General Douglas, Sir George, and the rest of the knights were checking their supplies. Percy showed up with his and Dalia's luggage. He gave it to the two dwarves who placed it in their carriage.

"Sir Richard. What more do we have on our journey?" Sir George asked.

Sir Richard is a knight with the rank of captain. He became the best swordsman in the Fiafyr army, once Sir Mathew left the kingdom with his wife. The only other knight that could challenge him was Lady Nelumbo. But she took the position of the Queen's personal knight and bodyguard after she gave birth to her son.

Sir Richard is a human male who has brown hair, grey eyes, a scar across his left eye, and a large muscular build.

"We have a 2-day journey by horse to get to Eldermyst City and a 2-day journey from there to the next town within the Maldurian Domain."

"We're stopping at the town of Lomar? Why not continue the rest of the way to the Capital city?" asked Percy with confusion.

"We are stopping there because His Majesty would like us to meet with the Queen," Sir Richard explained.

"Huh? Why is the Queen meeting with us at Lomar?" Percy asked.

"She will be taking a small entourage of soldiers with her to... Greet Lady Rya. She wants to ensure she's not a threat to the kingdom. But I think she's more concerned about her son... It's probably going to be another interrogation for Lady Rya," Sir Richard sighed.

"Interrogation? Are they going to torture her?" Percy asked, fearing the worst.

"No!? She's going to meet her in person. And since the General was the first step, she's the second. If we show up in the capital with a dark elf. Then there might be a panic and who knows which nobles will want to start a war over a dark elf. But if we can prove that she's not a threat and that the goddess herself has spoken to her. Well, the people will have no choice but to accept her," Sir Richard explained.

"How will the Queen prove her innocence?" Percy asked.

"That's only a question she can answer," Sir Richard said.

"Should we inform Lady Rya?" Percy asked George.

"I'll tell her and His Highness when we are about to depart," Sir George said.

"I still can't believe that I got to witness a dark elf. They're far more pleasant than I was told. Maybe there's a misunderstanding about their kind," Sir Richard said.

"Yeah... It makes me wonder why everyone believes that they're evil. When the only ones I've met have been nothing but nice," Percy said, thinking of the times he's spent with Rya. She was the one to help him fall in love with Dalia. And he was forever grateful. Even though he's been getting restless nights over this past month, but he kinda liked it. It reminded him of his mother's training, back when he was a kid. His mother always told him that this type of training would help him become stronger, to protect himself and the prince.

"Yeah... Queen Rianna isn't going to know what hit her," Sir George laughed.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"Percy... You seen how Lady Rya turns someone, who is hostile towards her and then they're friends with her. Just like what happened to Lady Tayna," Sir George said.

Percy nodded.

"Yeah. I thought it was going to get ugly yesterday. And when Lady Rya offered me to join them for their tea party. I noticed how Lady Tayna wasn't pleased at all and I didn't want anything to do with that," Percy said.

"Then at dinner, it was like that girl was a whole new person. She was chatting away with Lady Rya as if they were always friends," Sir George said.

"She really is something. It's like she has a natural charisma," Percy said while nodding.

"Well, I'll have to take your word for it. But we need to pack the rest of our supplies. The General has said that we are leaving in the next half-hour," Sir Richard said, walking away.

Sir George and Percy continued to talk.

"Go and get your girlfriend's things. I'll get His Highness's gear and place it into the carriage," Sir George ordered.

"Yes, sir," Percy said, rushing off.

George went to his private chambers in the barracks and packed his items before heading to the prince's guest room to grab his luggage. Normally the servants would do this. But with how "high stakes" things were, George couldn't risk any chance of a spy ruining things for the prince and his Lady.

 

***

 

Quinus and Rya were in the Prince's room and having a discussion when Sir George showed up.

"I thought you two would be finished. It's almost time to leave," Sir George said, placing his bag down.

"Sorry, we were waiting for Johan and Tayna to finish... Doing some private things," Rya said, giggling.

Sir George sighed, "So, you are saying that Johan has found a way into Tayna's private parts?... Dammit! I had the perfect plan for him to save his relationship. All that work I did overnight was a waste. Oh, well," Sir George shrugged his shoulders.

"Huh? Did you really have a plan to save his relationship with Tayna?" Rya asked, curiously.

"Yeah, I planned for Johan to get her nice and drunk then he would need to shower her with gifts and then he would need to ignore her so she comes to him," Sir George said, rubbing his chin.

Quinus and Rya looked at each other, then back at him.

"What?" Rya asked, looking confused.

"George. You've had bad ideas in the past, but this one has gone to a whole nother level. Trying to use alcohol to get your way is bad. Really bad," Quinus said, shaking his head.

