The city of Lomar was the third biggest city in the Maldurian domain. It's known for its alchemist academy and is also a central trading hub, with an abundance of alchemists and other magical professions.

The city, with a population of 700,000, is governed by Mayor Kowalski. He's in his early fifties and has been the mayor for five years, having been appointed by the Royal Family to his current position. He was a retired member of the Royal Council after thirty years of service and is still a loyal friend of the royal family.

He's slightly overweight and shorter than the average human male, but he stood with his men in position as they observed the prince's convoy approaching the city gate.

He felt an overwhelming sense of nervousness, his heart pounding in his chest and his hands trembling uncontrollably. Despite the anxiety, he was determined to carry out his duty with as much composure as possible. However, the challenge was compounded by the need to maintain the secrecy of the Queen's presence and the arrival of the Crown Prince. Regrettably, he was aware of an impending threat from a dark elf. He had to ensure that guards were positioned on the rooftops, poised to unleash a barrage of arrows upon the carriage upon receiving the signal from the General. Unfortunately, he couldn't directly inform his men about the possible danger, so he had to be cautious in his directives.

Once, the convoy came to a halt at the city gates. The mayor and the general saluted each other.

General Douglas, Sir Richard, and Sir George approached the mayor.

"Mayor Kowalski. How's the city?" Sir Richard asked.

The Mayor bowed, "G-Good, sir. W-Welcome. A-Are you here t-to escort the... u-um..."

"Yes... Everyone is here... But you seem nervous... Is her ladyship... Displeased?" General Douglas asked the Mayor about the Queen's mood. He knew they were a day behind schedule, and Kowalski must have been taking the brunt of Her Majesty's displeasure.

"N-No... She's quite... happy... But she was worried when you didn't show up yesterday," the mayor answered while looking at the carriage with worry.

"Well, a little ambush happened three days ago. But it wasn't anything we couldn't handle," General Douglas said.

Sir George shook his head, "It was Her Ladyship who did most of the work. But we did have a bit of fun."

"Hahahaha... Yeah, I haven't had that much fun dealing with bandits in a while... She's more skilled than I could've ever guessed," Richard chuckled.

"I have to admit that she's a good one, alright," Douglas agreed, as they were trying not to divulge Rya's race out in the public.

"A-Ambush!? W-Who were the ones to attack you?" Mayor Kowalski asked.

"A good sized bandit group... It was he who sent them. But we'll talk about it later. For now, let's head into the city," Sir Douglas said as he referred to Duke Alaric as "he" to the mayor.

The Mayor nodded, "Well, I'm glad no one is hurt... But General... I-Is our... g-guest, friendly?" He asked the general in code if the dark elf was going to cause a problem.

"No... I mean, she's fine. I mean, she won't cause trouble... I mean... Ugh... What I'm saying is she's a good person. I trust her with the lives of everyone in the city," the General stumbled over his words.

"O-Okay... B-But is there any reason why she shouldn't come into the city?" Mayor Kowalski asked.

General Douglas sighed, "Kowalski, I was just like you when I first encountered her... But everything I thought I knew about her was wrong... Tell them to stand down. I'll inform our ladyship about her."

"Yes, General!" Kowalski saluted Douglas as he walked away from the mayor, leaving the city guards confused by the mayor's cryptic conversation.

Sir George glanced up at the rooftops as he saw the archers taking position.

'Her Majesty isn't messing around... But it's all for nothing... Lady Rya is too skilled... If she wanted to take over the city, she could have already done so. But she's a just person,' Sir George thought. 'But if she ridicules my dating advice one more time... I swear to the goddess... I'm going to outplay her!'

The archers looked around the streets, waiting for a signal from the Mayor, but it never came. Sir Richard and Sir George followed the General to the carriage, where they knocked on the door.

"Your Highness, and my ladies... Our escorts are here to lead us to the estate. They have already given their word that no one will harm her," the General said.

"Thank you, General," the Prince's voice was heard from inside the carriage.

"We'll get to your family estate in ten minutes, my Lord. Please stay inside the carriage until we reach the estate grounds. The streets are busy right now. Somebody might recognize you," General Douglas advised the Prince.

"Of course, General. You may continue to lead the way," Quinus ordered.

"Alright, let's get going!" General Douglas shouted to the drivers as the horses pulled the carriage along.

