Sid and his priorities!
After meeting Therella, he insisted I take a look at his hoard.
“Ma, it’ll only take a couple of minutes! You’re already here in my tower! Why not? Please? The elves can wait!”
How could I say no to him?
“Fine. But after that, you’re going straight to bed! Meanwhile, I’ll take the princess and talk to her aunt. Deal?”
“OK, Mom!” he agreed with a grin.
So, off I went to see his hoard. I half expected the typical kid's treasure: random shiny stones or some sentimental trinkets he’d declared precious.
Well, I was wrong—again. I followed him down to the basement of his tower. With a small infusion of mana, the massive stone blocking the entrance slid aside, revealing a surprisingly cozy chamber. As I stepped through the narrow gateway, the space unfolded—a vast, cylindrical room occupying the entire basement beneath the tower. It was large enough to comfortably house a dragon, with a narrow staircase spiraling along the curved stone walls.
The room appeared to have been carved directly into the bedrock beneath the castle. Had Sid enlarged it, or had it always been this grand? I couldn’t help but wonder. The walls shimmered faintly, lined with clusters of small crystals that cast a soft, pleasant glow across the chamber.
In the center, an impressive collection gleamed in the light: several semi-precious and precious stones, a smattering of gold nuggets, and a scattering of coins.
"How did you get all this?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, the coins are mostly from Ju," he began matter-of-factly. "But a few of the gold coins I found in a grotto not far from here. Some of the ore is from that little dungeon on the Northern Rim. Most of the precious stones, though? I collected them from the land. When I fly overhead, I can sense them! Anytime there’s a precious stone, a gold nugget, or something like that, it creates a little distortion in the mana flow. I just have to dig it out!"
"Oh, wow!"
Well, if gathering his hoard makes him happy, why should I have a problem with it? He must have been working on it since some time, who knows where it had been hidden before.
Happy that I'd seen his hoard and approved of it, he prepared himself for the night, transformed into a dragon, and curled himself protectively around his treasure. I smiled to myself. Let’s see how long this lasts before he sneaks into my room and reclaims my pillow, I mused.
Standing on tiptoe, I pressed a gentle kiss to his brow and gave his head a brief hug, feeling his happiness and satisfaction ripple through our telepathic link. Then, with a deep breath, I turned and left to deal with the little princess problem waiting for me.
The meeting with Drackar afterward was brief. I informed him about the attack on the vice-queen and shared the news that we had found the princess. Of course, no one would ever know that Sid’s primary motive was to populate his tower—not if I had anything to say about it. As far as I was concerned, she was just a runaway kid who had come under our protection.
The real thorn in my side was the attack on the vice-queen. Drackar assured me he’d look into the incident with the two orc teenagers and promised to get to the bottom of it. For now, I decided to let the orcs handle their investigation first.
Lynx returned to the castle just as I wrapped up my conversation with Drackar. He strolled in casually, yawning wide enough to show off his sharp, pearly teeth.
“Just so you know, I think there was only one attempted murder,” he said with a slight shrug, “and that was aimed at the princess.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “Was the attack on the queen a mistake?”
He nodded. “Yep. I've just been there and checked the traces. It doesn’t add up otherwise. The assassins weren’t prepared to deal with someone as strong as the healer. They bolted the moment they met real resistance.”
He tilted his head, his expression shifting to one of curiosity. “By the way, how’s Sid getting along with his princess?”
I couldn’t help it and chuckled.
“Since when did you know?” I asked, crossing my arms, then sighed “He already seems fed up with her. He even asked me if the elves might want her back...”
Lynx shrugged, “I had a hunch. He was way too interested when I first mentioned her. Plus, he’s been oddly fixated on that whole ‘dragon and princess’ story.” He yawned again, his sharp teeth gleaming briefly.
“Well, I’m beat,” he said, stretching lazily. “I’m heading to bed. If you need me, you know where to find me.”
With a casual wave, he turned and strolled off toward his room, still yawning.
Lynx’s yawning proved to be contagious, and soon I was yawning uncontrollably myself, tears forming in my eyes. Unfortunately, no amount of yawning would erase the fact that my work wasn’t done yet.
Battling the headache already threatening to take over, I summoned Loretta. “Go and inform the prince and his paladins that we’ve located the princess,” I instructed. “Let them know I’ll be meeting with the elves shortly. If the prince is already asleep, there should be a paladin on guard who can relay the message to him as soon as it’s appropriate.”
She nodded briskly and hurried off, leaving me to gather my thoughts for what promised to be an exhausting meeting with the elves.
For a brief moment, I considered waking Lynx, my trusted mount, to accompany us, but in the end, I decided to trust Kurr and his ever-reliable mare. Leaving him to prepare the horses, I went back to Sid’s tower to fetch Therella.
Before long, we were on our way, leaving the castle behind. Our small group consisted of Therella, Tenessar, Kurr, and a couple of orcs for added security. The ride was quiet, the tension growing thicker as we drew closer to the elven camp.
