The elves used no mounts. When you think of a fantasy elven kingdom, you imagine elves riding griffins, pegasi, even wyverns. Knights in shining plate with mithril lances soaring in the sky, a deadly and magnificent formation.
No, they had nothing. Not unicorns, not even horses. When an elf needed to get to a place, they did so on foot.
Another thing to the list of things to change in this Kingdom. We MUST have griffin cavalry.
MUST.
But right now I was glad we didn't have that. Because almost nothing could beat me on foot. Scratch that. Some dude with Grandmaster {Running} or {Dashing} would catch up to me in no time. After I saw my HP and MP grow tenfold by getting one Skill in the master ranks, I don't doubt anything.
Much less my Luck score. Because all my previous stunts were flukes. When I fought these demons, scratching them to death, I was literally doing exactly that. Scratching them to death. Because they had HP in the hundred millions or even billions. Yup. One day I'm going to face a golem army and despair when my insta-kill {Vorpal Bite} doesn't work.
Where was I?
Yes, the exile village.
I walked out of a tree on the village's outskirts. {Tree Stride was convenient and I could get anywhere in this pre-urban world but it lacked precision. Badly. It was unlikely that I would ever lose my bearings. I just needed to fly up and take a panoramic look.
The exile village was not too big. Set in a secluded corner of the forest away from other races, it had a retirement home feeling. The elves went on with their day without care. Haste was a forgotten concept here. I lifted the hood of my cloak and walked into the village,
An elf approached, maybe a [Greeter] or something like that? "Welcome, my lady. Can I help you?" He asked, modulating his voice slightly to show he wanted to know if I was an elf.
It was something only we could do. The dyad voice, two notes at the same time proved one was an elf or at least a bard. "Greetings, brother. I'm interested in knowing the place. Could you show me around?"
"Ah. Yes, of course. What brings you here? Are you seeking a peaceful life, perhaps?" He asked, hinting if I was an exile like him.
I chuckled, "I wish. If only they let me, I'd gladly spend a thousand years here. But no. I'm here to learn about this village and the people that live here. It is something I should know if I am to properly fulfill my duties."
He gave me a knowing smile. "Your... duties. Yes, why not. I'm called Almer, milady. Who might you be?"
I didn't want to fool him. I removed my hood. "Well met, master Almer. I'm Alloralla."
Almer opened his mouth and gasped almost inaudibly, "Pink." Then he knelt. "Your Highness. Welcome to our humble village."
I tried to keep him from doing that but I was too slow. "Stand up. Please."
I looked around and knew it was too late. These damn elves had too good hearing. The other exiles left their huts and approached. Maybe I shouldn't have dyed my hair pink with chameleon, but it was second nature by now.
At least my mark came out as well. Sariandi walked out of a hut wearing a simple elven dress. By the elegance she wore it, nobody would suspect she was a thousand-year-old lady. After greeting the few dozen elves that came out, I walked to the clearly embarrassed archmagister. Former. Whatever.
"Hello, Sariandi. I'm back," I beamed as I approached and hugged her. She was stiff. "What's the matter? Seeing a ghost? I can swear I didn't die this time. You know, between now and the last time we saw each other."
She trembled. "Alloralla. Why are you here?"
"To fetch you, silly. You might've quit the council, but you are still my magic instructor. I have great plans for you," I leaned to kiss her cheek and whispered in her ear, "And by the way, I settled that debt I inherited."
"You did?" She was still in disbelief about the whole thing. A mischievous side of me wanted to phase and go through her to play a prank.
I nodded, "With all five of them. Including the one, I met at the lake all that time ago. I might've also prepaid for a few years."
She was almost breaking down, "Alloralla, I'm sorry. I--"
I put a finger on her lips. Then I withdrew that finger and blushed because I was getting a bit horny with all this skinship.
"That's a {Royal Order}, Sariandi. Let bygones be bygones. I need you and just as I fulfilled my duties, you must be brave to face what's coming."
"And what's coming?"
I let go of her and pointed in the direction of Forestheart. "First of all, a knight squad intent on bringing me back to my gilded cage. But I'm done playing the princess in the tower."
