124 Vol.6 Ch.117- An Ill Advised Toast.

A quick note on things with Stripe and Ko-Fi. Currently, it appears that Stripe is attempting to close my account for "Crowdfunding" I am working with them to stop this, but there are being rather stubborn. Hopefully, I can resolve this issue with them.

I'll see you guys on August 29th 6-9am PST.

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"Adria…"

She averted her eyes and nodded. "Hello…Kali," Adria said while moving her light brown hair from her face nervously.

Now that I had my mask off, I wasn't sure what to say to her. I was also surprised Adria wasn't being carted away to Sandervile after what just transpired. It appears she slipped past her guards as well…and wants to dance…with me?

Adria extended her hand slightly, but it was suddenly smacked away. "Who do you think you are? How dare you even so much as speak to him for what you—!"

"Sylvia, we are causing a scene."

Sylvia ceased her angry rant before it truly began. But I wasn't mad at her. She's just being protective, and after everything I told her about my time in Sandervile, I can hardly blame her.

If anything, I appreciate her defending me. Not many people would get confrontational with a noble they had just met.

"Thank you," I told Sylvia with a reassuring smile. "But I believe I can manage a simple conversation with a dance."

Sylvia shrunk away and brought her hands to her chest. "I—I'm sorry…I—"

"It's fine, really. Right, Adria?" I asked, looking at her

Adria vehemently nodded her head and began apologizing. "Yes! I'm the sorry one…I should have thought about it more…I shouldn't have even said anything…" Adria looked about ready to cry…it was a look not befitting her.

It seems I can't break my habit, huh? Probably not going to anytime soon.

I extended my hand to Adria. "Shall we?"

"Ah…wait…you're leg. I didn't even—"

I waved her concerns away. "I was faking it. My leg is totally fine."

Adria looked at my hand and then at my face. She gently grabbed ahold of my hand, and I felt just how soft and delicate it was as I led her to the dance floor. "You were putting on an act…I suppose those are skills you learned because of me," she said despondently.

She winced in response as I squeezed her hand tightly to the point where it caused her a small amount of pain. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You didn't cause my limp."

Adria looked away into the crowd, an even sadder smile displaying on her face. "I…somebody told me that perhaps it wasn't my fault. That it was all just a miscommunication," she muttered.

"Sounds like a wise man," I said playfully.

I was expecting Adria to smile or loosen up a bit, but her usually bright swirling hazel eyes seemed to darken even more as she held onto my back and squeezed. "Kaladin…you probably despise me. I even had to put a bounty on you! I took all those years from you and kept you around as a pet! It was all my fault…"

The music was doing an excellent job of drowning out her sorrow and her sobs. "That bounty, you made it just for me, right?"

Adria pressed her face into my jacket. "I had to…if I didn't, Brother was going to make it dead only…I…I made you a criminal…" she said, her voice muffled.

"Well, you aren't wrong, but you aren't right either. But now I'm no longer a criminal, so there aren't any problems," I told her honestly.

She pulled back from me and gave me a confused look. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and the tears rolling down her face ran through her makeup. I kept on pace with the song and followed everyone else's moves, so I spun Adria around and caught her. Her burnt orange dress flowed elegantly around her.

"Wow! Wait? Can you actually dance? When did you learn how?" she asked, momentarily surprised.

"It turns out watching somebody practice dance for hours for a few years allows one to absorb at least some knowledge," I said thoughtfully.

And I like to think I'm athletic enough to manage this much.

Adria winced again, and the surprise all but vanished as another tear rolled down her face. "All because of me…" she muttered.

I sighed and brought her close again. "Listen, I meant what I said, Adria. I don't blame you. I never did, and I probably never will. I'm the one that murdered your mentor and killed your guards. I was the one that traumatized you and all those kids…including Tristian. So you have every right to hate me. But even with that said, it doesn't change anything for me."

Her small hand squeezed my arm rather tightly. "I don't hate you…I could never hate you, Kali! You should be the one to hate me... I ruined your life!"

"Well, I don't. And that is the part you are getting wrong, Adria."

"Eh?" she squeaked out.

"Out of all the things you did and didn't do, you objectively saved my life. On a whim, you decided to uproot me from my path, which would have undoubtedly led to my demise. Back then…where I was most likely going would have been the end of the road for me, and it would have been unbelievably brutal. Just ask yourself…what kind of person buys a young broken Elf boy? One that is literally dying and crippled."

Adria averted her gaze, and more tears clouded her eyes. "A foolish girl," she choked out.

I sighed again and continued to lead her through the dance. "Listen, Adria. We are just running in circles…well, dancing in circles in this case. I want you to know I hold nothing against you. I don't blame you at all, not even a little bit, for what happened, but I'm not sorry for what I had to do. It was regrettable, and I'm sorry that you had to be involved, but that's it. My freedom was and still is more important. I won't allow people to use me as a tool…even now."

That's right, Queen Maxwell…I don't know what game you are playing, but I won't be dancing to your tune for much longer.

"That's…that's not enough…how can I ever repay you for all those years I stole from you," Adria whispered in between sobs.

"You don't need to. I forgive you, Adria," I told her honestly. "None of this was your fault."

"But you didn't even trust me! We…we didn't even really know each other, did we? I mean, I didn't even know your real last name…"

I shook my head. "In a way, yes…I suppose you are right. I never did trust you, and we never fully understood one another. And that's fine. It's in the past so forget about it."