As the convoy made its way through the bustling streets, it weaved past vibrant merchants and busy citizens immersed in their daily activities. Plenty of soldiers were on patrol, watching over the people and keeping the peace.

When the soldiers saw the General riding through the city's main streets, they saluted him and his knights as they rode by. The convoy passed by the city's alchemist academy, where they could see young students and teachers in the courtyard.

After a few minutes, the convoy arrived at the city's largest and most opulent area, which had the city hall and the Royal Estate, also known as The Seat of the Queen. This massive building dwarfed any other in the city. It was built for the late Queen Victoria Revelia. Queen Rianna used it to gather the Ladies of the Court for tea parties, balls, and other social gatherings. It was here where the Queen would get away from her husband from time to time, especially after failing to punish her brother-in-law's attempt on their only son's life. The Seat of the Queen had a large garden with several statues and fountains. It was a wonderful place to visit when coming to Lomar. It was located in the center of the city and had a large courtyard surrounded by a high stone wall.

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Two guards wearing full plate armor guarded the main entrance. Typically, there would be ten times the number of guards, but it would raise too many questions if it were evident that someone important was there.

The convoy came to a halt, and the two guards stood at attention as the General and his men approached them.

"General! Welcome home, sir," the first guard said.

"Thank you, soldier. At ease," the General said as the guard saluted him, "Does she know of our arrival?"

"Yes, Sir! She is waiting in the audience chamber, sir!" the second guard replied.

"Very good. We'll see her shortly," the general said, motioning for the convoy to move forward.

The general and his soldiers guided the convoy to the rear of the mansion, where they housed the carriages in the stables. They wanted to enter the estate incognito. Rya's group stepped off and waited patiently as the horses were unhitched from the carriages. General Douglas walked up to the Prince and bowed.

"Well, it's been an enlightening trip, Your Highness. The Queen is in the audience chamber. If you and your party would follow me," the General said as he led the group inside.

Quinus nodded and then looked at Rya, who was still wearing her cloak so the servants could not see her skin color. Her yellow dress was a little more conservative compared to her everyday dresses. This dress covered her shoulders, legs, and cleavage. The dress was more Victorian-style, with the skirt being longer and tighter. But no matter how much it covered her, it couldn't hide her figure. Rya took a deep breath before looking at her fiance.

"So, how do I look? Will your mother approve?" Rya asked Quinus.

"She will... Even if she disapproves, she can't stop us. I won't let her," Quinus replied as he held her hand.

Those words calmed Rya's heart, and she smiled at him.

"And don't forget that we are all at your side. So, don't be afraid. We won't let anyone bully you," Yuliana said to her adopted daughter.

"Yeah, that's right. We're with you no matter what happens. And don't let anyone else say otherwise, sis," Nieren added.

"She will have her biases, Lady Rya. But you will show her that she's wrong to believe those thoughts in the first place. Like I did," Tayna said with a nod.

"Thank you, guys," Rya said with a smile.

"Any time, Rya... Now, let's get our game faces ready," Quinus said.

"You can do this, Alpha. The chieftain will have to accept you once she notices that both of you marked each other," Dalia answered with a nod.

Rya nodded back before she took a deep breath. Then she walked with Quinus to the audience chamber.

Yuliana and Nieren followed behind the two, and the rest of the group closely followed them.

'Don't fuck this up, Rya... I don't want my future mother-in-law to hate me because I'm a dark elf... But what the hell... I can do this! Yeah! I got this!' Rya thought to herself.

A servant noticed the crown prince, and he bowed, "Prince Quinus, you've returned. Welcome home."

"Thank you. We're here to see the Queen," Quinus replied.

"Of course, My Prince. She's in the audience chamber. Please follow me," the servant said as he led the prince and his entourage through the mansion. The servant was curious about the four cloaked women. He knew that the prince was secretly engaged with a different woman. But the Queen never mentioned who the new fiancee was.

'Maybe they're her maids? No, I don't think so. Why is House Dule walking behind them... The prince would've told me if they were special. Something is fishy about them,' the servant thought as he led the prince and his group through the mansion.

They arrived at the audience chamber, and the servant motioned for them to wait until they entered the room.

***

(15 minutes before the prince arrived.)

The audience chamber was a large, grand hall decorated with paintings, statues, and tapestries. Its large balcony overlooking the city had two thrones on either side.

