As the morning sun rose over the horizon, things went much more smoothly in Eldermyst compared to Edermines City. Thanks to Tayna for keeping an eye on the two wood elves from creating a ruckus like what happened in Edermines City. Rya had just finished breakfast and made sure to put on her cloak as she made her way to the carriage with Quinus by her side. At the same time, Johan was busy dealing with the city's mayor and would meet them at the eastern gate before the convoy left.

The rest of the party had gotten their things and ensured their horses were properly equipped for the journey ahead.

The driver, the footmen, and the guards all got into their places as the Crown Prince came out with Rya by his side. She didn't want the guards and servants to know that she was a dark elf, so she wore the hood of her cloak up while wearing a less revealing dress to keep her appearance under wraps. She found it surprising that she preferred to show more skin compared to her older self. Something about covering her shoulders, chest, and legs didn't suit her.

'Ugh... It must have something to do with me being a Dark Elf... I don't understand. First I stopped liking pants, now long-sleeved dresses... What's next, no shoes or socks? Oh, wait...' She looked down and moved her right foot forward just enough to see the tip of her foot, which had a purple open-toe high-heel shoe that looked fabulous on her.

'Yeah, I'm not going barefoot when I can wear these... Who knew I would love wearing heels!? I am relieved that these shoes are enchanted; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to wear them for as long as I do without feeling uncomfortable... And I'm never going back to boots!' Rya thought as she and the prince walked over to the carriage.

Rya looked at her right hand, which was being held by the Crown Prince, 'Hmm... I hope things go well with Quin's mom... Gah! Everyone says guys have it tough when they have to meet the father! What about the women meeting the mother!? If they dislike you, they will make your life a living hell! I have no idea what Quin's mom is like... She's had nine miscarriages, seven before Quin was born. He's her only child, and she will be sooo protective of him. Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought.

'I just need to act like myself, right? "But she might assume that I'm attempting to charm him simply because I'm a "dark elf"... No, no, no! Stop thinking negatively, Rya. Sure, she might be tough on me at first. But eventually, I will win her over... Or at least establish a cordial relationship. Cordial is just fine with me... AH! Whatever! If she doesn't believe I'm attempting to claim, Quin's soul is a win in my book... After all, she's just the mother-in-law, and I'll be her daughter-in-law. She'll have to accept that I'll be with her son,' the Dark Elf thought.

Quinus observed Rya with a pensive expression, clearly engrossed in deep reflection.

"Are you alright, babe?" Quinus asked, "You've been staring at the ground for the last ten minutes."

Rya snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at her future husband. "O-Oh... Sorry... I'm just mentally bracing myself for the worst and hoping for a neutral outcome with your mom."

"It'll be alright. She's not the best at socializing with people. But she has a good heart. It's not easy being the Queen of a major kingdom. Especially when my father has made some mistakes with my uncle," Quinus said.

"Yeah, I'd say... To think, you wouldn't have needed to look over your shoulder if he had been punished for attempting to assassinate you... I have no idea how he's escaped such a fate... Unless your father wanted him to escape punishment," Rya wondered.

"I don't think that's the case... The Prime Minister also helped to prevent my uncle from receiving a death sentence... That didn't stop him from losing his son, so that's one less obstacle to deal with," Quinus said.

"Or it will make things more complicated in the future," Rya replied.

Quinus sighed because it might be true. However, Marcus was trying to kill him when he was younger. Luckily for Quin, his cousin was less competent than his father, Alaric, whose primary goal was to get Marcus on the throne. Now that Marcus is dead, Quinus doesn't know what his Uncle's new goals are. All he knew was that Alaric wasn't going to take his son's death lying down. He would surely seek revenge. But the real question was, how?

Rya didn't need to read his mind to know that the prince was concerned about his uncle's next move. She couldn't blame him. After all, Alaric was the reason for their current need to travel incognito.

After making their way through the foyer, Rya spotted the carriage they had been traveling in these last couple of days.

"Well, at least we won't have any problems getting to the city of Lomar," Rya said.

"Hopefully. Now that we have our double agents in place," Quinus said.

"Yes. I think things will be better once we deal with your mother," Rya said in a worried tone.

"You need to stop worrying about my mother... She'll love you. I promise," Quinus reassured her, "Now, come on. Let's get you into the carriage before the servants realize that four demi-humans are riding with the Crown Prince."

