“…You are late, Glolieh.” The queen’s icy tone pierced the ears of the only few present within the audience room. She sat on her marble seat padded with blue velvet cushions, both her hands clasped lightly in front of her. The calmness in her posture hid the coldness behind her voice.

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” Glolieh responded, kneeling on one knee with her head bowed low. Her left forearm rested on her knee. Her right hand tightly gripped the shackles behind the demon.

“You have no excuses?”

“I have no excuses.”

Both thumbs of the queen’s clasped hands tapped each other in the steady rhythm of a ticking bomb as a nerve protruded across the queen’s tightened jaw. Her gentle eyes masked the sharpness of her gaze that sliced from the kneeling Glolieh to the hesitantly standing elf on the guard’s left and then the proudly standing demon on the guard’s right.

Unlike the day prior where the room was filled with the concerned gazes of dozens of other elves, in this present morning, the room instead held only a selective handful. Only a few well trained and trusted guards who had sworn an oath of secrecy held onto the shackles that bound Eial. Meanwhile, Drokn was escorted by Glolieh. The only remaining ones who had been permitted to come, or rather ordered to come, were the researchers in charge of their secretive mission.

Letting out a brief huff in resignation, the queen then firmly commanded, her voice booming in the quiet room. ”Speak precisely, Glolieh, to make up for the time we have lost.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. Thank you for your generosity.” Continuing to kneel with her eyes gazing at the velvet carpet beneath them, Glolieh began to share her new found knowledge. “To start with, I have come to learn that King Drokn had entered the palace due to a teleportation spell that was to lead him to Eial.”

“Teleportation spell? I find that hard to believe.” The Queen’s thin eyes narrowed slightly, as if listening to a child’s nonsense to the existence of a sloth headed dragon.

“I understand your suspicions,” Glolieh assured as if expecting such a reaction, “However, we should remember that his mother is the renowned scientist and former queen, Her Majesty, Queen Vrona.”

Looking from side to side, the researchers made quiet glances to one another in know, assuring each other’s hesitation from just the mention. Former Queen Vrona was well known to be a genius, but was also infamously known for working in an illegal lab and causing havoc. However, no elf in the palace had ever actually talked to Vrona or worked alongside her personally.

Nonetheless, despite the rumors being their only source of knowledge, the rumors were detailed and substantial. No one could even doubt that they were glorified because of the abundance of proof of her genius utilized in the world. Agriculture spells, fortress spells, even spells to conjure rain. To the researchers and scientists who had never seen her, she was somewhat of a living myth, one to admire in both awe and fear. A demoness, a scientist, of untouched potential. Therefore, a spell as absurd sounding as a teleportation spell may as well possibly exist in the realm of the former Queen’s knowledge.

After giving the room a short pause to understand the significance of Queen Vrona’s mention, Glolieh continued, “With this being the case, firstly, I would like to request pardon for King Drokn’s sudden entrance into the palace as it was not by malicious intent to trespass. The spell, as I understand it, works by teleporting to the destination based on a DNA sample. King Drokn had used Eial’s DNA and had only entered here by chance.”

“And how am I to believe this wasn’t a conspiracy between Eial and Drokn for Drokn to gain entrance into the elven territory and threaten our safety once again?”

After a quick glance to Drokn and then a pause of contemplation, Glolieh reminded the queen, “I believe it came to our awareness yesterday that Eial had come here without the King’s knowledge.” Glolieh could feel the demon flinch from the shackles she held. “In addition, if this were a planned conspiracy, they would not be fools to teleport right in front of Your Majesty and the royal guards.”

Eyes glowing icy blue as if shards of glass were dancing within, the queen stared piercingly at Glolieh’s head, like an animal challenging her dominance. It was only for a few seconds, but the cold, sharp air seemed to freeze time itself, making for the few seconds to feel as if eons had passed. Finally, turning her sharp, commanding eyes to Drokn, the queen replied, “Your pardon regarding your unlawful territorial trespassing will be accepted in contingency to receiving proof of the spell’s existence.”

To Glolieh’s left side, a light breath of relief was released by the little elf. Yet, to her right, there was a deepening graveness.

Of course, how would the demon’s pride withstand having to be pardoned by an elf. As if he were a being beneath the elves, requesting for their permission and forgiveness.

The energy of Drokn’s hatred grew, tingling Glolieh’s instinctual senses with a shakiness. However, before the other guards could notice, Glolieh cleared her throat and jerked on the shackles behind the demon, subtly catching the demon’s attention. Her eyes, hidden from The Queen’s view from her bowed head, stared at Drokn. And Drokn knew exactly what that stare had meant.

[“Don’t forget the favor you owe.”]