"Are you willing to take the next step?" She asked measuring her words cautiously.
"What is the next step? How does this regency thing work? Can I be declared of age before the due time? And who exactly decides the due time?"
She grimaced and shook her head. "It is all in the Council's hands."
I was tired of those crooks manipulating the whole nation. But I needed Sariandi on my team before I made my final move.
"Yeah. We'll see about that. Can we sit and talk?"
"Sure, this way."
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I sat and talked with Sariandi for an hour. She explained to me that there was no law specifying when a Princess could ascend to the throne and the succession happened when there was a vacancy. Because of my particular situation, the council exercised its powers to state that I should be under a regency until I became two hundred years old.
That's when the knights came crashing into the village.
"It's showtime, Sariandi. You'll come with me, right?"
She sighed. "It would be easier if you told me what you intend to do. Overthrowing the council will lead to civil war. Sentiments are divided between you and them."
"So I just have to eliminate them, right?" I asked with the most faux innocence I could muster.
She shuddered, "Please. You're the Death Princess. When you say 'eliminate', I understand murder."
I cackled like a villain. -Ness. "Oh. Death is too good a punishment for them. Our escort has arrived, let's go meet them."
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Once I walked out, I saw the "commander" with his knights - my wardens - behind him. Boy, he looked pissed. As soon as he saw a whiff of pink hair, he started to bark.
"Princess Alloralla. By orders of the Council, you are to--"
As he proclaimed whatever bullshit he meant to say, I sucked in a deep breath and let my [Bard] Skills project my voice. "{Royal Order}! Shut up all of you and KNEEL. {Royal Geas}! You are to obey me as your Queen."
I went for the non-lethal option but I forgot to set my targets. So the whole exile village was caught in the range of my abilities. Including Sariandi. My SP went down by more than a hundred thousand as I had to pay for everyone's Soul score, but all of the elves were affected without a single one resisting.
The exiles knelt. Sariandi soon followed but the knights had mixed results. Half of them knelt, the other half fought the geas and dropped down unconscious. I felt a few pings in my banshee {Sense Living Sentients} perk. Rangers probably.
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"Know this, elves of Fulgen," I declared, projecting my voice over the forest, using both my bardic Skills and wind magic to amplify it and send it miles away to all who wished to hear. And I shamelessly quoted a favorite line from Diablo and some others.
"I am Alloralla, First of my House and rightful Queen of Fulgen. Take heed and bear witness to the truths spoken herein. My birth was a tragic one. My mother, Queen Thaorllara was sacrificed by cultists in an attempt to summon the third Demon Lord. I met my death at the cultist's dagger still in the womb of my mother. Due to my special abilities, the energies of the ritual were lost and it went awry. I perished that day and became a banshee.
"For fifty years I wandered the underground until the knights found me and brought me back. The mages and the archmagister did a ritual to bring me back to life. The council, however, spread lies and falsehoods, keeping me imprisoned all this time. Now I return. Here I stand, in the light of day. Let the storm rage on those that oppose me."
Then I let the mic drop. Silence reigned in the forest.
"Sariandi, stand," I said after a minute.
"Yes, Your Hi... Majesty. I live to serve," She replied with a hint of mirth in her voice.
"Exiles of Fulgen. You are free to return to Forestheart with me. Should any of you wish to stay, you are welcome to. Once I'm done pacifying Forestheart, I vow to lend you my ear the first time I hold court. Follow me, those that are true to the Forest. I lift the geas on the exiles and Sariandi."
The exiles all stood up.
"Knights. Gather your fellows. Your geas stands until such a time you've proven your loyalty to me beyond reproach. We walk back to the Forest."
I focused on my will and wove my magic. Sariandi felt it and raised an eyebrow. I hadn't told her I was now Master rank in Elementalism with an affinity. What I wanted was to give us a speed boost to return earlier.
"{Tailwind}!"
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As our group moved through the forest with the wind at our tails, we were joined by rangers and druids that were within hearing range. I'd regained some MP and had over seven hundred thousand in stock. Should be enough for geasing the whole council even if I had to pay the tenfold cost. I tested with Sariandi and she had a Soul score of twenty-three. Quite high considering she hadn't the stat unlocked and the base value for everyone was zero.
