The journey was going well and there were no signs of an ambush, so the convoy continued to travel without a hitch to their first stop for the night. The city of Dorn.

Dorn was a mid-size city in the western part of Baron Johnathan Dule's Domain. Which is called the Eder Hills. The city was a hub for trading with Zellin's Domain. Dule's Territory went a little more north, running along a mountain range that separates the Dwarven Kingdom of Hjorleif and the Fiafyr Kingdom. There were only a couple of ways in and out of the dwarven kingdom. But there was no man's land that divided the two countries. No one has gone in without someone dying during the journey through the valley. Thanks to the ogre tribes that live within the foothills of the mountains.

So, the Kingdom of Fiafyr constructed a giant wall to prevent the ogres from coming south and killing the people of the kingdom.

Dorn City was 200 miles south of the wall and was the third biggest city in the territory but the 50th biggest city in all the kingdom. Dorn had a population of 75,000. The city is a major hub of trade and distributes the purple slag throughout the rest of the kingdom due to all the different roads and rivers that intersect the city. Thanks to the deal with Ironside the city of Dorn has become a hotspot for business and it has grown outside its walls after all these centuries.

The city wall was 30 feet tall and 50 feet wide with four massive gates on each wall to get into the city. There were four walls. Two outer walls and then an inner wall and another inner wall. Quinus' convoy made it to the Western gates of Dorn and the gate guards waved them in when they saw General Douglas.

Douglas' party was escorted to the center of town and into the Noble Quarters of the city. Dorn's noble quarter was a big place and was a maze to anyone who didn't know their way around. This city used to be a frontier city over 500 years ago. So the buildings were designed to be maze-like as they made them out of stone. This part of the city was lined with houses and stores. Making everything feel claustrophobic.

Douglas' convoy reached the Baron's third estate and entered the grounds which was one of the few places that had more space than in the other parts of the city. The grounds had a giant open space and had many flower gardens, fountains, and a hedge maze. The Baron usually came to Dorn once a month and liked to take the long way through the hedge maze to the entrance of his third home.

"Welcome back, General," One of the guards saluted.

"As you were," Douglas replied.

"The Lord came to greet the prince, Sir," The guard informed.

Douglas' eyebrow raised slightly in surprise, "Really?"

The guard nodded, "Yes, Sir."

Douglas thought Johnathan Dule was staying put in his domain's capital city of Springfield. But he guessed the Baron couldn't help himself from meeting the Crown Prince.

Douglas dismounted off his horse and his guards followed. The guards took the horses to the stables and the rest were taken to the carriage house.

They stopped the "Royal" Carriage and opened the door. "Prince Quinus, the Baron has come to greet you," said one of the knights.

"Really? I thought he needed to check in on the farm yields. He must have made Johan do it in his stead," Quinus said out loud.

Rya was still in the carriage, "I'll stay in here... I don't know how he'll react."

"No, you're not a prisoner, Rya. You're my fiance," Quinus said.

"I know but...," Rya was about to argue.

Quinus leaned in and kissed her lips, "Now, no more of that. I want the world to see that I love you."

Rya's cheeks blushed red. While Yuliana, Nieren, Dalia, and Percy were just watching.

"You make it hard to say no...," Rya commented.

"Then don't," Quinus smirked.

"What am I going to do with you," Rya relented.

"Good, now, let's meet the Baron," Quinus said.

Everyone in the carriage exited the vehicle and the group made their way to the Baron's third residence. All the guards and servants were stunned by the sight of the four women exiting the carriage.

'The Prince has a harem?' the staff thought.

'A Dark Elf? I didn't think there were any left...,' the guards thought.

Rya held onto Quinus' arm and was blushing bright red.

"Are you okay?" Quinus asked.

"Y-Yeah... I thought it was going to be easier for me," Rya replied.

"I won't let everyone look down on you," Quinus said.

"Hey! I don't need you to get in a fight every time someone opens their mouth... But it would be one hell of a sight," Rya smiled.

