Dalia pointed to the door. Rya got out of bed, walked to the door, and opened it to find a lavish office with a large desk made of exotic wood and a matching chair. There were shelves lined with books, scrolls, and other knick-knacks. The desk had a quill, an inkwell, and paper. There was a large round table in the middle of the room. Six chairs surrounded it, but none of them were made of wood. All were made from steel and cushioned with black leather. On the wall were two paintings of the late King Burell Meredydd and his wife. This room was designed for the Royal Family whenever they visited Ironside.
'Jeez, this stuff looks expensive!' Rya thought to herself while taking in all the gold accents around the room.
"Wow... I feel like I shouldn't touch anything... Oh? That's a big window," the Dark Elf exclaimed while admiring the view of the office. She sauntered gracefully to the window and gazed pensively outside, her eyes tracing the patterns of the busy streets below. As she peered downward, her gaze was drawn to a solitary figure seated at a secluded table in the corner of the palace courtyard. Recognition dawned on her as she realized that it was the same dwarven mage who challenged her when they found out that she was a Dark Elf after entering the palace grounds. It was Archmage Hajdah, the Fire Mage of Ironside, Headmaster of the Mage's Guild, and an elder dwarf.
"Uh... He looks familiar, but I can't remember his name... Who is that?" Rya asked Dalia as her head started to hurt from her hangover.
"That's the dwarf from the Mage Guild. He's been hanging around after you were in bed. I thought he was going to go home. I guess he isn't," Dalia replied in an annoyed tone.
"Well, someone's finally awake. I hope your head is feeling better," asked the familiar voice that belonged to Quinus.
Rya spun around, heart racing, only to find the Crown Prince standing before her, a warm smile lighting up his face.
As Quin laid eyes on Rya's stunning face, he misinterpreted her expression as one of panic or fear. In response, he awkwardly raised his hand to scratch the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Rya. I didn't mean to startle you."
Rya let out a sigh and shook her head. "It's okay, really. I'm sorry for being such a mess after getting drunk again."
Quin smiled and nodded, "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault. Hajdah was hell-bent on proving that you were using me. He was an idiot for trying to start drama between us. Don't listen to him."
Rya frowned and placed her hand on Quin's chest. "Does he not trust me because I'm a Dark Elf? Or what?"
Quin took Rya's hand into his own. "Yeah. The weird thing is, Hajdah has been alive for 120 years, and you're the first Dark Elf he's run into? It seems like most of the continent hasn't run into the Dark Elves except the Alliance of the Divine Three?"
'Huh? Are Dark Elves a rare species? I thought they-I meant "we" were a pretty standard race in this world. I guess I assumed wrong. Then again, I am in a city of the Dwarves. Wait, what did Quin just say? He said that Dwarf was 120 years old?... Damn!? Well, he's aged well. I wonder what the average lifespan for a dwarf is?' Rya pondered.
"Well, we're invited to have dinner with the Baron tonight. Would you like to join us?" Quin asked.
"Sure, why not? I've never met the baron before, and I don't want to be rude," Rya replied.
"Just try not to drink too much ale tonight. You don't need another hangover," Quin said sarcastically.
Rya laughed and nodded. "I think I've had enough for one day. But I have to say that stuff is too good!"
"You know I don't care if you get drunk as long as you behave yourself," Quin said.
Rya flashed a mischievous grin.
"Oh yeah! There's a festival for the Goddess happening tomorrow. It should be nice just to relax a bit," Quin mentioned.
"Well, I wouldn't mind checking it out," Rya replied.
Dalia and Percy were excited about the idea of attending the festival.
"Yeah, I'd like to watch the animal show if anyone is interested," Percy asked out loud.
"Hmm? A human, dwarf festival? I'd see the main attraction, but I don't really like to see animals in captivity. They are used mostly for fighting or performing, and it wouldn't give me any pleasure. But if it were humans that were fighting in an arena, then I would be interested," Dalia said with a wag of her tail.
