3 chapters
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After having tea on the balcony, Erlos immediately returned to his chores, but his mind was still on the confrontation between Ember and Isa. Fortunately, he could feel more at ease knowing that the cunning fox was currently outside the palace grounds and he could avoid seeing that two-faced vixen.
As soon as he finished his most urgent work, he decided he needed to speak to his master.
When Erlos entered the study of the King, Draven was looking at the map of the continent he personally created. Melion had just returned to him the original after making copies to give to their spies and scouts outside of Agartha. Draven was expecting to receive some news soon as his aide reported they had already gone beyond the southern mountain ranges.
In particular, Draven was looking at the largest kingdom on that other part of the continentâthe Kingdom of Megaris.
âI wonder if you are still there,â he mumbled as if he was remembering someone. âI hope you are doing well.â
âSire?â Erlos said in a little raised tone.
Draven didnât raise his head to look at him as if he had already expected such a reaction from his attendant and started rolling the map.
âSire, did you know what happened?â By the tone of his question, it was easy to understand that Erlos was truly upset with the fox.
Draven stared at him, his red eyes emotionless as he nodded.
Erlos felt conflicted. âYou know and yet you have no plans to intervene? Shouldnât youââ
But Draven cut him off. âShe needs to learn to deal with such things on her own.â
âOn her own?â Erlos scoffed. âMiss doesnât know much about people.â
âThen itâs time for her to get to know about people and this is a good start.â
âMust you truly do this, Sire?â Erlos sighed. He could not understand how his masterâs mind works. âWhen Isa used to cause troubles for me, you ignore it, and now sheâs making Miss upset, you are ignoring it as well. It seems that fox is more important to you than your mate, Sire.â
A normal person wouldnât openly point out his masterâs fault, but Erlos was never the type to mince his words.
Still, that didnât mean Draven would let him question him like that.
âErlos,â he started, his voice dignified, âwhen I left you to deal with your problems on your own, didnât it help you to get strong? Didnât it help hone your character? Didnât you forget about the pain when you were busy fighting her?â
âUmmâ¦â As Erlos thought about it and remembered those days, he could not deny it. âWell, that might be true butâ¦â
âEmber is a good person, but kindness alone is not enough of quality for the future Queen of this kingdom. She is naive and reckless and trusts too easily. Moreover, she is a human and she will have to go through so muchâhate and criticism being some of themâas she comes across more people.
âMy mate canât simply sit inside the palace all her life and be protected. If I stand by her side all the time, others wonât dare say a word as they fear me. I donât want her to live in my shadows. She needs to hear all the criticism coming her way and deal with them on her own. She needs to gain the trust of others on her own and win the people whoâll stay on her side to support her on her own.
âWhat this kingdom needs is a queen who has the trust and support of her people.â
Erlos thought about it and realized Draven was not wrong. It was just a single Isa and how could she rule an entire kingdom if she couldnât even deal with one person? Moreover, they were in the palace, within the Kingâs surveillance, so Draven could still go to Ember if a need arises.
What if in the future she had to go out and mingle among other races? What if she met supernatural beings who were more intimidating and more aggressive than that young cunning vixen? Would she have another Erlos who she could use as a shield? Would another Morpheus pop out to disperse the tension?
As a human who would be the Queen of Agartha, she wouldnât be able to avoid these kinds of situations. One day, she had to face them.
âYou are right, Sire, but I still cannot help but worryââ
âSeems like she has already won your trust and support,â Draven commented.
He had sent Erlos there on purpose and Erlos didnât fail him. The way he acted to defend Ember and stood in front of Isa to protect Ember, he was satisfied by the outcome.
âI am but a single person, a young elf. How much can it help her?â
âDonât underestimate yourself. You are a High Elf with the purest bloodline. One day, you will understand your true power, the reason why other elves are unable to raise their heads in front of your clan.â
Erlos felt glad to hear it though he didnât think he was strong enough to fit Dravenâs narrative. There were countless other supernatural beings of his age who were stronger than him, just like Isa of the Divine Fox Clan.
âI am not sure how but I will always protect Miss when she is in any kind of danger,â Erlos assured his master.
Draven nodded slightly as he put the map in his hand back on the shelves.
Erlos had more to say. âSire? Back when Isa offended the Miss, I think she felt anger and there was a strange fluctuation in the air around her.â
Draven turned to him without a change in his expression.
The young elf continued, âIt was not just strongâit was terrifying. It was as if it would just destroy everything around her at a momentâs notice.â
Draven once again nodded. âWe will get answers soon.â
Erlos understood that his master would no longer say more on the matter and excused himself to resume his work.
Draven was not surprised to sense Emberâs powers this time.
Back in his dreams, he had seen the woman with emerald green eyes use a flame that seemed to be destruction personified. With that as reference, Emberâs current power, though much stronger than what he had felt before, was within the range of his understanding. He could relate it to her being angry this time.
Last time, it was because she was trying to forcefully use her powers, and this time, she was not trying to use her powers but it reacted to her sudden change in emotionsâ anger.
An anger seeking to harm another.
Vengeance! Her soul is tainted with vengeance.
She is not what she seems.