PaulMichaels
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IGIWS: FIRST DRAFT: Chapter 255
🕑 Added 2024-07-19 05:04:23 +0000 UTCAs the events were occurring in Rya's room. Princess Hilda Stoneworthh was being dressed by her maid, Dori.
"Do you really think we need a corset, Dori?"
"Yes, my lady. It will get the Crown Prince's attention away from the foul being. I'm sure of it," Dori smiled.
"I don't think I need something so restrictive during the ritual."
"My lady... The Dark Elf uses a corset to accentuate her already seductive features. The Duchess says it's not proper for you to go without one, and I agree with her. The corset will make you look even more voluptuous, and it will make the Crown Prince want you more. You are the only one capable of breaking his infatuation with the vile creature."
Hilda sighed and then nodded her head. She didn't really have a say in the matter as she looked at the glowing spherical artifact sitting in the middle of her room. Dori had activated it so the Elves couldn't eavesdrop on them. Hilda would have loved to activate it herself, but she's never slayed a monster before to grow her Mana Vein. So, she left that part of the plan up to her trusted servant.
"Do you think the Duchess' plan will work? I tried to put talk that dark creature during dinner last night, and she turned it into a joke," Hilda asked as she recalled her attempts to outwit Rya the previous evening.
"Do not worry, my lady. We don't need the help of that noble to take care of the dark one. The Divine Three have chosen you to stop her... You were given physical gifts that rival the sub-humans... If the Crown Prince continues to fall under her spell, he will never return to the light," Dori said as she put the finishing touches on her lady's outfit, which showed a little more cleavage than she was used to.
Hilda wasn't used to wearing such a dress that would be considered a sin to the church. She stuttered at the thought of what the clergymen would have done to her if they saw her in her current state.
Dori understood her ladyship's concerns, and she smiled warmly, "Don't worry, my lady. We aren't under the control of Prince Terenthiel... and it's only temporary. The dark creature will have no chance against your beauty and charm."
Hilda didn't think she was that pretty. Sure, her assets were more significant than most of the female nobles and peasants she'd met, but her hair was too red, and her purple eyes were considered strange by the church. She was called an abomination because she had red hair and purple eyes, but her servants always told her she was beautiful.
Hilda looked down at her feet and nodded her head as she tried to build up her confidence, like when she confronted Terenthiel and her brother Zane about their plans. She had been forced to take matters into her own hands, and she would have to continue to do so until she could break the Prince's infatuation with that Dark Elf.
"I-It will be done," Hilda said with resolve in her voice.
"Excellent... I knew my kingdom could count on you," said the voice of Leandra.
Dori and Hilda quickly turned in the direction of the Duchess's voice, but they couldn't see her.
Dori frowned and stepped forward, "You have a lot of nerve sneaking in here any time you wish!"
Leandra chuckled as she decloaked and took off the elven cloak.
"My?... Aren't you fiery today... Is that how to treat the one who gave you those artifacts?... I could've let the Elves catch you with them..." Leandra said with a sly grin.
Dori didn't back down and took another step toward Leandra.
"Dori!... She's an ally... Who knows what the Elves would have heard if it weren't for her..." Hilda said, trying to diffuse the situation.
"But my lady..." Dori turned her head and started.
"Please... No more arguing..." Hilda said with determined eyes.
Dori frowned but nodded her head in agreement.
"Well, now that that's settled, I'm sure you remember the plan..." Leandra said as she approached Hilda and looked down at her breasts.
'Tsk!... She reminds me of my wretched sister-in-law... Weak men are the only ones who desire women with large breasts... I bet Quinus would have never fallen for the Dark Elf if she had small breasts... Regardless... I need her to be my puppet,' Leandra thought as she smiled at the young woman.
"You look divine, Prince... I believe the goddess will recognize you over that Dark Elf..." Leandra said while staring directly at Hilda's purple eyes.
Hilda tried to cover her breasts with her arms. Leandra gave her the same vibes as Prophet Paul when she was chosen.
"Umm... You really think the Goddess will choose me, even though I follow the Divine Three?..." Hilda asked with a confused look.
Leandra laughed, "The Divine Three aren't the only Gods, my dear. Why wouldn't a human goddess choose another human as her next Savior?... It happened to Queen Rianna, who was a follower of the Water God, Eridan. The goddess of balance, Iyomelka, chose her to be her savior because of her devotion to the kingdom. It made it clear that she was the rightful woman to marry the next heir of Fiafyr."