Percy's heart raced as he suddenly realized that he had promised to take Dalia, a former Battle Arena Slave, to see caged animals, mirroring her own past captivity. Uncertain of how she would react, he scrambled to make amends.
"Ah!... Did I say that!? What I really meant to say was, let's go to the game stalls, exciting rides, and get some delicious food. We'll steer clear of the animal fights, Lady Dalia. Which are nowhere near as fun as those other things; ha ha," Percy hastily corrected himself. He prayed to the Goddess that he wouldn't offend the woman that he loved.
"Good, that's why you're the best little wolf in the world," Dalia said with a wink and a giggle.
Percy blushed and nodded, not knowing how to respond.
'Oof! That was almost a disaster, Percy... Good recovery, though. But she's gonna eat you alive if you keep making mistakes like that. Well, I'd better enjoy the show. Haha,' Rya thought to herself as she stifled a chuckle. After she was done laughing at her own jokes, an idea popped into her head that might help the two of them grow their relationship.
"You know, Dalia?... It's like you're going on a date with Percy?" Rya said with a grin, trying to tease the Wolfkin. But her ulterior motive was to push the couple together.
Dalia's tail perked up, and she quickly turned her head towards Rya. She had a puzzled look on her face.
"But it's not a date, Alpha. It's just a simple trip to a festival. And it's with everyone. So, there's no way it's a date, right?" the wolfkin asked, which made Percy look disappointed.
"Hmm... But didn't you want to know what a date is like with your mate? That's a shame," Rya replied, shrugging her shoulders and putting a sad look on her face.
Dalia tilted her head. She thought to herself about what Rya had said. "I'm not afraid of some 'date.' I've been through so many opponents that these dates that humans go on will be nothing to me."
'Hehe! You better thank me for this, Percy, 'cause I'm about to set you up with the girl of your dreams!' Rya thought to herself. She couldn't contain the evil grin that was growing on her face.
"Heh... Putting up a brave front, huh? Well, dating is one of the toughest battles that you can fight against," Rya said, her voice filled with confidence.
"A battle? It's just a human tradition. And humans are weak. So, their dates shouldn't be difficult to overcome," Dalia said, sounding sure of herself.
Percy's eyes widened with excitement, but he kept quiet, not wanting to ruin the moment.
Rya's grin widened. She could almost hear the young man's heartbeat.
"Well, you see, it's like a fight. But instead of fighting physically, you are fighting with your heart and mind. You have to use your words in ways to win over favors and gain your opponent's trust. Then, you will slowly open up and allow them to get close. This process can take a long time, and some people may not be patient enough to stick it out to the end... Can a Wolfkin handle such pressure? That's the real question."
The wolfkin's ears twitched. Her tail stopped wagging as she took in Rya's explanation. Then, her eyes filled with fiery determination. "Fighting with words and opening your heart, huh? I am not afraid, Alpha! If it's a challenge, then I'll be ready for whatever it brings. Right, little wolf?"
Rya beamed with approval as she glanced at Dalia. Then she turned to Percy, who seemed eager to descend to the Dark Elf's feet and shower them with kisses for devising such a brilliant plan. Quinus observed the scene with amusement and held his tongue, not wanting to spoil the moment.
"So you aren't afraid then?... Good... Because you will be... You will be," Rya said ominously, raising her hand and pointing directly at Dalia's heart.
"Hmph. Just point that finger somewhere else. Because I will win," the wolfkin said, puffing out her chest.
"Heh, very well, Dalia," Rya said, lowering her finger as the Wolfkin didn't realize what she had just gotten herself into.
Quinus finally chimed in after the amusing display. "Enough joking around, everyone, let's go meet the Baron," he announced.
Rya looked at Quin and nodded. "Sounds good."
With a confident stride, Quinus approached the door and swung it open. Gesturing with a sweeping motion of his hand, he signaled for everyone to make their exit. The group then made their way to the dining hall, where the grand banquet was already in full swing.