The young elf walks with haste as Crane, Kurky, and I follow closely behind him. We pass through another gate that resembles the entrance to the town. The buildings were brightly colored, and gold accents paint the engravings on the walls. Elves walk by us with grace, their clothing encrusted with fine cloth and metals. It couldn't come close to comparing to the last part of town.

"Well, this looks fancy..." Kurky says under his breath.

The guide smiles widely, "Yes, this is where many nobles live." He states, "The finest of them all if you will."

"We can tell," Crane says, taking in his surroundings.

"The estate is just a bit further." The guide gleams.

Everything seems to be made from a light-colored stone. Theya Omen and the poorer half of town had many little weeds and bits of grass growing between the rocks. It was charming, to say the least. This part, however, appears almost perfect. A little too perfect. No blade of grass out of place. Maybe I pay way too much attention to little details? I chuckle to myself.

"How would you describe your Queen Lyra?" Crane pipes up, looking at the back of the elf's head. The guide glimpses back, and his pace falters before quickly returning to his normal stance and speed.

He clears his throat, "She is kind, beautiful, and cares for all of her people."

"I see." Crane brushes his facial hair. Kurky and I peer over to Crane taking in the situation in front of him.

We reach a large iron gate with walls on either side. Guards cover the walls peering down at us. A man lifts his hand into the air while holding a longbow to his side. The gate in front of us lifts from the ground. The guide leads us through smiling kindly.

Once we reach the castle, we were let in by beautiful elven maids. Their hair, skin, body, everything seems too perfect to be true. They are almost doll-like in appearance. I notice Kukry hiding his cheeks and lips with the top of his shirt, staring at the maids in awe. His face is glowing a bright red. Crane, on the other hand, brushes over them, walking past with no hesitation. I scan over my surroundings, taking in the elegant corridor and decor hung on the walls.

For this to be a castle, it looks more like a manor. I think to myself, unsure if my thoughts would offend. Better safer than sorry.

The guide brings us to a large red door that reaches the ceiling. Two guards stand at attention on both sides. One moves from his spot, opening the large door with ease. It's surprising given the guard's short stature.

"This is as far as I go. Just wait inside, and Your Majesty will be in shortly. I wish you well, travelers." He gives a bow, placing his hand gently against him.

"Excuse me, what is your name?" I stop him before he turns to take his exit.

"Oh," He appears shocked at my sudden question, "It's Alok."

"Thank you, Alok." I smile warmly at him; his eyes scan my features before hurrying off down the hallway.

A strange little man. I furrow my brows.

I step lightly through the door, attempting to keep my boots from making too much noise. The room echoes so much and almost appeared bare.

"Hm, to think a Queen is into minimalism." Crane ponders.

I point to the opposite side of the room, "There's a throne. It makes sense not to have many things in the throne room." I shrug.

"I suppose." Crane studies the throne, his eyes squinting slightly before looking away.

Suddenly the room brightens, a glitter floats from the air. A blinding orb descends from the ceiling and whirls into itself. Butterflies made of light escape the sphere before it hovers just above the floor. It warps and forms limbs and shapes itself into a woman. The glitter and stars of light disappear slowly, revealing an unbelievably stunning woman. Her hair fell in blonde waves to her knees and her long ears poked from it. Her ears were so much longer than your average elf; it was different and something I haven't seen before. Her skin is so smooth and void of flaws, and her figure curves at every suitable place. A floor-length gown incrusted with gems hugged her body. She was shimmering in a way.

"Ah, I've been waiting for you." she smiles, "Kurky, the monk gnome." She gestures, walking out to stand in front of him, causing Kurky to stand up straight in shock, "Darling Meli, a wild magic bearer half-elf. So interesting." She walks over to me. I stare at her in awe, studying her features. Everything about her is glistening and bright, but her eyes. They were a dull sand color, void of light or vibrance. I felt my stomach turn in knots. "And finally, Crane. A wizard." She looks him up and down, standing directly in front of him.

"My Queen," Crane smirks, bowing his head. He takes her delicate hand in his pecking her lightly, "Might I say, you look unbelievable."

My mouth flies open in astonishment. Kurky's expression matched my own. My gut turned violently as I felt my face swarm with heat. Is he stupid?! She is the Queen! Especially kissing her hand?! He didn't have to do that!

She lets out a small giggle, holding his hand for a bit longer. "Well, aren't you one for flattery?" Queen Lyra lets go returning to stand in front of her throne. She moves as if she is floating.

"I am Queen Lyra. Fey Queen of the Unseelie Court. It is a pleasure to meet you all finally." She clasps her hands together.

"So why are we here?" Kurky asks.

