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showrunnerihardlyknowher · 2 years

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Wander With In Your Local Woods And You May Find A Cat And Girlfriend...

As if princess Clemin's day couldn't get anymore sour, she finds herself in a bit of trouble on the wrong side of the forest. Good thing there's a pretty kitty on prowl.

A/N: But what if two g/t characters in canonical relationships were actually single and ready 2 mingle...

@chasing-starlights was feeling bummed n gloomy so I offered to write her some trash slash and she requested Ylva and Clemin :3c

8K words

Truly, it should not be this difficult to find her way back to the sprawling palace she called her home, yet Clemin was having no such luck these past few hours. Stone turrets that towered miles above the land, walls that swallowed up parts of the town she governed in angled shadows, none of it visible through the thick treeline that mirrored itself in every direction. The path the princess had once been treading had long since disappeared along with that wretched beast of a horse who left her long behind. Clemin hoped it would be downed by a pack of wolves and mercilessly scavenged, if only because she could not order it to be put down herself. And, perhaps, having it fill the bellies of a few predators would keep her off the menu as well…

So much for a relaxing ride to clear the mind, she thought scornfully, thankful she had at least worn her proper riding trousers instead of her usual layers of petticoats and skirts. Having to heave her heavy gown through dirt and brambles sounded miserable, not to mention unseemly to look at. Clemin was a princess, a ruler, and she’ll be damned if she let her image be soiled literally or metaphorically by appearing unkempt. Of course, having been bucked from her steed when an unknown force had given it a fright more than likely roughed her up upon hitting the ground, but at least there were no witnesses to that little mishap. And if there were, she would have seen to it there weren’t.

After regaining her composure and dusting off her jacket and trousers, Clemin resolved to the fact she would have to be heading home on foot. It was quite a distance away as she had been previously trotting along the trail for almost an hour, but it wasn’t impossible. The journey would give her more than enough time to come up with a more dignified excuse as to how she had lost her steed and why her outfit was so dusty. She was already imagining the smug look of righteousness on the foreign advisor’s wrinkled face, believing divine karma had struck her down for refusing to cooperate this morning. The princess had no desire to listen to this bumbling man drone on about alliances and trades between the two kingdoms, instead opting to go for a ride to mentally prepare herself for the inevitable court hearing. Won’t he look so pleased in seeing how awful that bratty decision had been?

Won’t his head look so fitting stuck in the stock of a guillotine if Clemin dares to catch his lip twitch upwards at her expense.

In theory, all Clemin would have had to do was follow the dirt path in the opposite direction she had been riding and she would eventually end up back at the royal stables. The issue came when parts of the manmade trail were showing signs of being reclaimed by nature, patches of grass and bulbous roots breaking up the dirt worn down by footfalls. It was much easier to navigate with a horse or hunting dog as the creatures could instinctually find their way back home regardless of the state of the trail. Clemin, pitifully human that she was, did not have these same abilities. At some point, the dirt must have split into various forks due to overgrowth consuming a majority of the path, and evidently the princess had chosen the wrong route.

Though she was able to track the daylight dwindling away from the sun moving lower across the sky, Clemin had no bearings to assure her if she was still walking straight back to her home or if she had been looping around in circles for the better part of the afternoon. Worse yet, there was a very real possibility she had gotten completely turned around and was now heading deeper into the accursed woods rather than out. She wanted to believe that she wasn’t naive, in fact she knew damn well she wasn’t, yet as the same scenery of tall trees whirled around her, Clemin was beginning to doubt her sense of direction. But if this wasn’t the correct direction, what way should she change her orientation? Would turning around completely get her back to her starting point of where she was forcibly dismounted, would taking a left spit her out right by the outer gates, was she really only a few more paces away from breaking the treeline if she continued straight?

Clemin was not nervous. She refused to be worried. But she was…a bit apprehensive of the predicament she’d gotten herself into.

Oh, what was there to fuss over, anyways? She was a princess, for goodness sake! As if anyone in the palace would allow her to remain missing for extended periods of time. Surely there would be search parties sent into these very woods before sunset, guards combing through the darkening trees to find their ruling monarch. Clemin would be fine, and after they found her she could play it off that she had never considered herself lost because she knew exactly where she was like a headstrong leader she was revered to be. Obviously, she was just enjoying the beauty of nature to ensure she had a calmed mind before dealing with advisor whatshisface. Because she was graceful, and elegant, and more than worthy of the crown that sat on her head.

