Vol.3 Ch.211 Are You Ready to See My Mother?


    <span ss="userText">The city of Lomar was the third biggest city in the Maldurian domain. It''s known for its alchemist academy and is also a central trading hub, with an<span ss="userText">abundance of alchemists<span ss="aiText"> and other magical professions.


    The city, with a poption of 700,000, is governed by Mayor Kowalski. He''s in his early fifties and has been the mayor for five years, having been appointed by the Royal Family to his current position. He was a retired member of the Royal Council after thirty years of service and is still a loyal friend of the royal family.


    He''s slightly overweight and shorter than the average human male, but he stood with his men in position as they observed the prince''s convoy approaching the city gate.


    He felt an overwhelming sense of nervousness, his heart pounding in his chest and his hands trembling uncontrobly. Despite the anxiety, he was determined to carry out his duty with as muchposure as possible. However, the challenge waspounded by the need to maintain the secrecy of the Queen''s presence and the arrival of the Crown Prince. Regrettably, he was aware of an impending threat from a dark elf. He had to ensure that guards were positioned on the rooftops, poised to unleash a barrage of arrows upon the carriage upon receiving the signal from the General. Unfortunately, he couldn''t directly inform his men about the possible danger, so he had to be cautious in his directives.


    Once, the convoy came to a halt at the city gates. The mayor and the general saluted each other.


    General Dous, Sir Richard, and Sir George approached the mayor.


    <span ss="userText">"Mayor Kowalski. How''s the city?" Sir Richard asked.


    <span ss="userText">The Mayor bowed, "G-Good, sir. W-Wee. A-Are you here t-to escort the... u-um..."


    <span ss="userText">"Yes... Everyone is here... But you seem nervous... Is herdyship... Displeased?" General Dous asked the Mayor about the Queen''s mood. He knew they were a day behind schedule, and Kowalski must have been taking the brunt of Her Majesty''s displeasure.


    <span ss="userText">"N-No... She''s quite... happy... But she was worried when you didn''t show up yesterday," the mayor answered while looking at the carriage with worry.


    <span ss="userText">"Well, a little ambush happened three days ago. But it wasn''t anything we couldn''t handle," General Dous said.


    <span ss="userText">Sir George shook his head, "It was Her Ladyship who did most of the work<span ss="aiText">. But we did have a bit of fun."


    <span ss="aiText">"Hahahaha... Yeah, <span ss="userText">I haven''t had that much fun dealing with bandits in a while... She''s more<span ss="aiText"> skilled than I could''ve ever guessed," <span ss="editText">Richard<span ss="aiText"> chuckled.


    <span ss="aiText">"I <span ss="userText">have to admit that she''s a good one,<span ss="aiText"> alright," <span ss="editText">Dous <span ss="userText">agreed, as they were trying not to divulge Rya''s race out in the public.


    <span ss="userText">"A-Ambush!? W-Who were the ones to attack you?" Mayor Kowalski asked.


    <span ss="userText">"A good sized<span ss="aiText"> bandit group<span ss="userText">... It was <em>he</em> who sent them<span ss="aiText">. But we''ll talk about itter. For now, let''s head into the city," Sir Dous said<span ss="userText"> as he referred to Duke ric as "he" to the mayor.


    <span ss="aiText">The Mayor <span ss="userText">nodded, "Well, I''m d no one is hurt... But General... I-Is our... g-guest, friendly?" He asked the general in code<span ss="aiText">if the dark elf was going to cause a problem.


    <span ss="aiText">"No... I mean, she''s fine. I mean, she won''t cause trouble... I mean... Ugh... What I''m saying is she''s a good person<span ss="userText">. I trust her with the lives of everyone<span ss="aiText"> in the city," the General stumbled over his words.


    <span ss="aiText">"O-Okay... B-But is there any reason why she shouldn''te into the city?" Mayor Kowalski asked.


    General Dous sighed, "Kowalski, I was just like you when I first encountered her... But everything I thought I knew about her was wrong... Tell them to stand down. I''ll inform ourdyship about her."


    "Yes, General!" Kowalski saluted Dous as he walked away from the mayor, leaving the city guards confused by the mayor''s cryptic conversation.


    Sir George nced up at the rooftops as he saw the archers taking position.