Queen Rianna Meredydd wore her finest clothes and crown, which consisted of a golden tiara. Her black hair was done up in a bun, and she had a regal air about her, but she was getting worried. She thought she would have seen him a day earlier, but something happened that she and her guards weren't aware of. Her son sent a messenger from Eldermyst City so she wouldn't have to worry about why they were a day late. But it did little to calm her nerves. Quinus had been gone for too long, and she wanted to see him safe and sound.

'My son, please be safe... I wish I could've been there to help you,' Rianna thought to herself as she sat on her throne, waiting for her son to return.

Lady Nelumbo was standing next to her queen. She was a former Royal Knight turned royal advisor to the Queen. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore her knight's armor, which consisted of a chestplate, gauntlets, and greaves. Her sword was at her side, and her shield was strapped to her back. She also had five more guards at the ready to protect her queen if needed.

Nelumbo looked out the window, thinking about the prince. 'You better not have lost an arm, Quinus... It would look bad on me if one of my best students ended up injured or, worse, dead. The Queen would have my head if that happened.'

Queen Rianna turned her attention to her guards, "Lady Nelumbo, has the prince arrived yet?"

"Not yet, my queen. But a spotter saw the General's banner at the city gate about an hour ago. I believe they are already in the city," Nelumbo replied.

"Very good, then. Inform me when they arrive at the estate," the queen said.

"As you wish, my queen," Lady Nelumbo said as she left the room.

Then Rianna's head maid came over and bowed, "My queen, we can have the garden room ready for tea once the prince arrives."

"Thank you, Miss Gretchen. That would be perfect. And have the cooks prepare some refreshments. My son must be tired from the journey. He has had a hard time. Especially with that Duke being such a bastard," Rianna said.

"Yes, my queen. I'll inform the kitchen immediately," the maid bowed as she left the room.

The Queen leaned back on her throne and sighed.

'I just hope this dark elf my son is attached to is worth his affection. The last thing I need is to deal with a scheming bitch trying to use him for his title. He needs a strong woman to stand beside him,' the Queen thought to herself as she stared out the window.

Rianna had always worried about her son. Because he was the only child to survive childbirth, and she had miscarried more times than she wished to count. She loved him dearly, and she would do anything to protect him.

'My dear Quinus... I hope you know what you got yourself into. Please be careful, my son. I pray that the goddess has blessed you with a wonderful wife. I pray that you will have children. Many, many children. So you may continue the Meredydd bloodline,' Rianna thought to herself.

After five minutes, Lady Nelumbo entered the room and bowed, "My queen, the Prince has arrived at the estate. They are on their way to the audience chamber."

"Thank you, Lady Nelumbo," the queen said as she straightened up.

Nelumbo stood at attention. Then the queen looked at the guards and said, "Keep an eye out for the dark elf. We must find out what her intentions are towards my son."

The guards saluted.

Lady Nelumbo nodded. Then the queen looked at her.

"Nelumbo, you are the best warrior in this kingdom. I trust you with my life. And I know you will not let me down. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my queen," Nelumbo replied.

The Queen smiled, and then the door opened as a servant entered.

"Your Majesty, the prince and his entourage are here," the servant announced.

Queen Rianna nodded, and the servant stepped aside.

The Prince entered the room and was followed by four women in cloaks. Percy, Sir George, Sir Richard, Lady Rachel, and General Douglas also entered the room. Johan and Tayna stayed in the back to give the group their space.

Upon seeing her son for the first time in two months, she wanted to run to him and hug him, but she remained calm and collected, as all royals must do.

Rya looked around, and she couldn't help but notice how beautiful Quin's mother was. Even though Rianna was pushing 40, her looks hadn't faded, at least not from what Rya could tell. In fact, she was even prettier than she thought. But there was something that was bugging Rya. She observed a significant number of purple particles in Rianna's pelvic area. The particulars were similar to the ones in the Elder Seeds that Yuliana was trying to grow.

'Huh? Did someone poison Quin's mom!? Why would they poison her!? And why is it focused on her lower body? Is that why she has no children besides Quin? I have so many questions right now. I'll have to ask her about this later. If it's a poison, then I might be able to do something about it... B-But I have to make sure she likes me first,' Rya thought as she tried to recall all her etiquette training from Fyrella Coldforge.