The General saw the crown prince of Fiafyr Kingdom walking next to a Dark Elf woman he'd been told about. But he also noticed a Wood Elf and a Wolfkin woman as well. He didn't know anything about those two.

And once the Dark Elf came closer into view. That's when he noticed her pink dress with a corset that showed off her curves. He saw her big chest and her beautiful face. Her long platinum white hair was in a lovely braided ponytail. Her azure eyes were looking back at him. He also noticed her choker necklace that had a glowing orb in the center. It looked like a gold and red yin-yang symbol.

He had never seen a woman like her before. She was gorgeous and had beauty that could rival the Goddess, Iyomelka, herself.

'I thought Dark Elves liked to wear black leather or purple robes... My ass, she hasn't charmed the Prince. She has him wrapped around her finger,' Douglas thought to himself as he wasn't sure what this Dark Elf might do. He was going to give her a chance. But he was uncomfortable about what she might do.

The other knights noticed her as well and had mixed reactions.

Douglas noticed how the Prince was standing tall and proud. It's like the weight of the world was gone from his shoulders. This was a side of the crown prince he had never seen before.

Douglas looked over to Sir Richard, who was looking at a special artifact to see if she'd afflicted him with any dark arts. The knight looked confused and shook the artifact to see if it was broken. But nothing indicated anything was wrong. Richard could only shake his head when he looked at the General.

'So, she hasn't done anything to the prince, aye?... Well, I'm still not sure she hasn't done something. There's no way a woman can look like that and not steal the hearts of men. She's probably not wearing underwear.' Douglas thought to himself as he had his own opinion of this dark elf.

When the group stopped, Quinus stood next to Rya.

"I was expecting Colonel Justice," Quinus commented.

Douglas kept a stoic face but he cringed on the inside when the crown prince brought up the Colonel.

"Your mother was the one who demanded the King to send someone with a higher rank, Your Highness."

"So, does that mean we must leave as soon as possible? The Baron offered us rooms. I would hate to leave so soon after the Baron offered us a place to stay," Quinus inquired.

"The former is correct, Your Highness. You and your party must gather your things and we will leave immediately. The King wants you back at the castle before the end of the week."

Rya was listening in and noticed that Douglas was not very pleased with being ordered to bring the prince back. She looked around the courtyard and noticed how many people were present. Not only were the Royal Knights present, but so was the Mage's Guild. With Master Hajdah, Mystic Laika, Akashia, Suhail, and a few others.

"Well, this is a warm welcome. Isn't it General? Did the King really have to send so many knights to come get them?" Master Hejdah said with a sarcastic tone.

"You can never be too careful, Master Hejdah. Especially with the possible threats that may happen on our way to the capital. Even with a Dark Elf by our side."

'And what exactly does he mean by that?' Rya thought to herself. She was getting slightly agitated whenever she needed to prove herself to people that she wasn't some kind of villain. It's been a month since she had to do that.

Hajdah and the other mages were having flashbacks to when they first met Rya. They surrounded her the first time she entered the palace grounds, but after she proved herself in a drinking contest then she saved them from Rudolf Rose. She has gone far and beyond to earn their trust and she was someone they were proud to call a friend.

"General, are you trying to imply that this dark elf has cast a spell on Prince Quinus and is controlling him? Because, if that is the case, then we all have a problem. She's earned our trust," Hajdah spoke up.

"Master Hejdah is correct, General. This dark elf hasn't done anything to the crown prince, myself, or anyone else for that matter," Sir George spoke up to defend Rya. He may not like the fact that she keeps making fun of his dating advice, but he knows she's a trusted ally.

'Huh? So, Sir George knows how to be a gentleman? Maybe there's hope for him to find a woman after all,' Rya thought.

"I agree with them. Rya has been a valuable asset to the team. She has no ill will towards us," Percy added.

"You can never be too trusting of a Dark Elf," sneered the only female knight in the party.