The Duchess said this in a joyful tone but at the time. She tried to make a fool out of Rianna during the ritual by tripping her as she walked towards the altar. And instead of falling, the young Rianna recovered just enough to go into a different praying position that made the Idol glow. Leandra wanted to scream in frustration, but she had to swallow her anger. If she did, then it would have looked bad for Alaric and his standing within the Fiafyr Kingdom.
"That... That's incredible!" Hilda said with excitement in her voice.
"Of course, the goddess would only choose a worthy human as her chosen one... So when the Goddess chooses you and after the dark elf fails. You need to declare that you are the rightful wife, and you should be the next Queen."
"That sounds... Umm..."
"I know it's hard, but you must do it... This is the only way to save Fiafyr... My husband will be in the holy chamber to make sure no foul play happens. But he can't intervene if the Dark Elf is chosen... I wish I could be there by your side, but Queen Rianna won't allow me near my nephew... I hope you can convince the queen that I'm a true ally."
Hilda's face went pale, and she looked at Dori.
"I understand. I will do my best."
"Thank you... I knew we could count on you," the Duchess said, smiling. She pulled the elven cloak on and vanished before Hilda and Dori.
"This is getting out of hand. I don't know what your brother will do if you get chosen by a blasphemous Goddess... It might put your life in danger if he reports you to the High King and the Prophet," Dori said, glaring at where the Duchess had disappeared.
"Yes... But if I must sacrifice myself to free the Prince. Then I will. Even if it means sinning against the Divine Three, I will do it for the good of humanity and Prince Quinus. This is something I need to do, Dori. I can't let the Prince suffer under the clutches of that evil Dark Elf," Hilda said with conviction.
"I don't know why... But the Duchess doesn't have the best intentions for you, Hilda. She might have a hidden agenda... We shouldn't trust her."
"But the Duchess was so kind to me... What other reason would she have to lie?"
Dori looked at Hilda and tried to come up with something to convince her Ladyship not to trust the Duchess, but she all she had was her gut instinct, and she couldn't prove the Duchess was lying.
"I just have a bad feeling about this. If you do get chosen by the Goddess, I'll stand beside you," Dori said, smiling.
Hilda returned the smile, "Well... Do I need anything else before I should greet the Prince?"
Dori looked Hilda in the eyes and saw her Ladyship's resolve, "I think you look beautiful as you are, Milady. I believe the Prince would like you as you are."
Hilda felt confident and walked out of the room with a smile. Dori grabbed the silence aura artifact and turned it off before following behind her. They were stopped by one of the Royal Guard knights.
"Your Highness. The King and Queen have returned to the palace... Do you wish to greet the Royal Family or return to your rooms and wait for the Prime Minister," the guard asked.
"I wish to greet them now," Hilda said confidently.
"As you wish, your Highness... Please follow me."
Hilda, Dori, and the Knight left the guest wing of the palace and walked toward the foyer.
***
As the Three parties slowly converged towards the foyer. Rya was surprised how everything was extra tidy, and the Guards were more disciplined. It made her feel like the palace was ready for something.
"Is it always this uptight when your Dad's home?" Rya asked.
"Yeah, they have to ensure everything is in order when the King returns from his trip," Quinus explained.
"That would drive me nuts," Rya said.
Quinus smiled and continued walking with his hand in Rya's. Sir George, Percy, and Dalia were a little farther behind them while Nieren finally caught up to them. She was flustered and was out of breath, thanks to her corset.
"Where were you," Rya asked, seeing the Wood Elf.
"I-I had to deal with something," Nieren said.
Rya raised an eyebrow but shrugged her shoulders and kept walking with Quinus.
"Well, I believe the Prime Minister and a few of the Nobles are waiting to greet my parents in the foyer. Hopefully, Johan is here too," Quinus said.
"Hey?... Where's Mom?" Rya asked Nieren.
The wood elf sighed, "She said she was straightening up a few things in her conservatory. The General was able to get a few things that she needed."
"Haha... Mom really wants you to grow all the herbs, doesn't she? She going to turn you into a farmer at this rate," Rya joked.
"Ugh!... Don't tease me, Rya... I'm happy that you helped me with tweaking my technique, and I never thought I could use the Green Word to save my life. But Mom's obsession is a little concerning," Nieren replied.
"Haha, you should've seen what happened with the plants you left behind," Rya said.
"Really?"
"Oh yeah... The roses grew ten feet tall after you channeled all that mana into your Green Word incantation. She was so starry-eyed that I wish I could have taken a picture," Rya laughed.
"T-Ten feet!?... By the spirits... B-But the seeds took a minute to grow a couple of saplings, and the more I connected to them, the slower they grew, and then the mana ran out, and I had to start over," Nieren replied.
