The chest carried by the elves looked old but sturdy. Its surface was carved with intricate, ancient Elven symbols, and it was tightly bound with thick leather straps.
Eryndor stepped forward without hesitation, walking directly towards where Viana stood, ignoring the council mbers who were surprised to see him, finally seeing the Elves whom they couldn’t see during the war with Arin’s forces.
His calm expression looked at Viana with warm, smiling eyes. The Elf warriors lowered the chest before the Princess with a loud thud.
And all eyes, including Lazarus’s, which were now narrowed in curiosity, were fixed on the chest. The scent of old wood and earth wafted from it.
"Your Highness Princess, Your Majesties the King and Queen," Eryndor greeted all royal family mbers, his voice clear and gentle, yet heard throughout the entire room.
"We heard about what you are facing. And we, the Elves, have discussed and decided to offer our support, in our own way."
With a graceful movent, Eryndor reached for the leather buckle that secured the chest. With a single pull, he opened it easily.
The chest was packed full of millions of gold, silver, and copper coins, and so jewelry with precious stones. The soft jingle of tal was heard as so coins on top shifted downwards.
The nobles present, who had previously been cynical and arrogant, were now all silent. Their mouths were slightly open, and their eyes widened in surprise, now beginning to show a desire to possess the vast treasure.
Duke Callisto, whose face was always red, now turned pale, his eyes fixed on the glittering piles of coins and jewelry. Lazarus, who had been indifferent, now had his jaw visibly tensing with an expression of shock.
"These," Eryndor continued, pointing to the chest. "These coins were left by humans in our forests, in caves, or at the roots of trees. The Elves have collected them for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years."
He turned to Viana. "They have no value to us, Princess. We do not use these tals. We live from the land, from life itself."
Then he smiled at her and continued, "But we know, for you and the people of Elysia, all these tals will be very valuable. And this is also a sign of friendship from us, as a token of gratitude for saving our lives."
Viana looked alternately at the tals and Eryndor, her eyes welling up. She felt deeply touched by the imnse kindness and support from the Elves, whom even her ancestors had never been able to et.
But for the nobles, Eryndor’s support, who was also ’one of Viana’s n’, was a direct answer to all of Duke Callisto’s questions, a hard slap to the faces of all the doubting nobles.
***
After Eryndor’s unexpected presence and grant of aid to Elysia, the atmosphere in the council room changed drastically. The nobles who had previously doubted the Princess’s intentions, which they thought would destroy the dignity of the royal family, now whispered among themselves with a different tone.
Now they whispered about the potential wealth that the Elysia Kingdom would gain. Greed beca stronger than their desire to uphold tradition.
Arden imdiately seized this mont by speaking about how the coins would be invested, such as buying food, recruiting workers, and restarting vital projects.
He did not forget to present a picture of widespread starvation turning into a popular rebellion, and most effectively in convincing the nobles, the potential for the Elysia Kingdom to beco an easy prey for external powers if Elysia continued to weaken financially.
"If we fail to revitalize our economy," Arden explained in a calm voice, "we will not only see everyone suffer, even Elysia’s sovereignty will be threatened. However, now, with this unexpected gift, we already have the tools to begin our plans, imdiately."
Viana let them whisper and discuss among themselves, but after so ti, she looked at Duke Callisto with a challenging yet pleading gaze.
"Sirs, I offer solutions, hard work, and full dedication to Elysia. What I need from all of you is support, and permission to act to save our kingdom. Will you all help , or will you let us sink into ruin, just because you all dislike who stands beside ?"
The nobles present began to fidget, and a long silence returned to the room. The real threat to their respective wealth and status began to shift their priorities. They might not like Viana’s personal choices, but they feared losing everything more.
Moreover, it turned out that the one supporting the Princess was a leader of the Elves, proven by their involvent in the war against Arin’s forces, and also by the piles of treasure now before them.
Duke Callisto, his face seemingly even redder, finally sighed deeply. He could no longer object, especially since he was now influenced by Arden’s words about external threats.
"Very well, Your Highness Princess," the Duke finally said in a stiff tone. "The council will... consider your proposal. We will form a committee to thoroughly review the details Master Daelis presented. However, we will demand regular progress reports, and every expenditure must go through our approval."
A small smile then blood on Viana’s lips. Now, this council, with all its intrigues, could no longer refuse her.
***
After the council eting, Viana returned to the Imperial Palace, exhaustion creeping into every joint of her body. Joel, Reyes, and Eryndor followed her.
As Viana dropped herself onto the sofa in her room, Joel snorted. "Stubborn old nobles," he grumbled. "He never thinks with common sense."
Viana smiled tiredly. "Let it be, as long as they can still be directed, that’s enough." She then turned to Joel, then to Reyes, who subtly nodded at her.
Eryndor stepped before her, then sat on the sofa opposite Viana, his expression remaining calm. "Those tals, Princess, are just the beginning. There is more that we can offer, if you know how to ask and if you can build our trust."
His voice sounded soothing. "The relationship between Elysia and the Elves has been renewed since the blight was overco. You should not listen to the foolish whispers of those human nobles."
Viana nodded, her gratitude to the elf man felt profound. "Thank you, Eryndor. You ca at the perfect ti, and have shown them undeniable proof of everyone’s hard work."
Eryndor smiled faintly, his ethereal face and long silver hair looking even more like a painting. "As elves, we know what we must protect. And you, Princess, have shown that you are worthy of our protection."
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