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“Could you discern his motive?” Arthur asked.
“For wanting to conquer the entire realm? No,” she sighed. “I say he’s probably gotten bored given how much he’s advanced his nation.”
“How is that a reasonable deduction?”
“You’d be surprised.”
She ignored Arthur’s frustrated mutterings as she pondered it further. Their realm had known peace for centuries, so it made no sense why someone like King Travus would want to throw it all into chaos.
“Can I ask you something?” Arthur interrupted her thoughts. “How come you agreed to this so easily?”
Aria almost laughed. “If you knew the truth, you’d think less of me.”
“Impossible. Try me.”
She smiled as they walked past a fountain where children squealed and played. Catching sight of a father throwing his child up in the air and catching them, she tore her gaze away as a bitterness settled in her chest.
“I’m avoiding my mother,” she revealed, “and some other people. The election for the next Fairy Guardian is coming up, and she wants me to be part of the line up.”
“Wouldn't it be good if you were chosen?” he asked.
She just shrugged. “I just want some time away from the Enchanted Forest before I’m tied down to it forever,” she revealed. “Besides, there won’t be anything to rule if Travus succeeds. Should Princess Mierna actually marry King Travus, he’ll plow right through the Enchanted Forest to merge the two nations.”
“Right,” he sighed. “The Enchanted Forest sits right in between the two.”
“Which is why I’m not very fond of Nexis right now,” Aria grumbled. “I have half a mind to confront them should they actually take this seriously.”
“Talking about marrying King Travus,” he coughed awkwardly, “have you given any thought to his terms?”
Aria groaned. Thirty days and nights with King Travus? Especially after what happened when she first met him? She wondered if he would recognize her at all from the encounter, although she doubted it. Her helmet had to be cut off her face quite literally after he’d crushed in the sides with just his fingers.
Could she really put herself at risk around an Elf this strong?
“If I don’t follow through, we’re the only ones at a disadvantage,” she replied seriously. “I think we should strategize means of communication and how to prepare the other nations for impending attacks from him. The fact that the Elves have remained isolated for so long works against us. No one will take us seriously.”
“Unless I have the Orcs serve as witness.”
“You?” she scoffed. “Arthur, you’re a Human. No one will take you seriously besides me. You need to work with Princess Mierna on our side for this. She needs to be at the forefront with Nexis being the second most powerful nation in this realm.”
“I can’t!” he hissed. “She’ll know I’m working against her union with King Travus. She doesn’t have a clue that I sought you out for this mission.”
Aria stopped in her tracks and glared at Arthur, whose brown eyes cowered under her scathing gaze. “Arthur, I thought sheordered youfor this mission!” she almost growled. “The Orc counsel has been captured, and the refugees in the Fairy village are too traumatized to speak. My mother might advocate for the Orcs, but we need allies. We can’t have the princess entertaining her union with King Travus atall.”
The sudden yells of men interrupted their discussion, and Aria looked around to zero in on a store swarmed with horses. Its door was broken, and the display window shattered as hooded figures jumped out with sacks over their shoulders bulging with precious black iron.
“Someone stop them!”yelled a man in distress. “My iron!”
Aria wasted no time cutting through the crowd toward the thieves. Although not as quick on her feet compared to flying, she was faster than most beings and quickly tied the reins of several horses together.
“Hey!” growled a thief as he jumped on a horse. “Get away and stay out of this!”
She grabbed his leg and pulled him onto the ground with a hard thud, leaving him groaning in pain. Arthur was close by with his sword out, taking on two thieves at a time. Two more appeared from the store and tried to attack him from behind, but Aria disarmed them easily by grabbingtheir hoods and twisting it around their faces. The two struggled to breathe and flailed against Aria’s grip.
“Halt!” said someone from afar. Aria looked over to see the knights and guards of Eldoria rushing their way, their armor of black iron glinting in the afternoon light. “What’s going on here?”
Aria let her victims go and stepped away, and Arthur followed suit, shielding Aria behind him as he revealed himself. “We were simply stopping a robbery.”
The knight eyed their blue robes. “What business do you have in Eldoria as Nexis-folks?”