"Hold your tongue!" Douglas ordered.

Quinus was getting impatient with his father's Knights while Rya sighed internally and looked around. Upon scanning the knights she noticed that all the males had mixed looks.

"Are they all looking at me because I'm a dark elf, or because they're checking me out?" Rya whispered to Quinus.

Quinus sighed and whispered back, "Both."

'Oh? So, they are nervous around me because I'm a dark elf... But they're checking me out!... I know those looks. I've made them in the past. Hmm... It's still weird to be gawked at, and yet, it feels really good at the same time,' Rya thought.

She looked back over to the knights. Then she got a smirk on her face. Especially when she noticed the jealous female knight staring at her. She knew she would be able to mess with this knight.

'Maybe I should have a little bit of fun with this? And put this woman in her place... Wait! Why do I care about what she thinks about me? She's a royal knight. It's her job to protect the prince. I guess I can let it slide... For now.' Rya thought as a new side of her came out when being challenged by this female knight.

Rya ignored the jealous glares and whispers coming from the female knight and continued to scan the rest of the male knights before she spotted an artifact in the hands of Sir Richard.

'Wait? Is that an artifact? I feel like I've seen that before in one of the tomes back at the Mage's Guild. It seems familiar... That thing is definitely giving off a magical aura, but what is its purpose?'

Her curiosity got the better of her and she wanted to get a closer look. But, she was pulled from her thoughts by a stern voice.

"If you will follow me, I will take you to your carriage, Your Highness," the General spoke.

"Yes. That's fine, General. But we need to gather our things from our rooms first," Quinus responded.

"Of course, Your Highness," the General responded with a royal salute.

'Haah, I guess I'll have to call back 2E, and the others before we can leave. But I really want to get a closer look at the artifact... How does a hot chick act to get her way?... Gah! What did those two beautiful chicks do to me and my friends when they wanted us to buy them drinks again? Hmm... Oh! I remember.'

Rya tried her best to recall how those women acted when they were trying to get the men to buy them drinks. Then she tried to emulate it. So, Rya fixed her posture by straightening her back, which made her chest jut out. She then slowly swayed her hips and walked up to the knight. Richard did a double-take when he noticed her coming up to him. He couldn't believe a woman like her would even notice him. While Quinus looked at her in amusement. He didn't know why she was suddenly walking in a provocative way. That's when Quinus noticed the artifact in Sir Richard's hand. He was going to say something to her, but she stopped and smoothly turned towards him. She looked into his eyes and batted her eyelashes.

"I'm just testing something out. So don't interrupt me, love," Rya said to him in a sexy voice before winking at him.

"It better be... Or I'll have to punish you later," he responded.

Rya blushed and nodded. Then she turned towards Sir Richard and put her right hand on her hip and leaned over a bit. The motion made her breasts bounce. Richard couldn't believe what was happening, nor could the other knights. They were wondering if the Dark Elf was doing this for their entertainment.

"So, Sir Knight, I couldn't help but notice the artifact in your hands. May I get a closer look?"

Sir Richard has been around many women who never gave him a second glance on a good day. But this was the first time a woman had approached him and asked for his assistance. The knight was speechless.

"Um, uh, sure," he stammered nervously as he handed it over to her. He didn't know how to handle a woman flirting with him.

Rya noticed his nervousness, 'Wow! I never knew it was this easy to mess with a guy. This might be useful if I ever need to distract someone.'

"Thanks," Rya said seductively as she took the artifact.

"I-Is there a-anything else y-you n-need?" the knight asked as he was trying to remain professional. But he couldn't help but notice her big bosom bouncing and her shapely figure.

"Hmm. You're cute when you're nervous, Sir Knight. What's your name?" Rya asked as she smiled at him.

"M-my n-name is R-Richard. W-what's yours?" he responded.

"My name is Rya. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, as she stuck out her right hand.

