As Lord Brice crossed the threshold into the grand chamber of Parlement, the air thick with tension and the echoes of hushed discussions, his gaze quickly found his colleague, Lord Gawain, moving purposefully towards him. Gawain’s approach was marked by an almost palpable mixture of relief and underlying anxiety, his features taut with the burdens of recent events. He was acutely aware of the looming threat posed by Duval, a dangerous game of power unfolding as he aimed to coerce Baron Eamon and Baron Thaddeus into shifting their votes during the impending recess.


    “Thank the goddess, you’re back,” Gawain whispered urgently, his voice low yet laced with palpable tension. “You have no idea the depths of murk we’ve had to wade through since you left the capital. If it hadn’t been for Lady Rya and his Highness, the measure would have been passed by now."


    Brice chuckled softly; the tension in the moment briefly lifted. “Yeah, I think I got a glimpse of it while I was cooling my heels in the lobby. Hearing the Prime Minister scream for a full fifteen minutes was quite the spectacle. I''m sad that I didn''t get to see it... I never knew Duval harbored such a fiery temper. Whatever provoked him must have truly hit a nerve.”


    Gawain shook his head in disbelief, the tension in his shoulders slowly easing. “I’ve never witnessed anything like it. Lady Rya and His Highness actually convinced the Lords to give them a chance... Lord Thaddeus and Lord Eamon actually voted ‘present’ on Duval’s measure to expel Lady Rya,” he relayed, his brow furrowed with concern as he knew that they needed to do something to keep Duval from talking to the two lords in private.


    “Really?” Brice responded, his tone melodramatically feigning shock. “That’s rather unexpected for either of them. Poor Duval must be having a truly dreadful day to incite such rebellion among his trusted allies.” A knowing smile played at the corners of his lips, even as the gravity of the political turmoil loomed over them like a dark cloud threatening to unleash a storm. He made sure to be loud enough to get the Prime Minister''s attention.


    “Yeah, and that’s not even the beginning...” Gawain leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “It turns out the Prince’s fiancée is quite the dynamo. Apparently, His Highness has inherited a taste for strong-willed and, let’s say, stunningly curvaceous women as his father."


    Brice’s gaze flickered to the Dark Elf perched gracefully beside Prince Quinus, and he nearly stumbled, captivated by her allure. She was strikingly more enchanting than Queen Rianna, with a poise that drew the eye and left him momentarily breathless. It took all his restraint not to gawk in awe at her beauty; she exuded an air of confidence that both intimidated and intrigued him.


    ''The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,'' he thought, seizing the opportunity to direct his frustration toward Gawain, feigning indignation as if it were his companion who was trespassing into inappropriate territory. Lord Gawain noticed his colleague''s glare and felt embarrassed.


    "Ah! Um... Ahem! Well, she single-handedly commandeered the session and put Alaric firmly in his place,” Gawain muttered softly to Lord Brice. He had no idea that the King had secretly sanctioned the bond between the Prince and Lady Rya. However, there was a certain condition attached—one that he hoped would sway the majority of the Major Lords to support the union of the star-crossed lovers. The stakes were high, and the fate of their romance hung in the balance. That was why Lord Brice hurried back to the Capital from the city of Lomar.


    “Did she now? Intriguing... I think I’m already a fan. But what’s the other half of this mess?” Brice inquired, curiosity piqued.


    “The emergency measure is on ice until Duval can secure the vote... He’s hell-bent on banishing her from the Kingdom, come hell or high water.”


    "But I thought this measure was to prevent her from entering the Capital?... Did you get the chance to look at the document?" Brice asked Gawain, but he was loud enough to stop Duval in his tracks.


    Lord Gawain noticed that Brice was staring at the Prime Minister with his skeptical, scrutinizing gaze whenever anyone tried to feed him a line of nonsense. He recognized that expression well, and he also understood that the Prime Minister had better come clean, or Brice would take his head off with his sharp words. Duval was about to make a break for it, but Lord Brice''s words stopped him in his tracks.


    "Um, well?... I don''t believe the Prime Minister showed the full document to anyone during these proceedings," Gawain said softly, realizing that he had forgotten to ask Duval''s chancellor for a copy of the measure since he only had the old version. "I was told she would be expelled from the Kingdom by the chancellor''s order," he added, his heart racing as he tried to mask his lack of knowledge.


    "I''m terribly sorry, sir. Please forgive me," the aide stammered, hastily gathering the scattered papers, his hands trembling as he stuffed the crumpled documents back into the bag.


    "I don’t care if they’re crinkled or ripped! Just get the damn paperwork into the—"


    Before he could finish, Brice''s voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding. "Prime Minister Duval Wrightwood!" he called out, a thread of warning woven into his tone. The atmosphere grew thick with tension as all eyes turned toward him.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ''Haah... I really wish this chick would fuck off... Quin is mine, and she thinks this is what is going to make him fall for her?... Get real, honey! This guy is head over heels for me, and no one is changing that! Not even the gods themselves! Or a goddess... Hehe!'' Rya thought as a smirk grew on her face.


    Rya locked eyes with Quinus, a confident smile playing on her lips as a spark of resolve ignited in her gaze. “You can try,” she said, her voice steady and unwavering, “But I’m not going anywhere.”


    "I know," Quinus replied, leaning in to kiss her softly, their lips brushing together in a moment filled with unspoken promises.


    Across the room, Hilda clenched her fists, fury bubbling within her as she watched. The urge to storm over and slap Rya was nearly overwhelming, but just as she prepared to move, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder.


    “Don’t give in to her games, dear,” Leandra whispered, her voice a soothing counterpoint to Hilda’s rising anger. “She’s only trying to provoke you.”


    "B-But showing affection in public is—"


    "It''s frowned upon, but it''s not a sin here, Princess... So what would the Major Houses think when a princess resorts to slapping her competition in public... I know it''s unfair, but that is how the world is sometimes. So we must be smarter than them, dear," Leandra explained.


    "W-What if she does something with him in the bedroom?... I must protect his chastity—"


    "That ship has sailed, dear... She''s been with him for months in life-and-death situations... She''s spread her legs out for him to control him... She''s ensnared him with her body, and he can''t escape. You need to break her hold over him if you wish to save this kingdom," Leandra whispered into Hilda''s ear.


    "H-How?"


    "That is something that I will discuss with you later when the elves aren''t around... But for now... You need to be strong... And you need to make the decisions that will save the kingdom from a war," Leandra explained.


    "...Alright... I will persevere... F-For the people," Hilda replied.


    "Good," Leandra replied.


    Hilda was a little sad at hearing that Quinus had been defiled, but she could not show weakness; she would save him from this evil creature. She would do everything in her power to stop the marriage and then save her prince from Rya''s dark clutches, even if she had to pray to a different deity.