She looked up at me and blinked the tears from her eyes. "Is there a way…could we ever become friends again? For real this time?"

"As things stand…probably not."

The look of despair that washed over Adria made me wince. I hadn't meant it to come out like that…I was just being realistic. "I did say as things stand. I'll probably never return to Sandervile, let alone the City-States again. Going there would put me in needless danger, and I can no longer afford to do that for your sake. I have people that need me…a daughter that relies on me, and even she is a former slave."

"I don't understand. What are you trying to tell me? And that little girl…she's really your daughter?" Adria asked me, confused.

"She is indeed. Her name is Mila. And what I'm saying is if things were to change, then perhaps you and I could be friends. I'm not opposed to it either. I always told myself that if things were different, perhaps you and I could have been friends."

The song called for one final spin, so I obliged and twirled Adria around again. She landed in my arms and didn't resume the normal position, and I could feel her warm body being wracked with sobs. I looked out into the crowd and caught Varnir and Tsarra watching me with confused looks. I just shrugged at them.

Those two appear to be getting even closer…well, at least I did something right. Come to think of it, why didn't Tsarra get any rewards?

I took out the handkerchief I was given and helped mop up some of her tears. "You sure have grown a lot, Adria," I said, attempting to change the subject somewhat.

She grabbed the handkerchief from my hands and blew her nose into it. Now there was the Adria I knew. She let out something that sounded like a pained groan and a laugh.

"You're saying that to me? Have you looked in a mirror recently? What even happened to you? Look at your eye! Your body! You don't even look like the same person," Adria chuckled while still crying.

"It appears that dying and nearly dying a few times tends to change a man," I said light-heartedly.

Adria's gaze fell to the floor again. Perhaps that wasn't the wisest of words to use. "I'm surprised you came to talk to me. I thought your brother would have been dragging you behind the carriage to get home in time."

She let her head fall limply to her shoulder. "That's probably where I'll be ending up after this. I imagine father won't be pleased with me either."

"Mhm…how's Sylros doing? I bet he is pissed. Sir Brill looked about ready to rip my head off when I took my mask off," I chuckled.

Don't blame the guy. I did stab his little sister in the brain.

Adria returned my laugh and nodded. "Yeah…Sylros was beside himself. He thought you had been kidnapped, and somebody used illusion magic to appear like you."

Illusion magic, huh? That's almost funny.

"Tell him thanks for me. I never hated him either, and he was always good to Muriel and me," I said with a nod.

Adria looked me in the face, and I could tell she was about to say something but stopped herself. I saw the glint in her eye when I mentioned Muriel. "Something about Muriel? Did you finally connect the dots with her and your wretched stepmothers?"

Her eyes went wide. "Wait? You…how? Did you know?"

I shrugged and guided Adria off the dance floor now that the music had stopped and the next song was about to begin. "No, just a very educated guess. It was almost certainly them. Just like how they killed your mother."

Adria looked afraid for a moment and covered my mouth quickly. "What are you saying?! All these people are staring at us!"

"MMmmpPmM—let go of me," I said, moving her hand from my face. "I'm just stating my biased opinion."

"Yeah! An opinion that is going to get me in trouble!" Adria hissed under her breath.

"Ah…sorry…I suppose I've put you through enough," I said while scratching the back of my head.

Adria looked around the crowd nervously. Her jaw clenched, and she was balling her fists enough that her knuckles turned white. "I've…I've been trying…I can't prove anything, though…nobody will listen to me," she said in defeat.

"I believe you, Adria," I said earnestly.

I took a few steps back as I could feel the familiar feeling of Sylvia drilling the back of my skull with her eyes. "I believe this is—"

Adria shot her hand out and into my face but stopped abruptly. "I…I…I'm going to—"

Her eyes rapidly scanned my face, and I watched as she bit her lip. A small stream of blood snaked down her mouth. Adria took a long deep breath, and at the end of it, she gave me a wonderful smile, a smile I hadn't seen in many years. "I'm going to see you again, Kali, I promise."

"Are you now?" I said with a chuckle. "I'm a hard man to find."

She smiled wryly and shrugged. "I'm not so sure about that one, Dragonslayer."

"Mmm…you aren't wrong there," I admitted.

Perhaps killing a Dragon was the best and worst thing to happen to me…

"Thanks for the dance, Sir Shadowheart. Considering you owed me for missing the First Winter Banquet," she said with a bit of playfulness.

I chuckled awkwardly. I had forgotten about that. "Yeah…sorry about that."

I suppose that being canceled was also my fault. I remember she was looking forward to it.

I looked Adria in the face one last time. "Goodbye, Adria. Tell Tristian and Sylros I said hello and that I'm sorry."

Perhaps my sudden departure weighed on her as a deep frown settled in on her face."Yeah…bye, Kali," Adria said with a tiny wave, a deep sadness still in her eyes as she faded into the crowd of people.

I walked over to the glaring Sylvia and tried to put on my best smile. Unfortunately, she just grunted and turned her head away from me. It's been a while since I've seen her act like this.

"Did you have fun with your little dance?" Sylvia asked me while still facing away.

"I'm not sure if I would have called that fun," I said with an awkward chuckle. "I don't think making a girl cry the entire time while bringing up the memories of killing her friends while also not being sorry for doing it is uh…an awkward situation, right?"

