You're lost now. Running through the forest, being chase by some unseen force in the fog was not how your day was suppose to go. But, you had been betrayed, and now, you're going to die alone in the woods.
  The wind is suffocating, thick with the swirl of magic, the trees lean in and one manages to trip you up with its roots. When you try to make it back onto your feet, a spear is placed to your neck. You turn slowly to face them.
   A troupe of fae gather around you. The one in the back, you know him from the old tales that warn not to roam this far out into the world. He's their king, riding on his legendary black horse made from bark and moss. There has never been flame powerful enough to burn it.
  The troupe goes to surround you, reaching out to capture you.
[[Struggle Against Your Captors]]
[[Threaten Your Captors]]
[[Act Cute and Unassuming]]  You choose to struggle against your captors. You had already escape once today, maybe fate would be kind enough to let you do it again. But, as you resist, it becomes obvious there's not getting out of this one on your own. You look up at the king who seems amused at your determination.
  “So, you're the one. At least this won't be boring,” the king speaks to himself.
  Before you can demand your freedom, the king holds his hand up and snaps, and you, him, and the troupe disappear into a puff of smoke.
[[Blink]]  “How dare you! Release me at once! Do you know who I am?” You yell. Your temper hasn't gotten the best of you in years, yet here it was dancing on your tongue.
  “Hmm? The forest chose you? How odd,” the king scowls.
  “When my mother hears of this! The Queendom of Iron and Smolder will not let you get away with this!” You've been taught not to bow down to anyone, especially to a foreign king. Even now, you struggle against the hold of the troupe, trying to get to your feet, to stand tall.
  The king holds a grimace, snaps his finger and everyone of you is spirited away.
(set: $KingDistrust to $KingDistrust + 1)
[[Blink]]  “Listen, I mean you no disrespect. Had I know this way was fae country, I would have went any other direction, truly,” you sit as small as possible, trying not to be seen as a threat. The king looks you up and down. He seems impartial, maybe taking a little pity on you. Maybe your sweet girl act can get you out of this. He should be pretty old, going by the stories of him. If you can fool your father with this act maybe this will be like winning over your grandpa.
  “Please, let me get out of your domain. I shouldn't be here causing you any inconvenience. I'll head back the way I came. We can act like I was never here,” you try your hardest to mind your words, fae like to play their games after all. You look up at him with the best puppy dog eyes you can manage. He looks like he's softening.
  “At least, you're cute for a human,” the king snaps his hands and you all are gone.
(set: $KingDistrust to (max: $KingDistrust - 1, 0))(set: $KingRomance to $KingRomance + 1)
[[Blink]](set: $KingRomance to 0)
(set: $KingDistrust to 0)  Something about the snap had made you close your eyes. When you open them, you're not in the forest, you're not in some void, you're on the stone floor of a giant room. The troupe is disbursing, the king is standing before you, and the room is lined with fae whispering among themselves.
  The king clears his throat to quiet the crowd before speaking, “Here before you is the one that made the Mother Tree bloom. Here before you is your queen to be.”
  The room erupts. A fae woman yells something you can't understand at the king. Did you hear him right? Surely, someone else must be standing behind you. You swivel around and no one, just more panicked fae.
  The king steps towards you, “A queen should not be so comfortable with the floor. Rise.”
[[Kneel and Ask for Freedom]]
[[Show Disdain and Refusal]]
[[Show Interest and Try Flirting]]  You don't rise. You find your way onto your knees.
  “If I may be so bold to say there must be some confusion,” you can hear the room turn to a deafening silence.
  “Are you saying the Mother Tree is wrong? That I am wrong?” the kings voice rumbles through you.
  “No, I simply wonder if I wasn't the only one in the woods this day. Your queen might still be out there. How could I, a simple human, be queen to fae?” you are going to get out of this, you have to.
  You have a whole life waiting for you out there. You have revenge waiting for you out there. You can't become the queen of the local fae court. Your people don't even like each other. The fae woman who yelled earlier marches up to the king and whispers.
  “Turn around,” his voice is so cold you almost can't move.
  On your back is the emblem of your home. Well, a very distinct, widely known version of the emblem that belongs solely to your family. They wouldn't be so rash as to kill you on the spot, would they? There's whispering again.
  “Regardless, Mother Tree has spoken. There were no others in that neck of the woods where the glow led us. Before you,” the king hesitates, “is your future queen.”
  The room grows loud with complaints.
[[The King Approaches]]  You stand up and fold your arms. The king is taken aback. The room notices the shift between the two of you.
  “And what makes you think I would just marry you? What good would that do me?”
  “How, dare you speak to our king so! You ought to watch your mouth, human!” the fae woman who yelled earlier steps out of the crowd.
  “Oh, and who are you to me? A future handmaid?” you glaze at the fae. “Listen, I want nothing to do with the lot of you. Behold, my family crest, King!”
