The artfully carved halls of the elven palace were a sight to behold. Really it was rather like they hadn’t been carved at all, rather molded. It was engineering and construction so wholly different from that of the homunculi. Truthfully, for one like Erik who had spent his entire life surrounded by brass and steel, this place was alien. More alien than any of the places he had visited thus far. Now it was not just the unfamiliar people it was the very world around him that was off putting. Was this a sign of things to come perhaps?

Erik’s situation was certainly not helped with Princess Myssia’s handling. She continued to hold him out at arm’s length, her grip so feather light and timid it felt like he might plummet if he so much as twitched. His arms were currently braced against her thumb, trying to give him some safety from an immediate fall. The prince cleared his throat loudly as the princess walked slowly, following the internal canals of the palace.

“Perhaps it might be more… comfortable for both of us if you set me in the palm of your hand?” Erik suggested.

Elrina paled at the very suggestion, her grip loosening ever so. “B-But, you won’t be a-able to keep your balance! I d-don’t want you to fall.”

“With this grip you’ve got on me I’m surprised I haven’t already.”

The elven princess flushed scarlet at the remark and Erik found the grip holding him loosen enough to nearly send him plummeting to the ground. He cried out and tightened the grip his arms had on her thumb, dangling from the digit precariously. His legs kicked at open air as he clung to the thumb of the elven princess, trying desperately to avoid falling. Just because he could survive it didn’t mean he was looking to deliberately fall!

Elrina quickly set her other hand under him, the prince falling onto his rear on her smooth palm. “I’m so so so sorry, Prince Lostrem! Oh Goddess I’m such a worthless klutz, I nearly dropped a potential suitor!” She apologized, biting her lower lip harshly.

Erik managed to catch his breath. Months ago he might well have yelled at Elrina, however since his journey had begun a little slip up liked this seemed minor compared to his other experiences. Experiences that included being the insole and sex toy of a bratty princess and subjected to the twisted love of a pair of twins. He forced himself to calm down. Honestly, looking at this princess she was clearly an anxiety ridden mess. Compared to pretty much every other princess it was a little refreshing honestly.

“Its fine, saw it coming really. Just keep holding me like this and we should be fine.” He said with a weak smile.

She looked very much not convinced so Erik opted to divert the conversation away from this slip up. “So where does this water flow from?” He asked.

The princess looked towards one of the nearby canals. “They flow from one of three orbs located within the palace. They were gifts from our Goddess, signs of her divine favor passed down to we mortal servants.”

Erik lifted a brow. “Goddess? Seems more the work of enchantment by that description, a powerful enchantment but one nonetheless.”

Elrina gave him a strange look, not exactly offended by his seeming dismissal by the work of the elven goddess but certainly a bit put off. “It is written in the holy texts that such happened. Texts my people have followed since before the first human climbed down from their trees to walk on two legs.”

“The age of a document doesn’t increase its authenticity. If my people went by that logic half of our advancements wouldn’t have been made. Any moron can put pen to paper and write something halfway coherent.” Erik stated.

Now she looked offended. Flustered as well. “W-well, I… you…” She seemed to lack the words to properly express her offense.

“Furthermore, such belief in a higher being making the waters flow seems incredibly narrow-minded. There are completely logical and scientific explanations for everything in the world. Simply saying ‘a goddess did it’ is backwards and doesn’t uncover anything.” The homunculus prince continued with a wave of his hand.

“Bu-but- I mean. Y-you can’t disprove that…” The elven princess stuttered weakly, her steps a bit uneven as Erik’s words bit into her conviction.

Ah yes, the most circular of arguments. “Perhaps not. However I can prove through the research of my own people why tides come in and out and why rains fall. Not due to the actions of some goddess.” The very idea was ludicrous.

“I-I…”

Elrina had stopped walking and her cheeks were red. Erik looked up at her and sighed. She really was shy. Too shy to debate him it appeared. Well not that he blamed her for he’d doubtlessly lacerate her pitiful arguments like a skilled duelist, but still it was jarring. No zealous dogma, no fiery retorts to defend her beliefs. Just a stammering wreck. Really, the prince actually felt sorry for her.

“Never mind. Let’s… let’s just keep going.” Erik said with a sigh.

Elrina’s shoulders sagged and her beautiful face crumpled with misery as she padded along the smooth tiled floor. She even sniffled here or there. What was he supposed to do with this? She was bigger than him! Most every princess he’d met up until now had possessed some form of self-confidence. Or arrogance. Or sadism. Actually, a lot of sadism. Now he was dealing with a creature like Elrina. How was he supposed to act?

“I… I’m sorry, Prince Lostrem. P- please forgive me for being so… so…” The elven princess stuttered.

“Meek? Yielding? Timorous? Insecure?” Erik tossed out.

She jerked her head up and down, biting her lower lip. The prince sat upon her palm and shook his head sighing. Well. Only one thing for it, it seemed like. “Actually, let’s nix the orb visit. Let’s go to your sitting room shall we? I have an idea.”

“A-Are you sure?”

“Positive, come on, let’s get moving. Daylight wasting.”