Sylvia flicked her head towards me, and her purple and black hair shimmered in the ballroom's light. "If you put it that way…I suppose that's not really a dance then, is it?"

"No, I don't believe it—"

Sylvia extended her hand slightly bent, and her one dark blue eye looked at me expectantly. "Don't just stare at me. Grab my hand. We are dancing."

"Are we? I'm sort of—"

"We. Are. Dancing. At least two songs…no, I'm thinking three, actually," Sylvia said pointedly. "I had no idea you could even dance, and I refuse to allow another girl to dance with you while I didn't even get a chance."

"But we did dance with Mila so—"

"That doesn't count," Sylvia shot back.

It seems I have no choice. Good thing I don't mind dancing with her.

I grabbed Sylvia's hand and brought her close. "Shall we?"

Sylvia's ears burned bright red, and she pretended to cough as she leaned into me. "Why can't you always be like this?"

I guided her to the dance floor and chuckled under my breath. "I'm not sure what you mean. I'm just following along with your request," I said honestly.

"Just…shut up and dance," she groaned, followed up by a small giggle.

"As you command, Empress Blood Sucker," I said playfully.

Sylvia pinched my side but couldn't stifle her laughter. "Don't you dare call me that in public."

"Ah…so it's okay to call you that in private?" I snickered.

Sylvia looked up at me and tilted her head to the side. I could hear her spitting behind her mask as she tried to stop laughing. "hehe…su—sure.. assSsSss… as long as I get to call you Daddy."

"Never mind."

Of course, Sylvia couldn't contain her laughter after that. I felt like the stares became slightly more annoyed at that moment.

—

I finished my two dances with Sylvia, and Mila joined us again for a third. After that, I was genuinely feeling tired and needed a break. Unfortunately for me, parties like this don't give anyone any kind of rest.

I ended up speaking to a multitude of people as those who had settled their nerves began strolling up to me. I tried to keep the conversations as dry as possible, so they stopped bothering me, but that didn't deter the more resilient ones.

They always started by asking me how I killed the Dragon. Was I really a mixed Dark Elf? What was I going to do with the Dragon? Or what was I going to do in the future? Where am I staying?

What am I going to do with the Dragon? Bowen mentioned that they were attempting to carve it up while separating the head for Avasta. Apparently, it has some people in quite the pinch. Eh, not my problem.

Then they would follow that up by inviting me to some nonsensical party somewhere in their respective areas of influence. I believe proper etiquette would have me decline them graciously, but I either ignored their requests or just told them I wasn't interested.

That gained me quite a few bewildered expressions. I don't think these people are used to being told no.

I was just about to rendezvous with everyone again as they spoke to each other in a corner when I was stopped. "Sir Dragonslayer, King Maxwell wishes to speak with you," a Praetorian Guard told me while kneeling in front of me.

Sylvia was the first to notice and came right to my side. "What's the matter? What's going on?"

I sighed. "It appears the king finally wants to meet me." I looked to Sylvia and then over to Mila, who was nervously fidgeting around while sneaking glances at me. "Take care of Mila tonight. I have a feeling this is going to take a long time…"

The Praetorian Guard rose and began walking away. I waved Sylvia and everyone else goodbye and prepared myself for a long-winded conversation I was not prepared for.

King Maxwell seemed like an interesting man but was also very dangerous. In my current state, I doubt I could fight him if something drastic were to happen. Not that I was expecting a fight or anything.

I admired the structure of the royal palace as I walked. It truly was a spectacular sight. A castle fit for gods. Most might find this dark marble and red and gold color scheme to be….oppressive. In most cases, it is.

However, whoever designed this place knew what they were doing. Despite being a seat of a nation's power, it didn't make me feel as if I was in the presence of a dictator or anything.

The marble columns, beautiful tapestries, and giant landscape or battle paintings all melded together into one cohesive atmosphere. Even the banners hanging from the domed ceilings were masterful, and looking closely, I think they may even be woven out of actual gold and other precious metals.

That one banner right there might be worth more than most people's homes.

The armored footsteps of the guard echoed throughout the quiet halls. There was almost no one present here besides the occasional wandering servant doing an odd job or a guard patrol. Finally, we arrived at the grand staircase that had a large white marble fountain at the foot of it.

It depicted a Gryphon that was probably twice the size of a living one, and of course, it was cast in gold. This thing could probably buy a castle if you were to melt it down…

We climbed the stairs, and I was guided through a small labyrinth of confusing hallways and twisting turns. The ostentatiousness of the palace seemed to have been dialed back a bit as we went deeper and deeper. But with the paintings and armed statues gone…. real-life guards were here instead.

I had to wonder how many Praetorian Guards were there. And just how strong are these guys? A few hundred? A thousand? Are they at least Sapphire-ranked adventurers? Maybe if I put a bit of mana into my Dragon eye, I could find out but now wasn't the time.

The guard stopped, knocked on a gray wooden door, and opened it slightly. "Your Grace, I have brought Lord Shadowheart at your request."

"Huh?! Ah! Just let him in!" the king's voice called out from the room.

The Guard gave me a side-eye glance from behind his mask but shrugged as he ushered me into the room. The door was promptly closed behind me, and I took a deep internal breath to prepare myself.

