Agnes Asalon:
In front of stood Ryan and John, while Charles remained by my side. Due to our intense schedules, this was the first ti in a long while that we gathered with both grand dukes—my brother and Charles’s brother.
We had just returned from a formal dinner with none other than Haiten and Siofna, held at the elven majesties’ mansion in the city. The topic of the eting had caught us off guard: the lost elven heir. Or rather, one of them… because the revelation was far more shocking than we had imagined. He wasn’t rely the descendant of one of the dukes—he was of the royal elven family itself.
According to the information we received, there were three elven heirs, two of whom were connected to our kingdom: a woman and a man. However, there was one detail that we had been discussing for months—the male heir was a high noble. That was the real concern we had been grappling with since last year. The implications of such a status were potentially destabilizing. Yet, even while maintaining the stance that this posed a problem, I had already started seeing it as an opportunity.
If I played my cards right, I could turn this into a political advantage. I could propose a formal alliance with the elven royal family, uniting our kingdoms through a marriage between Syvis and Duncan. However, this required finesse. I couldn’t suggest the idea outright—I had to plant the seed carefully, while their relationship was still in its early stages. And deep down, this possibility didn’t even seem that far-fetched. Generations ago, the archduke himself had married a human from our kingdom, which had led to the situation we were in now.
Fate is clearly favoring the Asalon family. This is yet another sign that my family is destined to rule over everything.
"There’s just one problem," John’s voice cut through my thoughts. "Who is this high noble?”
The question hung heavily in the air.
The process was slow, and both sides were proceeding with extre caution—even they were. The heir’s identity would only be revealed at a later stage, once our response to recognizing the dual citizenship was formalized.
We also had no information about the third elven heir, the demi-human woman. We didn’t know her age or which tribe she belonged to. The matter of the third heir was being handled directly with the queen of the other kingdom, so we couldn’t demand too many details. She could be two years old or a hundred—she could be anyone in that kingdom since she was a commoner.
Or she could be soone living in Apsalon—this city had a history of rare individuals awakening elven magic due to racial intermingling. Being a commoner, the possibilities were vast.
But the real issue is the identity of the high noble in our Kingdom.
John pointed to the open docunt before him. The list detailed all high nobles of the realm, nearly a hundred nas. It didn’t include just the eight dukes but also their direct relatives—fathers, mothers, grandparents, siblings, cousins. Anyone from a duke's lineage was classified as a high noble.
"Even knowing it’s a man and a woman, that still doesn’t make things any easier…" Charles said, crossing his arms with a tense expression.
"Well, brother," John countered with his usual calculated calm, "only the man is a high noble. Haven’t you noticed? The mother of this high noble is not of noble birth from our kingdom. That ans that among all high nobles, we need to filter by those whose mother is a commoner."
John was ticulous—a specialist in information. His mastery of lightning enhanced his mory, making him a living archive of facts and connections.
"There are thirty-five high nobles who are n and whose mothers are commoners," Ryan continued, flipping through one of the docunts on the table. "Among them is the next archduke of the elves."
That information should have made uneasy. But instead, a part of saw nothing but opportunity. Yes, this was a new heir to the elven throne. Yes, it could complicate my plans. But at the sa ti, I could sll victory. If I played my hand correctly, this was the key to realizing the future I had spent years carefully crafting.
"The noble is from a duke's family," I said, savoring each word with a touch of coldness. "That ans he must obey us."
Even so, reality was more complex. There were two other female heirs—a human commoner and a demi-human commoner... And whoever married them would automatically gain a direct link to the elven royal family. A clear threat to the balance I had fought so hard to consolidate.
I sighed, taking another sip of wine. The eting shifted focus, and the rest of the evening was spent discussing the state of the borders. However, my mind kept spinning around this new ga of power.
Later that night, in our chambers, as I prepared for bed, Charles lay beside , reading a book. The room was quiet, illuminated only by the soft glow of the fireplace. When I lay down, he closed the book and placed it on the bedside table, turning to face with that ever-analytical gaze of his.
"There are three more heirs..." he repeated in a low voice. "Doesn’t that worry you?"
I kept my expression serene, but inside, unease pulsed beneath the surface. Still, my tone remained controlled.
"It doesn’t matter. The main family is from Syvis’s lineage. Like I told you before, we have the advantage in political negotiations. I needed an excuse to propose an arranged engagent between Duncan and Syvis... and this situation ca at the perfect mont."
"Even so," he insisted, his voice carrying lingering doubt, "there are still three heirs..."
"One of them is a high noble tied to our kingdom," I repeated firmly. "At the end of the day, he must obey us. The real concerns are the other two won. Whoever marries them will gain automatic influence over the elven royal family... and consequently, our empire. That cannot happen."
Charles hesitated for a mont, searching for the right words.
"So, what do you intend to do?"
I gave a faint, dark smile.
"Even if I have to force them to marry one of you, the Asalon n. But there is no way I will let years of planning fall apart because of them."