"Huh? The idea isn't to do everything to her in that state. The whole idea is to plant these things in the target's subconscious and then act like you never did those things. It will cause them to come to you when you act like you're no longer interested," Sir George said as if his idea wasn't stupid.

Rya shook her head, "George. Stop referring to women as targets. We're not some kind of game to you. And even if your idea could work. The reason why Tayna was ignoring her husband was two reasons. First, she has some really bad scarring all over her left side thanks to a monster attack. Second, she worried about Johan not having a mana vein. And lastly, I think she's gotten bad advice about intercourse. It's a gut feeling, but she was a twenty-five-year-old virgin. That's not by mistake."

Quinus nodded his head, "Yeah, I read some of those books when I was a child. It's archaic, to say the least. Saying men can only last for 30 seconds and we will leave them unsatisfied. While women only feel pain and discomfort the whole time. And that the only pleasure comes from poetry and gifts. Yeah, the writer had to be an unsatisfied woman."

"That sucks," Rya said, sighing.

Sir George looked at them with skepticism.

"Well, I guess you win again, my Lady. But Mark my words, someday I will surpass you in the art of matchmaking. And I'll be the one getting the credit," Sir George said.

"Yeah, sure you will," Quinus mocked.

Rya giggled, "George, we can't be good at everything. Plus your methods might make predators, instead of gentlemen. Your ideas always sound great in your head, but maybe you should try to get a girlfriend first, before you go around trying to get all the single men and women together.

Sir George just shook his head. That's when he recalled Sir Richard's warning about seeing the Queen.

"Oh, by the way, the Queen is going to meet us along the road. She'll meet us at Lomar," Sir George said.

Quinus did a double take, "What does my mother want?"

"Apparently, she wants to meet Lady Rya," Sir George answered.

"Is she planning something?" Quinus asked.

"She wants to make sure, Lady Rya is on the up and up. But with how skilled she dealt with the General and Lady Tayna. I'm sure she'll pass whatever Queen Rianna has planned for her. It makes one wonder what her plans are. And it seems like the Queen isn't taking any chances. She's bringing a full escort of her knights with her," Sir George said.

Quinus looked over at Rya, "Well, are you ready to meet my mother?"

Rya looked at George then back to Quinus, "Is there something I should know?"

"Yeah, my mother is a cunning woman. When she has her doubts, she will do anything to make sure she knows everything... And she may be a little overprotective of me after there was a few attempts on my life," Quinus said.

Rya gave a nervous laugh.

"She sounds like a tough woman... Hold on!? You said someone tried to claim your life, three times?" Rya asked, looking a little worried for Quinus.

"Your Highness... You forgot to add the last attempt in the Tomb of the Horde," Sir George said.

"Ha... Ha... Y-Yeah, I forgot Marcus tried to leave us for dead in the labyrinth. It slipped my mind after seeing Rya for the first time," Quinus said as he gave Rya a wink.

Rya blushed a little, "Y-Yeah, you were lucky that I was stuck in the labyrinth. A-And that I found you attractive."

Quinus looked hurt, "So, you wouldn't have saved us if I wasn't good-looking."

Rya rolled her eyes, "Jerk. You know what I mean."

"Oh, and I'm the jerk," Quinus laughed.

"Ahem, can we get back to the subject at hand?" Rya asked, turning her face away from him.

"Which subject? My mother or the people who have tried to kill me in the past?" Quinus asked.

"Both. Now tell me everything I need to know," Rya ordered.

Quinus nodded, "Okay. I guess I'll talk about the past so you can get an understanding of my mother and father.

"First, my father was given the heir to the throne over my uncle due to him having my grandfather's golden eyes. Which is a Meredydd family trait."

Rya gave Quinus a questioning look, "So your uncle is the older brother, but he wasn't chosen. Because your grandfather wanted the best heir for the throne. And your father was better suited?"

Quinus shook his head, "It was the Major Nobles that made the decision. The majority of Major Nobles at the time thought that my uncle was the offspring of infidelity due to his gray eyes and gray hair. So, when my father showed up and was born with the Meredydd Family's golden eyes and reddish brown hair, they immediately made him the heir to the throne. And my Uncle Alaric, who was the rightful heir, was pushed aside and was forced to take my grandmother's maiden name."

Rya was starting to put two and two together.

"So your uncle tried to assassinate you, so he can have the throne, aye? And your mother is worried about a similar attempt from someone else in your family?" Rya asked, looking worried.

Quinus sighed, "You're close, but a little off, babe. First, my uncle was trying to get the throne for my cousin. Because my mother had seven miscarriages before having me. And everyone was worried that she couldn't produce a proper heir."