We crossed into Forestheart and the clearing was crowded with elves. Nenandil was on my shoulder. A lot of bows were trained on us. The council was coming, walking leisurely to greet us.
"So, the upstart usurper returns," councilor one said. "Do not be fooled. That hag took over the princess' body. Yes. The one before you is not princess Alloralla but the Old Soul that took over her body."
I didn't take my eyes off of them. I raised a hand behind me to stop those that were following me.
"Stay where you are, guys. Sariandi, I leave the protection of our group to you. I'm going to rewrite Fate, as usual. This is my fight, this is my stage."
I recalled my etiquette lessons back when I was Apricot. I straightened my back and walked ahead. I used my abilities to project my voice over the entire city and suppress the council. I could feel the old crooks already weaving their magic to dispel mine. I had just a minute.
"This is the moment of truth. Elves of Fulgen, I ask you to not spill our brethren's blood. All shall be explained in due time. This is between the corrupt council and me. I am Alloralla. I am also the Old Soul, the same one that fought at our Forest's outskirts to defend our hearts. However, there's one falsehood in what they say. I didn't take over this body. I was born Alloralla. Such is my fate. I was away these years fulfilling my duties as a member of the Royal family. I ask you to--"
They dispelled my spell and wove another to suppress me. Now it was my turn to waste MP overthrowing them. There was one disadvantage though. The council was very proficient in group casting. I would be fighting an uphill battle.
"She is a liar!" They cried. "We couldn't excise that abomination from the princess's body and tried for a while to work with her. But now she brings treason upon our doorstep. That's no elf.
One of our plans was to sacrifice Nenandil to draw the ire of the council. They had a good chance of losing their temper and striking her. It would disgust the elves and give due cause to mask my summoning of the five elder fairies.
Nenandil started to shine with a blue light. She was like a little fairy-shaped star now. She flew from my shoulder, silencing the speaker from the council. Their concentration faltered at the sight of an elder water fairy, and I used my {countersong} Skill on the silence spell over the clearing.
"Elves of Fulgen. I am Nenandil, daughter of the Elder Lake Fairy called Doris. That council is corrupt. They betrayed the Forest and the Royal family in their own quest for power. For centuries they steered Fulgen into stagnation. No more! Heed me, as I--"
They rained spells on her. She purposely didn't defend herself and I had to see Nenandil's physical form vanish in the vapor the council's fire magic caused as they killed the fairy. Predictably, the elves started to riot. I tried to defend but one particularly nasty spell came my way. With no choice, I just tanked it as it crashed on me at no small cost to my HP pool.
> You were struck by Force Siege Hammer (Critical Hit). You lost 60,022 HP. Mana shield burned 20,333 MP. (Base 6,300 (-945) x 1.5 Skill x 2 Critical x 1.5 Affinity x 2 Perk x 5 combined casting x 0.75 Magic Resistance x0.75 Affinity x0.6 magic eater)
Fucking shit they weren't playing nice. Tossing siege spells at me? What the hell!?!
I fell down on my knees as the ground beneath me caved in and a plume of dust rose. The spell both made me lose my lunch and nourished me for a full-course meal at the same time. But neither was I playing. They acted exactly as Sariandi said they would. I had my cover and wouldn't waste time.
"{Summon Godmothers}!" I triggered the summoning perk and started to defend against the spells.
A ring of mushrooms sprouted from the ground between the council and me. The ground inside vanished and the underground lake appeared. The five elder fairies rose and the portal closed. Their combined power of the fairies washed over the whole clearing, ending my losing spell battle against the council.
"Cease all hostilities, mortals. We arrived to pass judgment," Daphne, the elder dryad said.
The very roots of the giant trees shook, causing the whole city to tremble. Now that I think of it, they didn't turn us into a pincushion. Thank providence for those small miracles.
"We were called to adjudicate a dispute," Brenna, the silly and vain fire Queen of the northwestern fairies said.
"And to deliver punishment to the ones that injured my daughter," Doris glared at the council.