“Ah! Alright!”

She beat a brisk pace back through the halls of the palace. Erik meanwhile steeled himself. He swallowed his pride, no easy task, and went through some things in his mind. He’d remembered reading some books on the behavior of sentient races before. Self-esteem had featured heavily in one of them as well as the lack of it. Normally he wasn’t one to stick his neck out like this, but Elrina was just so… pathetic he felt he had to do *something.* Maybe his suitors previously were rubbing off on him. That thought drew a snort.

As they entered the sitting room Erik stared up at Elrina and drew himself up to his full height. Which didn’t even measure up to her ankle naturally, but really it was the thought that counted. The elven maiden squirmed under the intensity of his gaze, her bare feet shifted on the ground below, toes curling nervously. Her eyes darted about, looking for anything but him. The homunculus’s gaze sharpened.

“Stop fidgeting. Stand up straight.” He barked, as much royal command as he could manage in his voice. It had been a long while since he had produced that tone.

Elrina froze and forced herself to stand up straight. Erik’s eye twitched and he sighed. Looked like he had quite a bit of work cut out for him. The prince hopped down from the table, shimmying down the elven princess’s dress. He landed upon the floor and walked over to her still fidgeting feet and promptly kicked at her smallest toe, drawing a sharp yelp from the elven women.

“I said, stop fidgeting. You’re a bloody giant. There’s absolutely no reason to be nervous around me.”

“T-that hurt!” Elrina protested, looking on the brink of tears.

Erik schooled his face into a sneer. “Did it? Well. What are you going to do about it princess?” The homunculus delivered another sharp kick.

“Ow! Stop it!” She squealed.

“Make me.” Another kick. Really, Erik was impressed by just how spineless Elrina was. Pretty much every suitor he’d had thus far would have him pinned between foot and floor by now.

“B-but y-you… I-I-I…”

“Not seeing a reason to stop here.” Erik mused with another kick.

The shadow of her abused foot was quick to fall over the prince. A glance up revealed the pale sole above hovering above him. A sole that immediately mashed against him, pinning Erik between the smooth floor and the unbelievable soft skin. Since his journey had begun, the prince had been under a number of soles. He was rather intimately familiar by now with the creases upon the bottom of the female foot by now. Right now it was like being crushed by a mattress filled with feathers. Still hurt like hell.

There was a surprised squeak as Elrina hopped back, lost her balance and fell onto her ass. She was looking at her own foot like she’d never seen it before. “I-I-I’m SO sorry! I d-didn’t mean!”

Erik waved a hand airily. “Please, not the first one. That was downright pleasant. Besides, you defended yourself.”

The elven woman bit her lower lip. “B-but, I could have squished you…” She muttered.

The prince actually laughed at that. “With that? That was a love tap!”

He’d gone completely and totally insane clearly after his long trials underfoot, in mouth, and between breasts. He knew it too. The Erik that had started this journey certainly wouldn’t be doing this. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d be marrying this woman. Maybe he was still coming off the high Eva had put him in. Distinctly possible. Only rational explanation for him acting so illogically.

“Now then. You’re a princess. Not some stuttering wreck about to piss herself from the big scary homunculus. What am I going to do? Punch you toes until you get irritated and stomp me again?” Erik bellowed.

Elrina shuffled slightly. “Well… I mean… when you put it like that…” She mumbled, her cheeks flushing at the indignity. Good. Embarrassment. 

Erik looked up at the figure towering over him and snorted. “That didn’t sound like how a princess should say that.”

“I’m not scared!” She managed to blurt out, stomping a foot on the ground for emphasis.

Frustration was good, but not quite what Erik wanted. “You sound like a petulant child. Especially in the face of someone that pisses all over your wishy washy religion nonsense.” He said with an airy wave of his hand.

Elrina let out a sound that was halfway between a growl and a scream and before Erik knew it he was getting a face full of foot flesh once more. The pressure this time didn’t abate and indeed was actually uncomfortable. He caught himself pushing up against the soft flesh of her sole on reflex, his breath torn from his lungs as the rather miffed elven princess ground her sole into him on the floor.

She lifted the foot again, only to immediately stomp on him again. Her heel struck him this time. Actual pain flared from that blow as she started stomping him again and again. By the end of the dizzying array of crushing stomps Erik was left dazed on the floor, wondering again what part of him had decided that playing Lea or Eva with this elven princess had been a good idea. A part that was currently in agony as he lay sprawled out like some manner of overly large and squished bug on the floor.

After a moment a pair of fingers reached down and plucked him up by the leg. He was lifted up, up, up, getting a good rising look of Elrina’s body until he dangled upside down before her face. A face that was red with actual anger and indignation. So on the upside. He’d succeeded in making her spine up and actually do something without stuttering. On the down side… well. That anger was kind of directed at him judging from how her eyes stabbed into him.

“So-ah, sorry abo-.”

“Shut up! You’re mean, and awful, and irreverent and I-I don’t quite know how to deal with that but I’m going to find out you-you awful person you.” She managed to get out with all the conviction of a wet noodle.

Well… was a work in progress clearly.