"Hahaha. Nieren, I told you you must be subtle and patient when using Green Word. They aren't artifacts or enchanted weapons where you can just pump mana into them and expect a quick result. Mom said the same thing when you stormed out," Rya reminded her.
"Hey!... I'm older than you, Dark Elf," Nieren shot back.
"Hahaha... Okay, Granny," Rya joked.
"Ugh, shut up... I'm not that old," Nieren grumbled.
'Haah... Nieren?... She doesn't realize that she's pretty old in human years,' Rya thought.
They all reached the foyer and could see the guards were in formation with the Prime Minister and the others Nobles Rya hadn't met before. The only ones she knew were the Major Houses that were in Parliament five days ago.
'Hmm... They must be Minor Nobles... I can tell by the color and the crests on their tunics. I wonder how many support the Duke... Or should I say which ones don't support the Duke... I could probably count the number on my hand at least,' Rya thought.
They could hear the fanfare outside the castle walls. And they were all ready to greet the Royals and their guests. That's when they saw Prince Zane Stoneworthh and the Paladin, Sir Darius, walking in and standing beside Duval.
"Those two," Sir George muttered under his breath.
"Does the Prime Minister want to have the Divine Three to start a confrontation? Why would he allow the Paladin to be here? At this time," Percy added.
"Isn't it obvious... He's the Prince's protection. And a politician has to politic... I wonder if they are dumb enough to try something. I don't know if it would be a good or bad if they do attack me... Either way, I can handle them," Rya answered.
"Just try not to antagonize them with your words, Babe," Quinus whispered.
"I'll try not to, Quin... But I antagonize them by existing," Rya grinned.
Quinus sighed because his fiancee is right. They were going to give her a death glare the moment they stepped into the castle.
'I'll play nice if they don't act out... I'll just stand beside Quin and act like a proper lady... Even if I don't feel like one,' Rya thought.
Rya's and Nieren's ears started to twitch as the heard someone running from down the hallway in heels. The two elves looked behind them and spotted a flustered Wood Elf with green hair coming around the corner. She was wearing a lovely green and brown dress that fluttered behind her as she made her way to the foyer.
"Oh, Gods..." Nieren muttered as she covered her eyes in embarrassment when spotting her mother.
Yuliana came rushing down the hallway, and once she reached the foyer, she slowed her pace. She bowed to the Crown Prince, "Good morning, everyone... Sorry for my tardiness."
"Ahh, Lady Yuliana... Good morning," Quinus replied.
She stood up, and double-checked her attire and hair, and fixed her tiara, "I apologize, everyone, for being late. I got a little carried away while researching and didn't notice the time."
"Mom?... Are you trying to embarrass me and Rya?" Nieren grumbled.
Yuliana gave her daughter a pouting look, "What are you talking about?... I'm here before the guests, aren't I?"
Nieren sighed, "That's not the point!... You look like a slob... You can't go out looking like that. Weren't you more formal before the Kingdom fell?"
"You're too picky... We are Wood Elves. We are naturally beautiful without doing much," Yuliana said as she tried fixing her hair and dress.
"Oh really? That's why you are straightening up your outfit?" Nieren glared.
"Shut it... I'm still trying to make a good impression with Rya. Now let me be, please," Yuliana said as she turned around.
"Tsk... I swear," Nieren said as she walked over to her mother.
"Don't worry, Lady Yuliana. As long as you are here is all that matters. My parents are almost here as well. They should be down soon," Quinus said.
"Okay," Yuliana nodded.
Nieren was fixing up her mother's dress and hair when the side doors opened, and Princess Hilda walked in with two Royal Knights escorting her to her half-brother and the Prime Minister. The redhead looked eyes with Rya and frowned.
"Awe, she's trying to intimidate, Alpha... That's funny... Do you need me to put her in her place?" Dalia whispered in Rya's ear.
Rya chuckled, "No, but thank you, Dalia... I'll handle it myself."
Dalia nodded, "I'm sure she isn't a threat for a fly... Did you ever get a chance to see what type of mana vein she has?"
Rya's right brow raised slightly, "You know... I haven't yet... I don't think it is that urgent at the moment... Plus, there are too many people here to use the Seer Stone... If she shows up for dinner again tonight, I'll check then."
"Okay," Dalia replied.
Rya smiled as she stared at Hilda, which made her pout adorably even though she was trying to look more intimidating.
'If she wasn't such a stuck-up bitch, and a zealot, I might have been friends with her.'
"Good morning, everyone," Hilda greeted the Prime Minister and her half-brother.
