"I'm here because you wanted to meet me, didn't you?" the girl asked with a quizzing look on her face. "My master said that you wanted to see me, which is why I came."
"Did you not want to meet me for something?"
Alex was a little surprised. "So they didn't tell you why I wanted to meet you?" he asked.
"I… I just assumed it was because of something I did in the past. Or maybe… its embarrassing to say this but… maybe because I'm pretty?" she asked.
Alex chuckled a litle when he heard that. "So they did not tell you that I'm looking for a Queen?" he asked.
"Oh, are you? They only told me that—" Talia paused for a momenta as the realization of what she had just heard hit her.
"Q-queen?" she asked. "A-are you saying that you're here with me because I— am I going to a queen?"
"No, you're not," Alex said quickly to calm her down. "You're not the only choice, and I came here today to see how you are in person. Please, be yourself."
It felt bad to lead a girl on with hopes of something that she could never achieve, but Alex did so anyway.
The girl nodded and sat back on the chair with a somewhat astonished face. While Alex asked her to be herself, it was impossible for her now.
Just the prospect of being able to become the queen of an entire continent was something that she started thinking about, which caused her to be more nervous.
Alex waited for her to speak, and it took an entire minute before she calmed down enough to start speaking.
"So… I was chosen as the candidate to become a queen?" the girl asked just to make sure about it again.
"Yes," Alex said.
"Why me?" she asked without waiting.
Alex paused for a moment. "Uhh… I had a few criteria, and the Crown prince found you to be one of the few that matched what I wanted in my queen," he said.
"How small is the list?" the girl asked.
"5 people," Alex said.
"Can I ask who they are?" she asked.
"I don't know if I can answer that just for the other's privacy," he said.
"Okay, what makes us 5 different from the rest of the many girls that are clearly better than us?" she asked.
"Because you're a player," Alex said.
The girl finally paused her non-stop questioning. "P-player?" she asked. "That's it?"
"That's the criteria that cuts off most other people," Alex said. "To be more precise, I wanted someone that is just as young as me, and that ends up not being many people."
"Oh," the girl said. "I… am indeed young. Oh right, you are a player yourself, aren't you, your majesty?"
"I am," Alex answered. "I come from the Central COntinent, just as you all," he told her.
"The Central Continent," the girl thought. "I've heard of that. Is that really where we all came from?"
"Yes," Alex said. "I returned there about a few years ago, and so did everyone from the rest of the 3 continents. If you guys can make enough of a noise, you might get the Emperor to send you all back as well."
"Oh… well, I don't know if I want to go back," the girl said. "Its been so long, I do not see the point of going back at all."
"That's understandable," Alex said. "I only went back because I wanted to see how it had all changed for the most part."
"I see," the girl said. "And you got to come back?"
"Yes," Alex said. "We were allowed to. But… let's not talk about that for now. That's not what we're here for, are we?"
"Oh, right," the girl said.
Alex smiled a little. "Shall we order some food then."
They called for some staff and ordered a few dishes that caught their eyes before continuing the conversation.
Alex did what he thought was what someone looking for a wife would do and started asking questions about her likes and dislikes, about her interests, her dream, and whatever else he could think to ask her.
She asked him quite a few questions too. After the food arrived, their words slowed down a lot.
The food itself caught their attention nearly as much as they did each other. The staff had prepared the best of the best dishes for the two of them.
"Oh right, your majesty. You're an alchemist as well, right?" she asked. "I remember hearing about what you did in the competition… what was it a year ago?"
"I am," Alex said. "Did you not watch the broadcast?"
"I was in closed cultivation at that time," she said. "I had recently left the Hundred Blossom valley and was busy making pills of my own."
"Ah, you are an alchemist as well?" Alex asked with a surprised look. She hadn't mentioned it yet.
"No, I'm not," she said. "Well, I guess I am now. I recently started and it will take me a long time before I can get anywhere. I can barely make Earth grade Saint pills for now."
"I see,' Alex said. "Well, keep going at it. You'll do good I'm sure."
Talia didn't seem interested to talk about alchemy with him, which surprised Alex a bit. It didn't look like she wasn't interested in alchemy altogether, which made him think that she didn't talk about alchemy just because she was being considerate and didn't want to come off as someone that wanted something from him.
After a while, they finally decided to leave.
They went down the elevator together, and Alex pulled out his mask that he placed on his face. Talia noticed it and said nothing. She could understand the reason easily.
The door opened and the two of them walked out.
Most people were busy in their own world, but a few noticed Talia and recognized her. In the Emerald Kingdom, she was quite popular after all.
People noticed Alex too, but they couldn't tell who he was, especially since he had been wearing something very different from what he normally appeared in.
They walked outside, and the girl spoke up.
"Do you have any plans for the rest of the day, your majesty?" Talia asked after they were out.
"Hmm, no, none," Alex said.
"Oh, then… um… would you like to go somewhere with me? I promise it won't take longer than an hour," she said.
"Sure, I have time to spare," Alex said. "Where are we going?"
"Oh, its close by," she said. "Should I call for a carriage?"
"Whatever you want," Alex told her.
"Oh, then let's walk," she said. "Its good to walk after a hearty meal." She smiled and started walking ahead of him.
Alex followed behind her, curious where he was being taken to. He could sense someone following him already in the distance, and from what he could see, it was one of the king's guards.
It seemed he was there to look after him.
A few minutes later, Talia stopped by a large, but poor looking building close to the edge of the town. He looked at what the place was and was a little surprised to what it was.
An orphanage.
