My Knight Rescuer is a Jerk! So Why should I ignore the Prince?
"Always remember, no matter how much a fae may seem like they experience emotions, no matter how human like a fae may behave...a fae can never be a human." The Keybearer. A young maiden from another world foretold by ancient prophesy, destined to collect the seven keys and save the world. Surely that's the kind of story that finds some plucky high schooler dreaming of adventure and whisks them off to find their true love, right? Overworked salary women like Emily have long passed the point where such fantasies can come true, and even if they did, it's not like she'd know the first thing about what to do. ...So of course, nobody even bothered to ask her before dropping her into an entirely new world full of magic and danger. Like the three hungry orcs eyeing her as soon as she wakes up. "What do you mean I can sense the keys if I use magic?! What magic?!" If Emily could, she'd have immediately issued a rejection letter, but unfortunately, the only way back is to finish her quest somehow. But it's not all danger and confusion. The knight who rushed into battle to save her is charming and kind and gorgeous, and the beautiful and lonely prince has a soft and kind smile only for her. If everyone she meets along the way is like them... Well. It can't be that bad, right? "...--I'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED BY A PAINTING?!"
One Hundred and Fifteenth
The image melted into view again.
There was no real way to tell time in the cave, as Emily couldn't see the mouth of the cave, and whatever changed wasn't very significant.
There were some pretty baubles on the walls, though, so it seemed likely the young girl in the cave had taken to living there for some reason, and the fae provided her shiny things. Whether it was by her request or just that cat-like fae nature, she couldn't be sure.
Soon enough, there was a stir of life and sound again meeting her notice.
That young male fae was in the cave again, calling out to the one who lived within it, voice cheerful and casual, as if this were something he'd done so often it was automatic to him..
He said a name. The name must have been the name of the girl in the cave.
But - despite the fact that the identity of the name ought to be clear to her anyway - the name didn't reach her ears for some reason.