They stopped outside the main doors of the mansion and a female servant opened the door for them. Quinus walked inside with Rya and everyone followed him. The foyer was a little smaller than the average noble's manor. It had a nice red carpet with the symbol of the Dule Family on it. Douglas let his men take their leave and went to the barracks. Quinus, Rya, Nieren, Percy, Dalia, Yuliana, and the other two knights. They walked further into the manor.

As they approached the foyer, they were greeted by a man in his 30's with red hair, blue eyes, and was a bit short for an average man. The man greeted the prince, "Welcome to Baron Johnathan Dule's residence, Prince Quinus. I'm his Head Butler, Lester. May I have your name?"

"I'm Yuliana and this is my daughter," Yuliana spoke up.

Nieren bowed, "Greetings."

"This is Rya, and these are my retainers, Percy and Sir George," Quinus introduced.

"Oh! And this is my fiance, Dalia. She is Lady Rya's lady in waiting," Percy introduced the Wolfkin.

"It is an honor to be in your presence, Prince Quinus, and Lady Rya," Lester bowed.

"That's fine, please lead us to the Baron," Quinus said.

"The Baron isn't here, your Highness," Lester replied.

"Oh?" Quinus asked.

Lester smiled, "But his lordship's son is here."

"Johan is here? Where is he?" Quinus asked.

The doors opened to the living room and a young man of twenty-seven years came walking in with a smile. Just as he was about to speak his eyes caught Rya holding onto Quinus' arm and the sight caused him to stumble.

"Watch your step, Johan. Or will I have to get you a cane?" Quinus chuckled.

"P-Prince," Johan bowed.

"What brings you out this way, Johan? Aren't you supposed to be with your father and sister?"

"If I can get away from the farm fields. Then I'll take the opportunity," Johan smiled.

Quinus shook his head, "Does he really make you work out in the fields? Johan, you're the lord's son."

"Of course not! But you know how it is. It's all about the—"

"Paperwork, yeah, I'm dreading the day I take the crown," Quinus shook his head and smiled.

Johan looked at Rya again, and then he noticed the two other elves and wolfkin standing behind Quinus.

"It isn't too bad, but it does take up a lot of time... But enough of that, it seems you made some new friends since the last time I saw you," Johan replied.

Quinus smirked before introducing the group, "Where are my manners, first is Lady Yuliana and her daughter, Lady Nieren, and the lovely wolfkin is Lady Dalia. They are both of Lady Rya's retainers... This is my fiancee, Lady Rya."

Johan's eyes went wide after hearing the news. 'Fiancee?... No wonder why the Prime Minister was losing his mind of late. Goddess be damned. How the hell did Quinus catch such a beauty... And a dark elf at that.'

Johan smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Rya was surprised by the warm welcome. She remembered her etiquette training and bowed slightly, "Likewise."

Johan's cheeks grew a light blush, "My name is Johan Dule, First son of Baron Johnathan Dule."

Quinus chuckled, "She is quite the beauty."

Johan smiled, "Indeed. You know how to surpass everyone's expectations, your Highness."

"Hey now... I was lucky enough to have her choose me," Quinus smirked.

"Is that how it was?" Rya smiled.

"Yep, and if you say otherwise then I think I would cry," Quinus smiled.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, but since you're cute I'll give you a pass," Rya smiled.

"Oh, you wound me, my love," Quinus replied.

Johan didn't know if he was happy for the prince or envious. He's never had any luck with the ladies and the woman, who was arranged to be married to him, tolerating him at best. He hoped to change that, but he didn't know how to.

"I like her. I haven't seen you this lively," Johan smiled.

"Yeah, she has that effect on me," Quinus replied.

"So, is your family here, Johan?" Rya asked.

"Ah, my wife is here but I'm not sure if she will join us... My sister is not here," Johan replied.

"How is your wife, Johan?" Quinus asked.