Rya chuckled and nodded her head. They walked up to the carriage, and Rya let Quinus help her inside. Once she was in the carriage, he closed the door. Rya turned around and looked out the window.

"I'll be back. I need to make sure the General is ready to go," Quinus said.

Rya nodded her head and watched him walk away. She leaned against the window as she continued watching her beloved prince.

'God... I can stare at his ass all day long,' Rya thought as she adored Quinus' muscular buttocks.

The young girl was enchanted by an absolutely perfect sight. As the Dark Elf stared at the prince's ass, she heard a cough. She turned and saw Dalia sitting on the opposite side with her head down. She wore a cloak similar to hers to hide her tail and ears. Rya noticed her fidgeting with her hands as if she were nervous about something.

"Are you okay, Dalia?" Rya asked, "You look upset about something."

"A-Alpha? Do you think Gamma will make me stop being a huntress?" Dalia asked.

Rya's curiosity was peaked, 'What the hell is she talking about?'

"I don't follow? Can you go into more detail?" Rya asked.

Dalia looked up and saw the confused look on Alpha's face. She blushed and looked down again, "I-I mean, I know I've been playing it off as the sweets are what is making me fat... But I've been feeling extra tired... more than normal. And sometimes, I feel sick in the morning. And sometimes I get the sudden urge to eat certain foods I never liked before..."

"Are you saying that you're-"

"Don't say it... If I do, then my days as a brawler and huntress are over..." Dalia said.

"So, you've been trying to deny it for a while?" Rya asked.

"No, not exactly... I just don't want my Gamma to tell me that I'm no longer needed in the field..."

"I don't follow, Dalia... I mean, I think I know, but there's something that you're leaving out," Rya said.

Dalia closed her eyes and sighed, "D-Do you remember what I said about why I got enslaved? How I was sought after because of my grandfather's bloodline."

Rya recalled the time she rescued Dalia from the goblin nest while they were searching for the dungeon core. Then, when they arrived at the village of Kishin, Rya informed Dalia that she was a summoned. This led Dalia to reveal that her grandfather had also been a summoned, which resulted in her being captured into slavery.

"Yeah, your grandfather was a summoned from another world. What about it?" Rya asked.

"That's not all..."

Rya sat down in front of the Wolfkin and gave her full attention to her.

"My tribe... sees strong females and wants to breed with us to have strong offspring. Mostly hoping to get males... My bloodline is mostly female, and I saw how my proud sisters became breeding wives for the males... Once they became pregnant, the male stopped them from entering the field. So they could raise their pups... Most of the time, the strongest male wished to impregnate as many females as possible to make a stronger pack. I was afraid of that. That's why I ran away. And then I got caught by slave traders and sold to a master in the battle arena..." Dalia said quietly.

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Rya was silent as she took in the information. It was making sense now: why Dalia originally wanted to mark Percy without him marking her, why she was in denial about her showing signs of pregnancy, and why she was afraid that Percy would try to prevent her from being a huntress.

"Why are you so worried, Dalia? I don't think Percy would want to stop you from being a huntress," Rya said.

Dalia looked at Rya, "But Alpha, you have no idea what it's like in my tribe. Once a female is pregnant, she becomes useless in the field. They must protect the young."

"Okay, I get that. But it's not the same thing here. We have the guards and other soldiers protecting the city. Of course, you'll have to wait to become a brawler again until your kids are old enough to walk around and feed themselves at a table or something... But this shouldn't prevent you from going hunting. You should just take it easy during the pregnancy. Plus, the guild will make sure that you have the proper training. And once the pups are born, you can return to hunting and fighting monsters," Rya explained.

"So, Gamma won't try to keep me from being a Huntress?"

"Nope," Rya shook her head, "And if he did, well... He'll have to answer to me."

Dalia regarded Rya with a hint of skepticism as if she didn't take her completely seriously. Then, the carriage door opened. She turned and saw Percy climb inside. He sat next to Dalia and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Everything is good to go... So, what have you two ladies been talking about?" Percy asked.

Dalia looked down at her feet in shame while Rya looked at her and then at the young retainer who had noticed Dalia's odd behavior.

"D-Did I do something wrong, Dalia? Y-You didn't try to jump me this morning like you normally would... Are you upset with me?" Percy asked as he was beginning to worry.

Rya giggled, "Actually, it has something-"

"NO! Don't say anything, Alpha! Please!" Dalia pleaded.

