Meanwhile in the capital city of Tairal. A messenger made their way towards the Maldura Royal Palace. It was noon by the time she arrived.

The messengers were sent by Baron Zellin Coldforge on behalf of the Prince a couple of weeks after the Battle of the Roses. They were ordered to try and avoid anyone who was allied with Duke Alaric Revelia. This message was meant for King Cyndre Meredydd only.

This messenger was a female dwarf named Jana. She was a veteran of the dwarven army. She was loyal to the prince and worshipped the saintess. She wasn't going to let anyone get in her way and had strict orders to avoid contact with anyone other than the king himself. If she was discovered with the message, then she would have to fight them off.  But luckily she never encountered any of Alaric's men.

After walking through the calm streets of Tairal, Jana finally made it to the palace.

"What brings you to the palace, Dwarf?"

Jana was questioned by the Royal Guards. It always annoyed her when the humans outside of Ironside called her by her race. She didn't like the cold stares they gave her.

"I've come here on behalf of the Baron of Ironside," Jana responded in a gruff voice.

"Well, you can give the message to me and we'll send it to the king. Or you can go back to Ironside," the guard said as he blocked her path.

"No, I want to hand deliver my message directly to the king!" Jana told him.

"Not without getting approval from the captain of the royal guards first," the guard replied.

"You're going to need to let me pass," Jana told the guard.

"And why should I do that?" The guard asked as he stared down at her.

She sighed and pulled out Prince Quinus's royal ring. "Because this is the royal ring of the Prince of Fiafyr. You don't want to anger the future King, now do you?"

The Guards looked at each other not knowing what to do.

 

At the time Lord Brice and a few of his men were coming back from lunch and noticed the dwarf standing at the gate.

They stopped in their tracks as they saw the royal ring.

"That's the Meredydd ring!" Mr. Mitchell yelled.

A look of realization washed over both the guards when the royal councilmen pointed out the ring.

"She must have news about the monster stampede. We can't let her go in there alone. Let us go with her," Lord Brice said as he walked right past the guards and approached Jana.

"What's your name, dwarf?"

"Jana."

"I'm Lord Brice. I'm the King's head of council. Do you bring good news?"

"Yes! I was sent here to deliver a message from the Baron of Ironside," Jana said as she handed the ring to him.

Lord Brice looked at the ring for a second before nodding. "It's the prince's... Come. We need to bring her to the king immediately."

The guards looked reluctant to step aside at first, but once Jana made eye contact with them they quickly moved aside.

"Let us go," Lord Brice told the guards.

 

 ***

 

Once inside the palace, they headed straight to the audience chamber where the king and queen were waiting along with the royal council.

King Cyndre looked like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in over a month. Rianna wasn't that much better as she was worried about her son. They've been waiting for over a month to get any news from the West.

He stood up when he saw Jana come through the door which caught the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Is she from Ironside? What does she have to say?"

Jana took a deep breath as this was her first time seeing the King this close. She summoned her nerves before stepping forward.

"I was sent here by Baron Ironside to deliver a message from Prince Quinus himself," she said while pulling out a letter sealed with the prince's own seal. Brice also showed Quinus' ring to the King and Queen.

"If it's a message from the prince, then we should hear it," the king said.

"Here you go, my liege."

Cyndre opened the letter and began to read it to himself.

Mother, Father,

I am writing to you now to inform you of the events that have taken place recently. I know that it took me longer than usual to contact you, but there were extenuating circumstances. I am safe and well, although I fear that I may not be able to return home until my fiancee has finished learning all the necessary skills so that she can defend herself.

Cyndre's face went from joy to shock in the blink of an eye.

'He's engaged!? H-How am I going to explain this to Duval...' Cyndre thought to himself as he tried to comprehend the fact that his son was now betrothed to a different woman.

"Is something wrong, my liege?" Lord Brice asked once he saw the look on his king's face.

"L-Let me finish the letter," Cyndre responded.

We fought against an army of goblins and we lost nearly every knight that joined me on this journey. The only ones who survived were Sir George and Percy. We were betrayed by my cousin and were ambushed by hobgoblins. But to our fortune, a talented and beautiful Earth Mage, Healer, came to our aid. She fell into the Tomb of the Horde and she helped us thwart my cousin and found the dungeon core while battling a Cave Troll. This woman is the one who captured my heart.

Cyndre's mood changed a little, 'He's in love with an Earth Mage, Healer? Maybe this can lessen the blow to the arranged marriage. And he said she's beautiful?'

Cyndre recalled all the women that ever caught his son's eye and they all had a similar look to Wina. Quinus's old maid and wet nurse, who was a secret assassin. She was his guardian before she had to leave the kingdom with her husband.

The King looked at his wife. Even though she was almost forty. She was just as beautiful and full of life as the day he met her. She was a beauty in her own right, even when compared to her sisters. She was tall, voluptuous, and had fair skin with dark brown hair that she kept braided most of the time. And her bosoms didn't get smaller after giving birth to his son. In fact, they seemed to have grown larger over the years.

Cyndre's cheeks became red and hot as his mind wandered into inappropriate territory.

