Bend the knee [2000x high res] (Patreon)

 [STORY]
Weeks slipped by in the new foreign land, and Halcyon had fallen in with  several packs of mercenaries off and on during that time.  Eventually,  she'd find her way into the Capital City of Lordaeron, where she  wandered looking for work.  It was during this time that she'd met the  young, handsome crown prince of Lordaeron himself, Arthas whose very  smile brightened the streets of the common people.  
 

Halcyon had frozen like a doe before a lion, her fierce green eyes  softening like cheese under summer sun. He was a symbol of generosity  and loving for his people, and witnessing him among them Halcyon felt a  sort of warmth she'd never experienced in her own lands. She had  continued to watch, dropping behind her mercenaries and staying behind  to witness this vassal of light and hope as he was surrounded by his  people who clearly adored him.  It was during one of these moments he  turned, swishing that veritable mane of golden blonde hair and his  equally fierce blue-green eyes met Halcyon's.
 

It was a split second of a stare before his maw widened into an enormous  grin, a large gloves paw raising above the crowd and waving in  Halcyon's direction.  The foreign fox felt a shock rush up her spine  from the base of her puffy tail to the nape of her neck and she fought a  shudder, glancing over a shoulder to see if he was perhaps waving at  someone else. He wasn't. The streets behind Halcyon were mostly empty,  save for vendors of the small-town market peddling their wares.  Halcyon's face tightened as she raised her own hand in return, not  waving back but holding it out, open palmed, towards the prince.
 

“Hahahaha thank you m'ladies, you're wonderful! A prince couldn't ask  for more beautiful and loyal citizens than yourselves” he looked down at  the hands and smiling maws everywhere, reaching and touching other  paws, shaking hands, hugging grannies and the women swooned around him.  There were dozens of wagging tails belonging to men and women in thick  cloth outfits made from brightly dyed fabrics around the large armored  prince, and as Halcyon slowly lowered her paw she saw that nearly  sparkling gold hair flutter as Arthas stepped out of the crowd, bowing  deeply to the common-folk and wishing them a wonderful day. He strode up  to the foreign fox, who stood out in her foreign leather like a sheep  among wolves.
 

“Welcome,” he started, his voice was deep, thick and alluring. It had a  weighty boom to it and Halcyon flickered a long ear in response. Paws  shuffled and she started to step back, bowing slightly and Arthas let  out a hearty laugh. “Please, there's no need for formalities here. It's  quite obvious that you are not from my lands.” Halcyon responded with a  short nod, and silently cursed her mercenary “friends” for leaving her  behind. Her common tongue was still awful, and Arthas must have assumed  this because he leaned against a brick wall belonging to a mason and  beckoned with a paw over. “Seems like my people have not been to kind to  you so far, your armor is in rough shape.”
 

Halcyon fumbled, her accent tripping over her words. “Ah-mm, I find  work, mercenario...for gold? Is good enough for bed to sleep at night.   Well, ah, sometime bed. Other time, hay in farmhouse..” Arthas began  laughing and he reached out a paw to Halcyon, “Your common is  atrocious!” he said, his bright green eyes creasing in the corners as he  grinned. “If you want, I can have someone help with that. Of course, if  it's more...proper work you're looking for, the army has openings.”
 

Halcyon crinkled her muzzle in confusion, Arthas kept his hand  outstretched and eventually she placed hers in it.  He gave her hand a  firm and vigorous shake, smiling brightly and she found the corners of  her muzzle rising slowly. 'His kindness...is infectious' she thought to  herself, eventually releasing his paw and staring into the pools of  blue-green that were his eyes. “Let's see if I can explain simpler..” he  started, gesturing a hand to the city “This city needs protecting. My  citizens are precious to me. Do you understand..precious?” slowly Hal  nodded. “Good. Now, the army protects the people. Army, large group of  fighters trained to serve the towns in various ways. Sometimes even  war.” Arthas kept gesturing with his paws and Halcyon laughed when he  used an invisible sword to stab an invisible foe. He pulled a piece of  paper off a nearby wall that said “Lordaeron royal army!” on it, and  held it in Hal's direction.  Quietly she took the parchment, looking  down at the unfamiliar scripts. “I don't can read dis” she mumbled and  Arthas nodded.
 

“The army will teach you, train you, feed you, give you a life. I will  have no citizen, foreign or not, in my lands, starving.” The wolf's eyes  glanced up for a moment, he was taking in the scenery and Halcyon  fumbled with an appropriate response. Who was she to deny a prince? “I  will bring to “friends” and maybe we join together?” Arthas nodded, “I  look forward to seeing you and these “friends” of yours. Perhaps, we  will be seeing more of each other soon.” he smiled at the fox and her  ears flattened slightly, pricking back up at the sound of a woman's  voice calling out. “There you are” the voice said, an alluring yet  bookish sounding voice, belonging to a small white feline in blue robes.   Arthas practically beamed and gestured to Jaina immediately, ushering  her over. “I was just attempting to recruit mister....Ah, I'm afraid I  didn't catch your name yet”
 

Halcyon forced a polite smile and half bow at the cat woman, “Halcyon”  she said quite clearly. Her eyes met the small feline mages eyes and  Hal's brows creased ever so slightly. “I must go, my friends have left  me, I need to find dem for my mission today.” Halcyon nodded at Jaina,  stiffly, then turned towards the towering golden wolf and bowed deeply.  “I vill consider de offer” she said, to which Arthas smiled and coolly  said “I'll give the world, if you bend the knee.”
 

It would be a few weeks more before she understood entirely, what that phrase meant. 

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