Johan's expression grew sour, "As good as can be expected."

'Oof! I know that look. She must be angry or something. It must be an arranged marriage thing. I remember things weren't rosy during the medieval times when women were sold off for political marriages or dowries. Maybe I can find out what might be her problem... I like Johan so far. He's one of the few people who didn't look at me in fear or disgust. And Johan seems to be friends with Quinus so he should be alright... Yeah! I'll ask her myself. And if she is rude to me, then I'll give her a piece of my mind.' Rya thought as she stood there quietly.

Quinus patted Johan's shoulder, "Maybe I can help out."

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Johan's eyebrow rose, "Help?"

"Don't worry. I might be able to give you some advice, but what's your wife's name again?" Quinus asked.

Johan sighed, "Her name is Tayna."

"Tayna... Which family is she from? It's hard to keep track," Quinus replied.

Johan cracked a smile again, "So, you aren't a master of everything, your Highness?"

"Hardly, and please don't start calling me a master of everything. It's the last thing I need," Quinus rolled his eyes.

Johan smirked, "Alright, then. Come!... You all must be hungry and tired from your trip. We can continue this talk while having a late lunch."

Quinus nodded his head, "Yes. That would be nice."

Quinus, Rya, Nieren, Yuliana, Percy, Dalia, and Sir George followed Johan through the manor. There were some nice vases, a few paintings of landscapes, and a family portrait of Johan's relatives. The dining room was big. The table was large and could fit ten people on either side. The centerpiece was a crystal vase and it was filled with flowers. Johan gestured for everyone to take their seats and he sat at the end of the table. The maids brought out the food and placed the platters down in the middle of the table.

'Man! So, this is going to be my life from here on out. Hopefully, I can get used to the lavishness,' Rya thought as Quinus pulled out her chair.

Rya smiled, "Thank you."

"Anything for my lady," Quinus smiled.

Johan took the seat in the middle of the table while Quinus sat across from him. Rya was to his left while Yuliana sat to his right. Dalia and Percy were to the left of Rya. While Nieren sat to the right of her mother. Douglas sat across from Yuliana while Sir George stood at attention in the corner. He usually watched over the Prince. Just to make sure no one tries to harm him.

"Please, eat as much as you like," Johan said.

"I didn't know the crown prince had arrived! Johan! Why didn't you tell me," a voice called out.

Everyone turned their heads and saw a woman standing in the doorway. She was a human in her twenties and had brown hair and hazel eyes. She was wearing a black dress with gold trim. She wore a simple tiara on her head. She was a pretty woman, but Rya noticed that she was wearing black gloves. Not because it was cold, but because she was hiding something. Rya could see that her left hand was missing a ring finger.

'Huh? I wonder how she hurt her left hand. It's a big scar that runs up to her chest. And she used a lot of makeup to cover some scars on her face. If I wasn't a healer, then I wouldn't have noticed it so easily. I've only seen people who fought monsters or beasts to lose a digit, but with that much damage, I'm surprised she still has an arm... I'm sure she was raised as a noblewoman, so I wonder how she came into contact with a monster. Hmm, maybe she has a story to tell,' Rya thought as she watched Johan stand up.

"I'm sorry, my love. You told me to not disturb you," Johan apologized.

"That is no excuse. I'm sorry for not greeting you sooner, Prince Quinus. I'm Tayna, Johan's wife. It is a pleasure to meet you," Tayna bowed to the prince and gave him a perfect smile.

Rya's brow raised when she saw the fake smile on Tayna's face.

'What is with this woman?' Rya thought.

Quinus smiled, "The pleasure is all mine. This is my fiancee, Rya."

Tayna lifted her head and saw the striking woman sitting next to the prince. Her eyes widened when she noticed that she was a dark elf who was wearing a revealing pink dress that put her chest to shame.

Tayna's jaw dropped slightly. 'H-how?... Is this dark elf the prince's lover?! How am I supposed to compete with that and get out of this marriage!'

