"Prince Quinus! It's been so long! You've grown up into such a fine young man!" the Dwarf said with a polite bow.
"Well, I'm on the clock," Quinus whispers to Rya before turning his attention to the Dwarf, who is wearing a gaudy outfit made from lavish silk and has a fur coat draped over his shoulders. His beard is neatly braided, and his hair is trimmed short, giving him a more dignified appearance than the other dwarves in the room.
"Hello, Lord Garlon... It's good to see you again," Quin said, putting on the best smile that he could muster.
Lord Garlon, a dwarven advisor to the Baron, was a skilled merchant who traversed great distances to meet and trade with diverse races across the world. He usually represented the Baron in political affairs and helped secure lucrative deals on his behalf. Lord Garlon was always on the lookout for new opportunities to enrich himself, and the Baron was his primary client.
Rya couldn't shake the feeling of unease as she noticed the intense and unsettling gaze of Lord Garlon fixed upon her. She tried her best to ignore him, but it was hard not to notice his constant leering.
"Well, hello there. And who is this lovely creature beside you, Prince Quinus? A potential wife, perhaps? I would think the Prime Minister would lose his head if he found out... Can I be the one to tell him? That would be hilarious." Lord Garlon asked in a condescending tone.
Rya blushed a deep red when she heard those words. She quickly averted her gaze from Lord Garlon. 'W-What is with this guy?... Wait?... No one knows that I was a man... A-And Quin is a good friend!... He helped me with my Mana Lust because he cares about me, so this asshole shouldn't say that about us!' Rya thought as her cheeks flared up with anger, but images of Quin going down on her flooded her mind, and all she could do was close her eyes and shake her head vigorously to get rid of those images.
"N-No, Lord Garlon. She's a friend of mine. She's not a potential future wife... Unfortunately..." Quinus said while mumbling the latter half.
Rya's ears perked up, and her head snapped in Quin's direction. She could see a light pink blush form on the Prince's face.
'Is he blushing? Did I hear that right? No way, I must be imagining things. He's just a good friend, nothing more.'
Lord Garlon noticed the change in Rya's expression, and he realized what was going on. She was afraid of falling for a human and needed time to come to terms with her feelings. He smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I see... It's easy to mistake friendship for something else. I apologize for my assumptions," he said in a smooth tone.
'Huh!? Why is he smirking like that? What's so funny?!' Rya thought as her brow furrowed.
Quinus noticed Rya frown, but it looked more like pouting, and he had to hold back a chuckle.
'She looks so cute when she's angry,' the prince thought.
"It's an honest mistake... Luckily, she's a very trusted friend... One, I would sacrifice my life for her without hesitation," Quinus said in a solemn voice.
'W-Well... That's nice, but I wouldn't ask you to do that, Quin,' Rya thought while looking away from him.
Lord Garlon's eyes widened in surprise at Quinus's proclamation, and then he nodded approvingly.
"Well... If that's how much you trust her, then she's earned my trust as well, Prince Quinus. I hope she proves worthy of such a high regard," Lord Garlon said.
Quin smiled, "She will."
"Good. Now, I was hoping to get down to some business. Would you care to discuss some matters regarding trade agreements with the dwarven nations?" Lord Garlon asked politely.
Quinus nodded, "Of course... I'm all ears."
As the intricate conversation unfolded, Rya struggled to grasp the unfamiliar places and topics Garlon was discussing. Feeling adrift in the sea of new information, she decided to redirect her attention to the captivating sights and sounds of the dining room.
As Garlon continued to talk to the Prince, Rya's keen elven senses caught the murmurs and laughter of the other nobles. It was clear that something was afoot, and Rya intended to find out what.
"What's so funny?" Rya asked one of the nobles while they were giggling.
"Oh, it's nothing." They replied in a hushed voice.
"You know I can hear you, right?" Rya replied
They looked nervous as a few of their friends came over to clear up the confusion.
"Lady Rya... We're not laughing at you. It's just... Your appearance... It's... I mean, you are the first Dark Elf we have ever seen. Not many know what your race looks like, so we were curious and intrigued," one of the dwarves said.
'This again? I have a feeling this is going to be a common occurrence for me, isn't it... Well, at least they aren't challenging me like last time.' Rya thought to herself as she heard footsteps approaching from her right.
"Ahem!" Hajdah cleared his throat, trying to get Rya's attention.
"Hmm? Oh, it's you. Are you coming to challenge me again? Mister?..." Rya asked the familiar Dwarven Mage, struggling to recall his name. Quinus brought up his name before coming to the dining hall, but she didn't care to remember it.
The Guild Master grimaced, but he couldn't blame her for forgetting his name after everything he had done to her. He was quick to reply, "My name is Master Hajdah, Lady Rya. I-I came here to apologize." He stutters out.
"Apologize? For what?" Rya asked with skepticism in her voice.
Hajdah lowers his gaze, a hint of shame flickering across his face.
"I shouldn't have questioned you when you first arrived in the palace. I apologize for forcing you to the challenge," Hajdah said shyly.
Rya's brow raised with surprise. She wasn't expecting an apology from Hajdah, especially not so soon. She looked at him closely and saw that he was being sincere, and it hit her why he was apologizing.
'OH!?! Quin must have been pissed... Hmm? Maybe I can use this to my advantage. Yeah! I got this!' Rya thought to herself before letting out a sigh, "Well, I might be able to accept your apology if you can do something for me?" she asked coyly while giving him a cold stare.
Hajdah appeared uneasy, wondering what the Dark Elf's intentions were.
"I-If it is within my power, I'll see if I can do it, my lady." He said with a bow.
'OH HO!... Okay, keep your cool, Ryan. Don't scare him away too soon now,' Rya thought to herself as she gave a fake smile, "So, you're part of the Mages Guild, correct?"
"Yes, my Lady. I am the Head Mage of the Guild," Hajdah said proudly.
'Head Mage? This is perfect... Maybe he can help me out.' Rya thought before giving a smirk, "Do you think that you could let me learn some of your spells? I'm new in the ways of the Arcane... I want to help Quinus defeat his enemies, but I can't do that unless I can learn more magic." Rya was determined to uncover a way to acquire more power for herself and Quinus.
Hajdah was surprised by her request. He didn't expect her to want anything from him besides an apology.