So long as her (not) rescue came before dusk, everything would work out just fine, just one little hiccup she would brush off and take to her grave. She wondered if it would be more beneficial to sit in one place and wait to be found or if she should keep aimlessly wandering as if she knew what she was doing. Well, Clemin was never one to twiddle her thumbs and do nothing, especially when she would be wasting precious daylight to find the exit on her own and not even need those useless guards to begin with. Mind made up, which surely will not come back to haunt her, Clemin continued on with her trek just as she had been for the last several hours. The bottoms of her feet ached and she could tell her thighs would be sore from extended use come morning, but these were all trivial issues that could be dealt with after she took a hot bath.

Every time her eyes stung from exhaustion, she imagined her plush bed. Every time her stomach rumbled from not having been filled since breakfast, she imagined the spread of fresh cooked meat and wine waiting in the banquet. Every time she jumped at a rustling or cry of a critter, she imagined the safety of her home, armed with the fiercest of warriors and strongest of stone. All of these luxuries so tantalizingly close and still out of reach despite belonging solely to her. Clemin imagined the halls being run amok without her guidance to keep everyone in check, though she knew her kingdom wouldn’t collapse in her day of absence. However, she wasn’t there to see to it herself that everyone and everything remained in its place and that was enough to set her on edge.

It was this heightened nerve that she blamed for her increasingly jumpy nature as the warmth of day faded into a cool night. Blue skies had darkened considerably into hues of orange and purple, the scruffy tops of the trees beginning to blend into the shadows to create singular, massive shapes that blocked the princess’s view. The search party had to be organized at this point. Soon the dancing flames of torches should appear on the horizon as guards looked through the surrounding area for her, leading the lost princess straight to them whilst she claimed they were bothering her peace and quiet. Yet so far, no such sight could be seen from where she stood, meandering round and round in tight circles to ensure she didn’t miss her rescue if they approached from behind. Perhaps she was a bit deeper into the woods than she thought…perhaps she should have been a little more clear in telling her worried handmaid her whereabouts. Snapping at the fretting woman that she was going to collect herself and to leave her be weren’t the most helpful of directions, were they?

Clemin steadied herself with a deep breath. A few hours on her own and she was already starting to lose her head? Disgraceful. She had stared down the sneering faces of traitors and criminals alike, both within her own court and ruffians that were brought in for capital punishment. She was no stranger to drawing blood, though usually it was by her command rather than her own hand. Yet somehow, the unexpected hoot of an owl was enough to send an unwarranted shiver up her spine as if she was the field mouse it was trying to hunt. The unknown was dangerous, that much of a fact Clemin was well aware of given her title, but really, what was so unknown about the woods? There were trees and birds and little four legged creatures, all of which she was familiar with. In theory, there was nothing she should fear as she was not a scampering prey animal seeking refuge from the nocturnal predators. If anything, they feared her, the apex of her own species.

Tell that to the wolves.

Curiously, though she had wished them a happy feast on her former steed, Clemin had no desire to face them off as desert. She was armed with nothing aside from her wits, while impressively cunning, could do little to help her outrun a pack. The fear of this confrontation lingered in the back of her mind. However, the moon had yet to make its full debut in the sky to call out for its canine children, so Clemin assumed she was in the clear for now. The sooner she got out of the woods, the better.

Something rustled within the underbrush just to the left of her, making the princess freeze in her mindless tracks. An icy wave of fear washed over her as a million possibilities of what could be lurking within the foliage could be. A beast, an assassin, either of which could have their way with her however they saw fit. She would not be going down without a fight, but that still didn’t mean she was looking forward to going down regardless. A lost little princess found torn to shreds in the woods, only bleached bones picked clean by the time she’s discovered after her kingdom had fallen into disarray. What a legacy to leave behind. Clemin took a hesitant step back, then another, watching with wide eyes as the shaking brambles were pushed out of the way for…

A rabbit.

Clemin huffed, mentally berating herself for getting so worked up over a cute little ball of fluff. To think she would have had a guard struck thrice across the back for such cowardliness and here she was, falling victim to the same scare. She narrowed her eyes at the intruding creature, crossing her arms and holding her chin up like she was the sovereign ruler of rabbits as well.

“Pathetic little thing,” she scoffed at the rabbit, as well as partially to herself. “I suppose you’re amused with yourself?”