Just act the part, Kaladin…you've done this stuff before. So be the good little knight…

I knelt on the floor. "It's an honor, Your Majesty, to—"

"What are you doing, son? Get off the floor," King Maxwell said while lifting me up by the shoulders with ease.

I looked up into his blue eyes, and he was smiling ear to ear. "Your Majesty I—"

He slapped me on the back and hushed me. "Enough of that, Your Majesty crap, just call me Bishop."

What?

"I'd enjoy my head still attached to my shoulders, Your—"

"Then I order you to call me Bishop in private. I've seen how you act, so just be normal for a few minutes, would you, Kaladin?" King Maxwell asked while moving towards the center of the room.

He dragged a small black and red bench that was lined with monster fur and embroidered with gold. This probably cost a few years' worth of Mom and Dad's salaries combined, yet he is just manhandling it…what the hell is this man doing?

"Anyways, I've been meaning to ask you something. What is this move you are doing?"

I watched with wide eyes as King Maxwell executed a perfect Bulgarian Split Squat. How does he know what that is? Or let alone how does he know that I know what it is?

"It's an uh… Syn'nari Split Squat," I lied.

His light sky blue eyes sparkled as he nodded his head ecstatically. "A Syn'nari Split Squat! Fantastic!"

He then practically rolled over onto the bench and looked me dead in the eyes. He gave me a serious nod, and from thin air, a giant metal pole appeared in his hands…then he began bench pressing it…

"And what about this?" he asked with fervor.

"A bench press…." I told him.

The bar disappeared back into his Spatial Ring, and he shot up from the bench and grabbed me by the collar. It wasn't aggressive or anything. It was just incredibly awkward and confusing having the king of a nation and probably the most powerful Human in the world smiling at me like this. This was…not what I expected at all.

"Amazing…Kaladin you must tell me where you learned all of this! Your training style intrigues me to no end! Ren had forbidden me from speaking to you about it, so I held my tongue for her sake, but I can no longer contain myself!" he asked, his voice full of glee.

"Well…I came up with a lot of it on my own," I told him.

His eyes shimmered again, and he brought me in for a hug. After the Dragon incident, I had gotten a little taller. Before, I was teetering on the edge of being six feet, but now I am a little over. On the other hand, King Maxwell was nearing six foot six or maybe even six foot seven. He was far larger than me, and his entire overly muscular body dwarfed mine in comparison.

And his bear hug had the strength of ten bears…gah…

"You're a genius, Kaladin! A true genius! How does one come up with such wonderful movements for the body? My muscles haven't been worked like this since I was a young man! I mean, those Syn'nari Split Squats get the legs throbbing!" the king shouted.

"Throbbing?" I choked out. "Uh….gah…Your Maj—Bishop…Bishop, please let go of me," I groaned.

He released me from his squeeze, and I swear I felt my ribs push back together. I sucked in fresh air and looked up hopelessly at the man. This…things shouldn't be like this…

"Yeah! The Throbbing, you know? That feeling you get when you exercise or lift something and whatever body part you used feels really good? Sort of like when your coc—"

"I get it! I get it~" I said quickly, trying to stop him.

This is the last conversation I need to be having with this man…

"I wouldn't call that 'The Throbbing' or whatever. I call it 'The Pump,'" I explained slowly.

Somebody once told me that in a weight room on a ship in my previous life. Since then, I hadn't had any reason not to call it that. It was an accurate feeling for sure.

The king mouthed the words out to himself while nodding his head. His smile grew more prominent, as did his excitement. "The Pump! THE PUMP! HAHAHAHA! YES! WHAT A WONDERFUL PHRASE!" The king was flexing his arms and staring longingly at his triceps.

Oh, god, what have I done?

"Kaladin, my boy! You must tell me more of your secrets! I mean, look at you!" he said while feeling my arms and shoulders. "How does an Elf even get this big?! You are a monster! Did you choke the Dragon with those Wyrms for arms?! And are you really half Dark Elf?!" he said with a hardy laugh.

I shook my head in disbelief. I felt like I was in a bad dream. "Ah, sure…I can do that for you. And uh no…I used magic, and yes, I am a mixed Dark Elf."

The king frowned, and it immediately reminded me of Lauren. "Why so serious now! Come on! I was only joking! Well, about the choking part, I really do want you to write down and show me some things…"

Yeah…I see where Lauren and Ren got this from now.

"As you wish…Bishop? And may I ask how you even know about all of this? I've never once seen you stalking me," I questioned.

The man looked slightly hurt. "Stalking you? I wasn't stalking you. I was watching you from a distance with this!"

He opened his palm and what looked to be a piece of shattered glass appeared from thin air. He brought it up to my eye. "Here, look into it…"

I obliged, and instead of looking at a distorted image, I was gazing into the carpet. The view through the glass was so clear and sharp that I could make out individual strands on the red carpet. This must be a dungeon item…probably an A-tier magic item.

This should probably be used for war…or put away in a vault somewhere. Why is he using it? And wait…he was totally stalking me?! That's stalking! Is the king a stalker? My stalker?!

The king laughed again, and the magic item disappeared. "No need to seem all worried. My daughters were right when they said you were a serious man. There's no need to be on guard, Kaladin. I promise you that."

"Sure thing, uh…Bishop. Listen, can I just call you—"

"No, Bishop will suffice. Stop making me repeat myself," the king said with finality.

