Back in the hallways of the palace, before Rya finished her fantasy session, Quinus was walking towards the throne room. His Father mentioned that the Prime Minister, Marquess Duval Wrightwood, would meet with the King, and Quinus would join them. Quinus was worried about this meeting because the last time there was one, the King and Prime Minister had an argument, and they almost came to blows when Duval pulled a stunt that forced Quin to visit Hilda for "dates only" without Rya. The King would have overruled this measure if there hadn't been a 70% yes vote from the Major Lords, and since Duval sent out a message about the Emergency Session, He had most of the Major Nobles in the capital.

Only three of the Major Nobles that weren't in the Capital at the time of this vote were Baron Zellin Coldforge, Baron Eamon Stirling, and Baron Thaddeus Windermere.

Zellin was lining up all his ducks in a row, so to speak. Lord Garlon, the Baron's trading advisor, had returned from the northwest. He was trying to start up a new trade deal with the dwarven kingdom of Hjorleif. Zellin was worried about the Alliance trying to use their Princess to spread their influence to rid anything and everything that wasn't human. He didn't like it, but they might need to secede from the kingdom of Fiafyr if things were to go against Princess Rya. They wouldn't like it, but starting an alliance with the dwarven kingdom of Hjorleif might be their only hope of survival. But it was a fool's hope. The Kingdom of Hjorleif had already abandoned the Galfrei Range Domain once, so they were unlikely to help the other dwarves again, even the smaller nations.

Lord Garlon had brought unfortunate news to Baron Zellin. Apparently, the Orc tribes have become more active past the Western Walls in Greenthaven Domain. Reaching the dwarven notions past the valleys between the mountain ranges has become perilous. There are more and more bandit attacks, and the roads have become much more dangerous. For now, Zellin turned his focus on doing everything in his power to help Crown Prince Quinus marry Princess Rya. And so he will be heading to the capital by the end of next week. The only person holding him back from leaving now is his father, Arathar Coldforge. He has been happily working away in the family's forge, patiently creating the Crown Prince's new gauntlets out of the last of the liquid ether. It was a long and tedious process, but things were progressing faster than he expected, and he thought he could finish them by the end of this week, which would have delayed Zellin from leaving Ironside until next week.

Eamon and Thaddeus weren't in the Capital because they were making sure that grains and cotton were moving along their new trade route, which they agreed on with Earl Nathaniel. This was a huge boost for their own incomes, and they wanted to make sure it wasn't delayed for any reason.

So, with the help of the Duke and his allies, Duval was able to push through these new measures that required the Crown Prince to visit Princess Hilda and allow her to have only time with him. Duval was surprised to get Baron Johnathan Duke to agree with this measure since he was an ally to the king. The only one who voted against this Measure was Earl Nathaniel Valerian. Duval was able to push the point home that the possibility for a new heir after Quinus would be almost impossible and that he such give the Princess a fair chance to win his heart. However, not everything was going according to the Prime Minister's plans, as the Major Houses were split on banishing Rya from the kingdom. As of this moment, the only Nobles that agree with him are Sebastian, Alaric, William, and Alistair. Viscount Octavius Blackwood would usually go along with the Prime Minister. But, once he saw how quickly Alaric and his allies joined Duval, it made him worried that the Duke was planning something to take down the Marquess. It put Octavius in a tricky position as he struggled to stay loyal to Duval while he started hedging himself away from the Prime Minister if the hammer fell and took Duval down. The Viscount was beginning to see the Crown Prince as a possible emperor if this Dark Elf was the healer that everyone said she was. If war were to break out, then it was best to be on the Crown Prince's side rather than on the side that was trying to keep the Crown Prince from becoming an emperor.

Baroness Ysandra Fairchild was worried about Quinus producing the next heir with Rya, but she didn't want to throw her aside when she was a healer and a multi-elemental mage. She saw Princess Rya as a possible asset to the Kingdom's mages, and she wanted a solution to allow her and the Prince to be together without causing the nobles and common folk to rebel against the Royalty. Ysandra didn't see a point in getting rid of Rya if she was a powerful mage who could save the people of Fiafyr Kingdom.