The rabbit said nothing, twitching its pink nose at her and scampering a few feet away in search of food. Clemin had half a mind to chase it off like a pouting child, seeking revenge to give it the same fright as it had done to her. Something else had beaten her to it, however, as in a flash a winged creature swooped down with a cry to grab the unsuspecting prey and drag it up into a nearby tree to feed. Now that was a scare she refused to be faulted on, jumping back like she might be grabbed as well by the same hulking predator. It was large, far too large to be a bird, yet its shriek was unlike anything she’d ever had the misfortune to hear. Despite knowing her curiosity would be her downfall, Clemin still took slow steps towards the tree the creature disappeared into. She was only a few paces away when a horrific crack of bone echoed from the leaves followed by a pitter patter of blood raining down the tree trunk.

She grimaced, not entirely wanting to see the beast enjoy its meal but so taken aback by the abnormality of it all. Against her better judgment, she looked up into the branches and spotted the silhouette of the predator, hunched over like a man yet less than half the size of one. It was too hard to make out all its features when it was obscured by tangles of branches and encroaching nightfall, but she had not been mistaken when she saw it was leathery wings that helped it soar. This was no bird or bat that she had ever encountered. Clemin couldn’t even begin to try and identify what species it may belong to.

“What are you…?” she half whispered. It was equal parts fascinating and terrifying to discover, much less seeing as she was on her own in way of protection and witnesses. Clemin wondered if she should even reveal this sighting when she got home or if she would be labeled mad with delusions after being stranded.

Well, this would be under the assumption she ever made it home at this point. Upon her disruption of its feeding, the creature snapped its head in her direction to glower at her with beady, red eyes, its entire face drenched in rabbit blood. It hissed, baring its thick fangs and flaring out its wings to make itself appear bigger. Clemin didn’t need to be told twice to back off, gasping at its threat display before turning heel and running. What the hell was that thing?! It looked to be of both man and beast, and though it would only stand a little higher than her knee, she had to desire to see what it was capable of if it lunged for her throat. She had no idea what direction she was running in, blinded by a new wash of fear and fueled by adrenaline to put as much distance between herself and that thing as possible. A voice in the back of her mind chastised her for setting herself up for failure if she lost the little sense of direction she had, but she didn’t care.

She wanted to get out, she wanted to go home. God damn it all, she was willing to sit in a dozen meetings with the foreign advisor if it meant she wouldn’t be within fifty feet of the blood sucking creature ever again!

While she couldn’t hear the telltale sounds of flapping wings and screeching to signal the creature was hot on her tail, Clemin refused to slow down and check lest it allow the thing to close the distance. Her lungs burned, heart racing to keep up with her legs, yet she continued to push herself. What was taking her rescue so long? Did they want their princess to perish in these lawless woods? Was there no urgency in having her be found? The edge of the sky had blackened entirely into night, bleeding into the remaining colors of sunset to snuff out what little light she had left to guide her. With the ground becoming more and more obscured in shadows, as well as her vision tunneling to only focus straight ahead, she hadn’t been able to see the protruding root that broke through the uneven ground. Her boot was caught under the curve of it, sending her sprawling onto the dirt floor not unlike when Clemin had been bucked from her horse. Maybe there was a reason it had been frightened after all.

The wind was knocked out of her as soon as she landed, sucking in pained gasps in an effort to refill her aching lungs. Clemin’s arms shook as she pushed herself up onto her knees, frantically looking overhead for any sign of her winged pursuer. The air was silent and still, no trace of anything looking to suck the blood directly from her heart. She sighed in relief and dusted off her riding jacket. Right then, enough of that nonsense. There had to be some logical explanation for what she saw besides that it was some sort of flying goblin. Those types of creatures didn’t exist. Right? Right, they were just children’s fantasies and nothing more. There were no such things as elves and giants and snake women, no witches lurking in edible homes, just tales to teach caution and morals about not going into the woods unsupervised. Like Clemin.

But all fables were based on fact, weren’t they? A grain of truth sown into the fantastic embellishments. A line could be drawn between reality and legends, but as of now, Clemin was unsure where that boundary laid. Mythical creatures lurking on her land, hidden within her kingdom, she was unsure how to feel about such a discovery. She supposed the first order of business would be to identify who and what had claimed home in her country before she could decide what to do with them. Would they be worthy as allies or need to be eradicated as enemies? There it was, the drive to do what was best for her kingdom and people to thrive against all odds. Good old Clemin, the natural born ruler, who stared death in its blood soaked face and questioned if its kind should be hunted for sport in the near future. She knew she hadn’t lost her touch yet.