"Your father couldn't take a mistress?" Rya asked. She knew about the history of nobility back on Earth taking mistresses in hopes of siring a son.

Sir George chimed in, "It had to do with keeping the peace in the kingdom. I was a child at the time, but when King Armond Meredydd passed on. Alaric, with the help of his mother, was gaining support from the minor lords, and Cyndre, being the kind soul that he was, felt bad for his older brother. He agreed to a deal to take only one wife and no mistresses."

"Hold on? Why did Quin's father make this deal?" Rya asked.

Sir George took a seat in one of the chairs and crossed his arms, "Well, the new Prime Minister that came into power was Marquess Duval. He tried to act as the neutral party but he was the one who wrote a proposal and he put in a clause saying that Alaric could only take one wife as well."

Now Rya understood the predicament, 'So Quin's uncle accepted the offer... But he had to know that Quin's mom would most likely give birth to a child— wait!?'

Rya broke out of her thoughts. She needed some information that she was missing.

"Quin... You said your mother had seven miscarriages before you were born. How old was she?" Rya asked.

"When I was born, my mother was in her mid-twenties," Quinus said, sounding worried.

"And how common is it for women to miscarry a child at that age?" Rya asked, curiously.

Quinus was silent for a moment before he spoke, "Very rare from what I've seen. But that's not saying much."

"Hmm? Did they arrange a marriage with a noblewoman who was known to have trouble conceiving?" Rya asked, getting an eerie feeling.

Sir George thought for a moment and then spoke, "From what I've been told, the Queen is from the island country of Corialis. The women there are considered highly fertile and they have similar figures to you, Lady Rya."

Rya was surprised that Sir George actually knew how to compliment her, but this confirmed her suspicions.

"Thank you... There might be hope for you yet, George," Rya laughed.

"Huh? I was just saying that because King Cyndre's tastes in women seemed to be passed down to his son. The nobility seems to be attracted to your type of figure, my Lady," Sir George said.

"Hold on, George... I indeed enjoy Rya's beauty, but it's her personality that drew me to her," Quinus said, putting his hand on his chest.

Sir George shook his head, "Really?... Before Mathew left with Wina... He seemed worried that you were coveting his wife at the age of ten..."

Quinus' face turned bright red with embarrassment. It was true that his old wet nurse was his first crush, and he cursed himself for being too young at the time to pursue her. But that was in the past. Rya saw how embarrassed Quinus was and couldn't help but laugh.

"It's not funny, babe," Quinus pouted.

Rya's face turned red when Quinus called her by her nickname.

"I get it... You're lucky that I'm not the jealous type, Quin," Rya said, giving Quinus a quick peck on the cheek. Quinus' heart skipped a beat and he felt his cheeks getting hot.

"Yeah, it's a good thing. Plus, I don't want to be Percy's stepdad," Quinus laughed, making Sir George join in.

Rya was confused, "You had a crush on Percy's mom? Wow, Quin. I didn't know you liked the mature type."

Quinus looked panicked, "I like your type more, babe!"

Rya smiled, "It's okay, Quin. Maybe some of your father's taste rubbed off on you."

Quinus shook his head, 'No. I never cared for women with the body types like Rya, Wina, or my mother before I was reincarnated. I love Rya because she's smart, and from Earth. B-But Wina was smart and my mother is...' Quinus started realizing something, 'Well... When I was reborn I did have inappropriate thoughts about my mother. Before I knew that she was my new mom, Goddess, her breasts were so massive when I was a baby. I remember breastfeeding and I couldn't help but get... GAH!? When did I care so much about women with big boobs!? I-I don't even remember when my love of tits started, but it's been going strong ever since I... was reborn?'

Quinus snapped out of his thoughts when Rya started shaking his shoulder, "Quin? You okay? You spaced out for a second there."

"Y-Yeah. Sorry, I was thinking about how I would explain the situation to my mother," Quinus said, lying.

"You sure?" Rya asked.

"I-I'm fine," Quinus answered, trying to hide the fact that he lied.

Rya shrugged her shoulders, "Alright... I still need answers... I have a feeling that your uncle did something to your mother that made her sterile."

Quinus' and Sir George's eyes widened. They never thought of it before.

"So, your father and uncle agree to this peace treaty. But when you came into the picture, Marcus lost the throne. So your uncle tried to assassinate you. Then, Marcus would be the next heir again, right?" Rya asked.

"That's what we believe, my Lady," Sir George answered.

"And I'm assuming that none of Alaric's daughters have claims to the throne, right?" Rya asked.

"Yeah, they have a claim if there are no boys in the royal family," Quinus said.

