Hilda's furniture was rearranged with meticulous care to replicate the layout of Quinus's chamber, an effort born out of desperation and driven by the events of the past few days. She had cunningly managed to introduce several items gifted by Duchess Leandra Revelia into her own quarters, all in the hopes of enacting a plan that felt increasingly treacherous as the deadline loomed near.
Among the items was a small, ornate box containing an AphroAroma Wick, designed to incite passion and desire. Leandra had suggested that Hilda stealthily enter Quinus's room, light the wick, and allow its enticing fragrance to weave its spell. Although a foreign princess herself, Hilda had reservations about resorting to such manipulative tactics. Every instinct in her rebelled against the idea of using another woman to drive a wedge between Quinus and Rya. But time was running out, and her heart felt heavy with uncertainty. It was only after what she believed to be divine guidance from the Goddess Iyomelka, urging her to embrace Leandra’s strategy, that Hilda reluctantly agreed to move forward.
Yet, there was a significant hurdle to her plan: Hilda possessed an underdeveloped Mana Vein, which rendered her incapable of activating a fae-bath or a forever torch. As a result, she needed her friend Dori, cloaked in the wood elf’s enchanted garb, to surreptitiously enter the Crown Prince's chambers and light the wick for her.
“Are you sure this is wise, my lady?” Dori asked, her voice tinged with anxiety as she looked over the spell components.
Hilda's brow furrowed. “We are running out of time and options, Dori. I despise the thought of instigating trouble between Quinus and Rya, but I see no alternative.” Her voice trembled, echoing her internal conflict.
Dori hesitated, wringing her hands. “Surely we could just let Rya lose favor with the people? It wouldn’t take much, given the fickleness of public opinion...”
"No, she has everyone wrapped around her finger. The commoners and the nobles adore her. Not only that, but she has the Temple of Balance on her side, even though the—"
Hilda stopped herself from divulging that Iyomelka spoke to her. However, what Hilda didn't know was that it wasn't Iyomelka but Nils who spoke to her out of irritation that Iyomelka wouldn't let her talk to her chosen one, Rya, about the last of the Dark Elves. Nils was the one who told her she could win Quinus' heart by doing a simple act that would cause a rift between him and Rya. She used a forbidden technique to glimpse a possible future, to get rid of Hilda so that Quinus would marry Rya and speed up the process, in hopes of Iyomelka letting Nils speak to her chosen one, while also getting some entertainment from the Foreign Princess's demise. However, this forbidden technique caught the ire of the Fates, and the best possible future with Quinus and Rya being married was now severed, and Iyomelka was scrambling to fix it with minimal divine influence to keep the Fates at bay.
Dori sighed and looked at the box and the Wick, "I-I don't know, my lady... Why not use this... Thing to seduce the Prince?" Dori suggested.
"I...I don't know if I could be so bold. Plus, the Dark Elf will have cause to attack me. I would be destroyed before I could even have a chance. My half-brother can't help me either. I saw how she destroyed Sir Darius without breaking a sweat. And he has the blessings from the Divine Three. I-I just... This is our only option," Hilda stated as she sounded desperate.
"But can't the Crown Prince protect you? If you're the future Queen, he could—"
"No. It's too risky. Dori, we're out of options. If I'm to keep my position, we have to get rid of the Dark Elf. She is a threat to humankind's future. The Dark Elves have no qualms about killing their enemies, and I've been lucky that this elf has a sense of honor. It sickens me, but if this is what I have to do, then I will."
Dori sighed and nodded her head. The young woman didn't like this. But it's the only option her lady had left.
"Very well, my lady... I-I'll light this candle," Dori reluctantly said and grabbed the AphroAroma Wick and studied it. There were little notches on this pink wick that were called a delay mechanism. This was the first time Dori had seen an item like this and wanted to examine it more closely.
"So, you want me to light the delay for 15 minutes?" Dori asked.
"Yes. That should be enough time for you to get out of there while I ask one of those two wood elves to get something out of Quinus's room. Then I will ask my Prince, and he'll open his door, and the AphroAroma will fill his lungs, and his lust for the wood elf will become unbearable. Once Rya finds out that Quinus doesn't want her anymore, then she'll try to kill the wood elves, and we can use this as leverage. We will make the Dark Elf pay, and the House of Lords will be forced to exile her or execute her for treason against the crown. Then I can marry Quinus and save humanity from destruction."
"Which wood elf will you send, my lady?" Dori asked as she put down the AphroAroma.
"Probably the Green-haired one, that way her daughter will have to help her fight the Dark Elf. That way it might give Quin a chance to... kill the dark elf." The thought of killing Rya made Hilda sick to her stomach. She hated that it had come to this, but the Goddess had spoken to her, and she was chosen by her to save Quinus and the Kingdom.