A newfound luck still shined down upon her. Literally. Within the distance she could see a glowing of white light bobbing up and down near the base of the trees. It didn’t burn a hot red like the fire of a torch, but it still held the hope of being aid, if nothing else than to keep her visible for rescue to see her in the dark. Clemin stood and ignored the throb in her ankle from when it had uncomfortably twisted during her sprint, walking towards the beckoning glow. She knew better this time than to call out into the darkness, not wanting to draw any attention to herself now that other predators could be snuffing about. The princess had only taken a few steps when the light blinked away, appearing again to her left. Strange, but again she followed, until it disappeared a second time and danced out of the corner of her eye with a giggle.

Ah, she understood now, it had been a trick of perspective. The light wasn’t along the horizon, rather it was only hovering a yard away from her, able to fit in the palm of her hand if she should try to grab it. A pixie? A wisp? It had to be something sentient as it fizzled out and reappeared around her with a childish delight in their new game. Clemin would be lying if she said the playful sprite wasn’t putting her a little more at ease, it’s welcoming glow and soft nature helping her forget the ungodly horror she had seen just moments prior.

“Hello there,” she said tentatively, not wanting the light to suddenly burn red and have it curse her for whatever reason. “Can you…help me?”

The sprite fluttered around her with a coo as if it was considering her request. Seeing as it was just a ball of light, Clemin wasn’t sure if it was agreeing or just sizing her up to whisk her away into fae territory. Sprites and fae were the same, right? She didn’t know, she had grown out of these babyish stories long ago, far earlier than other children her age. There was no time to waste on such foolish tales, though now she wished she’d spent a little more time being able to discern the friends from foes in this realm.

“I’m a bit lost in these woods,” Clemin continued. The sprite seemed to perk up at this. “Would you be able to show me back to my home? The castle?” Surely, these creatures had to know of the sovereign ruler on these lands, even if they never ventured past the treeline into human territory. It was such a massive marker that it was impossible to miss if it wasn’t hidden by the trees so deep in the woods. She wasn’t sure if they had a concept of royalty and social hierarchy, but something told Clemin they couldn’t care less if she was the queen or a brothel maid.

The little ball of light giggled and floated side to side, bouncing in the air like a rubber ball as it drifted away deeper into the trees. Clemin wasn’t sure if she was meant to follow, but she didn’t want to risk losing her only chance at getting home.

“H-hey! Wait!” The princess hurried her pace behind the sprite, uncaring how pain shot down her left foot with every step she took on the injured ankle, too focused on the hope that she might make it home in one piece after all. In the darkness of the woods, the light was easy to see, but every time she started to catch up it would zip further ahead with a chiming laugh. It was teasing her, like a game of chase, Clemin was getting suspicious that it might not be leading her anywhere remotely helpful. Yet she was still too wary to let go of what may be her only chance at being found. She had gone from walking, to jogging, to full on running in an effort to keep up with the glowing orb.

Clemin had been so worried about not losing sight of her shrinking guide that she failed to see the low hanging vines that draped overhead. An idiotic mistake on her part seeing how they hung like stringy curtains right in front of her face, even a blind man would be able to see them! Of course, because this turn of events couldn’t get any worse, the vines looped and snagged around her when she tried to run through them, stopping her in her tracks with a yelp. The princess tried in vain to call out to the sprite as it fizzled away into the shadows. It was no use. Even if it wasn’t taking her where she wanted to go, at least it had been a good source of light. A very improper growl of pent up irritation made its way from her throat. Stupid, stupid, stupid! These woods, these creatures, these vines, herself, all so foolishly incompetent!

She tried to wretch her arm free from where the vines had tangled on her wrist and forearm. When that didn’t work, she tried again, and again, and again while her mounting frustration threatened to make her lose her temper entirely. No, this was not the time to lose her cool, nor the inanimate object to rain hell upon. Did she really want to be found losing a fight to a pile of vines? Take a breath, steady your nerves, and calmly mull over the problem at hand. She wasn’t an animal, she had been blessed with opposable thumbs just as most humans had. She was perfectly capable of standing still and unwrapping the vines from her body one by one. The best course of action was to start freeing her arms and working from the neck down, the damn vegetation coiling across her chest and waist, even down to her swollen ankle. This was going to be a pain.

