They stayed like that for a few minutes before Rya broke the hug and wiped away her tears as best as she could.

"T-Thank you, Lady Yuliana. I didn't mean to let myself go like that," Rya said as she sniffled.

Yuliana gave her a handkerchief and smiled at her.

"Don't be. I'm glad you are able to let your emotions out. Sometimes you just need a hug," Yuliana replied.

"Yes. I guess you're right," Rya said.

Yuliana looked at Rya and wondered how someone so young had this level of maturity. She thought the Dark Elf was younger than her daughter but she didn't know her exact age.

"Rya, how old are you?" Yuliana asked.

Rya didn't have a problem answering that question, "I'm 27."

"T-Twenty-seven!? You're only twenty-seven years old?... You are nowhere near being an adult!..." Yuliana exclaimed as she examined Rya and thought for a moment.

Quinus did a double take and mumbled quietly, "And here I thought I was the only one who couldn't tell an elf's age."

The Older Wood Elf heard him and glared but then she had a eureka moment and smiled at Rya, " I know! If you want, I can adopt you as my daughter!" she proclaimed.

Everyone was caught off guard by her statement.

"W-What!?" Rya yelled.

"Yes, I know people will give me looks for adopting a Dark Elf, but they can go to one of the layers of hell for all I care... I want you to be a part of the family," Yuliana said.

Rya looked confused and turned to Quinus for help, but he was too stunned to reply. Then she turned to Nieren who was just as flabbergasted by her mother's words.

"B-But mother! You're getting a little ahead of yourself. Besides, Lady Rya probably has a family of her own!" Nieren exclaimed.

"Nonsense... She has done everything for us and having her be a part of a Royal Family should make things easier for the Fiafyrian Nobles to accept her as their future queen," Yuliana said with a confident smile, "Plus, I remember you bugging me for a younger sibling, Nieren... So this is the best of both worlds for us. I have a new daughter and you have a little sister. You two are the future of the elven race. We win, everyone wins."

'What the hell is going on?... I mean... It would be nice to have a mother figure. And if I was adopted, it could help me avoid some political problems. But... I don't want to make things weird with Nieren. If she doesn't want this then—'

Rya's thoughts were interrupted when Nieren's eyes lit up with excitement.

"I can have a little sister?!... Uh, I mean... I suppose having a little sister would be fun," Nieren said, "I've always wanted a little sister. And the fact that I saved my little sister once already just shows you how good of a sister I could be. I could teach her how to use a bow, and—"

Nieren started rambling on and on about what she and her new little sister would do together. Rya, Quin, Percy, Johan, and Tayna all witnessed the princess's enthusiasm for her new little sister. It almost creeped them out how excited the princess was. Rya couldn't believe how fast Nieren went from being unsure to excited.

'Okay?... So Nieren is WAY more up for this than I expected. I didn't even get a say in this. Not like it's a bad thing, though. Maybe things will get better.' Rya thought as she started to consider the idea.

"Um, Mother... Is Lady Rya really going to become my step-sister?" Nieren asked with big starry eyes.

"Of course, why would it be anything else? And she will get her own Elder Tree sapling. It's tradition for Elven Royalty to have a house in the forest for them to retreat to," Yuliana said, "And you can call me 'Mom' from now on, Rya."

Rya noticed Johan and Tayna were smiling.

'Okay?... So those two don't have a problem with this. But what does Quin think?'

Then Rya looked at the Crown Prince, "Hey?... What's your thoughts, Quin?"

"Umm... I don't see it as an issue. It's up to you if you want to be adopted by her or not, Rya," Quinus said.

'Haah... I-I guess I don't have a reason to say no,' Rya thought, 'Maybe it won't be so bad... Besides, I could use having an elven mother. There are things I still don't know about being an elven female... It should be fine... Right?'

The Dark Elf closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Yuliana.

"O-Okay... Mom," Rya said, which made Yuliana's smile widen to a point that gave Rya a worrisome feeling. It was the same smile Yuliana gave Nieren right before she smothered her with her massive breasts.

'Ah, shit...' Rya thought as the Wood Elf's chest came straight for her.

"W-Wait! N-No! YULIANA! M-MOM! NO! NOT THE-MMMMH!!! MAAMMH!" Rya yelled out in shock and surprise as Yuliana buried Rya's face in her bosom.

But the poor Dark Elf's pleas fell on deaf ears. Yuliana was happy to have a second daughter. She was so ecstatic she began squeezing Rya tighter.

'H-How does this woman have this much strength in her chest?'

"I promise I will love you like my own flesh and blood. We'll wear matching dresses, I'll make special wood elf jewelry and everything! I'll show you how wonderful it is being a part of the Wood Elf family," Yuliana cheered.

Rya thought she was finally able to break free from Yuliana's grip until Nieren came in from behind and hugged the Dark Elf which forced Rya's head even deeper into Yuliana's chest.

"Don't forget about me! We're going to be sisters, and I'll always protect you. We'll have so much fun, Rya!" Nieren added.

'I-I made a mistake! Someone! Anyone! Save me!'

