You'd be easily forgiven for mistaking Queen Lycynthia Mirianna Revelry for nothing more than a trophy wife. Her beauty rivaled even that of her own daughter, Celestine. Both had an elegance so effortless it seemed almost divine.
But that assumption would be a grave mistake.
No king could afford a liability for a wife, and Lycynthia was anything but. Noble-born and meticulously raised, she was schooled in politics and prayer, in scheming and song, in the arts of makeup and misdirection. And now, with her daughter's future at stake, every one of those lessons sharpen like the claws of a mother bear.
Leon, on the other hand, had only ever seen politics on the evening news. The closest he'd come to scheming was finding ways to avoid his schoolwork.
I shouldn't get intimidated. This isn't some political battle. It's just a mother worried about her daughter.
"Your Majesty, I'm not planning anything underhanded. I came to this city to become a hunter when I met Rika. That's how I got involved in all of this."
"Where exactly did you come from before you arrived in our capital? And do not feed me some vague story about 'traveling.' I want names. Places. Dates. Speak deceiver."
Well shit. Rika literally just told me that if someone asks, for me not to say anything about being from another world.
"Ummm... that is private and I'd rather not say."
"Not say? I'd have your tongue pulled from your throat if you'd not to use it!"
Rika, why'd you have to screw me over like this?! You could have told me about one of those farm villages so I could lie.
"Mother! This is my fiance! I owe my life to him and you're threatening him!"
"You're fiance who wouldn't even say where he's from!?"
"Your Majesty, I'm not against telling per say but I was told not to tell others... So uhh I can't say.."
"Someone made you promise to hide your origins and you think admitting such a thing would in any way gain you any trust?!"
Why do I talk!? Maybe I should just get my tongue pulled out.
"Well no... I just wanted to let you know why I wasn't telling you..."
Yeah just take my tongue. It aint doing anything for me
"Oh but of course. And why don't you tell me who told you to keep such a thing hidden and why this secret should be kept."
"Ummm I wouldn't want her to get in trouble so I don't think it is right of me to say her name..."
A 4th voice appeared as Rika popped her head out from behind his chair.
"She's threatening to torture and kill you but you didn't lie or throw me under the horse. As horrible as you are under interrogation, you're not bad, Farm boy."
The room was shocked by her sudden appearance. The two maids at Queen Lycynthia side immediately went to protect her before the Queen raised her hands to tell them to stop.
"This is a formal meeting, Rika. You know..."
"Sorry I had a feeling he was going to make a fool of himself so I figured I'd help. Besides, your spies need way more training."
The two maids looked embarrassed. Rika had easily infiltrated the room and caught them for their true identity.
Rika once again subtly showing off. But she's so casual with the Queen... Roselyn is Lycynthia's niece... so they might all already be close with each other.
Rika had walked around from behind Leon's seat and sat next to him.
"He's from another world."
Oh! What happened to keeping it a secret!
"Natural Hero. Apparently Khariel was the one who brought him to this world. Which might explain why he's completely useless with the exception of not dying."
"The Last Silence has only ever brought 4 other humans to this world. Each claiming to be one of Khariel's daughters and a rider of the apocalypse."
Khariel? Daughters of the Overseer of Death? Apocalypse? Slow down please!
"Yeah I know but if he's able to lie to me then there's nothing you or your spies can do. Plus look at him, half the time he gets completely confused mid conversion about some of the simplest things."
Celestine looked at him.
"So you're from another world? And Khariel himself sent you Jeif'he."
"Khariel? Ummm the Overseer of Death just introduced himself as such. He did tell me to find the deadliest in the Hunter's Guild if I wanted to be a hunter..."
"Which led you to meet Rika right before she embarked to rescue me..."
Celestine looked back at her mother, her face smug with triumph.
"The Gods sent me a hero, a man from another world with nothing more than the capability of providing for me in my time of need. I told you it was fate!"
The overseer of death definitely mentioned not to call him and the other overseers God. I feel like I should mention that... but then again, how do I say that without being labeled as an enemy of the church? Maybe that's a problem for another time…
"We can't yet say for certain but for the time being I will allow him his freedom. BUT he still doesn't have any right to marry you."
"Mother! You would argue against me and now the Gods as well. You won't even give him a fair chance. Since you got here you've been nothing but hostiles towards him."
"He will be rewarded for providing for you until you've recovered but I will not allow you to live out your days as a Demon. We will cure and find you a good husband."
She really is just a mother worried about Celestine. And I, in her eyes, represent her daughter's suffering....
"Your Majesty, is there some way I may be able to show that I am a good man while the others work on curing her?"
"Leon you don't..."
"Well first she is a princess. So before we even begin discussing your marriage bid, it would be disgraceful for her to marry anything less than a duke."
"Mother!"
"What? He is looking to prove himself as a suitor worthy of you then you should encourage him to do so."
Rika whispered into his ear.
"A duke is the highest noble rank, right below royalty"
"Is it possible for me to become a duke then?"
"Yes."
The Queen spoke up to interrupt Leon's and Rika's conversation.
"If a commoner is able to complete one of the Herculean trials, then their descendants are rewarded nobility. For Dukedum, you would need multiple of the 10 lesser trials or 1 of the 3 greater trials."
"Wait, why my descendants and not me?"
Celestine answered his question as she glared at her mother.
"Because none survive any of the 13 trials"