Nathaniel shocked the Court by proposing that if Quinus were to marry Rya, he should also take a mistress to produce the next heir. This suggestion split the Court, with about half of its members surprisingly open to the idea. Even Duval was dismayed to find that the concept of the Crown Prince having a mistress gained traction. The Minister of Justice, Baron Caldorian Montclair, was particularly intrigued by the idea because it would ensure the presence of this rare healer within the kingdom's borders. However, Duval was concerned about the potential backlash from the Alliance due to the Crown Prince's marriage to a Dark Elf, but his arguments failed to persuade many of the nobles. Duval didn't know why his allies were suddenly being stubborn. Nathaniel's proposal had the Prime Minister worried that it might be too late to expel her from the kingdom, especially with the Goddess's Idol seemingly favoring Rya. It was clear that his fellow Nobles had underestimated the threat she posed to their country, and now it seemed increasingly difficult to get rid of her.

Duval needed Alaric's help more than ever now, and the Duke had told him that he had a few more plans up his sleeve, and all he needed to do was help Duchess Leandra get back in the good graces of the Ladies of the Court. Duval needed some reassurance from the Duke and demanded that he help him pass one more measure in helping with Duval's plan. That was to force the Crown Prince to hang out with his future brother-in-law, Prince Zane Stoneworthh, to keep an eye on him and to see if he could knock some sense into Quinus. Duval hoped that it was working and that Zane could help convince the Crown Prince to break up with the Dark Elf and show him that going to war over a woman wasn't worth the casualties that would result. So, with the help of Alaric, the measure passed by a small margin, so the King couldn't outright veto it, and it would be enforced for the next two weeks. Quinus was on his way to the grand throne room, where his father and his council had to break him the bad news.

The Prince was walking the corridors with heavy steps, every servant and guard saluted him, but he could barely notice it. The only thing that filled his mind was how he was supposed to help Hilda out of her predicament. She was a charming young woman, and he probably would have enjoyed her as his wife, but he had someone that he cared for more. The only thing the Prince wanted was for the Prime Minister to back off, but news about him burying the hatchet with his uncle was spreading throughout the capital. This was unfortunate for everyone in the Royal family. Duval was one of the few that kept Alaric in check but the Prince feared that he wouldn't be able to anymore, which would give his uncle free reign to plot away.

Sir George spotted the Prince strolling and quickly rushed to Quin's side. "I see you are in a sour mood, Your Highness... I'm assuming you heard the news from General Douglas?" Sir George asked as he spotted Lady Richael hurrying to Quin's other side.

The Crown Prince looked confused as one of the Royal Knights quickly approached him and had a concerned look on her face.

"Sadly, I was thinking about something else... What is with this sudden worry?" Quin asked.

Sir George looked over at Lady Richael and then turned his attention back to the Prince. "Well, it seems the Marquess has pulled another move on us... We have received word that a new measure was passed by Duval... He's ordering you to honor his guests by entertaining Prince Zane Stoneworthh..."

Quinus came to a sudden halt, his gaze fixed on George, half-expecting a joke but all he saw was a seriousness in his eyes.

"You aren't playing a prank on me, George? Right?" Quinus asked with a bit of irritation in his voice.

Sir George shook his head and bowed his head in shame while Lady Racheal chimed in. "Your Highness, I can confirm the rumor as the truth... The Prime Minister rode in with the Foreign Prince this afternoon."

Quinus frowned as he rubbed his temples and groaned.

"Is that so... Duval is going to pay for this one... I swear to the Goddess that I will make him regret this decision..."

Quinus turned towards Lady Rachael and grabbed her shoulder, "Who else is with Prince Zane? Do we know anything about his entourage?"

"Y-Yes, Your Highness, he has his Paladin and the squire with him. There are two White Knights but they are watching over their carriage," Rachael answered with a bit of blush on her face. As they stood in close proximity, she found herself drawn to the prince's captivating charm and undeniable handsomeness. At that moment, she couldn't help but empathize with the Dark Elf's infatuation with him.

