The queen examined the boy up and down taking in what, in all honesty, little there was.

"I must admit I find it hard to believe this child is who you think would do all this. What proof do you have commander?"

"This your majesty." From his belt he unstrapped and brought the glass vial to the queen. Taking it in her hands she examined the inside to see slime glaring back at her. A gentle thud came from the container as she gently tapped the side of the container with the nail of her ring finger. Slime flinched in pain and the queen stopped immediately. His eyes narrowed and soft weight pushed the vial down. She tightened her grip as to not drop it. When he was finished he met her eyes once more and then stuck her tongue out.

"Oi!" The commander's voice boomed throughout the open room and with hands cupped around the container softly took it from the queen. When it was fully in his grasp again he shook it up and down knocking Slime into all side of his prison. When he finally stopped Slime's body appeared to flatten against the bottom of the vial. His eyes changed into a swirl motion and his mouth hung open in a daze.

"Serves you right." Cedric grunted now content.

Her majesty took a deep inhale before turning her attention back to Oliver.

"Tell me young one. Why do you share the company of a monster? Do you truly mean to assassinate me?" Her eyes were serious despite her tone being gentle. Oliver shook his head.

"No way. We we're just shopping when some guards grabbed my friend and then they chased us around before finally throwing us in jail." His speech was rapid and his hands waved around as he spoke.

Cedric cleared his throat. Then shot Oliver a side eye glare with a cocked eye brow.

"Uh, I mean. Not er. . .honesty. Your queen. . .ship? I doth der haveth none desire to opposite of alive you, your majestiness?" He finished awkwardly turning his confused look at Cedric. An echo escaped from his forehead as he slapped his hand against it in disbelief.

Laughter filled the chamber. Not from Cedric, or Oliver. Not from anyone in noble or member of the court. But from the very queen herself. Tears rolled down her cheeks and just when she thought she was finished. She'd recall the event once more only to laugh herself into another fit. Oliver simply blushed and smiled as he scratched the back of his head waiting for whatever was to come next.

Clearing her throat, determined to calm herself.

"Right then, Oliver, please approach."

He glanced up at Cedric whose brown wrinkled and he motioned for him to go ahead. He stopped just before the stairs leading up to her.

"Closer child. I as long as your heart speaks the truth I won't bite." Her hands softly waved him forward as she gave him a playful wink.

While most of the room was stone a soft, long, red carpet dressed a majority of the stairs width. His steps were silent as he took up the stairs to her grace. About half way up he began counting to himself.

One, two, three, four… When we reached ten he turned around to realize he was only half up and before he started counting he must've already climbed at least ten more.

"Why are there so many stairs here?" He blurted out as he mentally restarted from the bottom. Pointing at each one until he reached the queen's landing. Then counting in his head again as he physically made the trip.

Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, fourty, fourty-one.

"Why, no, how does this have fourty-two stairs?" He exclaimed looking at the queen and then turning back to recount again. A chuckle emerged from her.

"Too many you think?"

"Yeah I guess. It just really didn't look like there'd be so many when we first came in here." He looked over the shoulder at her, forgetting he was addressing the queen. She was learning forward, head rested in her palm and her elbow anchored into her knee as she looked at him.

"I mean, yes your majesty." He quickly turned giving her a deep bow. She replied with another laugh.

"All right, approach please." She sat up straight once more as he stepped closer to her.

"Like this?"

"Just like that. Very good dear boy. Now hold still." She rose from her throne and approach him now. Kneeling down when she stood before and looking deeply into his eyes.

His eyes shifted back and forth between hers. The queen's on the other hand look straight and focused. Inside Oliver felt his body shift and tingle in different places. First in his head and then through his arms. The tingling turned into prickly as it approached his toes and then the sensation shifted into one of warmth. A feeling similar to eating a warm meal on a col day.

"Oliver, did you know the queen's of my family all have a special ability?"

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He shook his head no.

"We have the ability to gaze into someone and judge whether what they say is a lie, or if it is the truth."

He nodded in surprise.

"How do you do that?" He started to ask before she softly shushed him.

"Still Oliver, hold still please." His head snapped straight again as her eyes narrowed on him.

"While I can't disclose 'how' we've do this. It is quite helpful in determining whether people are friend of foe to our kingdom." Her eyes shifted from their lavender tones into a crimson red. "And while the ability is quite useful. Some foes have learned how to get around this powerful ability."

As her gaze widened, hardened even, Oliver felt a great pressure surround his head. His vision began to blur and it appeared that the grew two, no five, no ten times larger than him. She towered over him as her fiery gaze bore into him. Now it felt like a great heat enveloped the entire world around him the queens massive face came closer until he was standing before one building sized eye. He wanted to throw his hands up to shield himself. He wanted to turn and run away. Even though everything in his body screamed and his muscles clenched and tightened trying to get away. He was frozen in place, paralyzed by the queen's gaze. And then everything was suddenly back to normal. The queen's eyes returned to their gentle lavender color as she backed away rising to her feet, only to sit back into her throne just a step behind her.