As the camp came into view, Therella broke the silence, turning to me with an inquiring look. “May I speak to my aunt and cousin alone?” she asked.
I paused, weighing her request. It wasn’t an easy decision, but after a moment of thought, I nodded. “Alright,” I said.
As the elves accepted Therella's proposal and the vice-queen and the general activated an isolation field around themselves and Therella, I turned and headed toward Alice and Ju.
“What’s going on?” Ju asked the moment we had our own isolation field securely in place.
I shrugged lightly. “Let them have their talk. The girl ran away, and Sid decided to offer her refuge in his tower. You know, inspired by a book some elf gave him about dragons hosting princesses for all sorts of reasons.”
Ju sighed. “I knew this would somehow end up being my fault, but until now, I couldn’t imagine how!” she quipped, her tone walking the line between humor and exasperation.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Yeah, but seriously, that might have saved her life!" I said, my tone more somber. "Lynx thinks the assassination attempt was aimed at her, not the vice-queen. Her running away and ending up with Sid probably kept her alive—and at least spared us the headache of combing the district for a runaway princess or bracing for a war." I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Though Sid promised her she wouldn’t be forced to go back with the elves. I can’t help but wonder how your aunt and the general will handle that part."
Ju let out her own sigh.
"That’s going to be tricky," she admitted. "For some people, Therella is just a pawn in a larger game. There are plans—there have to be. She wasn’t sent here just for a casual visit. I’m not even sure if the general has the authority to decide what happens next. They might need to consult with their leaders or, worse, try to force her to go with them."
I shook my head firmly.
"That's not going to happen. I promised Sid we wouldn't let them force her to go against her will, and I intend to keep that promise," I said, my voice resolute.
Ju's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You promised Sid—and you’d go to war over it?" She shook her head in exasperation. "I'll talk to my aunt. We need to find a solution before things escalate." She chuckled, a teasing glint in her eye. "We don’t want a repeat of Helen of Troy, do we? Though, is the princess worth it?"
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I snorted.
"According to him, she’s no match for you. He’s downright envious of how capable, beautiful, and at the same time simple and hardworking my princess is."
Ju burst into laughter, nodding with mock satisfaction.
"Finally! Someone who appreciates me!" she exclaimed, her grin widening. Then, with a playful nudge, she added, "You never said those words to your princess."
"Oh, come on." I shrugged. "Everyone already sees it. There’s no need to repeat the obvious," I replied, arching a brow in amusement.
Alice chuckled softly, a sound that reminded me she was still there, observing the exchange with quiet amusement.
"Alice," I said, turning to her, "there was a small horde of children in the main hall looking for you."
“They’re still not asleep?” she asked, her worry evident.
I shrugged.
“They heard the cavalcade coming and thought you were back,” I explained.
“Oh,” she murmured, her expression clouded.
“Who are they?” I asked.
“Most of them are orphans from the mine,” she explained, her tone subdued. “Some lost both parents, and a few still have their mothers but lost their fathers. The villagers do what they can to help, but for those who lost their homes too, it’s much harder. They have to wait until someone agrees to take them in.”
“Lost their houses?” I echoed, frowning.
She sighed, her weariness palpable. “Debt,” she said simply. “Their families were already in debt. When the fathers died, there was no way to pay it off, and their homes were taken. Those are the ones I’ve taken under my care.”
“Hew was proposing to give them a pension from the domain if a parent dies in the mine,” Ju added thoughtfully. “It’s just one idea for addressing the issue, but he’ll need to review the earning projections for the coming months before deciding what that pension could realistically be. We can discuss it in our next meeting!”
I nodded, appreciating the suggestion.
Meanwhile, our attention shifted to the trio as they began approaching us. Ju dismissed the isolation field, and the vice-queen Levaite’s voice greeted us.
“I’m very happy to see my little T’rella is safe and well,” she said warmly. “We’ve agreed to her conditions. If she wishes to stay here for a while and you’re happy to host her, I think it could be an excellent opportunity for her to grow and learn. I’d be delighted to sit down and discuss the details of her stay, especially to ensure her safety.”
Ju threw me a surprised look, one that clearly said What just happened? I could already feel the questions brewing for later.
I was just as taken aback by how smoothly things seemed to be going. No arguments, no demands—just a polite agreement, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Deciding to let Ju take the lead on most of the follow-up negotiations, I didn’t object when we all headed toward the castle.
It had been a hectic and eventful night. By the time late morning rolled around, the suns were already high in the sky. Therella and Vice-Queen Levaite were chatting cheerfully in the council room with Ju, Tom, Mike, and another elf woman introduced as Lady Astarte—Therella's lady-in-waiting. Some kind of guard and confidant rolled into one.
To my relief, Sid was still asleep. The last thing I needed was for him to bring up his supposed need for a princess in his tower. That problem seemed settled for now, and there was no need to draw attention to it.