'I-I wish I was Princess Rya... That lucky elf...,' she thought while her heart raced faster.

Quinus nodded his head, a thoughtful expression on his face as he looked into her eyes, his own filled with an intense light that sent shivers down her spine.

"Okay... Thank you for the insightful information, Lady Rachael... Haah... I guess I'll have to face the music... Make sure that you two protect me, kay," Quinus said with a bit of sarcasm as he patted her shoulder and headed toward the throne room.

Lady Rachael nodded her head with a dazed look in her eyes.

Sir George looked over at Rachael and said, "How do women fall for him so easily? Lady Rachael... What is it about him that is so enticing? I need to know for my research."

Rachael blinked a couple of times before she realized the question, and her turned into annoyance, "What?! What the hell are you talking about? Who fell for the Prince?"

"It was written on your face. You were staring at the prince, and it looked like you were swooning," George retorted back.

"You wouldn't know when a woman was attracted to a man if it was staring you right in the face," Rachael scoffed, turning her head away from the knight, her cheeks a deep shade of pink.

"Tsk!... I ask a simple question and I get my head bitten off."

Rachael turned her attention back to the prince and realized that she needed to catch up to him. She quickly started jogging after him, "Your Highness, please wait!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Come on," Quinus said without slowing down, the knight and his retainer rushing after him.

"Sorry, My Lord... I was asking a question and she got annoyed."

"Yeah? Well, you ask weird questions, George... Now stay sharp you two... I don't trust that Paladin, or Prince Zane for that matter. I expect them not to be so friendly, but you both need to watch my back."

"Yes, My Lord!" Rachael and Sir George exclaimed resolutely, trailing closely behind him as they strode towards the imposing Throne Room Doors.

***

They entered the throne room, and Quinus was a little taken aback by the presence of so many people. He hasn't seen this many members of the Major Lords and Ladies since the time when the monster stampede was occurring outside of Ironside and Kishin.

At first he saw all the Barons and the Major Lords and Ladies. Then he saw his uncle staring at him, coldly, while Viscount William had a shit-eating grin on his face.

'Alaric... I wonder what you are planning, Uncle?'

Quinus slowly walked in as he stared down at his uncle. He stopped after five steps when Quinus heard someone clearing out their throat.

"Your Highness, it a pleasure to see you again," said the political voice of Duval, who was standing by the throne, right next to his father and mother.

Cyndre had a stoic face but Quin could tell that he was pissed at Duval and Rianna looked a little under the weather. Quin was worried for his mother these last couple of days but she insisted that she's fine. She believes that she ate some bad food and has been feeling sick ever since. Luckily she would feel better after she puked in the morning. It probably didn't help that Alaric was in the same room as them and his mother and father couldn't do anything about unless he tried to do something.

Then, there was three men standing in front of the throne staring at Quin. There garb looked like something that a Paladins would wear with armor that glistened in the light with white cloth that had tri force symbols all over them. One was wearing a circlet.

'Well, well, well. I remember him... So that's Hilda's half-brother... Looks like he has a stick up his ass...' Quin thought as he smirked at the Prince.

Sir Darius quickly put his hand on his sword and looked like he was ready to unsheath it at a moment's notice while Sir Kaelin was followed suit, doing the same thing.

Quinus raised a brow at the Paladin and his squire, "How do you think it's going to end of you draw your sword on me Paladin?"

Quinus' Golden eyes stared coldly at the Paladin making him sweat as he recalled his body getting cut to pieces in the Royal Garden almost two weeks ago.

Duval noticed the state down and jumped in front of Zane and his two bodyguards while glaring at Quinus.

"This is unbecoming of you, Crown Prince Quinus," Duval said coldly. "You shouldn't act like a spoiled child in the presence of the Prince Zane Stoneworthh and his Paladins. You should treat them with respect, as you should with your fellow Major Lords and Ladies," Duval continued while the other Nobles grimaced and glared at Duval.