"Good morning, Princess Hilda. You haven't had any run-ins with Lady Rya, have you?... If she did, then tell me so I can deal with her accordingly," Duval said with a concerned tone. He knew that the elves' hearing was superb and worried that Rya would do something to him.
"Huh?... Oh!... No... She doesn't seem to seek me out so far... But I tried warning her to leave the Prince alone during dinner yesterday, and she turned the conversation around on me by saying that the Divine Ones chose her to be married to Prince Quinus... She took the Divine Ones named in vain and smirked at me... I thought she was going to be stuck down right then and there. I told her that she had just handed the Prince over to me once Divine Three punish her. And you know what she did after I told her that?" Hilda said in rapid-fire action, which made the Prime Minister look at her Half-brother with confusion before looking back at her.
"Uh... I don't know. What did she do?" Duval asked.
"She laughed at me... Right in my face. Like the idea of the Divine Ones striking her down was a joke or something. She then mocked me by standing up and holding her hand up in the air and calling out for the Divine Three to strike her down!... A-And nothing happened!..." Hilda said with an angry tone.
"Nothing?" The Prime Minister repeated with a dumbfounded look.
"Not a thing. And that smug grin didn't fade either. It was like she was taunting me... She must be using some type of sorcery to prevent the Divine Ones from punishing her. That's the only logical reason why they wouldn't," Hilda said as she glared at the elf.
Zane rolled his eyes and looked at his half-sister with annoyance. He was beginning to understand what Terenthiel meant by being annoyed with women who thought they were equal to men. She's become more talkative and less obedient ever since they forced their way into the Emergency Measure 5 days ago. He liked the sad, fearful, and quiet woman. He felt he could break her easily and mold her to do his bidding. And now she doesn't shut up, even in the presence of men.
"Sister... You know nothing of the gods' workings. Just let the Prime Minister handle things. You must stay quiet, look pretty, and be ready to become Queen. I will be by your side the whole time," Zane said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side.
Hilda was put off by her Half-brother's tone but said nothing as she looked at him coldly.
"What?"
"Do you think you can intimidated me, Zane?... I sleep in the same palace as the Dark Elf, who could end me physically whenever she wants... Like I said... I'll do things my way to stop her... Unless you two came up with another idea that you weren't willing to share with me?" Hilda said with a cold tone and an icy glare at her Half-brother and the Paladin.
"P-Princess Hilda, please don't get yourself involved with Lady Rya... I promise you that me and my people have been working tirelessly to solve this problem," Duval said quickly as he raised his hands up to try to placate her.
"That's easy for you to say! You're not the one who has the Dark Elf's gaze on you. The Divine Three give me strength to—"
"Be quiet!... The King is approaching," Zane hissed.
Hilda turned to glare at her Half-brother, who stared right back at her. The horns played loudly as the doors opened. The King and the Queen entered the room with his entourage following behind them. Everyone bowed as the King approached the doorway. The King and his entourage entered, and the doors were closed behind them.
Cyndre scanned the room, looking for his son. And just as he spotted him, Duval cut in.
"My King. Please excuse the lack of formality. We're having a very serious discussion we need—"
Cyndre frowned and, pushed past him, and walked towards his son.
"B-But your Majesty!" Duval tried to walk in front of the King, but Lord Brice stepped in and shook his head.
"Don't, Prime Minister. The King needs to speak to his son first. Give him his privacy," Lord Brice said as he placed his hand on the Prime Minister's chest.
Duval gritted his teeth, "You dare stand in the way of the Kingdom's business?"
"The King greeting his son is Kingdom business, Prime Minister... His Majesty is displeased with your antics," Lord Brice said coldly as he stared at the Prime Minister.
Rianna hid her smirk as she followed her husband. She hated Duval for talking Cyndre out of executing Alaric with the failed assassination attempt on Quinus.
Quinus saw the smile on his father's face grow more prominent the closer he got to him. The Crown Prince felt his heart fill with warmth at his father's joyous expression.
"My son! I've missed you so much," Cyndre said as he stopped right before his son and held his hands out.
"As have I, Father. Welcome back," Quinus said as he grabbed his father's hands.
Alaric had to suppress the rage of his brother greeting his son after all this time. It should have been him to greet his son from the Tomb of the Horde.
'I hope you enjoy the warmth of your son's embrace, Cyndre... For the pain you caused me will soon be returned to you tenfold...' Alaric thought darkly.
Rya was staring at Quin's father, and a few thoughts ran through her head, 'Wow!... If that's how Quin's going to age, then sign me up... But if he tries to grow a beard and mustache like that, then I'll have my golems shave it off in his sleep,' Rya thought in amusement as she took in the King's appearance.