Nathan Evenhart:
At dinner, I was eating at the table. Across from sat Adrihna and Saint Tiffania. There were things I wanted to ask. I needed to know if the palace I had seen was the sa one in the elven kingdom. The continent I lived on had not originally been connected to the Human Empire’s continent. Many doubts lingered in my mind.
I need to see the elven kingdom in person. How many murals must be out there? I have to uncover the rest of Freya’s story. Perhaps in the palace of the elven royal family, there are clues waiting for .
I started sweating as my thoughts spiraled into endless possibilities.
Have I been a mber of the elven royal family all this ti? Or am I just soone insignificant? After all, there could be other elves with white-silver hair. I have no idea what happened after Freya’s eting with Mimir.
If she created the High Elves who inherited silver-gray hair, could she not have later created others with white hair? Maybe my elven ancestor is just an important mber of the High Elf Council.
I didn’t want to accept it, but it was the truth. I was a descendant of Freya, part of the royal bloodline.
Now, my complicated diplomatic situation finally made sense. My ancestor was from the elven royal family, and I inherited elven royalty while also being the heir to a duchy in the human kingdom. That’s why this is so delicate… It could lead to war.
I looked at the two High Elves sitting in front of .
"I'm going to shave my head," I said, and instantly, both of them jumped out of their chairs.
"What!?" they exclaid in unison.
Damn… It really is Freya’s hair.
"It was just a little joke," I said, trying to play it off.
"Nathan… You nearly gave a heart attack," Adrihna muttered.
Chloe gave a weird look, then suddenly let out a small chuckle. In the next mont, the entire table erupted in laughter at Adrihna and Saint Tiffania’s reactions.
"It was a little funny," my mother said, smiling.
I went back to eating. They were eating as well, though mostly out of politeness, since none of us were particularly hungry.
"You really scared ," Saint Tiffania admitted with a small laugh.
***
I decided to head to my room while they stayed in the living room, playing a board ga. Natty and Catty wanted to join in, too. I threw myself onto the bed. Cylla was outside in the yard, chasing butterflies, while my mother was on the balcony with Martha and Aunt Margie, drinking wine and chatting.
Originally, my aunt was supposed to leave tomorrow, but an elven representative had asked her to stay due to the progress of my citizenship. A eting between the three majesties would be happening soon, and as the highest authority in the duchy, she needed to be present.
I rolled onto my back.
“I have so much to take in…” I muttered, staring at the ceiling. “I need to find more pieces of the ancient civilization’s history.”
I'm becoming just like Syvis… addicted to this kind of thing. The difference is that I don’t want to be an archaeologist… or maybe she only wants to be an archaeologist because she wants to uncover more history?
I sighed.
“So Syvis is my cousin? Wait… Kinue is part of the royal family, too…”
Knock, knock.
I looked toward the door.
“Co in,” I said, still lying down.
The door opened, and a beautiful High Elf stepped inside.
“Professor…” I said, sitting up in bed.
“Nathan, do you have a mont?” she asked.
Adrihna walked over and sat beside on the bed.
“Am I in trouble?” I joked.
“You're always getting into trouble,” she teased, nudging with her elbow. “But don't worry, my job is to get you out of it.”
I think I finally understand the depth of those words…
“Professor… Can I ask you a question?” I said, looking at her.
She t my gaze.
“If I can answer it… of course.”
I looked at the woman who had been teaching magic since I was eight years old, who had beco my friend. A part of feared that our friendship wasn’t real.
“Are you my friend because you chose to be? Or… is it just your duty? After all, you're responsible for my citizenship, and the king asked you to help because of my relative…” I asked sincerely.
Adrihna seed to consider my words.
“Hmm…” She placed a finger on her chin, thinking. “I think I'm more than just your friend.”
I didn’t understand what she ant.
“I'm your professor. I've known you and trained you since you were eight years old. We've lived alongside each other for eight years. You're more than just a friend to —you’re my responsibility, my ward. I'll always be here to advise you if you need and to teach you magic… even if I go beyond standard training and teach you military-level techniques,” she said with a chuckle.
The High Elf pulled close into a small embrace.
“Maybe you think things will change between us as you learn more about our culture and religion… but all I can say is that I'll always be your teacher and… a great friend.”
I felt a bit relieved. Maybe our relationship had started out as her obligation or a desire to protect her culture, but in the end, I had beco friends with this High Elf who loved books… including so rather spicy ones.
“Professor…” I said, a little embarrassed, “Why are you only wearing a camisole and panties?”
“Oh, I was heading to bed,” she answered casually.
I sighed internally.
“You might be a High Elf, but I'm still part human. This kind of thing affects because I’m a man… and you are very beautiful,” I admitted.
“Don't worry, in my culture, interactions of that nature only happen between couples. But you and I are friends,” she said, patting my head.
I don’t think she fully understands how human hormones work in these situations…
Still, I accepted that this was just the way she was and continued treating her normally—even if she was practically half-naked.
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