Quinus was surprised with how the court was acting. He thought they were in lockstep with the Prime Minister, but only a few weren't glaring at him. He didn't even feel hostility from them. It seemed the Prime Minister's grip wasn't as tight as he thought.

'This is unexpected... Duval's wearing out his welcome...' Quinus thought.

Quinus chuckled at the Prime Minister.

"How is it that you show more favoritism towards a foreign Prince than your own? It makes me wonder where your loyalty lies," Quinus asked calmly.

Duval narrowed his eyes and was about to speak when Count Sebastian cleared his throat. Duval looked around and saw how everyone was looking at him. He gritted his teeth underneath his lips and he hated how his own allies were losing patience with him. Only Sebastian was on his side, but even he was being swayed.

'If I don't change things, then I'll lose the Prime Ministership... I can't afford that... I need to make them understand the situation... I have to play this carefully...' Duval thought as he looked back at the Crown Prince.

"I understand that we must have our disagreements, but we want a better future for our people, Your Highness... And your hastiness to threaten our guests is a bit worrying," Duval said while smiling, "Don't you think that would cause problems for the kingdom?"

Quinus has seen this face before, it was Duval's facade. A fake smile and a calm tone. Quinus wasn't fooled by this anymore, but it worked on so many others, so he'll play along.

"There is some truth to that, Prime Minister... But that's only if you are acting in good faith..." Quinus said, "It seems like you're doing more harm than good... And the nobility is starting to take notice."

'I know how the nobles are starting to see you, Duval... They see you as a traitor to the kingdom... You're trying to weaken us for reasons that are beyond me...' Quinus thought.

"My intentions have always been for the betterment of the kingdom... I have been trying to strengthen the kingdom's partnerships with our neighbors... That's my only goal, Your Highness... But it seems you have been listening to the wrong people..." Duval said calmly.

Quinus' eye twitched and his hand was itching to reach for his sword, but he had to refrain himself.

Cyndre could see his son's displeasure and knew he needed to calm him down or the nobles might side with the Prime Minister more and he would regain his stranglehold on the Major Lords. Cyndre hasn't seen Duval this weak before and he wished to exploit.

"That's a good point, Duval... But let's not forget who's in charge of the Kingdom..." Cyndre said in a commanding voice. Duval kept his cool as he looked at the King. "Our Crown Prince Quinus has been making the kingdom a better place, and his popularity is on the rise among the people and nobles alike. And if you push us in a unfavorable position, then you are threatening the safety of our people... But if you are more concerned with the outside than the inside, then you will find yourself in an even worse predicament."

"Are you trying to say that my concerns for the kingdom are unfounded, Your Majesty?" Duval asked with an innocent expression.

"I'm saying that you seem to bend the knee more to a Prince that is not of our own blood... You're more concerned with the Holy Alliance's demands, than the people's wellbeing... So I ask again, Duval. Where does your loyalty lie? With the Kingdom of Fiafyr, or the Holy Alliance?"

Duval's face went pale as he heard the murmurs agreeing with the King's words.

Duval's jaw was tightening and the King was waiting for an answer.

"I apologize for my misstep, Your Majesty... My only concern is for the well-being of the Fiafyr Kingdom... And I thought that the Crown Prince—"

"His Highness..." Cyndre interrupted Duval and corrected his title.

"Ah, yes... My apologies... I thought that His Highness was jumping to conclusions... It doesn't look good to threaten to cut down a guest that you were expecting..."

"Then maybe your guests shouldn't have placed their hands on their blades... Or did you turn a blind eye to that as well, Duval," Quinus boldly said.

Duval was didn't notice that the Paladin and his squire placed their hands on the pommels of their blades. But that didn't deter him from trying to defend Prince Zane.

"I-It's a Alliance custom... I'm sure the Prince's men didn't mean anything by it, Your Highness... Am I right, Prince Zane?" Duval looked over at the young prince who had a bored look written on his face.