"Lower your bows and cease your spell duel. We will not allow displays of hostility," Nephele the elder sylph said, wrapped in a mist that showed only a blur her tiny feminine curves in the haze.
The elves looked scared and lowered their bows.
"KNOW THIS!" Lorelai the elder spriggan said and the ground shook as it resonated with her deep contralto voice. "We ask the elves to uphold their covenants. We convene here as mediators and judges. Queen of the Elves, stand and approach."
I got back on my feet. Nephele giggled and waved me over.
"We are the elder fairies. We are Nature incarnated. By Yznera's decree, we were bound as stewardesses of the elements. Heed our words, children!" Daphne proclaimed. "We recognize Alloralla as the rightful Queen of Fulgen by birth. Her blood runs true and she shed it for her love of the Forest and People for the last three years. That she is also the Old Soul is not inconsequential either. The blood of her past incarnation, Lily the Were-kin Matriarch was also shed upon this ground when she single-handedly fought the invading host of the human barbarians."
Lorelai raised her hand. From the ground sprouted gold, glittering gemstones, and platinum. The metal floated like water in outer space and merged, shaping into a gemmed crown of gilded leaves. It resembled the laurels used in ancient Rome.
"Kneel," Nephele whispered to me alone.
Brenna took the crown and flew my way, "We crown you, Queen of the Elves. Fulgen is your rightful Realm to rule. Rejoice, children of the Forest. On this day, our ancient covenants are renewed. Our blessings to you, daughter."
They took turns kissing my forehead.
"Stand proud, Queen," Doris called As I stood, she winked at me.
> You gained the title {Queen}. Your other titles are unchanged.
There was a bittersweet taste in my mouth. It was my moment of glory but Nenandil was not here to share it with me. But we wouldn't be able to disguise the summon without her sacrifice. The elves could not suspect this was all staged.
The pressure the elder fairies were exerting over the general audience vanished. The elves took a moment to breathe and the whole clearing erupted with cheer. I let them have their catharsis for a long while but kept an eye on the still paralyzed council. That was certainly putting a strain on them. Thought the elder fairies were powerful, the council was just as much.
I cast my eyes upon them. I excluded Sariandi from my next action.
"This is a {Royal Geas}! I, Queen Alloralla, forbid the council members from moving from where they stand, speaking, casting spells, or using any kind of skill, ability, or Perk without my express permission. Now it is the time to pass judgment upon your acts!"
Their average Soul score was in the thirties. I had to burn fifteen hundred SP on average for each one of the eleven council members. They resisted and soon were put to sleep. Death was too good a punishment for them.
I pointed at them, "Guards! Take them to the infirmary and keep watch over them."
I inhaled a deep breath. "Elves of Fulgen. Twice I died for this Forest. Twice I shed my lifeblood to protect this realm. The first time around, I was but a scared human girl. Yet I fought against the invaders. I killed and I died. Some remember me, I'm sure of that. Know that my love of the Forest lived on through all the lives I lived in between then and now. I died in my mother's womb. The magic of our people brought me back from undeath. And now here I am. This is my pledge to you. I'll do what I must to ensure the future of the people. There will be changes, be assured. Some of you will be uncomfortable with these changes. They are for the best. Under the elder fairies blessing, I pledge to do what's best for the forest."
"It was heard and witnessed," Lorelai's voice rumbled on the earth and the elder fairies repeated.
The elves cheered. Some were crying. I raised my hand to call for silence. Then I spoke.
"The Queen summons Sariandi, daughter of the Forest."
Sariandi came, a faint smile in her face as she anticipated what was about to happen. Oh, she got it coming. She came and knelt. "Your Majesty Queen Alloralla. I pledge my undying loyalty to you."
"Your pledge has been witnessed and accepted, Sariandi. The People and the Forest are in dire need of your expertise," I said with a very formal and regal tone. "Would you do what's demanded of you? Would you sacrifice yourself for the Forest?"
"My life for Aiur!" She said and saluted with her knuckles against her heart. My chin dropped. Holy Shit! She remembered that!
I looked around. The assembled elves all repeated in unison. "My life for Aiur!"
What have I done?