Very quickly, Clemin realized she had limited mobility of the arm she had been yanking, the vines taunt from the limb to the branches. Fine, she still had one free hand to work with. Well, mostly free. The foliage was also looped under her shoulder to prevent her from rotating it in a full circle. Again, that was fine, what was a ruler if they could not be flexible on the fly once their plans started to go awry? She would instead start by pulling away the coils against her chest to give her more room to move her body, hopefully enabling her to reach her opposite arm. However, this plan, too, was nixxed just when she had begun. Clemin was only able to wriggle two fingers between her chest and the vines, attempting to snap the flora like twine, yet the flesh of the plant refused to give way. A second try to claw her nails into its tough skin proved to be just as ineffective. Damn, it really was like rope. No matter, she’ll just have to find the knot and unravel it that way.

Except when she tried to move her arm down again, her fingers could only graze her chest.

That…that wasn’t right. Just a moment ago she had been able to curl her fingers around the coils of vines. How was it that she was unable to do anything more but brush against them? The vine around her arm must have gotten caught on an errant branch overhead from the movement, if she tugged it again it should wriggle loose.

It didn’t. In fact, now she was unable to reach her chest with that arm at all. Like a dense fool, she gave it one more tug to solidify her suspicions that yes, with every movement she made, the vines were tightening around her. That shouldn’t be possible. That wasn’t something vines were known to do. Then again, it would be wise for the princess to remember she wasn’t in a realm of normal possibilities anymore. Clemin needed to count her lucky stars that the vines weren’t attached to a large, carnivorous plant waiting to drag her into its toothy maul as far as she could tell. That still didn’t help alleviate the harsh reality of what she was dealing with. While the vines weren’t actively trying to drag her up into the branches, they were still wrapping themselves tighter and higher with every jerk of her body. Essentially, if she wanted to prevent her arms from being fully locked above her head and her last breath being squeezed from her chest, Clemin couldn’t move an inch. The vine around her stomach had already coiled like an uncomfortable belt that was done one notch too far. On the bright side, the stiff pressure keeping her ankle still was helping to numb the pain. Or it was because it was cutting off blood circulation.

This wasn’t good. This was very not good. Clemin had gone from being lost in the woods, to lost in the woods that bordered on mythical territory, to being helplessly bound in mythical territory. The hope of being found and rescued by her people had all but fizzled away at this point, her fate looking more grim by the minute. Every instinct in her body told her to kick and fight her way out of this hold, refusing to be bested by a half sentient plant, but she knew it would only serve to be detrimental as it further restrained her. The only way this could have been worse was if a vine had found its way to snake around her neck, a ticking noose waiting to string her high for trespassing where humans were not welcomed. Though maybe that would have been a blessing compared to the idea of being left here to the elements and predators to wear down.

She was a strong ruler, she was a feared ruler, but in this moment Clemin was unabashedly afraid for her wellbeing. There was nothing she could do, not even to fool herself into thinking she was still fighting until the very end. Shouting out for help would only chance at attracting unwanted attention, struggling would tighten the bonds. Crying never got anyone anywhere, yet in the moment it felt like the right thing to do if only because there was nothing else she had control over. Stubbornly, she refused to let the tears fall from her lashes no matter how much they stung her eyes. She would not be reduced to tears like a pitiful damsel in distress. She would hold onto the remains of his dignity for as long as she had the strength before nature did away with her.

It would appear the end was approaching sooner than later when the ground trembled, the vibrations tingling her entire body as they traveled through the vines like currents. What was that? The earth trying to split in two and swallow her down to the pits? What a way to end this awful day.

The tremors kept shaking the ground, each one heavier than the last in a measured tempo. It was like it…was coming closer. Like something was approaching her with massive footfalls. Could it be…? No, no, that was ridiculous. And even if it were something as outlandish as a giant of all things, she would be so miniature in the dark that more than likely it would pass over her without a second glance. Or, because it couldn’t spot her, there was a chance the beast might flatten her under the sole of its foot, an even more undignified way to perish. As the steps moved closer, the tops of the trees shifted when the hulking figure pushed through them, unbothered by the leafy branches that tickled against it. Stronger branches creaked and snapped as they were forced to give way, a sign to come for Clemin’s own limbs should the creature smack her aside the same.

Slowly, Clemin was able to make out a moving figure ahead of her through her haze of tears. Black fabric swished to separate itself from the same dark background, moving like a curtain in the wind. It took a moment for the princess to realize it was moving in time with each shake of the step, heeled boots proving to be the main culprit behind the footfalls. The fabric must be a skirt then, or something akin to such clothing if she was to believe the giant held the same standard of public decency. Her eyes traveled up the giant body, only making it to the curve of its hips before its upper half disappeared into the thicket of trees. Because she couldn’t see all of it, she had to wonder if it could see her. Should she scream out for it to stop and avoid being accidentally squashed? Absolutely not, she didn’t want that thing to know her whereabouts, not when all the stories she had been told of giants involved them being violent maneaters.