Rya looked at her friend with a bit of annoyance, "Dalia... I'm getting tired of this. Do you trust Percy or not?"

"I-I... Do," Dalia replied.

"Then why are you acting like this?"

"B-Because Alpha... He won't see me as a strong warrior anymore..." Dalia said.

"Why would I not see you as a strong warrior, Dalia? Is it because you're pregnant?" Percy asked.

"H-How did you know?" Dalia gasped.

Percy went silent as his eyes slowly drifted down toward her bloated belly, which was barely hidden by her dress and cloak.

"I-It's the sweets! I promise to stop eating sweets!" Dalia exclaimed. She thought that Percy had discovered her pregnancy and was about to punish her, so she pleaded with him.

"N-No, Dalia... It's not that... And why would I stop you from doing what you were born to do?" Percy replied.

The Wolfkin's panic turned into shock as she heard the words from her beloved's lips. She stared into his eyes and saw nothing but love.

"Y-You won't?"

"No. Why would I? You'll be fine," Percy said as he gently caressed her cheek, "Besides, I don't want to control what you can and can't do. I love you too much to do that."

Dalia couldn't believe her ears. She stared at Percy and blinked, "You really mean that?"

"Of course," Percy nodded.

Dalia's tail started to wag uncontrollably as her face slowly approached Percy's. He saw the look in her eyes and realized what was about to happen. Rya just smiled and nodded with her arms crossed underneath her breasts.

"I told you, Dalia. You've been worrying all this time for nothing-"

"MY WOLF! MY CHIEF!" Dalia shouted as she wrapped her arms around Percy and embraced him tightly.

She rubbed her cheek against his and began to nip at his neck and jawline, leaving little red bite marks behind. Soon, she took Percy's head and buried it inside her cleavage as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I know my wolf loves my breasts and my milk... I can't wait for our first pup!" Dalia growled happily.

"I can't wait either," Percy said, his voice muffled by her bosom.

Dalia squealed happily as she kept her mate close to her. At the same time, Rya looked like she was slapped across the face as she watched her friend dry hump her lover's body.

"Dalia!? What the hell are you doing!? This isn't the place to do this!" Rya shouted.

"You don't understand, Alpha! I have to claim my mate so no other women dare try to take him!" Dalia shouted.

Rya shook her head quickly as she watched her friend dry hump Percy's lap while her hands were all over his head which was buried in her cleavage.

"Dammit, Dalia! No one's taking Percy! And no one has your nose to smell his scent except you!" Rya shouted furiously.

"I still need to mark my territory," Dalia growled as her tail wagged.

Percy lifted his head out of Dalia's cleavage and gasped for air, "H-Hey! Maybe we should wait until we arrive at Lomar, my love!"

Dalia stopped and pouted at her mate, "Why do we have to wait? I can't wait!"

"Because... I don't want Rya or anyone else to see you naked. I don't want anyone to steal you away from me," Percy said.

Dalia's pupils dilated, and her cheeks reddened, "Oh! My wolf! No one will take me away from you. But if you don't want anyone else seeing me, then I guess I can wait."

Dalia nuzzled her cheek against Percy's, and her tail wagged. Percy's heart swelled up, and he hugged Dalia, who joyfully squealed. Percy looked at Rya and gave her a reassuring nod.

Rya's eyebrows raised in surprise, 'Well, I'll be damned... Percy is slyer than I thought. He knows how to calm Dalia down and make her do what he wants. Well, at least he's not taking advantage of her. I'm glad she found someone who loves her.'

"Ahem. Now, if you're both done. Dalia... If you need to mark him as your mate. Get him to buy you an engagement ring. A nice big one," Rya said.

Dalia's eyes widened with glee, "Really?! Human women will know that he's mine with a ring?"

"Of course. He's your man. And you'll be his woman soon," Rya smirked.

Dalia looked at Percy with a new sense of confidence, "Gamma! Give me a ring."

"Uh... W-We can do that when I get the money... A-And how big is big, my love?" Percy asked nervously as sweat started trickling down his forehead.

Dalia tilted her head, "A big one?"

Rya smirked, 'Maybe I'll help him out. Plus, I'm sure Quin will spot Percy enough gold to get a decent engagement ring. Maybe a diamond one?'

"Dalia. I'll take you to a jeweler later so you can get an idea of what you like," Rya said.