    <span ss="editText">''Her Majesty isn''t messing around... But it''s all for nothing<span ss="userText">... Lady Rya<span ss="aiText"> is too skilled... If she wanted to take over the city, she could have already done so<span ss="editText">. But she''s a just person<span ss="aiText">,'' Sir George thought.<span ss="editText"> ''But if she <span ss="undoDeletionText">ridicules my dating advice one more time... I swear to the goddess... I''m going to <span ss="undoDeletionText">outy her!<span ss="aiText">''


    The archers looked around the streets, waiting for a signal from the Mayor, but it never came. Sir Richard and Sir George followed the General to the carriage, where they knocked on the door.


    "Your Highness, and mydies... Our escorts are here to lead us to the estate. They have already given their word that no one will harm her," the General said.


    <span ss="aiText">"Thank you, General," the <span ss="editText">Prince''s <span ss="aiText">voice was heard from inside the carriage.


    <span ss="userText">"We''ll get to your family estate in ten minutes, my Lord<span ss="aiText">. Please stay inside the carriage until we reach the estate grounds. The streets are busy right now. Somebody might recognize you," General Dous advised the Prince.


    <span ss="aiText">"Of course, <span ss="editText">General. You may continue to lead the way<span ss="aiText">," <span ss="editText">Quinus<span ss="aiText"> ordered.


    <span ss="aiText">"Alright, let''s get going!" General Dous shouted to the drivers as the horses pulled the carriage along.


    As the convoy made its way through the bustling streets, it weaved past vibrant merchants and busy citizens immersed in their daily activities. Plenty of soldiers were on patrol, watching over the people and keeping the peace.


    <span ss="editText">When the soldiers saw the General riding through the city''s main streets, they saluted him and his knights as they rode by.<span ss="aiText"><span ss="retryDeletionText"><span ss="undoDeletionText"> The convoy passed by the city''s alchemist academy, where they could see young students and teachers in the courtyard.


    After a few minutes, the convoy arrived at the city''srgest and most opulent area, which had the city hall and the Royal Estate, also known as The Seat of the Queen. This massive building dwarfed any other in the city. It was built for thete Queen Victoria Revelia. Queen Rianna used it to gather the Ladies of the Court for tea parties, balls, and other social gatherings. It was here where the Queen would get away from her husband from time to time, especially after failing to punish her brother-inw''s attempt on their only son''s life. The Seat of the Queen had arge garden with several statues and fountains. It was a wonderful ce to visit whening to Lomar. It was located in the center of the city and had arge courtyard surrounded by a high stone wall.


    <span ss="userText">Two guards wearing full te armor guarded the main entrance. Typically, there would be ten times the number of guards, but it would raise<span ss="aiText"> too many questions if it were evident that someone important was there.


    <span ss="aiText">The convoy came to a halt, and the two guards stood at attention as the General and his men approached them.


    <span ss="aiText">"General! Wee home, sir," the first guard said.


    <span ss="aiText">"Thank you, soldier. At ease," the General said as the guard saluted him, "<span ss="userText">Does she know of our arrival<span ss="aiText">?"


    <span ss="aiText">"Yes, Sir! She is waiting in the audience chamber, sir!" the second guard replied.


    <span ss="aiText">"Very good. We''ll see her shortly," the general said, motioning<span ss="userText">for the convoy to move forward<span ss="aiText">.


    The general and his soldiers guided the convoy to the rear of the mansion, where they housed the carriages in the stables. They wanted to enter the estate incognito. Rya''s group stepped off and waited patiently as the horses were unhitched from the carriages. General Dous walked up to the Prince and bowed.


    <span ss="userText">"Well, it''s been an enlightening trip, Your Highness. The Queen is in<span ss="aiText"> the audience chamber. If you and your party would follow me," the General said as he led the group inside.


    <span ss="userText">Quinus nodded and then looked at Rya, who was still wearing her cloak so the servants could not see her skin color. Her yellow dress was a little more conservativepared to her everyday dresses. This dress covered her shoulders, legs, and cleavage. The dress was more Victorian-style,<span ss="aiText">with the skirt being longer and tighter.<span ss="userText"> But no matter how much it covered her, it couldn''t hide her figure<span ss="aiText">.<span ss="userText"> Rya took a deep breath before looking at<span ss="aiText"> her<span ss="userText"> fiance<span ss="aiText">.