But as it continued to approach her, Clemin couldn’t help but renew her struggles despite knowing how fruitless they were. She needed to get out of here, to run and hide, praying a new bout of adrenaline would grant her the extra strength needed to tear through her bonds. As expected, the vines coiled further around their struggling victim, digging into her sides and pinching the skin of her biceps. When the one snaked around her ankle pulled it up, she couldn’t help the pained yelp that slipped out. As soon as it did, she clamped her mouth shut, wishing she could gulp the scream back down. It was too late. The giant’s walking stopped. She had given herself away.

“Oh my!” a voice rumbled from above, soft in tone but still loud in Clemin’s tiny ears. It was feminine with a lilt of a posh accent the princess had heard from visitors across the sea.

The steps moved closer and Clemin almost had the idea in her head that they were more cautious than they had been before, taking mind of where they stepped. Clemin physically couldn’t wiggle anymore though so badly she wanted to. The vines had completely immobilized her, forcing her to watch the giant smooth its skirt down as it knelt onto the ground to get a better look at the incapacitated princess. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut and look away, terrified at seeing the gnarled face of the maneater that would gulp her down in two bites, maybe even one if it was particularly cruel. Yet terror kept her frozen in place, the few dreads that had become misplaced and falling in front of her wide eyes doing little to hide the creature. Her heart seized and almost stopped beating as she took in the sight before her.

The giant was breathtakingly gorgeous.

So many fables had described giants as ugly, foul beasts with an equally wicked personality, almost all of them of the male gender. This one, however, could easily pass as a fair woman of nobility should she be sized down a good few feet. Clemin was immediately drawn to her eyes, so kind and shining like the brightest emeralds the princess could only hope to have on a crown. Gentle waves of black hair spilled down her shoulders to blend into her bodice. At a first glance, the gown looked as if it were something of mourning ware due to its entirely black color palette, but closer inspection revealed swirls of red threading stitched like embroidery along her bosom and waist. Could it be that she was royalty, too? Clemin wouldn’t be surprised, she looked too beautifully regal to be anything but.

Having been so captivated by the lovely face that took up a majority of her view, Clemin was quite taken aback when she trailed her gaze upwards in search of a crown to see two fuzzy peaks of white protruding from her head. Horns? No, she realized as they twitched and rotated, ears. Feline, she assumed once she caught sight of more white fur hidden behind the giantess’s back, a skinny tail swishing against the dirt. What a peculiar combination of beastly traits. She had to be a hybrid of some kind, a cross between the typical giant and…a cat? Mythological creatures were a strange bunch. As much as Clemin wanted to admire the giantess, she couldn’t let her guard down just yet. Giants were known to be dangerous and cats were hunters who played with their food, together they could be an unholy combination.

“You poor thing,” the giantess crooned, a friendly smile gracing her face. It would have made Clemin’s heart skip a beat if it didn’t show off the tips of her extended fangs. “Try not to move, sweetie, these vines are tricky little pests.”

Hand started to crowd around the corner of Clemin’s eyes, slender fingers with pointed nails reaching closer to touch her. Instinct overran her common sense, renewing her struggles with the innate need to get away from the grasp of an unknown predator. Just like every time before, the vine squeezed painfully around her sore body, pinching off the blood flow to a few of her extremities.

“Away from me, beast!” She ordered. The hands stilled in their movement, but they didn’t pull away. The giantess tilted her head and Clemin could feel butterflies squirming in her compressed stomach. She had no right to look so darling when she was possibly an enemy. “You will not touch me, do you understand?”

The white ears twitched down and she gave the princess a sheepish smile. “Ah, I’m sorry, but I really don’t have a choice if you want to get unstuck…”

Once more the hands surrounded Clemin. Try as she may to jerk her body away from where the pads of her fingers would make contact, there was nowhere she could move to avoid it. “L-laying a hand on a monarch is a punishable offense!” Punishable by death, specifically, yet Clemin was doubtful that threat held much water to such a massive being who lived outside the walls of her sovereign rule. There wasn’t a blade long enough to slice across her slender neck and, well…wouldn’t it be a waste of beauty to do so? It was an empty promise, but it was the only thing the princess had to use.

Naturally, the giantess wasn’t deterred. If anything, her sweet smile softened into something that made Clemin bristle with indignation. How dare she look upon her with such kindness, regarding her as something beautifully fragile like that of a glass blown flower. This woman had no idea who she was dealing with, the kind of power she held, how she could make people bend to her whims with the crook of a finger. Yet the giantess only regarded the princess for what she saw; cute and helpless.