'If only we had more time... I would have preferred to get the Dark Elf and those Wood Elves out of the way by diplomatic means. I just didn't expect the Dark Elf to be so well loved by the people. Not only that, but she has the Church of Balance's priestesses on her side. It must have sickened the Goddess that her own church would be manipulated by a dark elf. The Dark Elves have always been the bane of humanity. Rya must be hiding her true nature from us... Y-Yes, that's it. She will reveal her true nature once she is named the future Queen of the Fiafyr Kingdom... She will kill us all, and she needs to be stopped.' Hilda lied to herself. She had no evidence to back up her logic. Frankly, she was trying to make herself feel better for doing what she was doing. But the truth was, the foreign Princess was envious of the Dark Elf. She was in love with Quinus and would have preferred a diplomatic approach. But the situation was beyond her control. So, Hilda had no reason to question the Goddess's guidance.
"Do it, Dori... Do it and our kingdom will be safe from the Dark Elf," Hilda stated.
Hilda's eyes looked determined as she believed she was in the right. She needed to justify her actions, and she was willing to use any means necessary to get what she wanted.
"Alright, My Lady... When do we do the deed?" Dori asked.
"Hopefully in a few days. We are waiting for the Queen to confirm the meeting with Leandra Revelia," Hilda stated.
Hilda knew she would need the Duchess' support if this was going to work. And Leandra's plan was the best course of action. She would be the decoy so Hilda could work behind the scenes without the Dark Elf in the way.
"I wish we could do it today. The suspense is turning my stomach into knots," Hilda admitted.
"I understand, my lady... I will do what needs to be done. Until then, do you want some tea?" Dori asked.
"Please," Hilda smiled.
Dori smiled, got the teapot, and left the room. She wasn't happy about what was happening, but she was loyal to her mistress. And if this were the only way, then she would do it.
***
A couple of hours later, Queen Rianna was walking around the hallways of the palace. She was heading to Yuliana's Conservatory, where the wood elf likes to grow her own plants, and it doubled as a training ground for her three daughters to practice in the Green Word.
Rianna wanted to speak to Yuliana alone and waited for Yuliana to be done with her lesson before the Queen knocked on the door.
"Come in," a female voice said from inside the room.
Queen Rianna opened the door and found Yuliana sitting on a bench. She was wearing a yellow dress and had her emerald hair tied up in a braid. She was drinking a special blend of tea that she grew to calm herself. She started needing it the more her birth daughter, Nieren, complained about how boring it was being the Wood Elf's daughter. And how Nieren would prefer a life of adventure and excitement. She was too much like her father, and it frustrated Yuliana to no end. But even with all of Nieren's whining, she was making strides in her training. And the young elf was a powerful mage and warrior.
Yuliana took a sip of her tea and stood up, "Your Majesty, I wasn't expecting you. What brings you to my humble greenery?" Yuliana said as she walked over and gave a curtsy.
"Rise, my dear. No need to be so formal. I just want to have a quick chat with you," Rianna said, smiling.
The Royal Elf stood up and smiled back, "Alright, would you like some tea, your majesty?"
"No, thank you. I've already had my fill earlier," Rianna answered as Yuliana led the Queen to a bench.
Yuliana and Rianna sat down and looked at each other.
"So, what did you want to talk about, my Queen?"
"Rya," Rianna answered, and Yuliana was a little confused.
"Rya, your majesty?" Yuliana asked.
"Is she acting a bit strange to you?" Rianna asked.
Yuliana looked a little nervous. "S-Strange? In what way?"
"Like... Are her eating habits something you've noticed?"
Yuliana was panicking on the inside. Not that it was a bad thing that Rya was pregnant. Yuliana was over the moon when she found out that Rya was pregnant after she gave her a special prenatal tea that tastes terrible to females who aren't with child.
But the problem was, the elven myth lore about pregnant elves who didn't know that they were with child. It had to do with angering the wood spirits if anyone brought up the fact that the mother was pregnant. It would bring bad luck and ill will to the mother if she didn't find out herself.
"I-I can't say I have, my queen. Why, is something wrong with the princess?" Yuliana asked, feigning ignorance.
"It's just, she's been eating a lot. And not just snacks, but full meals. It's not normal for an elf. Not unless..."
Yuliana didn't let Rianna finish, "Don't say it!"
Rianna was a little startled at the sudden outburst, but it was enough to confirm Rianna's suspicions.
"You know, don't you?"
