‘Well at least her appearance diffuses the situation.’ I relaxed the hold I had on my mana.

“Solis dear, I haven’t seen you in quite a while. You haven’t been avoiding me I hope?” She asked with her signature dimpled smile. 

‘You turned my city into a breeding ground for lesser fae, what do you expect?’ I smiled in her direction. 

“I apologise, your majesty. I’ve been occupied with work.” 

“You have been doing a good job running the city.” Arthur came from behind his mother and smiled in my direction. 

‘I really don’t like this guy.’

“Thank you for the praise, your highness.” I bowed slightly as he turned his head in the direction of the other people. 

“Lolopika, Mythanar, Knox. Good to see you still being your….special selves.” Arthur said. Lolopika glared at him before turning to the empress and bowed slightly.

“I greet you, Empress Mavis” The empress waved her hand slightly in her direction.

“Ohh, dear. No need for formalities. It’s nice to see you again.” The empress smiled brightly. 

“Ahh, the only one more lovely than my dear Lolopika, empress Mavis.” Knox greeted her next and bowed. 

“Thank you, dear.” She chuckled lightly. 

“Empress Mavis.” Mythanar nodded curtly in her direction.

“Mythanar.” She smiled in his direction as the tips of his pointed ears and cheeks reddened slightly.

‘She really just diffused the situation by just being there.’ I was mildly surprised and impressed.

“Well Solis, shall we begin? I hope you don’t mind me taking charge?”

“Not at all, your majesty” 

‘Makes things easy for me.’ Leaving their various entourages at the gate, she led the way into the ‘inner garden’ and suddenly, a difference in atmosphere could be felt. The mana was thicker in the air, some things seemed to fade into the background while others maintained forefront and there were some faeries that could be seen looking in our direction from their perches in the various trees.

 “Feywild. You have manifested a piece of the feywild, how?” Mythanar looked around in awe of his surroundings. I’m sure he could feel it the strongest, being in the feywild that is, because what are elves if not fey that decided on a more material form. 

“You have the empress to thank for that. Once she found it was feasible, she had trees that were usually native to the feywild planted in the city, concentrating mostly on the ‘inner garden’.” We continued walking in the direction of the world tree as we spoke. 

“I see.” He muttered to himself.

“So the low fae have really made this their home?” Knox asked. 

“Interesting, isn’t it? It was quite the experience to see the forest grow into what it has  come to be.” Arthur started.

“When the fae started coming, things became a little more….magical as they made this place their home. It has now become the place where we come to get in touch with our fae side should we ever feel the need to.” 

Knox nodded his head at Arthur. We walked for a few minutes in silence before we finally reached the world tree proper. We all just stood there in awe for a few silent moments before Mythanar spoke. 

“This…..this is actually a world tree. It is young and not as powerful as the real thing, but it is one.” 

He stepped forward towards the tree and placed his hand on the bark. He glowed a light  green as his druidic mana flooded the area with vitality, ruffling our clothes and hair as the waves of mana escaped him. He shivered slightly before pulling her hand off the tree and turning to me with a slightly fanatic look in his eyes. 

“Trees like this cannot just be planted. In fact, they can never be planted, at all. Whatever fruit the world tree rarely, so rarely produces, possesses no seeds that can be planted. Elven scholars older than your emperor have been trying for milenia to plant another world tree, unsuccessfully. But you, a half elf barely out of adolescence, managed it?” He took a step in my direction and stretched his hand at me. I tensed in preparation of what was to come when-

“Mythanar, dear?” The empress looked in his direction with a small smile, but this was different. 

I felt the breath sucked out of me as I looked at her and my instincts were telling me that she was the most threatening thing to me right now. Her mana wasn’t necessarily emitting harshly from her, but you just got a feeling that you could be killed for the slightest offense. It seems I wasn’t alone as everyone else was tense, especially the one who it was directed to, Mythanar. 

‘Ohh, isn't she quite powerful?’ He snapped out of his slightly manic state after feeling the heft of her presence, turning to her.  

“You know what will happen if anything happens to young Solis, yes?” She asked lightly.

“I would never-”

“Of course you wouldn’t, but there are some fossils that I don’t trust. You understand, don’t you?” Her smile widened before the hostile presence abated. Nobody spoke for a few seconds before the silence was broken again. 

“Will elves be allowed to live here? In this city I mean.” I looked in his direction, stumped. 

‘Huh.’

“Anybody is allowed as long as they follow the rules. But no arbitrary race rules will be enforced here.” I looked at him as I said that. He knew I was talking about the ban on elves breeding with other species. He narrowed his eyes on me with a slight scowl before his face smoothened up to become neutral.

“Very well, you’ll have our answer soon.” He turned back to the tree to just bask in it. 

“Living here might benefit pregnancy and birth. The flavour of the mana is….just right.” Lolopika turned to me. 

“Some of the witches would like to also live here, if at all possible. We will follow the rules, of course, and no arbitrary rules shall be enforced.”

“Hey, beastmen too! Don’t leave me out of it.” Knox shouted. 

“No problem. There are still quite a few lots close to the inner garden that have not been purchased. You can come to my office after this to make the purchases but they are quite expensive.”

‘A little fib. I made sure to separate some lots in case some of the dignitaries from other countries wanted to build a home base for themselves here.’ I smirked to myself. 

‘Hey, when the opportunity for money presents itself, you better take it.’