“Don’t be afraid. I promise to be gentle.”

Against her better judgment, Clemin didn’t doubt for a second that she was speaking the truth. Still, she wasn’t about to let the other woman think she had the upper hand, wriggling to the best of her limited abilities as a clear display she was not pleased. Clemin continued to spit out more harsh promises, varying from prosecution to full blown revenge by her own hand, all of which fell on deaf cat ears. The only time she responded was when the princess whimpered in suppressed agony after the vine around her twisted ankle was pulled at, prompting the giantess to coo a soft apology while she removed the remaining tendrils from her leg.

“That’s it, you’re doing so well,” she praised, trailing her finger over Clemin’s locs to brush the few dreads out of her face at last. “Just a few more.”

Nails snapped through the troublesome vines like a knife, yet never once did they nick Clemin’s soft skin, a testament to the giantess’s gentle nature. With a final cut, the last vine that suspended the princess released her to drop into the awaiting palm that was cupped underneath her. She hardly had any time to get her bearings or massage some feeling back into limbs before she was on the move of being lifted to the other’s face for a once over. Clemin gulped, thankful the dark of the night hid the faint blush that tickled across her cheeks, the heat warming up the back of her neck as well. The haughty part of her wanted to demand again that she be let go and no longer touched by such a beast, the terrified part of her wanted to cling to the huge fingers in hopes of not falling from such a height or being tossed into her hungry maw. But the part that won out, the part she couldn’t even begin to describe, was the desire to sit in awe of the lovely woman who eyed her back like a priceless jewel.

The hand that had been responsible for cutting her free returned to pick away the vines that loosely hung around her waist and legs, discarding them like lint. “There we go, that’s better,” Her sympathetic appearance shifted slightly into a more relaxed expression now that Clemin had ceased her fretting. She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “My, you’re a pretty one, aren’t you?”

Gods, Clemin could say the same thing about her. She wouldn’t, not aloud and certainly not to her face, but her rapidly beating heart knew the truth. The princess was at a loss for words, so many things she wanted to say and so few that felt appropriate. She should thank the giantess, she should order to be brought home post haste, she should compare her beauty to that of a golden sunrise. Her throat stayed choked up, vetoing any of these stupid decisions her muddled mind wanted to make. Obviously, the giantess wasn’t the threat, or at least she had no ill intentions towards Clemin as far as she could tell. If she had wanted the girl dead or maimed, surely she would have done so by now. Best not to test her patience and risk making an enemy out of her while she could still be of use in helping her back to the palace.

Clemin cleared her throat to force the words through. “Thank you for…assisting me,” good start, solid delivery, most certainly did not sound like she was on the verge of a panic attack minutes before she had been rescued. “Myself and my kingdom appreciate your efforts.”

“You’re quite welcome, though…” The giantess raised an eyebrow. “Forgive me if I speak out of line, but aren’t you a little, well, large to be a fae princess?”

Clemin blinked. Fae? “You are mistaken, I have no fae blood in me. I am Clemin Dures, the second daughter of King Alfred.” This title evidently meant nothing to the giantess as she stared blanking at the princess in her hand. “I…it’s a human kingdom?”

She perked up at this, her ears pointing straight up as a smile dimpled her cheeks again in understanding. “Oh, a human! Goodness, we don’t get many humans this far into everglades. You must have traveled far from your kingdom. May I ask why? Are you seeking something?”

“Ah, no, n-no, I assure you it was by accident,” and absolutely through no fault of her own. “I’m actually trying to return to my kingdom, but it appears I’ve lost my way.”

“Many humans do,” she agreed with a nod. “Most who come across are travelers and runaways, the occasional adventurer. Unfortunately, not all of them find their ways back out…” The giantess had been sidetracked by her thoughts, missing the way Clemin’s face paled at the admittance she had a low chance of leaving this realm as well. “My friend found a human once and, oh, he is just the cutest thing! Always so shy and curious–”

“Excuse me,” Clemin cut in. “But…but what about me?”

The giantess laughed, bubbly and sweet like champagne. “I think you’re plenty adorable as well.”

Clemin could feel her body burning red. If it weren’t for the equally warm palm beneath her, she was sure the giantess would have been able to feel her embarrassment radiating from her being. “Th-that’s not what I meant!” She took a deep breath to steady herself, painfully aware at how her voice had pitched up an octave to rebuff the compliment. “I meant about me getting out of here.”