"My lady, this is Lady Rya, and she will be the future Queen of Fiafyr Kingdom," Douglas said reluctantly.

Tayna bowed to her, "It is an honor to meet you, Lady Rya."

Rya stood up and curtsied, "Likewise, Lady Tayna."

"May I?" Tayna asked as she gestured to the empty chair across from her.

Rya nodded her head and took her seat. Quinus sat back down as well.

Johan was surprised that his wife sat next to him, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Dalia was glaring at the future Baroness with her ears pinned back.

Tayna noticed that not only was there a dark elf but a wood elf and a wolfkin were also there.

'What in the hells? I've never seen so many subspecies in my life. What kind of group is the prince in? Who are these people?... Are these all his women?... Oh gods, is the prince a pervert?' Tayna thought as she watched the wolfkin girl glaring at her.

Rya could hear Dalia growling very softly.

"What's the matter, Dalia?" Rya whispered.

"She smells... Strange."

"Strange how?"

"She doesn't have her mates sent. That means she's on the prowl for a new mate. And she can't have Gamma!" Dalia growled.

Rya looked at Tayna and noticed that she was trying to gain Quinus' attention, but her husband didn't notice.

"No, she's not interested in Percy. It's the prince," Rya replied.

"Huh? Well, that's a relief," Dalia replied.

Rya looked at Dalia with a skeptical look, "So it's fine if she's after someone else's man?..."

Dalia blushed, "Uh... Yeah. I don't know anything about human mating. I'm a beastkin in a human kingdom. I don't know if Gamma would leave me for another female... Would I have to accept him taking another mate and raise the children?"

Rya smiled, "Dalia, he's head over heels in love with you. There's no way he's going to look at another woman."

Dalia looked at her, "Really?"

Rya looked over at Percy who was happily eating his food, but his eyes were glued to Dalia.

"Yes," Rya replied.

Dalia looked down at her food, "Good! Someday I will have his pups. And we'll raise them together."

'Yeah... It's going to happen sooner than you expect. This Beastkin is so innocent,' Rya thought.

Johan was glad that his wife joined them for a meal. She hardly did that anymore. He wondered what changed her mind.

"So, what house is Tayna from, Johan?" Quinus asked as he took a sip of water.

"Oh! She's from house—"

Johan was about to speak, but Tayna cut him off.

"House Gilder. We are a small noble family that watches over the city of Bainbridge, in the southern part of the kingdom. We're not important. Not like your family," Tayna said.

"So, you're from a minor noble family, who is under Marquess Duval in the Berger Domain," Quinus asked.

'Oh, she's from a minor noble family... I should have studied more geography before our trip,' Rya thought.

Tayna was surprised that he knew where her family lived, "Y-yes. Your Highness. The Prime Minister is good to my family."

"Well, that's good to hear. I'm sure Marquess Duval wouldn't like hearing about a small dispute. He doesn't seem to be a very forgiving man. I'm sure he wouldn't be pleased about me breaking the arranged marriage," Quinus replied as he cut his chicken.

Tayna looked at the prince with hope, 'So, that is why he took this dark elf to be his wife. He hates the idea of being forced to marry a woman he doesn't even love. And there must be a loophole about taking a different species as his wife to get back at his father and the Marquess. He's brilliant!'

Tayna smiled thinking she knew what the prince's angle was.

"I understand your position, my lord. It is not an easy thing to be married off to someone you've never met. I can only imagine what it is like for a young woman to be given away like chattel," Tayna said sympathetically.

Johan looked like he was hit in the gut with her words. Rya didn't know what to say to her. It was true. But this woman seemed to be getting the wrong idea. Yuliana looked bored. She hates these human squabbles. She didn't want anything to do with them. So she ate slowly while ignoring them to the best of her ability. Percy didn't seem to notice. He was eating his food. And Nieren was watching the human woman like a hawk.