"The p-pleasure is all mine," he said as he took her hand and tried to kiss it.

"Hold on. Did you forget that I'm engaged? I was trying to shake your hand, Sir Richard."

Richard froze at what he was doing. He didn't realize what he was doing. When he felt her hand in his. He thought she was offering her hand for a kiss. The other knights snickered while the Wolfkin, and the Wood Elf shook their heads. Quinus was giving him a death stare and Douglas was displeased at his subordinate.

"My apologies," Richard said, embarrassed as he let go of her hand.

'Oh, Jesus Christ... Did he really think I was flirting with him? Haah... Now I get it when women put up a barrier around random guys... I hope I didn't create a stalker or a heartbroken man.'

Rya felt bad, but stopping the act might damage this poor guy's ego. And that might cause more problems than not.

"Mistakes happen... Just make sure not to do it again, Sir Richard," Rya said as she held her composure.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, still embarrassed.

Richard became bright red and turned his head. He was embarrassed by what just happened. He let his emotions get the better of him and his fellow knights were either chuckling at him or were super envious. While the one female knight just glared at all the men.

Rya turned her attention to the artifact, and her azure eyes glowed as she examined it. As she looked at the artifact, she was starting to get an idea of its purpose.

'It is a truth-seeing stone. I see, that's how they can see if someone is under a spell by detecting if any residual mana is still inside their bodies. It's a very useful tool, but it's useless against those spells with higher amounts of mana. The amount of mana that's absorbed inside a person's body can easily overpower the detection. If it was created with better materials or by someone with a higher mastery over the craft, then it would be much more accurate.'

She was deep in thought as she examined the artifact. Her eyes could see the small imperfections in the material. Then she started to think of the different ways she could improve the artifact.

'If I had made this, then the casing wouldn't have gaps, and the inner parts would be seamless. It's too rough and bulky... It's obvious the maker wasn't confident in their abilities. But I can tell you've been used a lot and have been cleaned and polished many times. If I had some time and the proper materials, then I could easily improve its functionality... God, this is so cool! I love that I know how to make artifacts!... Hold on? Why do they have an artifact that can detect dark magic?' Rya wondered as she started to realize why the artifact was in their possession.

'Did... Did they think I charmed Quinus and the others like a succubus?... Haah... I forgot how much everyone distrusts Dark Elves... Why can't people just get along with each other? Is it that hard?... I'm gonna change this narrative. People will accept me! One way or another. Even if I have to fight for my right to live in peace. I will show the world that not all Dark Elves are evil!' Rya felt annoyed that they would assume she would be evil. She was starting to get worked up but the feeling passed when she felt Quinus put his hand on her shoulder.

"Is there something wrong, my love?" Quinus asked.

"Huh? I- No, I'm fine. Sorry, I just got lost in thought."

Rya snapped back to reality and handed the artifact back to Richard and gave him a smile.

'I can't blame them. Most people have been brainwashed by those stories from the High Elves. And they can't see past the color of my skin. I can't get mad at them, because they don't know any better. That's what I hate the most. Everyone has their own story. It's up to me to change the status quo, and the first step is to earn the trust of others. To prove to them that not all Dark Elves are bad. Just like it will take time for people to change, and get over their fears.' Rya thought as she looked up to the sky and felt the breeze on her skin.

"Thanks again. I appreciate it." Rya said to the knight.

Richard nodded and was about to say something when Quinus cut in and offered his arm for Rya to hold onto.

"Thank you, Sir Richard. But we need to grab our things," Quinus said as he gave the knight a death stare.

"O-Of course, Your Highness."

Richard was frightened and he knew he was in the wrong. He didn't know how to properly apologize for how he acted. The last thing he wanted was to get into a fight with a member of the royal family.

Rya accepted the offer and held onto Quinus' arm, and the two went towards the keep.