"Got it. So, Alaric wasn't going for the throne himself. He was trying to get it for Marcus instead. I think he was happy to sign that treaty so he could easily right the wrongs in his eyes, without shedding blood... But you said he tried to assassinate you, right? How is he still in power?" Rya asked in confusion.

Both Quinus and Sir George sighed.

"It's a complicated story that we've kept from the prince," Sir George said.

Quinus had an unhappy expression, "What have you kept from me?"

"Wina... She was hired by your uncle to kill you," Sir George answered with a bit if guilt in his voice.

Rya's eyes widened, 'What the fu~'

"Yeah, I know... She told me after I passed the trials of adulthood ten years ago," Quinus sighed.

Sir George's eyes widened, "You knew? And here I thought I was keeping this secret from you. You're more mature than I give you credit for, Your Highness."

"I had time to process what Wina had told me, and the more I learned about my uncle and cousin, the more it made sense," Quinus said.

Rya was confused and wanted some details, "So, let me get this straight. Your uncle had the Royal Wet Nurse hired to assassinate you?"

"No, she was an assassin who infiltrated the palace as a wet nurse," Sir George interrupted.

"She was sent by Alaric Revelia and her goal was to kill Quin, but she didn't? What stopped her?" Rya asked.

Sir George gave a little chuckle, "Well, it wasn't my charming personality."

"No duh!... What was it?" Rya asked, wanting an answer.

George looked hurt, but tried to hide it, "Well, she fell in love with the Kingdom's strongest knight, Sir Mathew. He was the main protection for the prince and was with him most of the time. And Mathew mentioned something to me about her taking a lactation elixir that wasn't fully fermented. It heal her womanhood or something like that... Anyways, the night of the prince's first birthday was when a different assassins' group came to assassinate the prince.

"I was a squire at the time and I didn't know the tactics of the assassins as I do now. They used a toxic in the air to weaken me, Mathew, and... Robert..." Sir George said in a somber tone.

Quinus and Rya noticed the sudden change in his tone.

"Sir Robert died?" Rya asked in a quiet tone.

"Yes... I was young and cocky back then, and when we were ambushed by three assassins. I underestimated the one assassin that me and Robert were fighting. She threw a vial of corrosive acid and hit me square in my steel plate. I was scrambling to get it off when she got Robert... It's the first time in my life that I've seen someone I cared about die. Robert was a great friend, even if he mocked my Courting advice..." Sir George said.

Rya wanted to shake her head when George brought up that he still had this terrible dating advice back when he was younger, but this wasn't the right time for it.

"I'm sorry... I didn't know," Rya said.

Sir George's sad look turned serious, "You don't need to apologize, my Lady. It was a long time ago, and it was the assassins that were at fault. If I ever see a vampire again, they won't live to tell about it."

"Hold on? They were vampire assassins that tried to kill us?" Quinus asked.

"Yeah, the assassins were vampires. I didn't know it until I stabbed that undead bastard in the gut. That's when she grabbed me and tried to sink her fangs into my neck. Luckily, Wina killed the assassin who was going after the prince. Then she came to my rescue as she threw her assassin's needle into the vampire's heart... I would have been relieved if I didn't experience the most disgusting thing in my life," Sir George said, his face turning a little green.

"What happened, Sir George?" Rya asked.

"The vampire's body started rotting on the inside out, then they exploded into a pile of purple blood and guts... I was lying on my back with her on top of me. I was covered in head to toe with her innards," Sir George shivered.

"Ew," Quinus said while cringing at the thought.

"Yikes," Rya said.

"Indeed," Sir George said.

"That is pretty bad... but wait? You said Wina was hired to kill Quinus and she saved everyone she could. So, how did Alaric find out that she didn't kill the prince?" Rya asked.

Sir George looked surprised, "Well, I was sent to the infirmary after we brought the prince to the queen. I only heard the details from Wina after the dust settled. But it turns out that Prime Minister Duval stopped the King from executing his brother on the spot. Instead, the Arch Duke was demoted to Duke and had to empty out most of his coffers. As well as, forfeiting over most of the taxes and tributes from his domain for ten years... I also think Marcus lost his title for the throne but that didn't stop him with his scheming."

Quinus frowned, 'Why didn't anyone tell me this happened?'

"So, you are telling me that this Prime Minister is the main reason why Alaric is still running around? Why the hell is this guy alive!?" Rya shouted in frustration.

Sir George was surprised by the future princess's reaction, "I don't know, my Lady... I-"

Quinus held his hand up, "I think I know why he stopped my father..."

Rya and George looked over at Quinus who had a serious look on his face.