guards standing in the doorway.

“The king wants to see you,” One of the guards said.

Dagon didn’t like the sound of that, “Why?”

“Come with us,” the guard demanded.  Dagon didn’t have a choice as the guards lead him out Peter’s home and toward the kings’ place.  They lead Dagon inside and to a study that held four people waiting for him.

“What’s going on,” Dagon asked as he noticed that it was the king, the princess, some high ranked military man, and Peter.  “Peter?”

“Sorry Dagon didn’t mean for them to drag you here,” Peter apologized to him.  “Here sit down,” Peter said offering Dagon his chair.

“This is the man,” The king asked in doubt.

Dagon looked around still lost as to what is going on.  “What is happen, why am I here?”

“Let me explain,” Peter told him.  “The king asked me to set up a team of people to guide his daughter to Luther’s town.  I told him that it is a long way and very dangerous.  I told him he needed someone who would know the way.”

“No,” Dagon said already seeing where this was going.

“Wait hold on you didn’t hear all of it,” Peter told him.

“You want me to take the princess to Luther’s town.”

“Not just the princess, but here royal guards too,” said the highly ranked military man.

“Oh well that changes everything,” Dagon said sarcastically.

“Just hear them out,” Peter said.

“No you hear me out,” Dagon said getting up from his chair.  “I’m sure none of you have left this town before, am I right?”  No one spoke up, “Well I have, and I know what’s out there and how dangerous it is.”

“That’s why I told them about you,” Peter spoke up.

“Yeah, well I’m sorry, but the answer is no,” Dagon said as he headed toward the door.

“Name your price,” the king said in an angry voice.

Dagon paused.  “…” 

“If what Peter told me is true then you are the safest guide for my daughter,” The king told him.

Dagon looked to Peter, “What did you tell him?”

Peter looked a little sheepish at the question, “I might have told them about your military record.  How you saved my life and property multiple times.  How you been to Luther’s town and know the best routes to avoid any trouble.”

Dagon still didn’t say anything as he contemplated what to do. Deciding to see how serious they all were he named his price, “400,000.”

“What!” The king slammed his hands on the desk he was sitting behind.

“Half now and half when I get there,” Dagon didn’t let up.

The king glared at him for a full minute before he yielded, “Done.”

Dagon was shocked.  Never did he think the king would give him what he asked.  That was an enormous price to pay but apparently he cared a lot about his daughter’s safety.  “Ok, then we’re in agreement.  We won’t be leaving tonight, it’s too dangerous.  I’ll be back tomorrow morning to collect the half then and to leave, be ready to leave by then.”  Dagon got ready to leave but before he could the king stopped him.

“If anything happens to my daughter, I will not rest until you’re found…” The king put so malice into his words that Dagon felt frightened from the threat.  Of course it was just for a moment.

“If anything happens to her, I’m sure I’ll be dead too,” Dagon told him as he left the room with the king staring daggers into his back.

It took longer to get back to where Cindy was waiting for him.  She looked extremely mad as Dagon approached.

“I know I know, I had you worried,” Dagon said as she glared at him.

“What took you so long?  I thought something happened.”

“Something did happen,” Dagon said.  Cindy looked worried, “I did it.”

“Did what,” Cindy asked confused.

“I got the money!  We can finally buy everything we need to live peacefully!”

“What? How,” Cindy asked excited.  Dagon told her everything that happened and how much money they were going to make.  “So we can finally buy what we need?”

Dagon nodded, “The best part is they are heading in the same direction.  This is more than we could ever hope for.”  The excitement wasn’t lost on either of them as they could finally make their dream come true.  Luther’s town was set up near a large lake.  The lake was so huge that it was rumored to actually be an ocean.  The best part is that the lake has fish the size of whales that could feed Cindy for the rest of her life.  All they needed was a boat to catch these fish, which just so happens to run for around 400,000.  With a boat, Dagon could fish for the both of them and they would be able not worry about hunting for enough food for Cindy and him.  They could both live off the lake and never be bothered by anything again.

“This is great,” Cindy said jumping up and down causing the earth to shake and send Dagon straight to the ground.  Still she jumped up and down like a little girl.

“Whoa there,” Dagon said laughing.  “We still have a way to go.  It’s about a week’s journey ahead of us.  Then we can celebrate.”

“Your right,” Cindy said calming down.  “It’s almost too good to be true,” Cindy said as she picked up Dagon.  They headed into the woods to look for some food.  Soon they wouldn’t need to hunt for small amounts of food anymore.