Being a knight sucks…

I nodded and looked around the room. It didn't appear to be a bedroom or anything, just a small meeting room with a table, chairs, and two sofas on either side. A fireplace was set in the corner, but it remained dormant. A spotted white fur animal pelt hung over the top as an ornate gladius sat on a holder.

I looked over to King Maxwell, and he was gently placing his floral wreath crown onto a small holder. He ran his hands through his red hair and turned to me with a genuine smile. For being such a large and imposing man…he had a kind face….reminds me of Ren in a way.

What happened next made my heart sink as any previous confusion was thrown out the window and replaced with even more bewilderment. "Whoa, whoa, Bishop, what are you doing?! Stand up!"

The king was kneeling in front of me for some reason. I knew about etiquette, and although I didn't care too much for it, I knew damn well that a king was not to bow before anyone else. Even a king of a smaller nation wouldn't bow like this before an emperor…

"I kneel before you not as a king but as a father and a man. Thank you, Kaladin, for saving my daughters and my home," he said, his deep voice full of warmth and compassion.

"Huh?" I muttered.

He smiled brightly from ear to ear showing his sparkling white teeth. "I know you were the one who saved Ren and Lauren from those bastards months ago. And it's hardly a stretch to say you saved them again when you killed that Dragon. I'm not sure I could have protected my family against such a legendary beast. So please, from the bottom of my heart, please accept my most heartfelt sincerity. If I were twenty years younger and not a king or father, I'd swear my life to you and help you conquer the world."

So he knew? Of course, he knew…the Shadow Dancers must have seen me after all. Ren must have tried to keep me a secret…but maybe she asked them to as nobody came up to me.

I scratched at the back of my head from his sincerity. I felt embarrassed here with all of this praise from this man…it was awkward. "Well, I don't want to conquer the world, so perhaps it's a good thing you are a father and a king. But I understand. I'll accept your kindness, Bishop."

He rose to his feet and gave me another friendly pat on the shoulder. "Thanks, Kaladin."

"Mhm. Anyways…I hate to utilize your kindness early, but I need to inform you of something," I said.

The king raised his eyebrows at me. "And what would that be, son?"

"I have no intentions of staying in this kingdom or serving you or anyone in your family for that matter," I told him honestly.

The king laughed and flopped down onto the sofa, his legs dangling over the arm. "Yeah, I figured you would say something like that. So it seems Ren does indeed understand you."

Just how much do these two talk about me to their parents?

The king stared into the ceiling for a while, not saying anything. The atmosphere didn't change, and I didn't believe anything negative was going to happen. "What happens if I order you to stay?" he asked me.

"I'd ignore it," I said bluntly.

The king chuckled and gave me an approving look. "Good…that's what I like to hear. I haven't had somebody talk to me like this in years…god, I miss those days…" he said longingly.

The king exhaled a large amount of breath from his pursed lips and shot up from his prone position, and clapped loudly. His large bear paws for hands made the sound surprisingly loud. "I understand. Do what you want."

Eh? What?

King Maxwell looked at me and smiled. "You seem surprised. What am I going to do, force you? The man who can kill a Dragon? You are cutting yourself short, son." His grin grew wider and had almost a sadistic side to it. "You are far stronger than you are giving yourself credit for. I may be able to kill you right now but not before you cause a massive amount of destruction."

Ah…he is a battle junky…I've seen these guys before.

He motioned for me to take a seat, so I joined him. "I see…"

"No point in worrying about it. But I do ask one thing of you. I hope you don't mind us using your name and status to throw some weight around."

"As long as you don't expect me to act on these forceful negotiations you plan on I having. I don't have any problems with that," I told him.

He nodded and gazed off out the window. "Nope."

He continued to stare out the window, and the atmosphere shifted ever so slightly. "I…I'm surprised you are allowing this. Shouldn't you be up in arms about all of this? I just swore fealty to your daughter and this kingdom, yet you don't seem to care that I'm willingly and planning on committing treason and deserting. Even more so when you denied the Sanderviles request?"

King Maxwell didn't even bother looking over at me as he shrugged his massive shoulders. "Mhm…I wonder if that's the case. But if I forced you, would that change anything? You aren't some noble I can just boss around, Kaladin."

"No…it wouldn't change much," I agreed.

The king nodded and let out a deep breath. "Indeed. Besides, if you have no plans of staying here now, then the easiest way to climb that hurdle is to change things. You have a daughter, right?"

"Don't you dare—"

The king chuckled, and his same battle-hungry smile from earlier appeared on his face as he waved me to sit back down. "Ahahaha! You are definitely a feisty one! But you are getting ahead of yourself, son. I have no plans of hurting that child, and I'm not going to use her to bend your arm. All I was going to say is that she is a former slave, yes? I learned that much about you before…well…before all of this happened," he said, looking me over again.

I slowly sat back down and observed the king. "What of it?"

He can threaten me all he wants but Mila and Sylvia are off the table.

The king winced. "Such a harsh glare there…I thought I told you I had no plans of ordering you around. All I'm saying, Kaladin, is that we have created a safe haven for children like her. She would be able to live a carefree life in this kingdom with access to facilities people can only dream about. Do you believe she would live a better life anywhere but here?"

I was about to refute the king, but I stopped myself short. He had a point. Even Syn'nari had slaves and practiced it openly. Technically speaking, Mila would be a convict even in Syn'nari, but that's only if she is found and a bounty is placed…but still…it is a possibility.