"I never knew that Fiafyrians were so weak... They can't handle a couple of mistakes from foreigners?" Zane said nonchalantly.

Quinus looked at Zane with distain in his eyes.

"That's rich coming from a Prince that worships a weak-willed god that has a following that's not even a third of the size of the Iyomelka."

Zane's bored look turned to anger while Sir Darius moved in front of him to shield him.

"You dare insult the Divine Three and the Holy Alliance!" Zane was furious and his guards were all standing in a protective manner. The Royal Guards took offense to these two men's actions and they had their weapons out as well.

Duval panicked once again as his guests quickly placed their hands on their weapons.

"S-Stop this madness, all of you! Please calm down! No need to get excited over a little joke," Duval quickly said to try and calm everyone.

Quinus was staring down Zane and the young man was glaring back at him.

"I never knew that followers of the Divine were so weak... They can't handle a couple of mistakes from foreigners?" Quinus said with a hint of sarcasm making Zane grit his teeth.

While all this was unfolding in front of everyone, the Major Lords all had different opinions. Nathaniel tried holding back his smirk by covering his mouth with his hand. He was thoroughly enjoying watching Quinus embarrass the Holy Alliance which in turn embarrassed Duval as well. Johnathan Dule was surprised to see Duval act in such a way... All his bravada had faded in an instant, and his normally strategic plans to pervert war looked like it failing before his eyes. He thought the Nathaniel was pulling his leg when he told him that Duval was finally losing his grip and to see it first hand made the Baron want to laugh. Ysandra and Baron Caldorian Montclair looked at each out to see if they were seeing the same thing. Neither Ysandra or Caldorian knew how to react to such a display, but Ysandra's thoughts were beginning to understand what Nathaniel was getting at when he said that Duval wasn't fit to be Prime Minister. Sure he did what he promised and gave her the Minister of Education as she asked, but he always told her that war would never happen while he was in charge of the House of Major Lords. It looked like he was sacrificing their Kingdom's security for a peace treaty that could easily collapse without a strong leader behind it.

While at the same time Alaric watched Duval's failures with a bittersweet taste in his mouth. He had lost a lot of influence when his plan to kill Quinus failed. If only that damn assassin didn't turn on him, then he could have used her for something else. Like killing Duval for his utter incompetence, he still couldn't believe that this moron was able to become the Prime Minister. If only he focused on trying to become the Prime Minister himself instead of focusing on preventing Rianna from bearing the child. Maybe his son would have been alive right now... He could have been the Prime Minister and positioned the nobility to put Marcus on the throne, but that was all gone now and Duval was the one he needed to use until he gets his revenge on Quinus. And worst of all, Quinus wasn't the same toothless lion he remembered him as. It must have been the doing of that Dark Elf, she was giving him the confidence to standup against everyone who wants to control him. I made it all too clear that Rya needed to be out of the picture sooner rather than later. Alaric hated that he had to come in to rescue Duval from his own mess, but the Duke will do whatever it takes to destroy the one responsible for his son's death.

"I will ask you all once more to remain calm, there's no reason for this to become any more embarrassing for everyone in this room," Duval said calmly as he tried to regain his composure.

"Well, you are defending his blatant disregard for the Divine Three!?!" Zane asked as he glared at Duval.

The Prime Minister didn't know what to say and he thought all hope was lost until his unexpected alliance with the Duke of Divalo.

"Prime Minister, if I may interject."

Everyone turned to face Alaric. Rianna glared at him for a moment before her slight nausea kicked in again. She felt so sick and she didn't know why as she rubbed her stomach. It made her taste for wine vanish as well, and the thought of eating fish had made her stomach churn. But her hunger was insatiable for other things like beef. She couldn't get enough of it after her morning sickness would pass, and the smell of the food was driving her crazy. She played it off as her stomach was empty and it made her cravings go into overdrive. She hoped this strange sickness would go away soon so she could focus on the important matters at hand.

Quinus stared at his uncle Alaric for a moment and wondered what the Duke could possibly say that could get him out of this.