    <span ss="aiText">"So, <span ss="userText">how do I look?<span ss="aiText"> Will your mother approve?" Rya asked Quinus.


    <span ss="aiText">"She will... Even if she disapproves, she can''t stop us. I won''t let her," Quinus replied as he held her hand.


    <span ss="userText">Those words<span ss="aiText"> calmed Rya''s heart, and she smiled at him.


    <span ss="aiText">"<span ss="userText">And don''t forget that we are all at your side<span ss="aiText">. So, don''t be afraid. We won''t let anyone bully you," <span ss="editText">Yuliana <span ss="aiText">said<span ss="userText"> to her adopted daughter.


    <span ss="aiText">"Yeah, that''s right. We''re with you no matter what happens. And don''t let anyone else say otherwise<span ss="userText">, sis<span ss="aiText">," <span ss="editText">Nieren <span ss="aiText">added.


    "She will have her biases, Lady Rya. But you will show her that she''s wrong to believe those thoughts in the first ce. Like I did," Tayna said with a nod.


    <span ss="aiText">"Thank you, guys," Rya said with a smile.


    "Any time, Rya... Now, let''s get our game faces ready," Quinus said.


    "You can do this, Alpha. The chieftain will have to ept you once she notices that both of you marked each other," Dalia answered with a nod.


    Rya nodded back before she took a deep breath. Then she walked with Quinus to the audience chamber.


    <span ss="aiText">Yuliana and Nieren followed behind the two, and the rest of the group closely followed them<span ss="userText">.


    ''Don''t fuck this up, Rya... I don''t want my future mother-inw to hate me because I''m a dark elf...But what the hell... I can do this! Yeah! I got this!'' Rya thought to herself.


    <span ss="aiText">A servant<span ss="userText"> noticed the crown prince<span ss="aiText">, and he bowed, "Prince Quinus, you''ve returned. Wee home."


    <span ss="aiText">"Thank you. We''re here to see the Queen," Quinus replied.


    "Of course, My Prince. She''s in the audience chamber. Please follow me," the servant said as he led the prince and his entourage through the mansion. The servant was curious about the four cloaked women. He knew that the prince was secretly engaged with a different woman. But the Queen never mentioned who the new fiancee was.


    ''Maybe they''re her maids? No, I don''t think so. Why is House Dule walking behind them... The prince would''ve told me if they were special. Something is fishy about them,'' the servant thought as he led the prince and his group through the mansion.


    <span ss="aiText">They arrived at the audience chamber, and the servant motioned for them to wait until<span ss="userText">they entered the<span ss="aiText"> room.


    <span ss="userText">***


    <span ss="userText">(15 minutes before the prince arrived.)


    <span ss="aiText">The audience chamber was arge, grand hall decorated with paintings, statues, and tapestries. Itsrge balcony overlooking the city had two thrones on either side.


    Queen Rianna Meredydd wore her finest clothes and crown, which consisted of a golden tiara. Her ck hair was done up in a bun, and she had a regal air about her, but she was getting worried. She thought she would have seen him a day earlier, but something happened that she and her guards weren''t aware of. Her son sent a messenger from Eldermyst City so she wouldn''t have to worry about why they were a dayte. But it did little to calm her nerves. Quinus had been gone for too long, and she wanted to see him safe and sound.


    <span ss="aiText">''My son, please be safe... I wish I could''ve been there to help you,'' Rianna thought to herself as she sat on her throne, waiting for her son to return.


    <span ss="userText">Lady Nelumbo was standing next to her queen. She was a former Royal Knight turned<span ss="aiText"> royal advisor to the Queen. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore her knight''s armor, which consisted of a chestte, gauntlets, and greaves. Her sword was at her side, and her shield was strapped to her back.<span ss="userText"> She also had five more guards at the ready to protect her<span ss="aiText"> queen if needed.


    <span ss="aiText">Nelumbo looked out the window, thinking about the prince. ''<span ss="userText">You better not have lost an arm, Quinus... It would look bad on me if one of my best students ended up injured or, worse, dead.<span ss="aiText">The Queen would have my head if that happened.''


    <span ss="aiText">Queen Rianna turned her attention to her guards, "<span ss="editText">Lady Nelumbo<span ss="aiText">, has the prince arrived yet?"