Then there is Sylvia…

Even now, Sylvia is getting less than savory glares. People know she is a Vampire, and although they don't know she is the granddaughter of the big bad evil yet…they still don't like her. I wouldn't say it's outright hostility, but there is a clear difference in how they treat her now. Even those close to us seem to be more reserved around Sylvia…and that breaks my heart.

She hasn't changed…nothing has changed…why can't people see that?

The king sighed and stared off at the door behind me. "I suppose I gave you a lot to think about. But remember, I'm not the only ruler of this nation, Kaladin."

And as if on cue, the door opened suddenly, and Queen Maxwell strode in. The doors and room were soundproof, so there was no way he heard her. I mean, I know for an undeniable fact my hearing is better than his.

I looked at the king, and he was smiling wryly while standing up. "I can see your confusion. When you spend enough time with a woman, you can almost sense when they are about to storm into a room. A man's intuition is just as strong as a woman's," he said while patting me on the back.

Unlike the king, I imagine the queen wouldn't be too happy if I ignored her. I stood up from my seat and kneeled before her. "Oh? And what might you two boys be talking about?" Queen Maxwell asked in a friendly voice before I could say anything.

"Ah, nothing much. Just talking about The Pump and everything surrounding it," King Maxwell said nonchalantly.

She looked quizzically at her husband like he spoke in a foreign language. "Sure thing…The Pump…yes. Anyways, greetings Sir Shadowheart."

"Hello, Your Majesty."

"Please take your seat, Sir Shadowheart. It appears I was beaten to the bell tonight. I was looking forward to speaking with you first," the queen said, allowing a small amount of annoyance to slip into an otherwise neutral voice.

The queen is like a more refined version of Lauren. But I guess that comes with experience.

"Welp, I'm going! Good luck, Kaladin!" the king shouted with a wave while walking out of the room.

Wait! What are you doing?! Come back here! Well…that's what I wanted to shout to him, but I can hardly do that…can I?

Queen Maxwell sat down in the exact opposite way her husband did, elegantly… as a queen should. "How was the party, Sir Shadowheart? Also, may I call you Kaladin?"

"The party was enjoyable, Your Majesty. And you may call me whatever you desire," I told her.

She looked me in the eyes and smiled. "I see…you are just as my daughters described."

"And…how exactly are those two describing me?" I asked curiously.

"A serious yet honest man. That one could always tell what you are thinking…I can see that now, but it appears they were wrong about some things," the queen admitted, maintaining her refreshing smile.

I nodded at her words and didn't respond. I wasn't nervous or anything…I just didn't really know what to say to her. And I felt she knew exactly what she wanted to say to me. Or should I say I know what she wanted to tell me?

"Tell me then, Kaladin, what did you and the king talk about exactly? I find it hard to believe you only spoke of lifting heavy things and slaying Dragons," she said playfully.

"I…yes, we did converse about other things. I merely told him where I stand on all of this," I said carefully.

She eyed me suspiciously and raised an eyebrow at me. I could tell she was looking directly at my Dragon eye. "Oh? And where exactly do you stand on…all of this?"

"As I told His Majesty, I have no intentions of staying in this kingdom or serving you or anyone in your family," I repeated.

The queen allowed a momentary glimpse of a surprise to pass through her face. Her soft swirling green eyes watched me, but she let out a small giggle. "Perhaps I should have trusted Arene's experience more…to think you are such a bold man to admit such things openly. May I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"If you hadn't slain the Dragon, would you be telling me the same thing?" she asked curiously.

"Yes."

She rolled her tongue around in her mouth and brought her hand up to her face. "So honest, I admire that in a man."

"I am fourteen…Your Majesty…" I told her.

This time there was no mistake. The queen's eyes went wide, and she looked me up and down. She even narrowed her eyes at me, and I could tell she was about to accuse me of lying…it was the same look Lauren had given me on a few occasions.

But that look disappeared, and she put on her usual smile. "So that was true…I thought perhaps you were attempting to appear younger to fool people into underestimating you."

"No, I wasn't doing anything of the sort."

"Well, I believe the days of considering you a child are long over, Kaladin. I don't see a world in which some simple boy can slay a Chaos Dragon or attempt to raise a child that isn't his," she said while raising an eyebrow at me.

"I suppose you are correct, Your Majesty."

The queen changed her sitting stance and took a more… relaxed approach. "May I ask you another question, Kaladin?"

Why is she asking for permission? Is she just trying to appear kind?

I nodded, figured repeating myself over and over again was getting redundant. "What would it take for you to stay with this kingdom? To serve as you promised in your oaths? Women? Money? Land? Titles? Prestige even? What do you want?"

I didn't hold back the sigh, and I allowed it to escape me. She narrowed an eye at me, but I continued on. "There is nothing you can give to me that I want. Everything I want I already have, and everything I can't get is being brought to me."

"Oh? And—"

"I would greatly appreciate you not dragging this out, Your Majesty. You've said it yourself, I'm an honest man, and right now, I'm being very forthright with you. My mind is made up, and my decisions were made long before I came here," I interrupted.

That is…the kind of maneuver that is going to get me killed…but I don't believe Queen Maxwell would go to such lengthy measures so early. Then again, she did betray her entire nation.

The queen made a confused noise that almost sounded like a hum or a squeak. It was a weird noise. "I understand, then I shall not pester you further."