Rya's hands started to push Yuliana back, but she had a steel grip on her head as the Dark Elf was desperately trying to get some air.

'I-I can't breathe! They're so soft!... A-And if I was still a guy, I would have died happily!... But I want to live, dammit!' Rya thought.

"Ahem!?" Quinus cleared his throat trying to get Yuliana's and Nieren's attention. He didn't know what else to do to help Rya.

Yuliana and Nieren were so overjoyed that they had a hard time hearing him.

"Ahem!" Quinus coughed a bit louder, "AHEM!"

Yuliana and Nieren finally noticed and turned to see Quinus and the rest of the group giving them a weird look.

"Huh?" Yuliana was confused about what the group was staring at. She let up just enough for Rya to move her head.

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"M-Mom... I-I can't breathe," Rya gasped.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Rya," Yuliana said as she finally let go of Rya's head.

*Gasp!*

*Cough! Cough!*

'Fucking hell, I didn't know boobs could suffocate a person!' Rya thought as she tried to get air into her lungs.

"Rya, are you okay?" Quinus asked as he took her hand.

"Yeah... Just give me a moment," Rya replied before regaining her composer. She had her left hand on top of her chest as she was taking a few deep breaths.

"Sorry," Yuliana said, sheepishly.

"No need. Just give me a second to catch my breath," Rya said, then she started to cough.

"I'm so happy," Nieren cheered as she went in for another hug.

"N-Nieren, give your sister some room," Yuliana said.

"Oh right, sorry," Nieren replied as she scratched the back of her head.

"Agh... I guess things aren't going to be the same after this," Rya sighed.

Quinus smirked and nodded in agreement, "That's the understatement of the year."

Rya couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of everything that just happened.

"Haah, hahaha! Hahaha... Okay... That was a lot," Rya said while chuckling, "I'm a little exhausted, but now that we got that sorted out... I need to finish what I started." Rya stated as she picked up the blood contract from off the floor of the carriage.

"Huh? About what, Rya?" Yuliana asked.

"About the blood contracts and the weird seal on Nieren's Mana Vein. You're sure that no one made her sign a contract?" Rya asked.

"No?... It's something that isn't easy to hide," Yuliana said, and then Nieren nodded in agreement.

"Why do you think it was a blood contract that sealed my mana vein, sis?" Nieren asked.

'Wow... Nieren really went all in on the sister thing. Oh well, that's my new life now,' Rya thought.

"Well, when those spies signed the contract, I saw the same seals appear on their veins," Rya said.

"R-Really!? You saw the same seals on the spies!?" Nieren yelped in surprise.

'Jeez, she's loud,' Rya thought as she used her pinky finger to pick her left ear.

"Well... It was similar at first. But then the seal broke up into brown particles that started floating around their bodies. Like what I saw in Johan's body before I healed him," Rya said as she looked at Johan.

"Hold on!? My Johan was affected by a Blood Contract!? Who did it!?" Tayna yelled as she looked at her husband.

"I-I had no idea, my love! You know that my family doesn't have any blood contracts," Johan said, "Plus, I can't remember signing any contract."

"Hmm..." Yuliana said, "Could someone have forced him to do so?"

Quinus scratched his chin, "That's a good question. I've heard that it could be passed down to a person if one of their parents was affected by a blood contract."

"You think Johan's parents were affected by one, Your Highness?" Tayna asked.

"It's possible. And if Johan was born with the seal, it would make sense why you never noticed it," Quinus said.

"But I thought Blood Contracts' effects wear off over time? At least that's what I read in the Mages' library back in Ironside," Rya said with a tilted head.

"That's the problem with blood contracts. The ones that some nobles have access to are the more potent ones compared to the regular ones," Quinus said.

"Wait, does someone know how to make regular contracts on this continent?" Rya asked.

"Some of the Mages' Guilds up north do. But it's not something they like to create. Mainly because slave collars do what a regular blood contract does but faster and easier... It's a pain in the butt to get someone to willfully sign a blood contract," Quinus explained, "I'm sorry if you are getting confused, Rya."

"No, no. I'm fine. Maybe what I read was incorrect data," Rya replied.

"Lady Rya? Can you take a look at my parents if you get the chance... I would like to know if one of them is inflicted with a blood contract," Johan said.

"Sure, it will help me understand it a bit more," Rya replied.

"Thank you, Rya," Tayna said.

Quinus chimed in with a question, "So? I'm assuming that you have another idea of what was inflicting Nieren's mana vein?"

"Maybe... The only thing I know is that Nieren's seal was way more powerful than Johan's... I had to use a lot more of my mana to rid it," Rya said.

Yuliana looked like she had another idea, "There's one thing it could possibly be... Witchcraft."

Everyone looked at Yuliana and asked in unison, "What!?"

"Well, it's been a long time since anyone has seen a Witch on our continent," Yuliana said.

"Witchcraft?" Rya repeated Yuliana in disbelief.

'Don't fucking tell me that this place has Witches! And why haven't I come across this in the Mages' Guild's library?' Rya thought.