Queen Lyra chuckles, "Hastey one, I see." Kurky shrinks back as he twiddles with his thumbs. "Anyways. You three are needed for something bigger than any of us. I need you to stop my sister. Queen Elora."

"Why, what has she done?" I pipe in.

Her expression goes cold, "It's not what she has done; it is what she will do. She is planning to kill off the Unseelie with any means necessary. Including summoning a God of chaos to our realm."

"God of Chaos? There are so many of them." Crane states.

"Specifically Bane, is what I know from our intel." She informs us.

"So, how do we fit into this?" I ask.

"Well, my dear, the Feywild has been at war for many, many millenniums. We have a prophecy of three people who save us from this war and finally establish peace in our realm. A wizard, a gnome, and a young woman. You seem to fit those descriptions well."

My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. A "young woman" isn't very descriptive; that could be anyone!

"I see," Crane speaks, studying the Queen's body intensely. My cheeks flush, and I quickly turn away. "So, what would you like us to do?" Kurky questions her.

"For her to summon him, she needs a sphere. I had stolen it from her, but somehow someone took it from our palace. I have the location; I just need you three to retrieve it to keep it safe from her. If we destroy it, she won't be able to summon the God of Chaos."

"Right, that should be an easy feat," Crane smirks, "We can get going by tomorrow."

"That's wonderful news!" Queen Lyra beams with joy, "You are welcome to stay in the castle tonight." She snaps her finger.

A man walks through the door, bowing to the Queen with a serious expression. "You called, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, prepare their rooms." She speaks, not batting an eye toward him, "Also for helping me and my kingdom, I will bestow you a gift. For Meli, a bracelet that expands your ranged spells. Crane, a ring of cold touch. And finally, Kurky, daggers of the finest elven steal."

Queen Lyra snaps her fingers once again as the objects glide gently down from the ceiling and fall in our hands. "Now, rest easy tonight. If you are hungry, simply tell a servant, and they will fetch you whatever you desire." Crane and Kurky quickly bow before walking to leave the room.

I hesitate, "Queen Lyra," I call out, "Can I speak with you?"

She pauses and turns to face me with a slight smile on her face. "What is it?"

"I wanted to speak about..." My words freeze, a cold sweat beading at my forehead, "the slaves..."

Queen Lyra studies my face, "What about them? Did one offend you? If so, you may have to take that up with the owner, my sweet."

"No, not that," I state, "I don't believe that doing that to others is okay. They are people with emotions and families. Abusing others is not fine. It's honestly so vile, and it makes me angry!" I finish my statement, my blood pressure rising and my temper bursting outward. I gaze back at her. Her eyes bore into me, her face was cold, and the smile was faded. A chill ran down my body, causing me to shake.

"You see, Meli. Those people who were sold away and will continue to be sold away are not good. They are murderers, thieves, etc. They lost their right to feel emotions and be protected the day they messed up." Queen Lyra's voice drips with poison and disgust.

"But the children they-" I stammer.

"The children are also not good people; they came from bad people." She inches closer, her eyes dull and dead, "You are lucky I like you, or I would be a lot more upset than I am now. It's not polite to go into someone's kingdom and question their culture and traditions." Queen Lyra backs away from me, her smile returning, "This was a good talk, Meli. You should go rest."

Queen Lyra glimmers and returns to her starry state, returning upward before disappearing completely.

That bitch. I can't stop shaking. Why can't I stop shaking? I feel pathetic.My mind turned as I stare down at my quivering hands. I couldn't tell if I was afraid or embarrassed; either way, I am appalled at my feelings. I don't like her.

Kurky pops his head back through the door, "Are you coming, Meli?" He asks. My head snaps from its position as I gaze at Kukry with wide, shocked eyes.

Kurky's eyebrows furrow, "Why do you look so startled? Did I scare you?"

I shake my head, my mouth feels dry, and my tongue brushes the roof of my mouth like sandpaper. "No, you didn't." I stammer.

"Okay, well c'mon, we were going to eat." He motions, his eyes still coated in confusion.

"Oh, right." I hurriedly jog across the room in his direction.

◈ ◈ ◈

The room is warm, like I'm going to sweat out of my clothes warm. The dining area blares with laughter and the hum of talking. This place is a castle, but right now, it felt like a tavern. Servents sit at wooden tables and chew vigorously on their meal. Some maids dance around the center of the room, holding hands and spinning around. Their clothes were more tattered than the maids who welcomed us, and their looks more average.

"So, why are there so many people here?" I lean in close to Kurky.

"Well, apparently, it is their dinner hour. The old guy said we don't have to eat here if we would rather not be interrupted. But, ya know, it's boring staying in your room all night." He chuckles, elbowing me in my side.

"Oh," I take in the laughter and joy radiating from the room. "So, do you know if all of these people are servants?"