"Really?" I blurted out in surprise.

She nodded her head and began to stand up. "Indeed, there is no point, just like you said. So if I want things to change, then I'll have to take a different approach. There are plenty of ways to convince a man to stay and settle down."

I…don't like the sound of that…but I don't feel like I should make a comment either.

"Would you care for some wine, Kaladin? You must be parched from all this talking. It was rude of my husband not to offer you anything to drink," she asked me with a friendly smile.

And I don't like that smile either.

"I'll have to pass, Your Majesty. I do not consume alcohol. It's bad for the young mind," I told her.

She tilted her head in a cute way. "Really? I've never met a man like yourself who would decline good wine. A queen is even pouring it!" she said with a giggle.

Oh, I've been here before…

"I thank you for the opportunity. Perhaps one day—"

"I insist," she said flatly.

Then there is that simple phrase.

"As you wish. I would enjoy having a drink with royalty," I said, exasperated.

The queen moved towards the back of the room and reached for a small table. However, right before she got to it, she tripped and stumbled, barely catching herself. I had bolted out from my seat and was going to attempt to catch her, but I stopped myself short.

That noise…what was that? No…I know exactly what the noise was.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" I asked in faux concern.

She turned around and gave me a wry smile. "Ah, yes, I'm fine. Perhaps I'm the one that had too much to drink tonight," she said with a giggle.

Was she pretending to be drunk? I didn't even smell a hint of alcohol on her breath. And what is she planning?

The second the queen tripped, I heard the distinct yet incredibly faint sound of a cork being popped. If I were still a Human, there is no way I would have ever heard such a distinct and soft sound, especially with the cover of her tripping. Even a Beastmen would have most likely missed it. But an Elf?

Is she underestimating me? No…I guarantee she just doesn't understand how an Elf's hearing works. It's completely different from how Humanity hears things. And explaining it to someone just isn't feasible.

But why? What's in that vial she is hiding? Poison? Is the queen going to attempt to poison me? No, that's highly unlikely. Luminar would lose a significant amount of sway if their Dragonslayer were to die the same night as their knighting. It would weaken the kingdom significantly.

Then there is Sylvia to consider. They are well aware she is a powerful Vampire…if I were to die of mysterious causes in the presence of the king and queen, she would undoubtedly cause problems. Of course, they could silence her…but that would be difficult considering it's Sylvia.

So…what's about to happen, and how do I get out of this?

The queen gently placed the glass of purple liquid in front of me. It swished from side to side in the perfectly clear glass. I grabbed it and examined the wine cup, and realized it was probably the purest glass I've yet to see in this world. The golden metal flakes on the stem were so tiny and intricate…how does a Dwarf with fat fingers make something so precise and beautiful?

I looked into the liquid next, and I couldn't tell if there was some kind of drug in it. It appeared to look normal, and it didn't smell funny. The only smell wafting off it was the scent of strong alcohol.

How is it that people enjoy this stuff? It smells repulsive. What did water ever do to people?

I was hesitating, and the queen looked at me expectantly as she took a sip of her wine. Perhaps if I just kept it in my mouth and didn't swallow, it wouldn't affect me…wait, that's not how that works. I swished the drink and was tempted just to toss it into the wall when I was saved by fate itself.

The door burst open, and King Maxwell flashed us a brilliant smile. "Sorry! Forgot my crown!" he said with a joyful laugh as he went over to retrieve it.

Queen Maxwell uttered an annoyed grunt and clicked her tongue in a way that was an exact replica of Lauren. She flicked her head around and glared at the king, which was perfect timing for me.

I quickly sent my drink into my storage ring and forced mana into my arm. I quickly hovered over the queen's drink as she had placed it down to yell at her husband for a moment. Then, like a trained assassin, I managed to swap our drinks using my Spatial Ring. That was too close for comfort. I don't believe whoever made these rings imagined they would be used for this…hopefully it wasn't poison.

Is it technically regicide if the queen kills herself because I swapped our drinks?

By the time she turned around to face me again, I now had her drink in my hand, and she had mine. I took a sip of the wine and winced. I felt my face scrunch up like I was eating a particularly sour lemon. The wine burned going down my throat, and I started coughing from the sensation.

This is absolutely terrible. Who in the right mind thinks this…acid juice is even decent?

"Nice! Was that your first drink, Kaladin?!" the king shouted with a grin.

"Unfortunately…" I grumbled, trying to scrape the liquid off my tongue using my teeth.

I set the glass down, and the queen gave me an apologetic look. "It appears it's not really your style…I'm sorry, Kaladin," she said while taking a sip of the drugged cup.

"Alright, I'll see you later!" the king shouted while walking out the door. He stopped on his heels and pointed at me. "Are you free next week, Kaladin? I would very much like to have you over so we can work out together?"

"Dear! What are you blabbering about? Bother the man some other time," Queen Maxwell hissed.

King Maxwell faked being surprised and walked out the door while chuckling. "I'm serious, Kaladin! Don't you dare leave this kingdom without working out with me, or I'll hunt you down myself!" he yelled from the hallway.

That's not good.

Queen Maxwell sighed and continued drinking from her cup. I felt no different after that sip, and it seems she is doing alright as well. If it were a delayed release kind of poison, then I should be fine… the queen…well, I just need to hope it doesn't come down to that.