“Oh, right,” if Clemin wasn’t mistaken, a blush was also dusting the cheeks of the other woman. “I suppose it is rather important to return a princess to her kingdom, isn’t it?”

The princess’s heart banged its fist upon her ribcage, screaming as loud as it could to her brain that the journey home didn’t need to be a hurried one. Why not stay and enjoy the other’s company a little while longer, learn every trick it takes to ensure that dazzling smile never slips from her face. There were so many questions to ask, so many stories of people and cultures to swap between the two of them that they could fill a library. Clemin wanted to soak in every last drop of the giantess, to bask in her gorgeous light as if she were sunbathing. It was immodest, improper even, for such nobility to want to throw herself at a stranger, yet she couldn’t help it. Her outer facade refused to flinch and give way to the turmoil brewing within while the giantess was content to wear her open heart on her sleeve for Clemin to marvel at.

Being a woman of her size, she supposed the other didn’t have to worry too much in ways of betrayal. She was able to take the risk of letting others in so easily, even without a reward for her kind deeds, and not have to think twice if it came across as a moment of weakness. There were no crude men to stab her in the back or weasley nations trying to one up her to prove their superiority. She was free to do as she pleased and never once did she come across like she used that physical power for her own selfish gain. Clemin envied her for that freedom of choice.

Clemin was startled out of her thoughts when the giantess rose to her feet, soaring up to twice the height the princess had been used to. Most certainly she did not let out a squeak of surprise, nor was she comforted by the woman’s thumb rubbing along her side. “Let’s see…I’m afraid I’m not very familiar as to where your kingdom is located, but I know there’s a human village around the area. I’m sure they would know, right?”

They better, or Clemin was really screwed. “I’m the sovereign ruler of these lands, it would do them well to remember who they are under.”

The giantess gave her a cheeky grin and Clemin caught her tail flicking from the corner of her eye. “I apologize, my princess. You’re a bit out of your jurisdiction in these parts. Not to worry, though, I’ll keep you safe. The last thing you’ll want is to get tongue tied with a fae.”

My princess. It wasn’t a title she had never been called before, and yet hearing it roll off the other’s tongue sent a shiver down her spine. “How long until we reach the village?”

“Half a day, maybe a little more,” Clemin visibly deflated in her hand with a groan. “I know time is of the utmost importance, but may I suggest we start our travels in the morning?”

“The morning? It’s barely night! Why can’t we go now?” Weren’t cats meant to have reflective eyes that shone their way through the darkness? That had to be an ability the giantess possessed if she was able to spot Clemin so easily after she cried out.

“I don’t want you to exert yourself, sweetie. I’m sure you’re tired and hungry, I know for certain you are injured. It would be more beneficial for your body if you allowed it to rest.”

Well…she did make a fair few points, not to mention returning to the palace looking haggard would only worsen her image to those within the castle. Filth couldn’t be permitted within the walls, she had to uphold the idea that she was prim and proper no matter the hardships she faced. Besides, it would mean spending the night in this lovely woman’s company. Clemin could spare a few hours of her time, the throne wasn’t going anywhere.

Still, Clemin had to put on a show of being difficult as she sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine, if you want to think you know best.”

“I am well versed in medicinal studies, actually,” she chirped, “Not just of my own kind, either. I do love to study the local fauna. The humans in the village we’ll be visiting tomorrow morning are so precious, letting me observe and poke at them all day long. There’s so much about the world no one knows.”

How very true. It was only in the last hour had Clemin learned humans weren’t alone on the planet, magic hidden away in unlikely places away from prying eyes. Yet the princess couldn’t care less about the wonders of the world she was missing out on currently, only focused on learning every factoid she could about her savior. As of now, she could mentally trace every curve of her face to burn the imagery into her memory, ensuring she would never forget the gorgeous features.

“I don’t believe I caught your name,” Clemin spoke up. She had surprised herself when she asked and wanted to kick herself for not asking sooner. Gods, she must look like a mannerless twit to ask for so many favors without knowing the other’s name beforehand.

“It’s Ylva,” she laughed. “And it’s a pleasure to have you with me tonight.”

“The pleasure is mine.”

Oh, she didn’t know the half of it.

#g/t #macro/micro #giant/tiny #gianttiny #g/t ocs #g/t fluff #g/t community #g/t writing #my writing #oc ylva #size difference #giantess #gts #wlw #dialogue writing my detested #10/10 would bully clemin with mythical creatures again

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