Upon coming into the dining hall Quinus and Rya were greeted by Zellin, Hajdah, Nieren, and an older dwarven woman that looked more noble than the rest while being surrounded by servants.

The butler introduced Quinus and Rya to the party.

"Lord Coldforge and Lady Fyrella. The Crown Prince and the Saintess have arrived," stated the butler.

'Is that Zellin's mother? Interesting,' Rya thought as she studied the older female dwarf standing by Zellin.

"Your Highness. Will you be joining us for breakfast? If not, please feel free to make yourself comfortable," The old dwarf woman offered.

"Yes, Lady Fyrella. We'll be joining you shortly," Quinus answered with a smile.

Zellin bowed his head slightly to Rya and smiled, "Lady Rya. It's nice to see you again. You look more breathtaking in formal wear. I hope everything is to your satisfaction?"

'Oh? So, the Baron is the one that got me this outfit?' Rya thought as she tilted her head. 'Well, that was nice of him.'

"It's lovely. Thank you Zellin," Rya responded with a genuine smile.

Nieren's jaw was hitting the floor seeing Rya's dress and the way she stood next to Quinus.

"I've never seen such an outfit before," Nieren said as she stared at Rya's dress which wasn't leaving much to the imagination. Rya's cleavage was definitely showing.

"What? Is it wrong to be wearing something like this?" Rya questioned as she turned around, her ass now on display.

"No, my lady. I was simply surprised. This is a rather daring fashion choice for a elf," Nieren replied with a blush.

Nieren wasn't wearing her usual adventurer's gear. Instead, she wore a brown blouse with a green long skirt that went down to her ankles.

She had large silver hoops hanging from her ears and a small necklace with three rings. Her blonde hair flowed down her back with the help of a headband.

"You should try it sometime." Rya offered.

"My mother would kill me if I wore such a thing. Plus, I'm not as well endowed as you are. My breasts aren't nearly as big," Nieren responded as she looked away from Rya's chest.

'Huh? She's comparing her breasts to my ridiculous tits!? That's not fair. I mean she has what? C-cup-sized breasts? Nieren would look gorgeous in a dress like this... Haah... If she has tits as big as mine, she'll have to pick up a new profession. Because there's no way she can use a bow if she gets any bigger.' Rya thought to herself.

"Well then, maybe we could go shopping together sometime?" Rya suggested.

"B-But... But why Lady Rya?! Are you trying to get me in trouble with my mother?" Nieren stammered as she blushed bright red.

Rya laughed and slapped Nieren on the shoulder. "Hmm? You need to be more independent sometimes Nieren. You can't let your mother control you all the time. Just think about it!"

Nieren didn't know what to say. Her cheeks were still bright red as if she was just slapped. She looked up at Rya.

"Thank you for the compliment though," Rya said with a smile. But then Rya noticed that Sir George, Percy, and Dalia weren't in the dining room.

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"Hey, Nieren. Do you know where the others are?" Rya asked.

"Well, I took Sir George back to his quarters. I think he is still sleeping. And for Dog and her mate, I was able to hear them on the other side of the castle and they were shaking the rocks, if you catch my drift," Nieren replied with a wide grin.

'Damn! Here I thought me and Quin were the ones being loud last night.' Rya thought to herself as she recalled screaming at the top of her lungs when she climaxed.

"Dalia is going to get pregnant at this rate. It shouldn't surprise me if she was at this point," Rya said with a smirk.

"I never seen a beast-kin take to a human like that," Nieren replied with a frown.

"Don't worry about it. She's in love, Nieren. And Percy is her champion now. So there's nothing wrong with it," Rya reassured Nieren.

"I don't know if I am ready to see more beast-kin start to fall in love. Especially not with humans," Nieren admitted.

"What? Are you getting jealous of Dalia? Or are you just upset because you want a human, like Percy?" Rya teased.

"N-No! That's not it. I don't want to love a creature that won't last longer than a hundred and thirty years, if I'm lucky war doesn't take him sooner. Humans die young and quickly. No offense. It's not that I hate humans, but they're frail creatures." Nieren mumbled under her breath.

"Your loss then, Nieren. If you want a strong man who can protect you from anything, then you should try to get a human. They are way more passionate," Rya teased again.

"H-Hey! My mother would disown me if I tried to have a relationship with one of those human men," Nieren retorted.

"Closed-minded, I see," Rya taunted. "But I suppose it is your choice. Don't worry though, you'll find someone someday. Maybe even a human?" She added with a smirk.

"Y-You can't say that!" Nieren exclaimed.

"Calm down... I'm only teasing you," Rya said, holding her hands up in defense.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'm probably still not used to being around a dark elf. And I didn't return home after last night," Nieren apologized.

"It's fine," Rya said with a laugh. "Anyway, I guess we better sit down and eat. Do you mind if I sit next to you? There are some chairs by the fireplace."

"I don't mind. In fact, I'd like it if you sat next to me. I haven't been around another elf in years. Besides my mother of course," Nieren replied.

'Man! There she goes again about her mother. Is she going to freak out because I'm a dark elf? God, she is, isn't she? Haah! Well, I'll deal with it when the time comes.' Rya thought.

"Good. Then let's go. The food smells great," Rya chuckled.

"Yes, it does. I miss the palace life," Nieren said politely.

***

Quinus was talking with Zellin and his mother before he noticed Rya and Nieren taking a seat in front of him.

"Baron... My Lady... It seems my future wife is ready to dine," Quinus announced.

"Future wife? You plan to marry Lady Rya, your Highness?" Zellin asked with a raised brow while his mother, Fyrella, was surprised.

"Yes. I must ask her father for permission out of tradition," Quinus answered.

"Huh... You are nothing but surprises, Lord Quinus. A human marrying a dark elf? This is unheard of. The humans and dwarves of Ironside coexist together in harmony, but we have never seen any get involved romantically. What a novel idea," Fyrella commented.

"Your Highness... I am relieved you're taking a wife that's not a part of the Divine Three. But, should the people of Ironside prepare for war? I know they don't like the Fiafyr Kingdom because of us dwarves being a part of the kingdom," Zellin worriedly questioned.

"Yes. And the arranged marriage with Princess Sigrid will be another issue when word gets out that you're wedding a dark elf. It will cause political unrest," Fyrella added.

"Yes. If there is trouble, we must be prepared. I will not sacrifice my people for political gain. And I will take care of the political side of things. I promise on my honour," Quinus stated.

"Hmm. Okay. We will inform the Ironside Council of our plans. I suggest you inform the other noble families as well," Zellin said with an understanding nod.

"Yes. Thank you, Baron. I appreciate it," Quinus said gratefully.

Zellin bowed his head respectfully then moved to the head of the table with his mother.

"What did I tell you, Mother? The future king is going to be a good leader," Zellin praised.

"I know. But still, King Cyndre was the one to okay the arranged marriage in the first place. And if it wasn't his idea, then it was an idea that was given by his council. The prince may be fighting an uphill battle," Fyrella commented.

"He won't let me down, Mother. I'm sure of it," Zellin said with confidence.