[BONUS]
Queen Eleanor . . . Ren said to himself. Though she was already a mother of two, she was also one of the beauties in ARCADIA, and she had her set of fans that were crazy over a mature and refined lady like her.
“Who are you, sprite?” Queen Eleanor asked, her voice cold and commanding.
Ren took a deep breath and stepped forward. “My name is Ren,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “I’ve come because I wanted to enter the Fey Realm.”
“The Fey Realm?” Queen Eleanor frowned, and before she could speak, Princess Elena went to her mother and whispered in her ears.
The Queen of Elves gasped in shock and disbelief upon hearing the news that Queen Aurora’s corpse was nowhere to be found. This news would undoubtedly be a significant cause of concern for the Queen of Elves, as the disappearance of the corpse could have several implications for the future of the Elven kingdom.
As a sign of peace and alliance with the Feys, Queen Aurora’s corpse was laid to rest in their lands upon the latter’s request.
“Could it be . . .” Queen Eleanor muttered to herself before she said, “Maybe Queen Aurora still lives?
Princess Elena herself was surprised. “Mother, what are you saying? If this gets out, without a body to confirm the Queen’s death, there could be confusion and uncertainty about who should assume the throne, leading to potential power struggles or even civil unrest among the Feys. And we might be implicated in this. We’re already having problems with the Dark Elves. We can’t have the Feys turned against us too.”
Queen Eleanor had a grim expression on as she said, “The missing corpse could suggest foul play or that the Queen’s death was not a natural occurrence. And there’s also that slight possibility that she’s alive, which could further destabilize the kingdom and threaten its security.
“We would investigate this matter in secret to further determine the truth behind the disappearance of the corpse and take appropriate measures to ensure the stability and safety of the kingdom,” he Queen finally said.
While the Queen and the Princess were talking, Ren remained a bystander. It was only them in the room since the Princess was wise enough to clear everyone before telling the Queen about what happened.
Though it was reckless to leave the Queen and the Princess with a complete stranger, Ren was a player. And players couldn’t initiate fights inside town, cities and any establishment unless it was part of a quest.
Princess Elena then pointed a finger at him after a short moment.
“Mother, don’t you think that he did it? He was there when Queen Aurora’s corpse was replaced with someone else.”
Instead of taking her side, the Queen shook her head. “No. Queen Aurora’s body was protected by a powerful magic, one that wouldn’t allow just anyone to steal her corpse. She must be . . . she must really be alive,” the Queen said, with a sad and hopeful expression on her face.
“Are you sure, mother?” Princess Elena asked. “It’s been so long.”
“My friend’s death was a mystery after all. Aurora is one of the most powerful fairies in her kingdom. It’s hard to accept that she would just die one day without rhyme or reason.”
Queen Eleanor then asked Ren what happened at the tomb, and Ren explained everything.
The Queen was quiet for a moment. Thinking before she asked Ren, “Are you an adventurer?”
“Yes.” If Ren said no, then that’s the end of it.
“Then would you mind if you accept a quest of mine? Sadly we couldn’t divulge within our kingdom or anywhere else of this. This is a secret that none must know. If you help us investigate at what really happened with Queen Aurora’s Corpse, you will be handsomely rewarded.”
“I accept,” Ren said without another word.
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[You have received Queen Eleanor’s quest!]
“Thank you,” Queen Eleanor smile for the first time. “I will give you and your party access to the Fey Realm as well as to my kingdom to better aid you in your quest for truth. But be warned – if you betray my trust or reveal our secrets to the other realms, you will suffer the consequences.”
Ren nodded, feeling a surge of relief that he could finally go to the Fey Realm after so many twist and turns.
After this, the Queen gave Ren a white colored stone and a map. “In this map, you will find the location of the Fey Realms entrance. If you wanted to enter the land of the fairies, just break this stone, and a portal to the Fey Realm would open.”
Ren then excused himself and explored the castle a little to find some free treasures and chests.
When Ren was out of the throne room, Princess Elena soon followed.
“Ren,” Princess Elena called.
Ren stopped and looked over at the Princess.
“I know that my mother said to leave it to you,” she started, “but I wanted to help. I want to go with you to the Fey Realm and investigate about this matter myself.”
Ren frowned because he couldn’t remember a plotline like this.
“We are already having troubles with the Dark Elves in our borders, and they already held Elaine hostage, thinking that we have their prince.” Princess Elena took a deep breath before she stared at Ren with determination.
“I can’t let something like this leak out in public, or even we will have the Feys knocking on our borders armed with magic and might. My mother already got her hands full in the matter of the court. I don’t want to stay here and wait for something to happen.
“We can’t let other people solve our problem like this. Declaring myself as the representative of the elves, take me with you.”
“. . .” Ren didn’t know what to expect about this progress, to be honest. He didn’t know what the right choice was since this option was new to him.
“Suit yourself,” he said after a while.
The hard lines on the Princess’s face softened a little. “Thank you.” she then gave a jewel to Ren.
“If you’re going to the Fey Realm, just break this crystal, and I will teleport immediately to you.”
Ren nodded and the Princess beamed.
“It’s a promise then.”
After the Princess spoke those words, she went on her way, and Ren was left on his own without any hindrance to explore the castle.