"I was wondering why the Marquess was so erratic of late. It seems you have given him a heart attack, my Lord," Johan said while trying to shake off the discomfort of his wife's words.

"I think the Marquess will get over it. Arranged marriages break apart all the time. Besides, he's a smart man," Tayna replied.

Rya was watching the human woman who was clearly trying to find a way out of her arranged marriage. But Rya could tell that this woman was not in love with Johan. She looked unhappy being around him.

'She needs to get fucking laid! And I should find a way to do it. She's an uppity bitch that needs to be knocked down a peg,' Rya thought.

"Sadly, I'll need to convince him and my father to change their minds. It's not going to be easy," Quinus said.

'I'm tired of hearing about this arranged marriage with the Alliance Princess. Those bastards tried to kill me and Hiro sacrificed his life to get me out of the citadel,' Rya thought.

Rya had a hard time keeping her emotions under control. She hated thinking about Hiro and his last moments alive. He turned to dust after exhausting his mana to teleport them away from the citadel. She couldn't even bring back his body.

Rya didn't know how long she was lost in thought but she was brought out of her daze when Quinus put his hand over hers.

"Are you alright? You spaced out for a minute," Quinus said.

"I'm fine," Rya lied.

Quinus could tell that she wasn't telling the truth, and he assumed it was because they were talking about the arranged marriage.

"You have nothing to worry about. I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are happy. I will never let anyone harm you," Quinus said.

Rya just smirked.

'God... He's a sweetheart when he's worried about me... As if I would let him get hurt. No. I'm not going to allow it,' Rya thought.

"I appreciate it, Quinus. And I promise to keep you safe. No matter what," Rya said.

Johan smiled. He could see that his prince was head over heels in love with his fiancee. 'I wonder what it's like to be in love like that. I wonder if I ever felt that way towards my wife. I wish she would stop pushing me away. Maybe the prince can help me win her heart.'

Tayna wasn't pleased to see the prince fawning over a dark elf. But she knew better than to make the prince angry.

Rya looked at Johan, "So, you are one of Quinus' friends?... And the next Baron of Eder Hills?"

Johan smiled, "Yes. I am the next Baron of Eder Hills. Back when I was a child. I... Looked up to the wrong person. I'm just glad I didn't follow the path I was on."

"Really? Who was that? If you don't mind me asking," Rya asked.

Quinus cut in, "He wanted to be friends with my cousin Marcus."

Rya gave Johan a "You gotta be joking!?" look.

Johan had an awkward laugh and scratched the back of his head.

"I-I wanted to be a mage. And Marcus was about to go to the academy... It's rare to be a mage while having the power and influence that Marcus had. I was too blinded by his prestige when I was younger," Johan said.

'I get it. He was the cool kid that everyone wanted to be friends with. He had everything. Power, prestige, wealth, and fame. It's easy to get swept away by the cool kids.'

Rya nodded her head, "I understand. We all make mistakes when we were younger."

Johan was tickled by Rya's response.

"Yeah, I found out at an early age that he saw me as nothing more than dirt... All because I have no mana vein. I'm just a normal human with no potential," Johan replied.

Rya's ears twitched.

"That's not true. Just because you don't have a mana vein doesn't mean you have no potential. You're a noble. You can help those in need. Help others find their strengths," Rya replied.

Johan couldn't believe his ears.

'No one has ever said anything like that to me except, his Highness. And I thought he was saying that just to be nice... Maybe they're both right,' Johan thought.

"You have a very kind heart, milady. I can see why the prince is so smitten with you... Your personality matches your beauty," Johan said.

"Thank you, Lord Johan," Rya said.

Tayna looked at her husband with a raised eyebrow. 'I know Johan means well. But a noble without a mana vein is just a dressed-up commoner... If only I didn't get disfigured by the damn slime monster. I wouldn't have needed to take him as a husband. Why can't he be one-tenth of the man the prince is? I wish I was his wife. He's the ideal husband.'