"From what Crane told me, a little while ago, most of these people are servants working for Queen Lyra. She does have slaves, but they don't get this treatment." Kurky sighs.

"I see." I trail off, attempting to understand this weird and barbaric system.

"Ah, there's Crane!" Kurky points over to a secluded area away from the crowd.

We squeeze by elves and shimmy past the dancing circle. Crane sits a bit hunched over, stroking his chin with his fingers. His mind looks as if he were somewhere else altogether.

"You ran off, didn't cha?" Kurky states, flopping down beside Crane. I pull the chair out, sitting in front of the two.

Crane blinks and adjusts his hood behind his neck, "I didn't realize someone had a secret meeting with the Queen."

"I wanted to speak with her about the slaves to see if I could changer her mind," I say confidently.

"To see if you could change her mind?" Crane rolls his eyes with a scoff, "Do you not have any manners? Even though it isn't right morally, you realize that these people have lived this way for thousands of years. Questioning that is disrespectful. Especially questioning it to their Queen, I might add." Crane lets out a sigh.

"Well, times need to change." I cross my arms over my chest.

"I do not disagree with you, Meli, but we need to stay on the Queen's good side." Crane scowls, eyeing me intensely.

A loud groan exhales from Kurky as he stands from his seat. "I'll be right back. I'm grabbing my food. Try not to kill each other, will ya?"

I watch Kurky walk away before my eyes jump back to Crane. "Don't you dare glare at me!" I roar in annoyance, raising my voice slightly. "Good side? You were basically making out with her hand! You're not trying to be on her good side; you're just trying to fuck her!" My words jumble from my mouth before I could contain them. Heat flushes to my face the instant my words fell out.

Crane slowly leans back in his chair, scanning me with his eyes. A coy smirk tugs to his lips as he takes a long sip of ale. My face burns, and my pulse jumps from my chest. I look down, gripping the side of the bench until my knuckles turned white. I felt the heat of my hand and the wood sizzling. Smoke rises from under me, my grip tightening. I haven't been this angry in a long time. I take in a deep breath to calm myself.

Crane's cup slams on the table, rolling the rim against it. I slowly raise my head to meet his gaze. His smirk annoys me. His face annoys me. He angers me more than anyone I've ever met.

Crane leans forward, propping his head on his hand. "And what if I am, Meli?" His voice rumbles with a low growl, narrowing his eyes on me.

I furrow my brows, and I feel my heart sink slowly. I hate him so much.

"You're disgusting, Crane." I grimace.

He lets out a laugh, placing his hand on the table for support. "It's not such a big deal, Meli. Just don't worry you're little head about that stuff."

Kurky approaches the table, a giant turkey leg hanging from his mouth. "Turkey is excellent here." He beams, taking his seat beside me.

Crane stares at me a moment longer before returning to playing with his cup on the table.

"So," Kurky hesitates, looking between Crane and me, "What did I miss?"

"Nothing important, I suppose." Crane smiles.

I exhale the air I was holding, placing my hands on the table. "Are we going to talk about how the Queen knows about us? Like our names and abilities?"

"She is a Queen. Word travels fast, plus informants?" Kurky chimes in, taking another bite of his meal.

"But we have been doing a good job of laying low? I thought so anyway." I think intensely, studying the wood grain.

"Yes, I found that odd myself. Though she is a powerful Fey." Crane states, clearing his throat.

A voice speaks out, "Your Majesty wishes to speak with you." Alok stood at the end of the table, his hands placed firmly behind his back.

Crane, Kurky, and I exchange confused looks since she only had seen us two hours ago. I begin to rise from my seat when he raises his hand in my direction.

"She had only requested for the wizard, Crane." He states, gesturing me to retake my seat. I stare at Crane as he rises from his place. His demeanor seeming cold and calculated.

"I apologize for interrupting your meal." Alok gives a quick bow, "Please follow me."

Crane and Alok exit the large room, turning right to walk down the hall. I gaze at my lap, feeling a bit strange. I rub my fingers across the singed hand marks on the bench seat.

"That's strange," Kurky states, moving his now empty plate away from him.

"I agree." I look up to him.

"You should probably eat something, though," Kurky says, turning to face me with a smile.

"I am not too hungry, to say the least." I sigh.

"Understandable, a lot has been happening recently." He ponders to himself for a moment before turning his attention back to me.

"I am gonna turn in for the night," I stand from the bench, hovering over Kukry, "Where are our rooms?"

"Take a right; they're on down the hall with the dark green doors." He says, "None of them are taken yet, so you can have the first pick."

"Understood. Thank you, Kurky." I give him a small smile before leaving the table. The dining room has cleared out a good bit, so it isn't as loud as before. Even though it isn't loud, I still have to squeeze by a couple of elves before reaching the hallway.