This was the first time Ella-Jane had met Princess Jeanne, and several details did not escape her. Her skin color, her pointed ears:

"So, the rumors were true; Princess Jeanne de Résevi is a bastard. And not just any bastard, a mixed-blood one at that," thought Ella-Jane.   

Anxious, Lancelot plucked up his courage and approached Princess Jeanne. Ella tried to stop him but changed her mind, promising herself that for once she would trust her commander.

 "Your Highness, regarding the events in Goliath, I..."

 "You are mistaken, Commander Lancelot," Jeanne interrupted him, "what happened to my dear sister is deeply regrettable, and this matter will be resolved in due course. That said, the reason for my visit today is quite different."

"How old is this kid? I feel like I'm talking to an adult," thought Lancelot, stepping back a little.

"So, Your Highness, may I ask the reason for your visit?" Ella-Jane asked.

"Yes, I'm getting to that. There has been a recent development on the Elven continent. The dwarves have rebelled against the elves and now wish to gain their independence."

"Why?" asked Lancelot, surprised.

"Twelve moons ago... a fantastic rift appeared on the Elven continent, more precisely in the dwarf city of Sigridiem. Of course, the fantastic waves reached the elves' radars, and they sent ambassadors directly from Alfarest to discuss the distribution of goods and, more specifically, the artifact that could well be found in this dimension. Unfortunately, none of them returned."

"I imagine that was all it took for the elves to declare war," commented Ella-Jane.   

 "Not immediately," Princess Jeanne replied, "the elves sent new messengers to see what was going on. It seems that this time, the messengers were unable to set foot in Sigridiem. The dwarves had dug a border between Sigridiem and Arbrir, the magical forest. It was then that they made their true intentions known. The dwarves sent several messages to the surrounding kingdoms. They want to create an alliance against the elves."  

"I'm not sure I understand. The dwarves have been responding to and under the tutelage of the elves for centuries. Why revolt now?" asked Lancelot. 

"Precisely, Commander. With the magnitude of these fantastic flaws becoming apparent, the dwarves see an opportunity to emancipate themselves and grow as a race. What's more, they have raised an important point. Today, it is the elves who have a monopoly on rare fantastic artifacts. Even a kingdom as large as ours has only a dozen or so, and two of them are already in this room."

Jeanne paused slightly, glancing briefly at her sword. 

"I am, of course, referring to my sword, Fierbois, and your Mortem Rifle, Captain Ashino."

"Princess, please get to the point," Ella-Jane said impatiently. "Which side is our kingdom on, the elves' or the dwarves'?"

"Neither, Captain," Princess Jeanne replied calmly in her usual neutral tone. "The Ordinal Kingdom will not be content to play the simple role of mediators. My brother, Prince Roland, is already on his way to Alfarest to begin negotiations with the five representatives of the high races. That is why I have been sent in his place to delegate the crown's mission to you: it is clear that the dwarves do not have the resources necessary to deal with this fantastic rift properly. Go to Sigridiem and bring back the artifact from that dimension."

"Wait, you're sending us on the battlefield without giving us any indication of who the enemy is?!" Ella-Jane replied, annoyed. 

"What battlefield, Captain? Not a drop of blood will be shed there; I guarantee it. Although some of their own have fallen at the hands of the dwarves, the elves will not seek revenge. And this despite the fact that they have the power to do so."

"Why is that?" asked Lancelot.

"The fantastic crystals. The Elven continent is the richest land, known for its fantastic stones. However, the elves themselves are unable to mine them as efficiently as the dwarves. In other words, they need every one of them."

"Ultimately, what do you intend to do with what we manage to recover from Elven territory? Does the kingdom plan to keep the artifacts for itself?"

"I don't have the answer to that question, Commander Lancelot. Just follow orders this time. Leave politics to people more capable than you. We remember the last time you tried to use your brain; your incompetence cost the kingdom its second princess."

Lancelot lowered his head and slowly backed away, trying to make himself smaller and smaller.

Ella-Jane clenched her fists and couldn't help but retort to the princess:

"With all due respect, Princess," she began through clenched teeth as she approached Jeanne, "choose your words carefully and be aware of the greatness of the knight you are addressing... the most powerful in this kingdom."

A drop of sweat rolled down Ella-Jane's forehead, cold sweat. From the shadows around her emerged five individuals, dressed in black capes that covered their entire bodies. Ella-Jane felt several pairs of index and middle fingers pressed against her neck, like a human flesh revolver. Ella-Jane's skin began to redden, then a faint rush of blood appeared.

The captain of the Fafnir guild recognized this technique. It was used only by the royal guards and, more specifically, by the personal guard of the kingdom's first princess. It was called the fantastic piercing technique, which consisted of covering the index and middle fingers of the hand with reinforced fantastic mist. It was so reinforced that it became a truly lethal weapon.

Jeanne raised her eyebrows before slowly raising her right hand. The royal guards immediately withdrew and melted back into the shadows.

Ella-Jane let out a slight sigh of relief before touching her still-bloody neck. Princess Jeanne brandished her sword before carefully placing it back in its green sheath, which hung at her waist. She took a few steps toward Ella-Jane, the sound of her heeled boots echoing throughout the room. The young girl stopped a few inches away from Ella-Jane and stared at her. Although she was her elder, Ella-Jane felt small for one of the rare times in her life.

"The most powerful, you say? Don't make me laugh. Don't you dare say such nonsense just because she's not here. We both know that title belongs to her."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Ella-Jane didn't dare say another word. For the first time since the beginning of their meeting, Princess Jeanne had shown emotion. Ella-Jane could see that, by her standards, the princess's eyebrows were slightly furrowed. She was really angry. It was only brief, however, and the princess's face returned to normal (it had barely changed). She motioned to the guards behind her to follow her before heading for the door.

 "Oh yes, and one last message. This one comes directly from my father: don't disappoint the crown this time."