As I stepped into the villa, the voices from the main dining room drew me in, so I headed that way, hoping to find Alira. My body still ached from the rough night's sleep. After months of having a proper bed, I was reminded why crashing in random sheds was never a good idea. I must have dozed off for a couple of hours, but between the sun slicing through the wooden beams and the unforgiving hardness of the floor, rest was elusive.

"Good afternoon, Lady Valeria," I greeted as I walked in. They were already halfway through lunch, so I quickly slipped into an empty seat, giving Alira a nod.

Valeria’s gaze landed on me almost immediately. "I heard you didn’t sleep in the villa last night," she said with an accusing tone, then glanced over at her daughter. "Getting your own place, perhaps?"

"I had a personal project that needed handling elsewhere," I explained, while the servants immediately brought me some cutlery and a light meal.

"Any success?" Alira asked.

"Unfortunately not," I admitted with a sigh. "Might have to stick with my side gig as a chocolate vendor." Valeria let out a quiet snicker at that, but I decided to let it slide.

"Late night with the elves?" I turned the conversation back to Alira, hoping to redirect the attention away from me.

She nodded, looking a bit weary. "Yes, I had to debrief everyone once the elves retired to their quarters. Didn’t get in until the middle of the night."

"You were at the meeting?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Even her mother looked surprised.

A smile spread across Alira’s lips, the kind that told me she was about to drop some news. "As you like to say, there’s good news and bad news," she said, her eyes locking onto mine.

"Let’s hear the good news first," I replied, bracing myself.

"Isla was part of the elven delegation," she began. "We had a surprisingly pleasant evening catching up."

I could tell there was a twist coming, and sure enough, she didn’t disappoint. "The bad news," she continued with a smirk that might have held a bit too much satisfaction, "is that she needs you for a mission. And she may have convinced the king that you’re the perfect ambassador to the elves."

I blinked, caught off guard. Of course, Isla would pull a move like that. Alira’s smirk widened, clearly enjoying this turn of events. So much for laying low. Still, I hoped I could politely decline.

"Tiberius as a liaison with the elves?" Valeria asked, her tone laced with disbelief. Her expression was almost comical, mouth slightly agape, like she couldn’t fathom the idea.

"Yes, Mother," Alira responded calmly. "I know you two don’t exactly get along, but he’s actually quite effective in that role. Even the king was intrigued enough to request a meeting with him tonight." She delivered this last piece of information casually, like it was just an afterthought.

I barely had time to process the shock before noticing Valeria’s face, still frozen in disbelief. I’d expected a reaction, but this was almost satisfying. Declining a king’s invitation wasn’t an option unless I had a death wish. And while I could be abrasive, I wasn’t stupid enough to dig my own grave in this situation.

Valeria finally gathered herself. "So, she’s the elf from that story you told us on the first day?" she asked, the pieces slowly clicking into place for her. I could see the gears turning, realizing that maybe not everything Alira had said was an exaggeration after all.

"Yes," Alira confirmed with a slight shrug, clearly amused by the turn of events. "Isla shared a few of our...adventures, and it seems it caught the king's interest."

Valeria’s lips curled into a smile. "I may have misjudged, he would be a perfect ambassador to the elves" she said smoothly.

Of course, she would. The idea of me being out of her sight, maybe even permanently, would likely make it the happiest day of her life.

The rest of lunch passed in relative silence, Valeria looking particularly satisfied at the prospect of my potential departure.

"I must depart," she declared once her plate was cleared. Alira, ever dutiful, rose from her seat as was customary. I, however, stayed planted in my chair, stubborn as ever. Valeria cast me a sharp scowl before leaving without a word. Maybe she was finally resigned to my lack of decorum.

Alira sighed as the door clicked shut. "Why do you have to make things so difficult with my mother? You're usually the bigger person."

I tilted my head dramatically, putting on my best impression of mock indignation. "Oh, so she gets to jab at me every chance she gets, but I have to play Mr. Congeniality?"

"She did save your life," Alira replied with maddening casualness, as if it solved everything.

"Don’t worry—she never lets me forget it," I muttered, heaving a long, exaggerated sigh. "But enough about her. How’s Isla?"

The mention of Isla lit her up, her expression softening. “We didn’t have too much time, so it was all business. Maybe today we can catch up if nothing goes wrong…"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Her tone grew serious. "When you meet the king tonight..."

I cut her off, raising a hand. "Don’t worry, I’m not completely clueless. He’s a king, and your boss. I’ll be on my best behavior."

She smiled, though the flicker of doubt in her eyes told me she wasn’t entirely convinced. Fair enough. I wasn’t sure I was, either.

The palace kept the Roman motif they seemed to embrace, with marble columns and arches stretching in all directions, each polished to a near-mirror finish. The floors were a patchwork of intricate mosaics, depicting maybe mythological scenes and the kingdom's conquests. It was hard to tell since everybody had powers if they were realistic or not.

Ornate frescoes adorned the walls, their vibrant colors contrasting beautifully with the cool marble tones. I passed through a grand atrium, its domed ceiling painted with celestial designs, shafts of light filtering through a central oculus that genuinely impressed me. Busts of past rulers lined the corridors on our way to the meeting hall and I could swear some incense was burning somewhere.