'Well, I can't deny that a woman with a large chest would catch Quinus' eye. After all, he's my son and I am influenced by the same trait... Plus, he'll be twenty, and he'll need a strong wife to rule beside him... I just don't know if the princess from the Divine Three will cut it... They are the prudish types. Blaming women for their misfortune and such,' the King thought to himself.

"My husband," Rianna spoke, "is there something wrong?"

"Hmm, oh! I got distracted by your beauty," the King said with a smile.

Rianna glared at him, "I still haven't forgiven you for your brother and his son's misdeeds. You know what's at stake. We have to do whatever we can to ensure Quinus' survival."

Cyndre's expression dropped as he heard his wife's words. He knew she was right and that he had no choice but to comply after letting Alaric off with such a weak punishment for attempting to assassinate their son.

'S-She will never sleep in the same room with me again unless I find a way to convince her otherwise...' Cyndre sighed.

He turned his attention back to the letter and continued reading.

As of right now, we are staying at the palace in Ironside. We have the full support of Baron Zellin Coldforge. After we arrived at Ironside a mercenary group called the Black Roses tried to take over Ironside. It was a hard-fought battle and we saved the day once we rescued my fiancee from their clutches.

"What?!" the King yelled out.

"Is he okay!? That's all that matters," Rianna said while holding her chest wondering what was wrong.

"H-He says they are staying in the palace at Ironside," Cyndre said.

Rianna sighed in relief, "Our son is alive and in a safe place."

"Yes, but it seems he was busy fighting for his life the whole time," Cyndre said as his eyes began reading more of the letter.

She was a key factor in saving Ironside, and in turn, I was able to stop the Black Roses from using her as a slave.

But even with all this good news. There is the unfortunate bad news as well.

I'm sure you can guess that my cousin is dead. I ordered his death after he was captured for treason against the throne. We should assume that Uncle is aware of what has happened and might try something.

Whatever good feelings the King had left, disappeared in an instant. He knew that one day his nephew Marcus was going to get himself killed. He wished he could have postponed it for as long as possible. Until they could have gained the control and support of the majority of minor nobles who backed Alaric and Marcus' ambitions.

"He's dead..." Cyndre's voice was filled with concern.

"Who's dead, your Majesty?" Lord Brice asked.

"Marcus... I tried to warn them, but it seems like it wasn't enough..." Cyndre's body shook.

Rianna wasn't upset at all, "How did he die?"

"Quinus executed him for treason..." Cyndre responded in a soft voice.

Rianna had mixed emotions. She was glad to be rid of such a thorn in her son's side, but she also knew that this was a dangerous move that he made.

"That means we have lost the support of the Revelia house. This isn't good," Lord Brice said.

"We never had their support, Lord Brice... But now we need to be more prepared for Alaric's inevitable revenge," Rianna stated.

"I hoped there would have been a better time to deal with them. But I fear there was never a proper time to do anything about their scheming," Cyndre added.

Lord Brice looked around and saw the looks on the other council members' faces.

"Your Majesty, should we prepare the kingdom for a siege?"

"No..." Cyndre said after a few minutes.

"No!? Cyndre! Alaric will try to ambush our son!" Rianna said angrily.

"I don't think he will, my love," Cyndre said while looking in her eyes.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Our son has a healer on his side..."

"You mean the Saintess!" Jana interrupted.

Everyone looked at Jana.

"I lost my arm in the battle of the Roses and the Saintess healed me. It was a miracle!"

"Are you serious? A healer hasn't been seen in over a hundred years. Are you sure that you weren't seeing things? That can happen sometimes when a person goes through a traumatic experience," Lord Brice asked.

"Don't you dare question me. You have no idea what it's like to think your life is over, then a moment later it's restored. She healed all the survivors of the attack on Ironside. We are now loyal followers of the Saintess," Jana proclaimed.

The King and Queen looked at each other.

"If Alaric wishes to assemble an army to attack our son. Then their lives will be forfeit. As he would have to send a lot of his men into Ironside. And he would have to make the trip himself just to, maybe, have a chance to kill our son and the healer. He's not going to throw his life away that easily," Cyndre said.

Rianna looked convinced, "I suppose you're right. But I want to send a few dozen knights to Ironside anyway."

Cyndre smiled, "If that is what you wish."

"Thank you."

Cyndre continued to read.

I know I'm probably making a mess of everything. And that father has probably lost his patience with me for this last part.

'Huh? How could I ever be angry with him? I'm a little upset, but that's because I'm worried about his safety...'

My fiancee, Rya, is a dark elf. I know it will be a shock to you both, but she is the woman who has won my heart. Please do not think less of her because of her race. I know you'll love her just as much as I do.

Sincerely,

Quinus Meredydd.

King Cyndre's right eye started to twitch and his hands slowly opened to let the letter fall to the ground.

"Cyndre? What's wrong? What did it say?"

The king looked at his wife, "Q-Quinus is engaged..."

"Yes, to the healer."

"Who is a Dark Elf."

Rianna's jaw dropped.

"That can't be right. A dark elf!?"

"Yes," Cyndre responded, his eyes looking vacant.