Douglas was disappointed in his troops. But this was an extraordinary situation. Never in his career did he have a dark elf within his ranks. But he knew he needed to make sure she wasn't a danger to the Prince or the royal family.

'She is a clever one... and what is a dark elf doing so far from her homeland in the first place? Something isn't adding up... I hope she isn't a spy. But, I'll have to keep a close eye on her,' Douglas thought to himself.

The General watched as the group entered the keep. Once they were out of sight, Douglas turned around and faced his subordinates.

"All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. We are the Royal Knights and you can't act properly? I am extremely disappointed in each and every one of you," the general berated his troops.

The knights were embarrassed and bowed their heads in defeat.

 

***

 

Back in the basement of the palace. Where the forge was raging, Arathar was going through the last phase of creating Rya's sword.

The hammer was hitting the steel, and the sparks were flying everywhere. It was a sight to behold. But, Arathar was sweating heavily as he had been working on this project for a month now. Mainly because of the Liquid Ether. Stabilizing it isn't easy, and the process revolves around having the correct temperature of the forge.

Arathar had the temperature set just right. He had a mixture of coal, magic oak, and sulfur to create a level of heat to solidify the Liquid Ether. If it was too hot, then the Ether would evaporate, and if it wasn't hot enough, then the blade would be too brittle.

Arathar knew he was nearing the final steps and had to be cautious. After about five minutes, he saw the color change and he moved the sword out of the fire. He brought the blade into the quench tank and soaked the weapon in oil. Once the blade was out of the oil, Arathar took the handle and grip off the blade and began the polishing process. This was the most tedious part of the process. Polishing the blade was a long and drawn-out task, but the end result is always worth the effort. It was another half hour before the blade was polished and the runes engraved into the blade. Arathar took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief.

"You outdid yourself this time, Arathar," the dwarf spoke to himself with a cocky smile.

He went over and placed the blade into the sheath and put the finishing touches on the leather wrap. Once the job was done, Arathar was admiring his own work.

'This will be the piece that shows how superior dwarven smithing is compared to those damn high elves. Efkini's name will be a thing of the past. And my name will live on with this masterpiece.'

Arathar chuckled, but he was cut off from his thoughts when he heard a bunch of clutter sounds coming from down the hallway. Towards Rya's laboratory.

"Hmm?... What the fuck is going on over there?... Don't tell me that girl blew herself up or something. Haah... I better check on her."

The dwarf grabbed the sword before he walked out of his forge and followed the sounds. He passed by Rya's laboratory and was shocked to see four of her golems clearing out the place and putting everything in two wooden crates.

"The fuck?... What's with the commotion here?" Arathar asked.

The golems stopped and looked at the dwarf and said, "General, here... Master, leaving..."

"General?... Haah... I bet it's Douglas... Well, I need to talk to that crazy girl. She better not leave without her sword."

Arathar turned around and was about to head towards the staircase when he bumped into another golem.

"Fucking hell! You golems need to watch where the hell you're stepping."

"Apologies," 9E responded as she was carrying a big box of Rya's things.

Arathar just shook his head as he continued up the stairs.

He got to the top of the stairs and saw a bunch of the palace staff running around. He also noticed Yuliana talking to his son, Zellin.

'Huh? Yuliana looks like she's packed up as well... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm going to miss that wood elf.'

Arathar sighed, but he was still curious about why Rya's golems were packing up everything from her lab. He knew they would be leaving Ironside at some point. It just felt so abrupt.

'Well, I better find out what's going on,' he thought as he walked up to the two.

 

***

 

"So, I have moved all the plants into the greenhouse in the back of the palace and taught the gardener how to maintain them. But, if Rya's theory is correct, then the plants will be capable of absorbing more sun's light and producing a higher yield. We should get a surplus of food, and you can make a larger amount of potions," Yuliana reported.

"Good. And have you checked up on the progress of the irrigation systems in the fields and the forest?" Zellin asked.