Too exhausted to contribute much myself, I lingered in the room anyway, keeping an ear on the conversation to ensure it didn’t veer in an unhelpful direction. Meanwhile, I sipped on some of the fruit juice from the kitchen, savoring the brief moment of peace.
When Hew entered the room, I seized the opportunity to excuse myself. I told them I was heading to bed—I was dangerously close to falling asleep on my feet. The elves, it seemed, could handle a sleepless night far better than I could. My brain had started drawing blanks, and more than once, I caught myself staring off into the void.
To my surprise, Ju followed me.
“How do you feel?” Ju asked, her worried gaze following me as we entered my room.
I shrugged, too tired to muster much of a response.
“Dead tired. I don’t have a… ayahahaaah!”
That sound escaped involuntarily as her hands began kneading the muscles in my neck. I hadn’t realized just how tense they were until now.
“Is it good?” she asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“Yeaaaaaah,” I answered meekly, melting under her touch.
She chuckled, her hands not stopping their magic as she deftly began unbuttoning my tunic.
“Hey, what are you doing?” I protested, craning my neck to look at her.
She laughed. “You’re a knot of stress. I’m going to massage your back!”
“What do you know about massage?” I muttered, though I found myself moving to lie down on the bed.
“I’ve studied for five years at the Massage Academy, you clueless girl! I know what I’m doing!” she replied with a smug grin, her hands already working their way down my back.
"That's a thing? Massage academy?" I asked, my words broken by a few very unladylike moans as her hands worked their way across my poor, knotted back muscles. Somehow, she found every point of tension, her fingers gliding over them with a skill that transformed discomfort into sheer bliss.
Ju shrugged casually.
“After several hundred years of trying different things, you end up with all kinds of interesting hobbies. Besides, massage isn’t just a business in the elven world—it’s a deeply ingrained part of our culture,” she explained, her tone both proud and lighthearted.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it was normal to feel this good, but tried to keep the conversation flowing. “So, what do you even study at a massage academy?”
She paused for a moment, her fingers never missing a beat. “Oh, all sorts of things. Anatomy, including the nervous system, cardiovascular system, muscles, bones—how everything connects and interacts. Magic synergies—what works together, what clashes. Damage assessment, various illnesses, treatments...”
“Sounds… complex,” I murmured, struggling to reconcile the simplicity of the act with the intricate study she described. “How can something so simple be made so complicated?”
She chuckled warmly. “That’s exactly why it’s an art. You’d be surprised how much science goes into creating simplicity.”
“Do you study meridians, like in Chinese traditional medicine?” I asked, curious.
Though I couldn’t see her face, I just knew she was rolling her eyes.
“I have a feeling your knowledge of Chinese traditional medicine is about as deep as your grasp of elven culture,” she quipped.
I snorted at her jab. “Why do I get the sense you’re making fun of me?” I shot back, then shrugged it off.
“It’s strange, though,” I mused. “How can two worlds be so different yet have so many similarities? Cultures, architecture—some things feel oddly familiar. Even animals! We both have cows, for crying out loud! How could that happen by pure chance?”
She chuckled softly.
“Pure chance? Come on, we both know there’s a portal connecting our worlds. Who’s to say there aren’t others? Even the one we know of might have existed for ages. That means communication between the two worlds—sporadic as it might’ve been—has always been there.
“But here’s the thing: one world is rich in magic, the other almost devoid of it. That makes all the difference. Creatures that rely on magic can’t survive on Earth. Elves like me would struggle immensely—if not outright perish—in a world without magic. That’s why you don’t have elves on Earth, even though a few might’ve passed through, like I did. And those plants that helped me survive? They’d wither away without constant magical care.
“That’s why your world lacks magical creatures altogether. No magic, no survival. Honestly, I think most evolution happened here, on this planet. Magic plays a key role in shaping and guiding evolution. Without it, the process just doesn’t work the same. But try explaining that to those so-called scholars on Earth. They wouldn’t get it...”
Her soothing voice, full of insight, wove its way through my mind as her magical hands worked on my aching muscles. The combination was intoxicating. My thoughts grew hazy, and before I knew it, I had drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
My sweet slumber ended abruptly.
It was Ju again, gently shaking my shoulder, but something felt off—terribly off. A sense of dread hung in the air, and though she tried to maintain a calm demeanor, I could hear the quickened rhythm of her heartbeat.
“What happened?” I asked.
Her chest rose and fell beneath her shirt, betraying the agitation she was trying so hard to hide.
“Don’t panic,” she said, her voice steady but brittle. “Everything is under control now.”
That wasn’t the answer I needed. It wasn’t the answer that would let me rest easy. Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself upright, the bed creaking faintly beneath me.
“What happened?” I repeated, my tone sharper this time.
She hesitated, then finally said, “There’s been an assassination attempt on Hew. But he’s okay now. He’s... recovering.”
“Recovering from what?” I pressed, my stomach twisting.
“From resurrection,” she whispered, the word slicing through the room like a blade.
A heavy darkness seemed to descend over everything, and something deep inside me stirred.