  You take off your outer coat and show it clearly to the king. Your homelands are practically enemies. Nothing official has ever been stated, but it's your people who provide all the iron for every territory. Every one of them, but the fae territories who can't use it due to the law and curse.
  The room is not pleased, and you can hear it in the tone even it you can make out the language. They're disgusted at the thought that someone of Iron and Smolder could ever be their queen,
  “Yet, the Mother Tree has spoken. Her glow led the way,” the king announces.
(set: $KingDistrust to $KingDistrust + 1)(set: $KingRomance to (max: $KingRomance - 1, 0))
[[The King Approaches]]   “Oh?” you speak as you get to your feet.
  You look the king up and down. He's cute for someone who's suppose to be multiple times your own age. You're legal, you have been for years now. You were on your way to finally meet some fiance your mother had lined up for you before your own maid and guards betrayed you.
  You could live in the woods instead, you think as you eye the king. His the dark, tall, and handsome type, yet his face is still young looking. Now that you look around the room, why does he look so young? He's suppose to be a grand fae, at that point fae start to show their age. Maybe it's a spell for eternal youth.
  “Oh?” the king echoes back.
  You were so lost in your thoughts, you hadn't realized you had started approaching, how close you had gotten. You lock eyes with him and smile.
  “Well, my mother has been hoping to marry me off soon, so the position of husband is open,” you boldly place a hand on his chest. “But I can't keep calling you king. But, I've heard how fae are with names. So, shall I give you a nickname? Honey? Sweetie? Darling?”
  You're getting a little too excited about this as your arms start to wrap their way around his neck. You think you'll have to go on your toes when suddenly your yoinked back with force.
  “My King!” the fae woman who yelled earlier stands between the two of you. “The emblem on her back, she's of Iron and Smolder! My King, we can't take her as our queen!”
  The woman's exclamation causes the room to swell into an uproar.
  “Well,” you speak loudly and clearly over the crowd, “who's to say we can't work something out?” you smile at the king, his expression has been unreadable this whole time.
  You speak up again, “And, didn't you say your tree made the call?”
  The woman is about to speak but is stopped by the king.
(set: $KingRomance to $KingRomance + 1)
[[The King Approaches]]   “There must be no question,” the king steps forward.
  The air wraps around you, tangling you in place. The roots that lace the room begin to glow. Something is happening, shifting. As the king gets closer, the magic pools in the room like river to lake. It feels like you're wading in the shallow end and the closer the king gets the deeper the magic becomes.
[[Stand Your Ground]]
[[Try to Flee]]
[[Talk to the King]]
  You brace yourself for whatever is to come. By the time the king is before you, the magic feels up to your chin. He smiles, maybe something more like a smirk. You wonder if he was expecting you to do something different.
  Like reading your mind he explains, “Most human would have fainted by now. I've opened up the flow of the forest to you. With this we will see if it truly is you the Mother Tree chose. This will quiet the court. Well, this will quiet most of the court to speak it accurately.”
  The king reaches out, on hand on your temple and the other over your heart.
(set: $KingDistrust to (max: $KingDistrust - 1, 0))
[[The Mother Tree Speaks]]  The king can see the way you panic. You pull at the invisible tendrils that hold you in place. The fae of the court giggle at you meager attempt to flee. It's embarrassing. But your heart is racing, the king can surely feel that under his hand.
  As he places his other hand on your temple he explains, “This is the flow of the forest. With this, we'll see if your truly marked by the Mother Tree.”
(set: $KingDistrust to $KingDistrust + 1)(set: $KingRomance to (max: $KingRomance - 1, 0))
[[The Mother Tree Speaks]]   You steady your voice, “What's... going on?”
  “Oh, this is the flow of the forest. We'll be able to see if you're marked by the Mother Tree,” the king is right in front of you now.
  He places one hand on your heart and the other on your temple, “I have to give you credit. Most humans would have been overwhelmed and fainted before I even took a step.”
(set: $KingRomance to $KingRomance + 1)
[[The Mother Tree Speaks]]   Something burns under your flesh. It rises to the surface and shows itself on your skin. You're tattooed with symbols from head to toe. They travel your flesh and pulsate with a warm glow. The room is humming with the murmurs of the fae.
  “As all can see, Mother Tree has left her mark. Here before you is your queen,” the king announces.
  “Surely, not, My King,” the fae woman looks to be on the verge of tears.
  “That is enough,” he turns from the woman back to you. But, whatever he says, you couldn't make out.
  Humans have always fainted in the presence of the flow of the forest, the question has always been when not if. The king catches you in his arms as your heavy lids close.
  Under different circumstances, you might have fainted happily. But the last thoughts floating around in your hand left you with a sense of dread. Your mother doesn't know your here. You still want revenge for the betrayal you suffered. And what about the fiance you already have?
King's Interest Level: $KingRomance out of 3
King's Distrust Level: $KingDistrust out of 3
End of Demo