"That means there will be a Dark Elven Princess in line to be Queen of Fiafyr! If the word gets out how will the Alliance of the Divine Three take this? We will be at war," Lord Brice cried out.

"I fear the nobles will use this to sow dissent in our kingdom. I fear that Marquess Duval will do something brash," said the King.

"She must have put a spell on him or—"

"Don't speak ill of the Saintess! If anything it is the Crown Prince who's put a spell on her!" Jana argued and interrupted the Queen.

"How do I know you haven't been put under her spell?" The Queen questioned the dwarf.

"Pff! I'm not interested in women. Give me a proper dwarven man whose beard is fully grown and I'll be happy. You have nothing to fear, My Lady."

The Queen rolled her eyes, "That's not reassuring, you know."

"Listen, I know a woman in love when I see it. Saintess Rya is under the prince's spell, not the other way around. And I don't know why you human males are so attracted to tall curvy women like the Queen. If you ask me, the Prince is a normal young man who's just following his heart," Jana stated.

The Queen looked like she was going to yell at the dwarf again. But she was able to hold herself back, "What do you mean by curvy? My figure is considered an ideal figure for a noblewoman!"

"Yeah, and Saintess Rya has the same body as you, my Lady... On second thought I think the Saintess is bigger in the bosom area... Anyway, I'm glad I'm not as big as human females. Those things would get in the way," Jana said with a laugh.

Queen Rianna was hit with the realization that her son has always been attracted to women like herself.

'M-My son's love for women with large chests... Will be the end of him... Oh, sweet Goddess!' the Queen's mind was a mess.

"My dear, are you okay?" King Cyndre asked.

Rianna walks up to her husband and whispers in his ear.

"Am I... Fat?"

Cyndre was surprised by the question, "What? No! You're a beauty. My beautiful rose."

Rianna blushed, "Then why does our son's taste in women seem to be based on the same preference as yours?"

"Is that a bad thing? I find it a good thing. Because our son's future Queen will be a gorgeous woman. Just like his mother."

"Flattery won't help us with this problem," Rianna whispered.

"Haah... I know... I don't know what to do. This is a delicate situation. Not only has he proposed to a Dark Elf, but he has an arranged marriage to Princess Hilda. And even if this Dark Elf turns out to be a Saintess. We are still in a tight spot. This could cause a civil war. If Alaric and Duval are not already planning one. And she's an elf... It's going to be harder for her to produce an heir."

"Like how I struggled to produce an heir..." Queen Rianna sounded sad after recalling all the miscarriages she's had over the years. Quinus was her only child who survived birth.

"Rianna..."

"I will accept her. If she gains my approval, the people will have no choice but to accept her. Or they will face my wrath. And she better hope that she has the ability to carry a child to term or else," the Queen stated.

Cyndre smirked, "So, you are becoming your mother."

"I wouldn't be if our son would have made a better choice."

"Well... We need to get him home first. Then, we can assess the situation further... I'll break the news to the Prime Minister... Duval's going to lose his mind over this one..." Cyndre muttered.

"What about Alaric?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there... Right now, we need to focus on bringing Quinus and his group back home."

"And this Saintess girl... If she is a Healer and a mage, then we must be extra careful in our approach to her. I can't imagine a Dark Elf who isn't plotting... But I'll give her a chance to prove her worth as a Royal... As for Princess Hilda..."

Cyndre looked over to his royal council.

"When was the Alliance Princess coming?"

"Within the month," Lord Gawain said after checking his parchments.

"That's not a lot of time..."

"For what, my liege?" Lord Brice asked.

"To get my son back to the palace... Your name is Jana, correct?"

"Aye, your Majesty."

"Jana, could you relay a message to the prince."

"As you wish, your Majesty."

"Tell him that we'll send royal knights to Ironside within two weeks. I wish for him to be back home and ready to depart before that time. We have much to discuss."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Lord Gawain... I need you to send a message to Marquess Duval Wrightwood. I need to speak to him personally."

"As you wish, your Majesty," Lord Gawain bowed.

"Now leave... I wish to be alone," Cyndre ordered.

 

 

Everyone bowed and left the throne room. Leaving Cyndre and Rianna alone.

"Rianna... I wish I knew what to do... Our son has made things difficult."

"I know, dear."

"We can't lose him, Rianna."

"He has survived every encounter and challenge he's been through... I'll make sure this Dark Elf is who she says she is. If she's lying or manipulating our son... She'll pay."

Cyndre took a breath, "Well... If all hell breaks loose in the kingdom... At least we can run to Ironside and live happily ever after."

"Haha, my dear you can't be serious. I don't mind the dwarves but they are brash and crass people. Living there would be a struggle," Rianna laughed.

"It's a good thing that humans live there too."

Rianna just shook her head and started to leave the throne room.

"I'm going to have some tea... Would you like to join me?"

Cyndre's mood picked up when he saw the smile on his wife's face. It's been years since he was in the dog house with his wife.

"Of course, my lady," he stood up and offered her his arm.

"You know this doesn't mean I have completely forgiven you, right?"

"I know."

"Good. There might be hope for you yet," Rianna grinned and walked away with Cyndre.