Observing the Queen nod in response with a faint smile on her lips, Orion turned and exited the throne room. He encountered the royal guards who had escorted him here, falling in step with them as they led him back to his room.
Once Orion had left, the king turned his attention to the elders of the Crystalforge Clan who had attended the meeting specifically to confirm that Orion was indeed a foreigner from outside the mountain. He said, "The meeting is dismissed," and his voice echoed throughout the throne room. He observed as each elder respectfully nodded and rose from their chairs, exiting the room.
Even his daughter and her personal guard had departed, leaving only the servants and the royal couple in the room.
The Queen, however, questioned, "Was that necessary?" just as the king was preparing to rise from his throne.
The King arched an eyebrow, puzzled by her question.
Observing her husband's confused expression, she clarified her question, saying, "Was it necessary for you to invite him to the banquet?"
Finally comprehending her intent, King Brylon let out a tired sigh and replied, "Yes, it was. Although I would have preferred to continue keeping his existence a secret, but after what happened yesterday, the clan leaders are now aware of him. To prevent them from taking any unexpected actions or creating issues related to this matter, we need to demonstrate that the Crystalforge Clan won't monopolize this matter."
"If we are to free the Prismerian Kingdom and find our way back to the surface, we must all cooperate, despite any conflicts we may have had over the years." The king rose from his throne as he concluded his statement.
Meanwhile, a glimmer of understanding shone within the queen's eyes as she immediately grasped her husband's intent.
While they could exploit this situation to solidify their control over the kingdom and elevate their status above the other clans, the potential conflicts that could arise were not worth jeopardizing their chances of escaping the mountain and reaching the surface.
"I see," the Queen replied, nodding thoughtfully as she rose from her throne. "But still, I think it would be a bit naive to assume that this alone can eliminate any conflicts that might arise, especially considering we still don't know what kind of conspiracy the Gemheart Clan might be plotting this time around."
"I know," King Brylon nodded in response. "However, taking this step could potentially make handling future conflicts much easier, so it's worth giving it a try."
Recognizing that her husband had already devised a plan to address the issue, Queen Selene simply nodded and replied, "Alright, I will leave this to you then." Just the thought of the impending issue was giving her a headache, and that was the last thing she needed at the moment.
The king reciprocated her nod before they both descended the stairs. After another nod to Queen Selene, he walked away with a procession of servants trailing behind him, while Elysia remained behind.
Queen Selene cast a curious gaze at the fidgeting head servant and arched her brow. "Let's go," she ordered, turning on her heels and heading for the door. Her mind raced with questions about what had happened to make Elysia so visibly anxious.
'Could it be related to yesterday?' Queen Selene pondered as she walked. She could feel her curiosity growing concerning the events surrounding Elysia's task.
Meanwhile, Elysia felt like her mind was on the brink of cracking as she contemplated what to say. Would the Queen believe her?
Would she suspect that she had taken advantage of the task she had been given? Elysia thought, uncertain about how she was supposed to handle such a situation.
…....….
The Queen shed the remainder of her attire, slipping into the pool. This particular pool was a stark deviation from the one she typically used for bathing; it was her sanctuary, a place where she sought comfort during headaches or contemplation. She had dismissed all the servants who would usually surround the pool, leaving her alone with Elysia for a private conversation.
"So, what happened? Did he reveal anything else?" Queen Selene asked, submerging herself in the warm waters.
Elysia's throat tightened, and her words emerged in a stutter, "He... Hee..." Her intended response dissolved into incoherence.
The Queen regarded Elysia with a raised brow, pressing for answers. "What is it? Were you able to extract any information from him or not?"
Elysia pressed her lips together in contemplation before surrendering with an internal sigh. She then shook her head and replied, "No, my Queen. I had a conversation with him and provided him with all the necessary information about the Prismerions and the Prismerian Kingdom."
"However, he essentially repeated the same information he shared with you. It appears that while he may be holding onto some secrets, he's doing so out of caution and is unwilling to take the risk of revealing everything he knows just yet." She lied. Among the various solutions she had considered, these were the best she could come up with.
Now, the only remaining question was whether her queen would believe her.
Queen Selene, however, took Elysia's words to heart, finding them both reasonable and convincing. She understood that Orion remained cautious about their intentions.
At this point, there was little they could do but wait for him to adjust to life within the Prismerian kingdom.
Once he realized they posed no immediate threat, they could then revisit their questioning. However, although her husband had proposed an approach to extract more information, Queen Selene preferred that Orion volunteered it willingly.
She believed this would increase the likelihood of him sharing more than they initially asked for.
"I understand," the Queen replied. "It's entirely reasonable that he's still wary of us, considering he only arrived yesterday. For now, do your best to gather as much information as you can. You'll be the one keeping a watchful eye on him during his stay here."
"Of course, my queen," Elysia replied, exhaling a quiet sigh of relief. She observed the Queen propel herself forward and swam to the opposite edge of the pool.
