-kkgghh-

Yana slowly opened his eyes. He started to regain his consciousness. He woke up and tried to adjust his sight. He could see that elf still there and sat on the chair.

"glad you decide to stay here"

"...what do you mean by that human?"

"that mean you're not consumed by your hatred and doing your revenge recklessly"

"... I've never mentioned about revenge"

"i saw it.... your people corpses..."

-braak-

She slammed the table. She stared at him.

"what did you say?! corpses?! don't you dare lie to me!!"

"why do i need to lie? and why do you think my reason at this place?"

"WHERE?!"

"at the forest, near the waterfall, north from here"

-kkgghh-

She was hurry and headed to the door, but Yana stopped it.

"we already burried them. There's nothing you could do for now"

She kept walked and held the door handle. Her expression showed that she needed to confirm what he said with her own eyes.

"you will waste your time, and most likely you will lose your rational thinking"

-kgggh-

She grabbed Yana clothes and shouted at him.

"THEN WHAT SHOULD I DO?! KEEP SERVING THESE EVIL HUMAN AND LET ALL MY PEOPLE BECOME THEIR SLAVE?!"

She dropped herself on the floor and cried. Her frustated feeling flowed out and couldn't be held anymore.

"THAT MAN SAID IF I BECOME HIS SERVANT! HE WILL LET ALL MY PEOPLE ALIVE! -hiks- even i know they are treated like slave....but at least they don't get killed.... give me enough time..... and i will save them... i just know, they won't keep their words..."

Yana took out a small piece of cloth and wiped her tears. She was suprised and looked at him.

"forgive my impudence your highness" Yana showed some formality towards her

"... you..... why human know about my status? not even he and the soldiers that attacked our kingdom are aware about that.... all of them.... tried to save me..." Tears were running down again from her eyes

"please trust me, i want to make this commander realized with what he did and rescue whoever they hold as prisoners"

She didn't feel any lie in his words, it felt like a long time since the last time she heard some honest words from the other. She couldn't help it to believe this man words.

"why? why you want to help us? why a human like you would care about elf like us?"

"if i should explain it... let's see, i only see all living things in this world as two side"

He pulled her from the floor and looked at her eyes.

"human and monster"

"... i don't understand. Then why you want to help monster like us?"

She felt hurt when Yana said about human and monster. This "monster" word was the word that destroyed her whole life and her kind, yet she already accepted that word. She couldn't count how many times she heard that words since she was brought here.

"seemed you misunderstand about something your highness"

"... don't call me that. I don't have any right to be called like that anymore"

"then how can i call you?"

"my name is Thel'iris. Just call me Iris"

"Iris, i understand. Then let me tell you Iris, what i mean by human and monster"

Yana lent that small piece of cloth so she could wipe her tears. Then, he continued his word.

"monster is something that will take without thinking, will do without holding, and will live without understanding"

"while human is something that will choose giving over taking, reasoning over doing, and meaning over living"

Her pupils were dilated and she couldn't hide her respect for Yana's words

"amazing. Such a simple yet a deep meaning words. Those words showed what kind a person you are"

She stepped to the front and touched Yana left shoulder.

"almost one hundred years, there's no one that could give me impressive and deep meaning words like that. In the name of our wisdom god RATHIEL, i, the twelfth queen of Yvren kingdom, give this man title "Ho'rath" for his wisdom"

Yana stood there and smiled. He could predict Iris reaction after this.

"I'm honored your highness" He bowed

"!!"

She was surprised and took one step back.

"i..i didn't mean it like that"

"ahaha.But to think you're queen instead of princess, i can't call you Iris just like that"

"-sigh- my father chose me as his successor, I'm his only child. I'm not passed the royal ceremony yet, but my status as the next queen already decided"

"hmm, so what's this "Ho'rath" title meaning?"

"it's a wise being"

"wise being? you're flattering me your highness"

"stop calling me that..... it's kind of late, but who's your name human?"

"Yana, I'm Yana"

"Yana.... so you don't see us as a monster.."

"yes Iris. Just like i said before, i can clearly see which one human and which one monster"

Iris smiled and nodded.

"you're truly a wise being"

"thank you. But you need to give me information, whatever you see and hear while you in this town"

Yana walked to the chair and pulled it while giving signal to her to sit.

"Shall we?"

-----( Chapter 69 "Thel'iris" )-----