    <span ss="aiText">"Not yet, my queen.<span ss="userText"> But a spotter saw the General''s banner at the city gate about an hour ago. I believe they are already in the city<span ss="aiText">," Nelumbo replied.


    <span ss="aiText">"Very good, then. Inform me when they arrive at the estate," the queen said.


    <span ss="aiText">"As you wish, my queen," Lady Nelumbo said as she left the room.


    <span ss="userText">Then Rianna''s head maid came<span ss="aiText"> over and bowed, "My queen, <span ss="userText">we can have the garden room ready for tea once<span ss="aiText"> the prince arrives."


    <span ss="aiText">"Thank you, <span ss="editText">Miss <span ss="aiText">Gretchen. That would be perfect. And have the cooks prepare some refreshments. My son must be tired from the journey. He has had a hard time. Especially with that Duke being such a bastard," Rianna said.


    <span ss="aiText">"Yes, my queen. I''ll inform the kitchen immediately," the maid bowed as she left the room.


    <span ss="aiText">The Queen leaned back on her throne and sighed.


    <span ss="aiText">''I just hope this dark elf my son is attached to is worth his affection. Thest thing I need is to <span ss="userText">deal with a scheming<span ss="aiText"> bitch trying to use him for his title. He needs a strong woman to stand beside him,'' the Queen thought to herself as she stared out the window.


    <span ss="aiText">Rianna had always worried about her son.<span ss="userText"> Because he was the only child to survive childbirth, and<span ss="aiText">she had miscarried <span ss="editText">more times than she wished to count<span ss="aiText">. She loved him dearly, and she would do anything to protect him.


    <span ss="aiText">''My dear Quinus...<span ss="userText"> I hope you know what you got yourself into<span ss="aiText">. Please be careful, my son. I pray that the god<span ss="editText">des<span ss="aiText">s has blessed you with a wonderful wife. I pray that you will have children. Many, many children. So you may continue the Meredydd bloodline,'' Rianna thought to herself.


    <span ss="userText">After five minutes, Lady Nelumbo<span ss="aiText"> entered the room and bowed, "My queen, the Prince has arrived at the estate. They are on their way to the audience chamber."


    <span ss="aiText">"Thank you, Lady Nelumbo," the queen said as she <span ss="userText">straightened<span ss="aiText"> up.


    <span ss="aiText">Nelumbo stood at attention. Then the queen looked at the guards and said, "Keep an eye out for the dark elf.<span ss="aiText">We must find out what her intentions are towards my son."


    <span ss="aiText">The guards saluted.


    <span ss="aiText">Lady Nelumbo <span ss="userText">nodded<span ss="aiText">. Then the queen looked at her.


    <span ss="aiText">"Nelumbo, you are the best warrior in this kingdom. I trust you with my life. And I know you will not let me down. Do you understand?"


    <span ss="aiText">"Yes, my queen," Nelumbo replied.


    <span ss="aiText">The Queen smiled, and then the door opened <span ss="userText">as a servant entered.


    <span ss="userText">"Your Majesty, the prince and his<span ss="aiText"> entourage are here," the servant announced.


    <span ss="aiText">Queen Rianna nodded, and the servant stepped aside.


    <span ss="aiText">The Prince entered the room and was followed by <span ss="userText">four women in cloaks. Percy, Sir George, Sir Richard, Lady Rachel, and General Dous<span ss="aiText"> also entered the room.<span ss="userText"> Johan and Tayna stayed in the back to give the group their space.


    <span ss="userText">Upon seeing her son for the first time in two months, she wanted to run to him and hug<span ss="aiText"> him, but she remained calm and collected, a<span ss="userText">s all royals must do.


    Rya looked around, and she couldn''t help but notice how beautiful Quin''s mother was. Even though Rianna was pushing 40, her looks hadn''t faded, at least not from what Rya could tell. In fact, she was even prettier than she thought. But there was something that was bugging Rya. She observed a significant number of purple particles in Rianna''s pelvic area. The particrs were simr to the ones in the Elder Seeds that Yuliana was trying to grow.


    ''Huh? Did someone poison Quin''s mom!? Why would they poison her!? And why is it focused on her lower body? Is that why she has no children besides Quin? I have so many questions right now. I''ll have to ask her about thister. If it''s a poison, then I might be able to do something about it... B-But I have to make sure she likes me first,'' Rya thought as she tried to recall all her etiquette training from Fyre Coldforge.