She could see the resemblance between him and his son. Cyndre's beard was trimmed down, and his mustache was thick. It was what you expect from fantasy movies with kings in the medieval era.
"My son! I am glad that you are safe," Rianna said as she hugged Quinus.
"You as well, Mother," Quinus said happily.
Cyndre watched the heartwarming moment for a while before turning his gaze to find this Dark Elf his son had taken fancy to.
He looked around and spotted her immediately in her purple dress. He almost did a double-take when he saw the Dark Elf's beauty.
'Just smile, Rya... I don't want to repeat the same mistakes as what happened with Rianna,' Rya thought as she curtsied as best as she could.
Rianna noticed her husband's reaction and stopped hugging Quin. Her face became stoic as she stood next to Cyndre, whose eyes were falling out of his skull.
"Ahem!" Rianna said loudly, causing her husband to snap his head away from the dark elf and look at her.
Rianna stared at him angrily and turned to leave.
"She looks exactly like you, Rianna... Well? Except for the ears of course. But she's just as perfect as you," Cyndre said as looked at Rianna who kept her slight glare.
Deep down, Rianna's heart raced when he said she was perfect. 'Th-This dense idiot thinks that saying flattering things will make up for everything?... Well, maybe I will if he says I'm perfect a few more times... Gah! No!... I-I keep letting him off the hook! Just because I have in and let him make love to me these past four days doesn't mean that I've forgiven him yet!... E-Even if he was amazing—Gah! Not again, Rianna! You have to stay strong and resist him!' Rianna thought, her face slightly flushed, and she kept her stoic expression.
Cyndre was a bit confused about her reaction, but he turned to Quin and asked, "So it turns out that you are a chip off the old block."
Rianna's face paled, and she snapped, "You better not let your eyes wander around, or else I'll make sure to cut off that thing you love so much, dear!"
"Mom?... Are you okay? You're looking a little pale," Quin asked.
"It's nothing. I'm just a little tired, and I feel a little off. It was probably the fish I ate last night, but I'm fine," Rianna replied quickly as her hands rubbed her stomach.
"Well, if you need some rest, I can go and fetch Doctor. I'm sure he can heal you right up," Cyndre said.
"N-No. That's quite alright, my dear. It's probably nothing," Rianna said as she straightened up her back and walked towards Rya.
Rya was a bit surprised when Rianna stopped in front of her and cried to her.
"Lady Rya... I hope things haven't been too exciting since you arrived at the palace," Rianna said.
"N-No... Not really, Your Majesty. The only thing that was exciting was meeting the Prime Minister. And even then, it was a rather calm visit," Rya said nervously.
"Really?... I heard it was a bit more intense than one would hope for... No?..." Rianna said as she gave her husband a look.
Cyndre shook his head. He was advised about everything that happened with Rya slaying two White Knights and nearly killing the Paladin to the heated Emergency Session in Parliament. This Dark Elf seemed to come out on top, which impressed him, especially when she could outwit his older brother, Alaric.
"We can discuss that at a later time... So you must be the one that my son loves. I'm King Cyndre Meredydd. Pleasure to meet you, Lady Rya," Cyndre said.
Rya smiled and bowed, "Nice to meet you, King Cyndre, and Queen Rianna."
"My, my, my, she's very polite... She might be a keeper," Cyndre said and glanced at his son.
Quin just looked at his father, his lips tight. His father was trying to embarrass him in front of his lover, but Rya didn't seem phased by the comment.
Throughout this whole time, everyone else just stood there and watched the King greeting the Dark Elf.
Sir Darius and Prince Zane glared at the Dark Elf while Hilda panicked.
'No! The King is going to be charmed by her foul magic as well!... I need to think fast!... Divine Ones... L-Lend me your strength!'
Hilda couldn't believe she was going to do this, but she moved around the crowd and beelined it towards the King right when he took Rya's right hand and was about to kiss it. Everyone was so focused on the King that they didn't even notice the young redhead closing in.
Comments
PaulMichaels
😆 I know the feeling. Plus I think it helps when you like the MC enough that when antagonist comes in you despise them almost immediately.
Novi
Uff, respect it isn‘t often that I get angry over a book but for some reason the characters in your book know exactly what to do to get me feel like Hades from the Disney movie.
PaulMichaels
Fixed that problem :-P
Athetos
Noooo, left us on a cliffhanger😓. Hilda is cute taking her job to stop the dark elf seriously. Thanks for the chapter, looking forward to the ceremony.
Marek Gwalt
TFTC