"Yes, the prince helped us get the right equipment and the workers have completed the installations. And I've gotten reports from the villages that the crops are flourishing."

"Excellent... It's going to be different with you and your daughter leaving Ironside... And if things don't go as planned... You're always welcome back here."

The wood elf smiled at the dwarf, "Thank you, Lord Zellin. That means a lot."

"Hey! Why don't you kiss her instead of talking her to death!" Arathar shouted at his son.

"What?!" Zellin replied as he was a little shocked by his father's sudden appearance. While Yuliana became embarrassed.

"W-What are you doing up here!? Don't you have some weapons to make, or is that old age getting to you?" Zellin replied as he was humiliated by his father again.

Arathar frowned, "That's a shitty comeback, son. Besides, I came up here to see why Rya's golems are taking everything out of her laboratory. And now I see that our lovely gardener is leaving as well. Care to explain?"

"Haah, well... Rya is leaving Ironside for Fiafyr, with the crown prince. The King's men have arrived and they are demanding to leave as soon as possible," Zellin informed.

"Tch, and I bet they just got here... The only man I know who is that anal with a stick up their ass is Douglas... Am I right?"

"Yes, and it seems like the man has a personal issue with Rya... Because she is a dark elf." Yuliana said with a guilty tone. She was similar to Dauglas when she first met Rya. And as the days went by she realized that she was a very nice girl, even if she wasn't refined in noble etiquette. Plus, she had never seen her daughter so happy since she was little. Rya had become her best friend and her daughter's hero.

"What did you expect? Most humans think dark elves are evil and are nothing but monsters," Arathar scoffed.

"Yeah... I thought Prince Quinus was going to behead the general right then and there. But he managed to stop himself," Zellin added.

"That boy is alright in my book... Anyway, Yuliana... I'm glad to have given you and your daughter asylum. You've done a proper service to my people and I'll never forget that," Arathar said to the wood elf.

Yuliana was surprised that the old dwarf still acted like the Baron of old before he retired from the position and gave it to his son. He had a warm heart inside the rough exterior.

"Thank you, Lord Arathar."

"Hmph... I'll always regret not saving the wood elf kingdom from destruction... So, this is the least I could do... Anyway, I better give Rya her sword. I got it done a half day early," Arathar announced as he showed the elegant sword.

"Y-you got it done? In this short amount of time?" Zellin asked in amazement. He thought his father was talking a big game.

"Yeah, I got lucky and managed to stabilize the liquid ether in half the time. It's like the fates were on my side."

"Wow... F-Father, if you are looking for Rya. I believe she's back in the front courtyard," the Zellin said.

"Hmm, good... I need her to test out the sword before she leaves," the dwarf responded.

"Ah, that's true. Do you mind if I join you, Father? I would like to give Rya something as well."

"Pff! You're the Baron, boy! So act like it!"

"Geez! I try to be nice to you and you go and bite my head off!"

"Because you need to grow a backbone! If you did then maybe Yuliana would have stayed," Arathar said bluntly.

"Shut up! You're humiliating me! Every time I'm close to her, you seem to show up and ruin it!"

Yuliana giggled as the father and son duo continued to bicker at one another while walking towards the courtyard.

"Goddess almighty! You just need to take a woman to bed, then you won't be so stressed... Then I could have a grandchild that can learn how to be a proper Coldforge smith! To keep the family tradition going... You hear me!" Arathar scolded.

"Aghh! Maybe I would have a woman if you would stop sabotaging me at every turn! I swear, it's like you are woman-repellant," Zellin was getting a headache from his father's constant nagging.

Yuliana giggled once again as she followed the two dwarves. 'I'm going to miss these two. But Zellin should try and find a woman who isn't married, or his father is going to hound him forever.'

Zellin and his father made their way towards the courtyard. As they got outside, they saw a whole group of armored soldiers surrounding a carriage and a Dark Elf surrounded by her clones holding multiple boxes of her stuff.