Dalia jumped with happiness. Her tail was wagging like crazy. Percy smiled, shook his head, and then looked at the carriage door, which had just opened to Yuliana, Nieren, Tayna, and Quinus. Rya noticed that Nieren looked well-rested for the first time in a while.

"Well, you seem better today, Nieren. I'm glad," Rya said.

Nieren smiled and nodded, "Yes... Dalia finally decided not to give in to her animal instincts and gave it a rest. It was the best night of sleep in a month."

Dalia stuck her tongue out at the wood elf, "Whatever! I can't help it! I have a very good nose and must mark my mate's territory. So that no other women will take him from me!"

Nieren shook her head, "Oh, for crying out loud... Can you not have sex with your human lover every damned night? You're worse than a goblin."

Dalia growled, "No. My wolf and I won't stop. Or you might take him!"

"Ugh... I'm not interested in your human," Nieren sighed as she rolled her eyes. "I'm only interested in my prince-Ah! I mean! I am interested in myself at the moment."

Percy and Quinus looked at each other while Tayna just shrugged. Yuliana could only sigh at how her daughter was reacting. She thought that her daughter's head was in the clouds again.

"If you say so," Rya giggled as Nieren sat to the Dark Elf's right while Quinus sat to her left. Once everyone got seated, Sir George gave the all-clear to move out of the castle grounds. They moved through the city grounds of Eldermyst.

Once they left the estate grounds, Rya whispered in Nieren's ear.

"Hey, you always said that hearing Dalia having... Well, you know... was keeping you awake. But Quin and I did it last night, too. Didn't we keep you up as well?" Rya asked.

Nieren's cheeks turned beat red as she shook her head, "W-What? You two had a tryst? I-I didn't notice! If you did, you two must be respectful or quiet lovers. That must be it."

Rya giggled, "Yeah... Well, I'll try not to be loud. I know it must be rough since you think those earplugs will interfere with your duties as my retainer."

"Haha... N-No, you don't need to change what you two are doing for my sake... You two are as quiet as a mouse. Especially His Highness. He's... I mean, you won't bother me," Nieren laughed nervously.

"Are you sure? Because I swear we were really loud last night," Rya smirked.

Nieren blushed hard and tried her best to stay composed, "S-Sis... You're worrying over nothing. Your lover's noises don't bother me. I'm a respected former adventurer, and I'm a princess. I'm a woman who is used to being the center of attention. But, please, keep having fun with him."

"Alright, but if you're not sure, we'll stop having fun in such tight quarters until we get to the palace," Rya said.

"NO!... I-I mean to say if I don't hear you two at all, then I will think that an assassin has snuck into the room," Nieren said, "Besides, you're not the only ones doing... you know."

Rya raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Yeah... Johan and Tayna go at it pretty hard as well. I need to thank Yuliana for making those earplugs."

Nieren's cheeks redden slightly, "Yeah... Luckily, they don't last as long as you two."

"Huh? But I thought you said you could barely hear us... I swear we were as loud as those two, and if you couldn't hear us, then how did you know they were... having their fun?" Rya asked.

Nieren looked a bit embarrassed and whispered, "Sis! Can you stop asking questions? It's not loud enough to bug me, okay? I appreciate you being a considerate sister and not wanting to make me feel uncomfortable, but I'm not. Trust me, it doesn't bother me."

"O-Okay... And hey... Thanks for being understanding. I really appreciate it," Rya said as she hugged Nieren, "You're a great retainer... And sister? I'm unsure if I can adjust to calling you sister just yet... It seems premature."

Nieren was surprised by Rya's sudden act of affection and felt happy.

"You don't need to force it, Lady Rya. I'm not going anywhere. You're my sister now, and I'm here to protect you," Nieren said.

Rya smiled and nodded as she continued to hug her friend. Yuliana watched as her adopted daughter hugged her older sister and smiled warmly.

After an hour's ride, they arrived at the east gate, where Johan joined them. With everyone together, the convoy made its way east towards the city of Lomar. It took them two days to reach the city. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the royal guards, who were there to escort them to the Queen waiting at the estate. Rya and her group were escorted by knights towards the gate where the Mayor of Lomar waited. He had a panicked look on his face. He was ordered to keep the citizens from discovering that a dark elf was coming into their city with two of the royal family members who needed to be protected under his watch, which made it even more stressful for the poor man.

As they arrived at the gates, the Mayor was visibly shaking.