"You have my ear, Duke Alaric. Please go ahead."

"Thank you, Prime Minister," Alaric said before turning to the others. "Your Highness... It's clear that you are a better man than our esteemed guests... And that's why we want you to be around Prince Zane... He's a sheltered young man who doesn't understand what makes our Kingdom so great... If you could teach him a few things, I'm sure the prince will learn how to treat our people with respect."

Quinus, Cyndre, Rianna, and their allies knew that Alaric was full of crap, but they had to play the game or be labeled bloodthirsty barbarians or something else to the public. Even though the Major Houses were losing faith in Duval, Alaric still had his grip on the Minor Nobles, which a few were in the crowd waiting for the Crown Prince to slip up so they could spread real rumors and turn the people against the crown.

Quinus sighed, "So... The nobility wishes for me to act as the Prince's guardian."

"Sort of, your Highness... He will be your brother-in-law—"

"I'm not!—I mean, I haven't decided to take Princess Hilda's hand in marriage yet," Quinus stuttered out as he looked at the others.

Duval smirk, his plan to make Quin see the Princess every day seemed to be working. Quinus was already acting differently towards the princess and all he needed to do was get rid of Rya.

Alaric sighed before he bowed slightly, "My apologies, your Highness. I'm just that Prince Zane Stoneworthh could possibly be your brother-in-law and it of the Crown Prince to burn down such a bridge... Unless you are saying that you wish to go to war with the Alliance?"

Quinus saw how all the Minor Nobles were looking at him. It was a mixture of fear, worry, and disgust. It was like the people were ready to start a rebellion if they went to war. Most of the Major Nobles looked like they didn't trust Alaric but Quin didn't want to push his luck on this question.

"Of course not, Uncle... I don't start wars... But if someone starts one against us, than I won't hold back until they are driven from our lands and nothing more," Quinus declared.

This was a bold move, but the people in the court knew that Quinus was a skilled warrior who took his responsibilities seriously.

Alaric looked at the people around him and smiled, "I'm glad to hear that, Crown Prince. It's never good for a country to be bloodthirsty or warlike. You are a credit to your father and the Royal family... That's why we need you to show Prince Zane the proper hospitality... To make the prince understand that the world is bigger than our continent... Who knows, maybe you two will get along and become fast friends," Alaric said as the people laughed a bit.

Quinus glanced over at Prince Zane Stoneworthh who was still pissed at him for insulting the Divine Three.

'Pfft!... Best of friends?... My ass...' Quinus thought while analyzing his fellow prince.

Quinus then looked over at his best friend, Johan, who was sitting in the Noble section of the room.

'What am I gonna do, Johan?'

Johan just shrugged and gestured for him to continue.

Quinus then glanced over at the Prime Minister who nodded at him.

Quinus took a deep breath and sighed, "I'll do it... But if any of his watchdogs dares to unsheath their swords. I'll end them before they can finish drawing their blades."

This caused all the Nobles in the room to look over at Zane.

Zane finally relented a bit, "I'll keep a tight leash on my subordinates, Crown Prince. We'll try not to be an inconvenience."

This caused Duval and his allies to sigh in relief.

Quinus and his allies were not pleased.

"Well... Other than the insults, this turned out nicely... Go on you two... Go to the Raski Forest and slay some monsters or something," Duval suggested.

Quinus and Zane looked at each other and nodded.

The two walked off and headed down the hallway with each of their own bodyguards. They didn't even glance at each other, let alone say anything.

'Haah... This shit is getting old... I fucking hate that I need to entertain this brat...' Quinus thought as he and Zane made it to the foyer of the palace.

They both stopped at the double doors and their bodyguards went outside.

Quinus and Zane glanced over at each other, "Don't do anything that you are going to regret, Zane..."

"That funny, coming from a man who's been corrupted by an Dark Elf... My conscience is clean, Quinus... Unlike yours," Zane said before walking outside.

'Hahaha... Oh, this is gonna be fun...' Quinus thought sarcastically as the carriage pulled up in front of them.