With the escort of one armed guard, they rode down to the city. On foot it would've taken a full half hour to go from the palace to the city gates. Via wagon though, it took only ten minutes. The female guard that sat in the carriage with them remained quiet and reserved.

Her eyes stole glances at the pair of them but she said nothing. Brandi, adept in reading people after having been a bartender for nearly a decade, could see straight through the guard's armored facade.

"It is quite alright if you want to talk to us you know?" Brandi said, looking through the shadowed mask of the warrior.

The guard glanced over and then back to Melanie. Realization dawned across Brandi at that moment. Brandi nudged Melanie and nodded towards the guard.

"Excuse me? Ms.-" Melanie asked.

"Joona. My lady." The guard replied.

"Good to meet you Joona. You are free to speak to us. I don't know what your commander said but-"

"I was ordered to keep to myself and protect the queen and her royal companion." Joona replied.

Brandi couldn't help but chuckle at the notion of being considered royalty. Melanie coughed out a laugh before straightening.

"Ms. Joona. As Queen I demand you speak with us openly and freely." Melanie spoke with a mock authoritative voice filled with humor.

"Oh and to take off your helmet." Brandi added.

"Ah, yes. That too." Melanie agreed.

Joona hesitated for a long moment, nervously rubbing her gloved fingers together.

"Must I part with my helmet my lady?"

Both Melanie and Brandi shared an equally intrigued expression, wondering what she looked like beneath the helmet.

"Please do." Melanie replied.

"As you command." Joona replied and reached up to take off the dark silver helmet.

To both their surprises, the person hidden beneath the helmet was far more beautiful and exotic than either of them had guessed. Joona was a half-breed. She had the slender face of an elf, long and narrow featured with angular lines. Her eyes were slightly wider than theirs but were a brilliant aquamarine color.

Instead of hair she had long royal blue and vibrant green feathers that cascaded down her head and under her armor. Joona's skin was the color of gold. In place of freckles she had flecks of seemingly pure gold that shimmered in the sunlight. Joona blushed causing her gold skin to lighten slightly.

The warrior prepared herself, ready for the accusatory remarks she received about being a half breed. Though it was not nearly as uncommon as it had been, to some of the more pure races who came from families of great renoun. Half blooded beings were impure in their eyes. She had expected royalty to be no different.

To her surprise though, the expression upon their faces were anything but horrified or disgusted.

"Wow. You are gorgeous." Brandi remarked. "Is that make up? Or is your skin just that shiny?"

"You are beautiful." Melanie nodded, eye brows raised.

Joona blushed harder and her cheeks went pale with embarrassment.

"T-th-thank you my lady." Joona stuttered, not used to such compliments.

"Why would you not want to show yourself?" Brandi asked.

Joona shrugged, uncomfortable with the topic at hand.

"Because a half-breed like myself isn't exactly looked upon with kindness."

"What? Why not? Cultural diversity is important. The meshing of different races brings about a huge advantage in society." Melanie replied.

Brandi arched a brow at her friend and smirked. 'Sounds like someone is starting to settle into their royal role' she thought. 'Maybe she is reading those books I've been leaving out for her.' She smirked to herself.

"Not everyone sees it that way. There are plenty of those who believe races should keep to themselves. Even my family...well...what was my family, had that mentality too."

"Was?" Melanie asked. "What do you mean?"

"My mother was from a high elf family in the northern woods. One of the top five nobles in the land actually. My father was from a harpie clan nestled in the mountains. Their union was not...well liked by either family. So I was sent to this kingdom to become a guard." Joona explained.

"And your parents?" Melanie asked, hoping her feeling of dread was misguided.

"My mother was imprisoned and my father was sentenced to death." Joona let a single tear fall from her eye. She wiped it away before it could get down her cheek.

"It matters not. Half-breeds do not get accepted in many places. A position where I am masked is preferable."

"Are there many like you in the city?" Brandi asked, appalled by the story.

Joona shrugged in reply.

"This kingdom is about the only safe haven that I know of. King Drakkon has built a safe community for people like myself. However, judgment still roams through the city. It is apparent on the faces of those around me." Joona turned and looked out the window.

"Oh no! That will not fly!" Melanie shouted abruptly startling both Brandi and Joona.

"My lady?" Joona asked.

"Equality and acceptance are pillars of this kingdom. If people have to hide within these walls then it isn't acceptance."

"Look who has been reading up on the kingdom proclamations." Brandi chuckled.

"Oh yeah. This is my kingdom too and I will not let something like this go."

Melanie looked at Joona and narrowed her eyes. The bright sapphire and amethyst colors of her eyes flared to life like fires had been set a blaze behind her irises. Melanie knew better than most what it felt like to be an outcast. To walk around a community only to feel like she didn't belong.

In her eyes, that was an almost unforgivable act of judgment and unfairness. It was a pillar of the kingdom that everyone be accepted openly without judgment or reservations. Knowing that there were a group of people being judged as lesser, just because they were different, set her authoritative mind into action.

"No one should have to wear a mask because they fear being ridiculed. It is unjust and I will have none of it." Melanie snapped. "Do the guards treat you well?"

Joona glanced to the left before she opened her mouth. In that single fleeting glance Brandi had seen through the words their half-breed guard was about to say.

"The truth Joona." Brandi cut her off before she could even utter a syllabal.

Joona eyed Brandi and then sighed.

"Some do. Not everyone though. I'm not mistreated but more often than not I keep my helmet on."

"Are there other half-breeds like yourself amongst the guards?" Melanie asked.

"I can't really say about the city or border guards. Amongst the three hundred palace guard there are two that I am aware of. Myself included."

Melanie nodded her head and glanced at Brandi her shot a questioning expression her way. Joona wasn't sure what to think. Her Queen was very different from what she had expected.

"Joona. Let's talk." Melanie smiled and settled back into her seat.

Brandi understood Melanie enough to know that she had something rolling around inside her head. An idea that was formulating but just hadn't taken root.