Quin still wasn't convinced this was the best way to prove Rya's trustworthiness to the dwarves, especially after seeing her become a slobbering mess after one mug of ale.

"Quin... I'll be alright. Just make sure that I don't embarrass myself too much," Rya said while smiling at him.

Quinus wanted to protest, but he didn't have any other ideas at this moment. So he relented and gave her a nod.

"Okay, Rya... I'll be there for you," Quinus said before turning to Hajdah. The Crown Prince was pissed that the Guild Master didn't believe that Rya wasn't a threat to the Domain.

"So, shall we go to the mess hall then?" Hajdah asked as he pointed down the stone path leading to the large palace building.

"Yes, please lead the way," Rya nodded.

As the group walked towards the mess hall, Hajdah explained the dwarven etiquette to Rya.

"Oh, so there are rules for how you eat here in Ironside?" Rya asked as she looked around at the people eating.

"Yeah. We usually sit on the floor here as it's easier to keep the mess clean by mopping it up. But it also allows us to talk to each other without being interrupted by those walking through. Also, we have a separate area for nobles and knights in case they want privacy, which is more typical of a human setting. We'll go there to see if you speak the truth about liking our ale, Dark One," Hajdah said as he gestured to a small door on the far side of the vast room.

Rya followed Hajdah's lead and sat down with the rest of the dwarves.

"Alright, everyone! Bring out the Dwarven Stein! It's time for Lady Rya to demonstrate her integrity and honor!" Hajdah yelled as he stood up and grabbed a stein from someone sitting beside him.

He handed it over to Rya, who took the stein and looked at it. The thing was huge and easily held over two liters of liquid. It also had beautiful craftsmanship, as the silver and gold griffins were engraved into the stein.

"U-Um... Wh-What should I do?" Rya asked as she glanced over to Quinus.

Quinus sighed as he felt powerless to stop the dwarves from getting Rya drunk while Dalia gave her friend a thumbs up. Percy looked worried and wanted to help, and Sir George seemed very serious.

"Well, drink it!" Hajdah said as he held out his stein to her.

'Great... There's nothing quite like a bit of peer pressure to push me into doing something I know I'll end up regretting... I thought I was done with this crap back in my early 20's.' Rya thought as she looked at Quinus again. He wanted to help, but his hands were tied unless he fought everyone.

"Well, I guess there is no time like the present," Rya said as she found a seat before she started the challenge.

The Dwarven Mage looked like he was sizing her up before he spoke again, "Aye, but we must toast first. I'll let you be the one to decide what we toast to."

She then looked to Hajdah and lifted up her stein, "To the good health of the people of Ironside."

The dwarves were surprised and a bit impressed by Rya's toast. They nodded their heads, and Hajdah smiled.

The Dwarven Mage raised his stein and said, "To the good health of the people of Ironside!"

They lifted up their steins and tapped them against hers. Then they began drinking their ales.

A Dwarven Stein could easily hold more than four standard pints, and Rya had to drink the whole thing in one go. As the ale touched Rya's tongue, she found it tasted as good as it had yesterday. It was refreshing, sweet, and smooth. Then, the warmth of the ale made her feel happy.

*Glug. Glug. Glug. Glug. Glug. Glug.*

'This stuff goes down too easily.' Rya thought as she continued to down the first stein.

It took the Dark Elf about thirty seconds before she finished the stein.

*Glap!*

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Aaaah! Amazing! This is even better than I remembered," Rya said as she hugged the stein, and her cheeks became rosy. She glances over to Hajdah and the other dwarves, who couldn't believe their eyes. An elf loved their beer, and she wasn't afraid to admit it, like all the elves they'd seen before.

"She does not tell lies. She speaks the truth," Hajdah said, unable to believe his eyes. He had heard his fellow dwarves talking with each other, and he knew exactly what they were saying.

"Look at her. She loves our ale like she said she would. She is one of us!" Shouted another dwarf.

"Yeah! Perhaps Dark Elves are a bit more down-to-earth compared to those haughty High Elves," Another Dwarf said.

"I feel guilty for not trusting her," Whispered one of the Dwarven Mages.

Hajdah watched Rya as her cheeks became rosier and saw the brightest smile on her face.

Another dwarf gave her a new stein full of ale and said, "To the good health of the people of Ironside!"

Rya took the stein and said, "T-o the goo-d heal-th of the people of Ironsi-de!"

She was sloshed and could barely stand on her feet, but the dwarves were cheering for her, and she was enjoying herself. She lifted her stein and was about to drink it. But Quin came in and grabbed the stein away from Rya.

"H-Hey! Q-uin!? That's m-ine!" Rya said as she tried to grab the beer stein back.