"What!? N-No, I don't, I—"
Yuliana's calm demeanor was gone, and she was frantically waving her hands back and forth. She had the worst poker face in the world, and Rianna was excited beyond belief. She just didn't know why Yuliana was hiding it.
"When did you find out?" Rianna asked as her smile couldn't get any wider.
Yuliana groaned in frustration as she was caught.
"Ugh! I can't believe how bad I am at keeping secrets."
"Oh, please. I don't know why you are so upset. We could have used this to—"
"Get Rya to miscarry," Yuliana said in a very cold tone, which surprised Rianna.
"I-I'm sorry, what? Why would that happen?"
Yuliana sighed, "It's elven folklore, my queen. If a mother doesn't discover she is pregnant. If anyone tells her. It will anger the Wood Spirits, and the mother will be stuck with misfortune. We can't tell anyone about this until Rya finds out for herself. And it is SOOO frustrating! I swear that girl acts like she's never been born as one!" Yuliana huffed as she was a little animated with her hands.
Rianna blinked in surprise. The Wood Spirits. This was an elven myth. There's no way this would—
She knew the pain of miscarriages, as she'd gone through more than she could count. Which was the fault of Leandra's schemes. Even if she thought the myth was silly, Rianna didn't want to take a chance of angering the spirits. She would rather not be cursed and suffer from Rya's miscarriage.
"I see... So we need to get Rya to find out on her own," Rianna said.
"Yes, Your Majesty. But that's easier said than done. For how intelligent that girl is, she is oblivious to her pregnancy. I tried sending her subtle hints, and she just thinks I'm joking around. Like this morning, she was asking if there was a way to hide her stomach better. I said she should show it off more, but she just glared at me and thought I was mocking her for getting fat. It took all my willpower not to grab her by her ears and shake her while yelling, 'YOU ARE PREGNANT!'"
Yuliana's hands were mimicking the shaking motion, and it was kind of funny.
Rianna started laughing and couldn't help but feel the same way.
"How did you find out?" Rianna asked, wanting details.
"Her taste. Her taste changed, and I made her a prenatal tea that should help give her child proper nutrients. But the taste is quite bad, unless you are pregnant. The fact that she was able to drink the whole cup was the biggest giveaway."
Rianna was happy. She was so happy that Rya was carrying her first child.
"This is amazing! I wish we could just tell the damn House of Lords that they don't have to worry about a stupid next heir anymore. But I guess things turned out well in the end... Maybe we can negotiate something where Quinus doesn't have to get a second wife if he gets Rya pregnant in a certain timeframe. This way she won't have to share him with another woman."
"Yes, that's true. But at this rate, Rya will think she's getting fat her whole term until she's going to pop! If only there were a way we could feign ignorance and still help her discover the pregnancy."
Rianna thought for a moment, then a smirk grew on her face. "Maybe there is a way we can get her to notice without having the spirits curse her," Rianna stated.
"How, my Queen?"
"Well... My mother gifted me an artifact when I got married to Cyndre. Once my son's marriage is official, I will continue the tradition of passing down the Lifebloom artifact to her. Once she touches it, it will light up to confirm the pregnancy. And it will help her track the child's health and progress. That way, we can act all surprised and shocked. It will also prove to the House of Lords that the baby will have the Royal bloodline."
Yuliana looked at Rianna with starry eyes, "You are a GENIUS! You humans always have the most ingenious ideas."
Rianna laughed at the compliment, "Thank you, my dear. I will gift it to her once we make the announcement of the marriage... Oh? By the way," Rianna had a devious smile on her face, "You need to work on your poker face, Yuliana. If I could tell, then anyone could have picked up on it," Rianna giggled.
Yuliana's face was flushed in embarrassment.
"Ugh! I'm not seasoned enough for these things!"
"Well, you better. You're a Royal Elf, after all," Rianna chuckled.
"But my brother was the king..." Yuliana's face saddened, but she shook it off and smiled again. Her future was looking bright, and it could be brighter if her only birth daughter would find a damn man already!
"Well, he lives on through you and your daughters. You have the potential to be a Queen, so you need to keep up the appearances," Rianna stated.
Yuliana sighed. She would love to see her brother again, but he died during the invasion from the Kingdom of Marn. Whatever wood elves weren't enslaved were in hiding. And with no Elder Tree for them to call their home, the wood elves had no way to create a kingdom. Yuliana and her daughters only had three shots at growing a new Elder Tree, and she needed to find the perfect place to plant the saplings.
"Someday... But I want to wait a little longer before I start looking for a forest that will accept an Elder Tree. The wood elves will come out of hiding soon enough."
"Indeed... You know what. I will have some of your tea," Rianna stated.
"Of course, your majesty," Yuliana nodded and went to her plants and harvested the leaves.