"Yes, Witchcraft. It's a very dangerous magic that most people think is a myth," Yuliana said, "My father told me that witches were mages who wished to gain power and they experiment on their own mana veins. But with that power, it corrupts the user and turns them into a monster. He told me that they fled from the Faeo continent because of the Witch Wars. That happened over five thousand years ago."

"If they have that kind of power, how is it that no one has heard of them?" Rya asked.

"As quickly as they rose to power was as quick as they fell from it," Yuliana said, "The Demons didn't like how hard they were to corrupt and bend to their will, so the demons overpowered them in the end to rid a threat to their rule... If there are any witch covens left. They must be hiding themselves really well."

"I see..." Rya said, "How much do you know about the Witch Wars?"

"Not much. My father was always vague when I asked him," Yuliana answered, "All he would say to me is to stay away from it."

"If this is true, we may have a real problem... Maybe they're witches working with the High Elves?..." Rya wondered out loud.

Johan looked over at Quinus.

"I don't know about you, my Lord. But this is a little unsettling," Johan said.

"It is. We'll keep an eye out and see what we can find. Maybe there's a book or two on Witchcraft at the Mage's Guild in the Capital," Quinus said.

Rya looked over at the parchment that was sitting on top of her lap. She picked it up and hoped her eyes could find something that would tell her how powerful this thing was like when she looked at an artifact. Maybe there was something she missed or overlooked. But she couldn't find anything in the blood contract that could indicate what its potency might be.

'Dammit... I need to get a regular blood contract. So I can compare the two and see the difference. I guess I'll have to shelve this one until I have access to the Mages' Guild's archives in the Capital. And maybe I should check and see if there is a black market as well.' Rya thought before putting the parchment away.

Rya's train of thought was interrupted when Tayna asked a question.

"So... Were you able to find anything, Lady Rya?" Tayna asked.

Rya shook her head, "Not yet... I'll need to compare the different kinds of contracts and their potency to make sure I know what we are dealing with... For all we know, the witches could have created a unique spell that mimics a blood contract, or blood contracts are supposed to mimic their... Spells?... Curses?... Whatever they use to mess with someone's mana vein."

"Well, if that's the case, then we are better off resting for now," Quinus said, "Plus, we have to prepare for meeting my mother in a day or two... I hope my mother doesn't do anything drastic to test you, my love."

Percy and Johan both grimaced.

"Yeah, her reputation as the Queen is the only thing that has kept the nobility in line for so long," Percy said.

"Indeed. She can be very... Calculating... When she needs to be," Johan said, "If you can prove your loyalty to her, then she will probably back off and allow Quinus to marry you. If not... I don't know."

Rya sighed while leaning back in her seat. She closed her eyes before she spoke, "It must be my lot in life, to meet someone new and have them think I am evil... All because of those stupid stories about Dark Elves. And now I might have to go through the same bullshit with Quinus' mother..."

"Oh... Um... Well... It won't be that bad, Ry... You won all of us over. Plus, I could put in a good word since you're my daughter now," Yuliana said.

Nieren perked up, "That's right, sis! If anyone gives you a hard time, we can just beat them up."

Quinus glared at Nieren making her heart jump.

"Umm... I mean... We won't have to. I'll just talk to her, my prince," Nieren said as her cheeks blushed.

"Lady Nieren. I appreciate your friendship and loyalty. And I don't want to banish you from the city, all because you decided to fight my mother... You're my fiancee's friend and I know she'll be sad if you are forced to leave," Quinus said, "Besides. I can deal with my mother. And if she does give Rya a hard time, then we'll cross that bridge when we get there, Lady Nieren... Is that understood?"

"Y-Yes, my prince," Nieren replied.

Quinus smiled at her which made the wood elf blush again.

'Gods! What are you doing Nieren!? He's in love with Rya! I-I can't get in the way of my Sister's happiness!' Nieren thought, 'I can't let her find out either! If I'm going to keep being her sister, I have to find someone else... At some point.'

Nieren turned and looked out the carriage window as the rainstorm seemed to be letting up a bit.

'Maybe when we get to the capital, I'll meet someone. Hopefully, it's an elf. I don't want some silly human. They don't live that long... So there's no point in falling in love with them...' Nieren thought but then she saw Quinus wrapping his arm around Rya's shoulder. She wished she could feel his muscular arms wrap around her.

'Agh! N-No! Don't think like that! That's my little sister's man! She doesn't even know you're in love with him!' Nieren chastised herself, 'Wait!?... Did I say love!? I-I mean... No! I just... Agh! I can't even say it in my thoughts. Okay, I have to find a way to make my feelings go away. And fast!' She sighed and she turned away.

'Who am I kidding? It would be a miracle to find an Elf in a human kingdom... Maybe I should try dating a human guy... J-Just to occupy my time before I find a real candidate. Yeah...' Nieren thought.

As the hours passed the storm finally let up before they made it to their destination, the city of Eldermyst, where Johan had to run cover for his friend, Prince Quinus, and Lady Rya. They stayed at Johan's family estate so the Mayor wouldn't cause any problems for the young lovers.