"You're drunk, Rya... And I could use a drink," Quin said as he easily pounded down the beer and slammed it down on the table. He then intercepted another stein that was heading for Rya and chugged it as well.

The Dwarven soldiers began to cheer Quinus as he pounded down the ales, while the Dwarven Mages began to look worried as they saw the Crown Prince glaring at them.

"I have to agree, Quin. She's had enough," Percy said as he stopped a few more dwarves trying to give Rya and Quinus more beer.

"H-hey... Don't I-I get a say i-n this?" Rya asked, hiccuping.

Quinus ignored her and quickly downed the second stein in under 30 seconds, slamming it onto the table once he was done.

"You've done your duty, Rya. Just take a seat and rest a bit," Quin said.

"Aw-ww! How a-m I suppo-sed to b-b-uild a to-lora-nce if you *hic* take away my be-er!?!" Rya complained to Quinus as she tried to stand up from her chair, only to fall backward.

"Whoa! I got you, Rya." Quinus caught Rya before she fell to the ground.

He put Rya's arm around him to help support her weight.

"T-t-thanks Qui-n. I ca-n be-lieve how us-eless I get *hic* I'm sorry," Rya said while looking up at Quin's golden eyes.

Quinus shook his head and smiled, "It's alright. You did great, Rya. I'll help you build up your tolerance later. Come on. Let's find a bed for you."

Rya felt Quin's hand petting her head, which made her blush.

"MMmmm! Yo-u are spo-iling me," Rya mumbled while she closed her eyes and laid her head on Quin's shoulder.

Hajdah and the dwarves couldn't believe it. The prince had charmed the Dark Elf when they thought it was the other way around.

"The blood of his ancestor King Burell Meredydd runs strong in the Crown Prince. He's tamed a Dark Elf with such ease!" Exclaimed one of the Dwarven Mages, standing next to Hajdah.

"I'm glad he did because I don't think we could take her on in a fight with magic. Her mana surges from within her, pulsating with such formidable power, almost rivaling that of the prince. I would have feared the worst if we had to fight her." Hajdah said to his fellow mages.

"Are you serious?... And you withheld that information until now?" Mystic Laika stared at Hajdah, appalled.

"She's a Dark Elf, Laike... We didn't know if she chimed the prince to take over the kingdom," Hajdah replied, looking back at the Mystic.

"That is preposterous! Being cautious is one thing, but you refused to listen to the Prince when he said she wasn't a threat, and you tried to force her to drink a full stein?... Didn't you notice how distraught the prince looked when you threatened her?" Laika questioned him, her eyes narrowing.

"Aye. I saw it in his eyes. He cares a great deal for her," Hajdah admitted.

"And it turned out that he was speaking the truth, Master Hajdah. He didn't look too pleased," Suhail, The Lightning Mage, said as he crossed his arms.

Hajdah was starting to understand just how much trouble he had caused, and the weight of the situation fell on him.

"It would be a wise idea for us to keep our distance until the Prince asks for our help," Hajdah advised.

"Agreed. Until then, we'll continue to monitor the Prince and his friends. Don't try to upset them," Laika said.

"Hey... Do you think we should see if the Dark Elf will join our ranks?" Akashia, The Wind Mage, asked.

"I think the Prince would destroy us if we tried to do that. He's the heir apparent to the throne. And he wants her by his side. Especially if she is as powerful as I think she is... The Kingdom just became much more powerful with her presence," Hajdah replied.

"Then, we need to apologize to her and the Prince. She's been very cooperative and kind so far... Plus, she loves our ale," Suhail said.

"She's a Dark Elf. She might have been trying to use the Prince to gain power... Haah... But you're right, Suhail. We will apologize to the Dark Elf before the Prince gets offended," Kyan, the fire mage, said.

The Dwarven Mages exchanged a nod before boldly approaching the Dark Elven woman, who was nestled in Quin's protective embrace.

"Prince Quinus! Lady Rya... We, the Ironside Mages Council, would like to offer our sincere apologies for our previous conduct. It was ill-mannered and uncalled for. Your presence here means a lot to the Ironside Mages Guild," Hajdah said, and then they all bowed their heads respectfully to the Dark Elf and the young Prince.

"Hehehe! *hic* Q-uin th-e roo-ms spinn-ing?" Rya said with a smile.

Quin looked at Rya with a surprised expression.

"Umm... Hajdah. Rya isn't in the best condition to accept your apology. We need a room for her," Quin said as he started blushing due to Rya nuzzling his neck.

Rya giggled and snuggled closer to his chest.

"O-Of course, young Prince! Right this way, we'll quickly escort you and your group to your room! Come, follow us." Hajdah said to the Prince and the four other members.