Alira froze mid-step, her gaze sharpening as if she had heard something. A voice, soft but clear and coming from no discernible direction, spoke: "You made it. We need to talk before the meeting with the king. Follow me." It sounded like Isla—at least, I thought it was her.

Alira didn’t hesitate and began moving purposefully toward the source, so I followed. My instincts told me I was right. We wound through the palace corridors until we reached a modest room, unremarkable enough to be a servant’s quarters. Inside, Isla was waiting for us.

“Was that an illusion guiding us? I thought you were just camouflaged,” I said, genuinely impressed despite myself.

Her lips curled in satisfaction. “I’ve been practicing. My skills weren’t sharp enough against certain orcs, and that’s on me. I got overconfident since most people couldn’t even detect me before.”

“Good to see you again,” I said, letting a faint smile slip before my tone grew serious. “Even if I hear this isn’t exactly a social call.”

She sighed deeply, the weight of her thoughts evident. “Unfortunately not. How much did Alira tell you?”

“Just the basics. She was vague about the details,” I replied, glancing at Alira, who avoided my look.

As Isla filled in the gaps, my mood shifted from cautious curiosity to an uneasy apprehension. Her words painted a bleak picture.

“Alira said it might fall into your area of expertise. Do you think they could be gods?” Isla finally asked, her voice heavy.

I hesitated, searching for the right words. “When I fought the god at the end…”

Isla’s eyes widened, disbelief plain on her face. “You what?”

I sighed, waving a hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. I lost, but he said something... something that stuck with me. He mentioned he hadn’t felt pain since before he ascended. That means there’s a transition. What ascends can also fall.”

Her expression darkened, and she sank further into the armchair, deflating. “Then we’re doomed,” she muttered.

“No.” I said firmly, perhaps too forcefully. Then I realized how it sounded and clarified, “I mean, no, they aren’t gods anymore. Not truly.”

Alira, who had been quietly absorbing the conversation, finally spoke. “How can you be so sure? From what Isla described, they might as well be gods.”

“Oh, they’re powerful, no question. But they’re bound by the limits of flesh, just like we are. And if they were truly omnipotent, they wouldn’t need armies.”

Isla leaned forward, her gaze piercing. “You said you fought a god, even if you lost. Do you really think you have a chance against this… demi-god?”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “I only survived as long as I did because that god wanted to toy with me, to make me feel insignificant. But even gods have weaknesses. With the right distraction, or better yet, the element of surprise, this demi-god can be defeated.”

Isla’s jaw tightened, determination flashing in her eyes. “I saw what you did to that valley. I’ll risk my life to give you the distraction you need.”

Alira, her focus narrowing on Isla, sat up straighter. “What exactly are you proposing?”

"The council wouldn’t approve another full-scale expedition after that disaster. But a small, covert scouting party? One that might even have a chance to take him out if the opportunity arose? That was a different story entirely."

I could see Alira about to protest, but Isla cut her off, her voice firm. “I said if. The priority is intelligence gathering. Learning what we can about him, his weaknesses, anything we can use to our advantage.”

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the growing weight pressing on my chest. “Look,” I began, my tone slower than I intended, “I get the need to gather information. I do. But I made a promise to myself to live a normal life, to stop chasing trouble. We’ve already lost so much. I’m not losing more.”

Isla nodded, but her eyes betrayed her resolve, burning like embers in the dim light. “I heard about the injury,” she said softly, her gaze flicking to Alira for a moment. “And I’m sorry for your loss. But if I were in their place, if someone burned my home to the ground, I’d scour every corner of this world to find whoever was responsible. They won’t stop.”

I hated how right she was. Ignoring it wouldn’t make the threat disappear. We could portal away, sure, vanish to some far-off place. But if war ever reached this city, Alira wouldn’t abandon her family or her kingdom to run away with me. Not when so many lives were at stake. And, if I were being honest, a part of me knew this was partly my fault.

“Fine,” I said reluctantly, the word tasting bitter. “But on one condition: Alira stays here.”

Alira’s reply came as quick as a dagger. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” Her voice was cold, decisive.

I stared at her, frustration bubbling under my skin. Turning to Isla, I said, “Well, that’s non-negotiable. So if you can convince her, I’ll come. Otherwise, I’m out.”

"I thought you might say that," Isla said softly, her voice tinged with something like regret. Her eyes faltered for a moment before she continued, "The treaty will only pass if Alira is named ambassador and stays here to work on it."

Alira froze, her disbelief cutting through the room like a blade. "I thought we were friends," she said, her voice low and sharp. "Friends don’t blackmail each other."

"I’m sorry," Isla replied, her gaze dropping to the floor. "But without this mission, the council would never have agreed to come here or open diplomatic relations."

I should’ve felt angry, but instead, a small part of me was relieved. Isla had taken the role of the villain in this exchange, and I was thankful for it. I would’ve never convinced Alira to stay behind otherwise. With her busy here, working on some tedious but necessary treaty, I could actually focus on the mission without worrying about her safety, or so I told myself.

After a beat of silence, Alira spoke, her voice clipped but composed. "Well, there’s no more to discuss," she said, heading for the door with purpose. "Let’s not keep the king waiting."

We followed her into the hall, and it didn’t take long to realize we were, in fact, late. The king was already seated, his gaze sharp and expectant. I opened my mouth, prepared to offer some casual apology, but then I spotted someone standing near him...his son.

Ah, wonderful. This was going to be a long evening.