She pressed her thumb against her chin letting as she thought about what she saw.

"Oliver, I am in a difficult position. For while you have in fact passed the test of my queen's eye. These allegations put before you are quite serious in their nature. Are you aware of the state of the world right now in regards to humans and monsters?"

He shook his head.

"To be honest,your grace, I'm not entirely sure what a monster is or why they're called that." The court gasped at his audacious reply. Murmurs erupted from them.

"Not know what a monster is? Truly?" An old man barked behind a mustache.

"Surly he must be lying." A woman's voice boomed in disgust.

The queen raised her hand and the room fell to a lowered hush.

"If what I saw is true, Oliver, you have been more or less spirited away from world's problems. Your father kept you hidden far from here and you had no contact with anyone or anything from beyond where he took you. Is that correct.?"

Not wanting to lie to the queen, but also unsure what she could and couldn't see in his heart he simply shrugged.

"As far as I can think, no I never saw anyone but my father."

She nodded in agreement as it was as she saw.

"Very good. I appreciate your honesty Oliver. While I do all I can to welcome anyone and everyone to my kingdom there are those who would try to take me from my position and conqueror our great kingdom of Zophia. Before I lay out the options I have for you allow me to bring you up to speed."

"While there is much to explain regarding the differences between monster, human, and beasts let's keep it simple." She motioned for Cedric to approach. From his hands she retrieved the bottle containing Slime.

"This, by simple definition, is a monster. A living creature whose autonomy is vastly to that of human and of beast. They're aggressive and their instincts tell them to kill. And most important of all they have no choice but to orders from the Dark Lord. A nefarious blight on our region. While humans live in a civilized sort of manner, monsters do not." She uncorked the bottle pointing its neck to the ground to allow Slime to pass through his confinement.

"Or, so we are lead to believe by scholars, adventurers, and statistical experience from the past." She watched as Oliver bent down to check on his friend who oozed from the jar and returned to his bouncy, translucent, green form.

"Listen lady, I'm not saying all monsters are sunshine and rainbows. Yeah some of them are bad news, but we're not all that way."

"Quiet!" Cedric commanded from beside the pair. The queen raised her hand and Cedric withdrew.

"Oh, do tell us what you mean."

"Humans have spent hundreds, maybe thousands of years criminalizing us for what a few bad apples did way back when."

She leaned back motioning to the room around them.

"Are you suggesting monsters today do no harm?"

"No, I'm not. Between the imps, goblins, and whatever else might live nearby I'm sure you have plenty of problem keeping them in line. And yeah that Dark Lord likely makes it a lot worse than it would be normally."

"On that I can agree." She nodded.

"Most of us though just want to live alongside people or least be left alone to live peacefully amongst ourselves."

Another voice from the audience spoke out. "Mosters don't live peacefully."

"Right! And this slime snuck into the city in order to get close to the queen!"

Agreement started to boom from the group of nobles.

And then they fell silent once more. The queen's eyes shifted red as she side eye'd the group of nobles.

"One more outburst from any of you and you'll find yourself in the dungeons."

No one said a word, not even Slime.

"From what I saw with Oliver I'm inclined to believe you Slime. And that is why I set you free."

Oliver and Slime looked at each other and Oliver motioned at Slime towards the queen.

"Right, and I am grateful. Thank you, your highness." She nodded at his comment.

"And now brings me to the point. My eye says what you say is true. But my people struggle deeply to believe monsters and humans can do anything together beside murder each other. As such I am putting before you two options that you are free to choose from. One, I have a dire, albeit secret, issue I need solved. I'd like to assign you and Slime to investigate the issue and hopefully solve it. Two, I can permanently exile you from the kingdom of Zophia. You'll be free to leave, but never be welcome again."

Slime glared at the queen. "Those aren't really good options. Either do what you ask or get out and stay out?"

She shrugged in reply.

"If you help solve this problem I'll make it known kingdom wide about the traveling boy and slime who aided the kingdom in her time of need. That will go far with citizens not just here in the castle, but across the entire kingdom. While some would still be leery of you two, especially you," She locked eyes with Slime. "it would start you in a good direction. On the other hand if you prefer to not get involved and just want to get back on with searching for your father I won't keep you. But I will have to do something in order to calm the masses. The choice is yours."

"Well some choices those are." Slime grunted, bubbles popping inside him.

"Yeah, if we're exiled from the kingdom I won't be able to look for my father anywhere in Zophia. I'm pretty sure he's here somewhere within the boundaries of the kingdom."

Slime sighed. "All right."

They both turned to the queen.

"Okay your highness, what's this secret issue you need our help with?"

She smiled warmly as she waved her hand to the side and a retainer walked out with a rolled up parchment.

"Wonderful, let me fill you in on our current problem."