But I should take advantage of this timing. I must know something…

"Your Highness, may I ask you a question now?"

She waved her hand as her usual neutral smile returned. "Of course, ask away."

"Why did you do it?" I asked bluntly.

The queen tilted her head. "Mhm? Why did I do what?"

"Why did you scorn Sandervile like that? They are your allies and one of your largest contributors of food, right?"

The queen laughed and finished off her glass and placed it down with a slight thunk. "You needn't worry about such things. I've had this planned out for a long time. You just happened to be the catalyst to send things off."

"Care to explain?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I suppose it won't hurt. You see, Dragonslayer, it has been this kingdom's number one priority to break free of the grip that Sandervile and the City-States have on us for food. Even more so than boosting our population, regaining our military might, rebuilding cities…you name it, and it all came second."

"Why? I mean, I know why, but why? Couldn't you have just continued to rely on them since growing food is so difficult here? Fishing can only make up so much of your food stores."

"It is true we relied heavily on Sandervile for grain and cheap produce just a few decades ago, but that is no longer the case. We've been working tirelessly to develop new methods of farming, even going so far as getting brand new seeds from Khiz to grow during the winter. And by we, I mean Bowen. He has done a phenomenal job over the last few years, and his advancements have catapulted this nation into prosperity," the queen explained.

I nodded along at her words and gave the queen a once over. She was fanning herself, and I could see a small layer of sweat had begun to drip from her forehead. Queen Maxwell didn't appear to be in pain or as if she was about to be in pain…but whatever she slipped into that drink was working.

"I see…but why continue to trade with them?" I asked.

"To stuff our grain storage to maximum capacity." The queen wiped her forehead, but that didn't stop her. She blinked a few times and smiled at me. "I shouldn't be telling you all of this, but we found a magic item that allows us to preserve grain for years. Our stockpile of food has nearly tripled in the last four years. Even with our current growing and caching rates, we could feed the population. With our storage…we may just be able to feed the population three times over," she told me.

"Okay, so—"

She interrupted me with a giggle."Yes! It's amazing! Fantastic even! It took a long time, but we've finally done it. I was growing tired of the City-States and their petty passive-aggressive nature."

"And how—"

"They are always upping the prices for grain and taxing us at the border! They've been doing it for years, those dimwitted Trolls! Do they really think we wouldn't be keeping records?!" the queen shouted.

"Is it because you are allowing slaves to—"

The queen pointed a finger at me and laughed, interrupting me yet again. "Yes! All because we are allowinggg a few of their stupid slaves to live here! What a bunch of thick-skulled idiots! Once we raise the tax on salt and crossssing our bordersss intooo Tel'anda'duthhh they arrre going tooo beee sooo pisssed! Theyyy might as weeell kisssss ouur ironn goodbye as well! Andd ourr dungeooon teamss are bringing even more itemsss back!" she stammered with a snort.

The queen has lost it.

Her pupils were dilated to the size of coins, and she was sweating profusely now. It was like she was drunk, but somehow it was ten times worse as she began to stutter, her queenly demeanor crumbling. Queen Maxwell's breathing was increasing, and I could see her white skin being flushed red across her entire body.

Should I do something? Call a guard? What do I even say to them in this situation? "Oh, sorry, I made the queen drug herself?" As if.

She doesn't look like she is dying…she just looks very…uh…

Queen Maxwell stood up from her seat and swayed like a drunkard. She licked her pink lips and flopped down onto the couch. I tried to back away slowly, but it was like retreating from a predator.

She fluttered her green eyes at me and gently rubbed my face with her sweaty hand. "You…are one handsoomee man—"

"Ah…well, thank you, Your Highness, I do appreciate that," I said nervously.

This was not on the agenda…oh…she put enough for me…she just double-dosed herself, maybe even triple.

She got even closer to me, and she was nearly in my face. I could feel her hot breath on my skin, and she smelt like a mixture of perfume and sweat…it was…very intoxicating. She rubbed a hand across my body. "Yooou…really are just the best of both worldss," she slurred.

"I'm sorry, what?" I squeaked.

I wanted to push Queen Maxwell off of me, and I was very tempted to do so, but there is no way I can justify shoving a queen. As long as things don't go overboard, I can endure…yes…I can endure…yes.

She was almost sitting in my lap, she was so close. She brought her mouth up to my ear. Her exhaling tickled my sensitive ears, and I bit my lip to stop myself from making any noises.

"That gorgeous High Elf face on the body of a strong Dark Elf…I always liked my men a bit darker. I never imag—" she whispered into my ear.

I watched as a flicker of recognition flashed in her glassy eyes. She frantically looked around and pushed off me with both hands. "Guardssss! Open dat damnn dooor!" she screeched.

Of course, the rooms were soundproof, as was the door. I sat glued to my seat as she barely made it to the door. The Praetorian Guard stood at the doorway, and I could imagine the confused look from behind his mask.

"Youu! Getty me my husssband this inssstance!" she demanded. Then she pointed a finger at the guard than at me. "And youuu! Escort SSssir Ssshader…errr.. Draggounssslayer to the sssuiteee!"

"Ah, Your Majesty, I can—"

"You canon ssshutup! It'sss late! You are not wolakining…walking…the ssstreetsss this late! I refuse!" she slurred out. The guard looked at me, and I just shrugged.

It appears I'll be sleeping in the palace tonight.