The Siol Draiochta?! The legendary seed from elven lore?! The seed that had created the elven race?!

  A human had obtained this seed in this new era, in which humans could seldom even see fairies, let alone use magic!

  This meant that an elf of the purest origin had been born!

  According to the hierarchy of the elves, that meant that this former human had more of a claim to the elven throne than Ceris herself!

  Yet, strangely enough, Ceris did not feel threatened by the child before her. Perhaps it was her demeanor, or the fact that she was so young, but the elven ruler simply could not see this young girl before her leading the elves, even though she was under the direct care of the fairy queen the elves so piously respected.

  Ceris snorted inwardly. So what if she has been blessed by the fairy queen? She is a mere child, a former human. Elves are instructed from birth of our noble lineage, and this child has no such knowledge! Even if she were instructed now, she would never be more than a wild girl the fairies tamed.

  "I am surprised to hear that your royal mother granted you such a precious treasure," Ceris remarked. She turned towards Queen Kiridian and asked, "Is that manner of address suitable to you, my Queen?"

  The queen grinned. "I find it quite suitable, Ceris."

  The elven ruler forced a smile, though an outsider would not be able to discern its spurious origin. She returned her attention to the child. "You must have felt so honored to receive the Siol Draiochta."

  Anya nodded, a sheepish smile crossing her face. "I did not know the importance of the Siol Draiochta when Queen Kiridian gave it to me. I feel honored simply by being given a home among the fairies."

  How simple, Ceris sneered inwardly, maintaining her aloof and prideful expression. "You should feel honored! The fairies have primarily reclused themselves since your human ancestors took it upon themselves to slaughter the fairy king. The only race that has frequent relations with the fairies is our noble elven race. We consider this a great honor, as fairies maintain the natural order of the world. They are the beings closest to the gods in this world. You must understand the significance of your presence here, Queen's Child Anya."

  "Thank you, Queen Ceris. I am still being taught about the fairies and our place in this world, but it is interesting to hear multiple points of view."

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  "I am not a queen," Ceris reflexively corrected. She realized the rudeness of her outburst in front of the fairy queen, and hurriedly explained to the child, "Our elven race does not address our ruler by gendered terms. The elven ruler, no matter their gender, is simply addressed as 'King' to their subjects. Furthermore, fairies, especially noble fairies such as yourselves, need only address elves by their given name. This is our culture. As you are still learning, it is understandable that you were unaware of this. You may simply call me 'Ceris,' Queen's Child Anya."

  "I am only an honorary fairy. I should still show some respect to you, King Ceris," Anya wrote respectfully.

  Ceris grinned. "Well, if you insist, then far be it from this lowly me to refuse Queen's Child Anya's request."

  Anya tilted her head in confusion. "I'm sorry. I don't understand."

  "I am saying that, if you insist, I won't protest you addressing me as 'King Ceris,'" she explained.

  Anya nodded, her eyes lighting up as she understood. "That's great! King Ceris, how long have you ruled the elves?"

  Ceris lifted an eyebrow. "I have only ruled the elves for ten years or so. I still have quite a bit to learn as a ruler."

  "And how do you decide who becomes the next ruler of the elves? Is it by bloodline? Or do you all fight to see who the strongest elf is? Are you the strongest of the elves?"

  Anya's sudden barrage of questions threw Ceris for a loop. Queen Kiridian rested her hand on the child's shoulder. "Anya, dear, be patient. Wait for your first question to be answered before asking a second one."

  Anya hung her head down and pursed her mouth. "Sorry. I got excited. I've never met an elf before, and King Ceris is their ruler! You know that elves and humans don't really interact since Fairy Queen Emmeralde cut the humans off from magic and the fairies."

  Queen Kiridian smiled. "I understand that, my dear. Just make sure that you do not overwhelm our guests with too many questions. Be patient. I know you can do it. Ceris, would you answer Anya's questions, if it is not too much for you?"

  Ceris nodded. "Of course, my Queen. We do not determine the next ruler by any single trait. We do place significance among bloodlines, but this is merely a way to narrow the candidates. We look at magical power, combat prowess, and critical thinking primarily, but every now and then, a candidate appears who has a talent outside of this, and they are no less viable than any of the other candidates because of it. The king before me was particularly skilled in diplomacy. It was really quite a frightening talent, if you ask me. We had hardly interacted with races apart from fairies until his rule, but he was able to form ties with the dwarves, granting our most skilled magicians dwarven-made staves. I was able to become his successor because of his diplomatic capability. I may not be the most clever of the elves, but I had the highest magical power and combat prowess among the candidates of my generation, and this was largely in part due to the fact that I had been given one of these magical staves. Although some of the other candidates had been given one of them as well, I was still able to best them!"

  "So... You only won because of your staff?"