It was a moment later that it occurred to him that he didn't know what had happened to Marcus.

"So, uh... Where's Marcus now?" Johan asked.

Quinus looked up at Johan with a stoic look while Sir George had a smirk crack through his professional demeanor.

"He's dead," Quinus replied coldly.

Johan almost choked on his food, "What?!"

"Marcus was executed by my orders. He left me and my men for dead in the dungeon," Quinus replied.

"So he finally screwed up... Good. That man was the worst human being on the continent. If anyone deserved to die it was him. And if you hadn't done it, I would have done it myself. That bastard was always cruel," Johan said.

"I didn't enjoy it... But he forced my hand... Now I need to worry about my uncle and the rest of his supporters," Quinus replied.

Johan leaned back in his chair and looked Quinus in the eye.

"What is it?" Johan asked.

Quinus sighed, "We would need to speak in private about this, my friend. This information is sensitive. And not to be spoken aloud."

Johan understood.

"I understand. When do you wish to discuss this, my lord?" Johan asked.

Quinus had finished his food and drink, "We can discuss it now if you are free."

"Of course, my lord," Johan replied.

"Who else is invited to this meeting?" General Douglas asked.

"Sir George and yourself are the only ones who need to come. Rya and the others can stay here and have their meal. I'll be back shortly," Quinus said as he stood up.

"Hmm. Tayna? Can you do me a favor and host Lady Rya and her party until I return," Johan said.

"I... I was in the middle of something. Can't someone else do it?" Tayna asked.

"The servants are busy. I can't ask them to take care of our guests," Johan replied.

Quinus looked at the noblewoman with a raised eyebrow. At the same time, Rya took this moment to pull out the Seer Stone from her cleavage. She brought up the strange-looking monocle to her right eye and looked at Johan.

'I know he said he doesn't have a mana vein. But there has to be more to this story.'

Soon the darkness in the monocle showed a miniscule gray mana vein inside of Johan. Rya almost couldn't see it at first. But luckily her elven eyes helped her spot the mana vein.

Rya couldn't believe her eyes, 'Why are there some strange brown particles floating around his mana vein? It's similar to what was going on with Nieren's mana vein, but the particles were a different color... I should double-check to see if it was only him. I'll need to check all of his friends too.'

Rya quickly looked at everyone with the Seer Stone before she slipped it back into her cleavage.

'Damn! I almost went blind looking at Quinus' mana vein. But everyone else is fine. They all have normal mana veins. And none of them have those particles around their veins. So it must be something that only affects Johan and Nieren. I need to study it later.'

Everyone Rya spotted with the Seer Stone was fine. Quinus had a bright gold mana vein just like hers, while Yuliana, Percy, and Dalia all had glowing blue veins which meant they had elite-ranked veins. Percy's vein had a couple of oddities about it that made it more unique than a normal elite vein, and she was going to investigate it later. But nothing that seemed to affect his health. Nieren had her purple vein and George had a dark green vein. Douglas and Tayna had light green veins, which meant they were master ranked. Even though Tayna's mana vein was thin compared to everyone who had been in combat. Then there were the servants, all of them had light gray which meant none of them had anything special about their veins. Gray was the most common ranked vein. It could grow if they slayed monsters, but it took forever and they didn't have the strength to be a Maja.

Rya didn't know what those particles were, but they didn't look good. They were brownish and were floating around the mana vein.

"Well, it's rude to spring things up on me without notice. I would have gotten better tea," Tayna replied.

Quinus looked at the woman and spoke, "Be polite."

Tayna turned to the prince and nodded, "Of course. I'll do it for the prince."

Johan was flabbergasted by his wife's behavior, "Tayna!"

"Fine. I'll host them," Tayna said with a pout.

"Very well. Shall we, my lord," Johan replied.

Tayna sat there pouting while Johan, Quinus, and the others walked out of the room. Leaving Rya, Dalia, Percy, Yuliana, Nieren, and a few servants around to clean up the table.