By the time Ryan returned to the oval courtyard of his private chambers in the afternoon, the sun was already beginning to set.
Sulia and the Lady of the Lake were teaching Devonshire, their youngest son, how to read. The little prince was proudly reciting an entire chapter of the High Elf Codex from memory, after which the Lady of the Lake quizzed him on the material.
The Damsel of the Lake, Morgiana, and the head maid, Sylvie, stood respectfully behind the goddess and the queen. Cecilia, Ryan and Sylvie's daughter, was playing with a few Kislevite maids. Sulia had a preference for hiring maids who had fled to Kislev as refugees, and over time, the queen had gradually replaced most of the palace staff with them.
Of course, aside from the King and Queen's personal maid team, which consisted of about a dozen or so young women responsible for their daily needs, the rest of the maids were mostly stout, sturdy women with thick waists and strong builds.
The maid team, on the other hand, was made up of young, beautiful women with slender waists and long legs. They typically entered the palace at the age of 16 and served until they were around 18, after which they were rotated out. Many of these young women harbored dreams of catching the Sun King's eye and rising to prominence. However, Olica, Sylvie, and Morgiana rarely gave Ryan any opportunities to interact with the maids alone.
Of course, the main reason was that Ryan wasn't one of those sleazy middle-aged men who took pleasure in seducing and conquering young, beautiful girls. He had no interest in such things. If he truly wanted to, no one could stop him.
After listening for a while, Ryan noticed that both Sulia and the Lady of the Lake were teaching Devonshire about the Elven legal system, specifically maritime law, emphasizing that procedural justice should take precedence over substantive justice.
This was a debate that had raged in human history for centuries without resolution. Ryan listened for a bit before stepping forward. "Having a lesson?"
"Dad, Mom and Lady Lily are teaching me about the law. I know how to deal with Zhang San, the lawless criminal now!" Devonshire boasted, having just shown off his teleportation skills in front of Angron, dodging the Primarch's leaping strike.
Of course, Ryan suspected that even if Devonshire had stood still, he could have easily dodged Angron's strike. Perhaps Angron had even admitted to a slight miscalculation.
"Good, good," Ryan said somewhat dismissively, patting Devonshire's head. But the 14-year-old boy immediately dodged, sensing his father's lack of enthusiasm. Devonshire, annoyed, went back to his books, ignoring him.
It seemed that in linguistics, Devonshire had inherited Ryan's talent. He could now read and write in five languages, including Elven, Dwarven, Human, High and Low Gothic, and even the ancient language of the Old Ones. He was also becoming proficient in distinguishing between the three Elven dialects: High Elven, Dark Elven, and Wood Elven.
"Did you just come back from Lady Aurora's place?" Sulia looked up, her face wearing an enigmatic smile. It seemed warm and sincere, but there was an underlying sense of danger.
The Lady of the Lake glanced at Ryan but said nothing. Today, the goddess was dressed in a Bretonnian royal court-style blouse with a high collar and a sky-blue pleated skirt. Her long, slender legs, clad in semi-transparent white Lycra stockings with a starry aurora pattern, were adorned with a pair of dark blue high heels.
Why are you wearing Sulia's clothes? Ryan thought to himself. Wasn't this the casual attire Sulia often wore?
Sylvie, who had been watching with open eyes, closed them and let out a soft hum, her hands resting in front of her. Meanwhile, Morgiana, who had been standing behind the Lady of the Lake, suddenly opened her eyes, her expression showing clear displeasure.
It was clear that Aurora had a poor reputation in Ryan's inner circle, the complete opposite of the well-liked and socially adept Veronica.
"Yes, she invited me over for a meal. It's rare for her to cook herself," Ryan said, thinking that Devonshire was old enough to hear some things. The Sun King sat down and spoke candidly. "We just had a meal. Nothing else happened."
"I wouldn't be able to stop you even if you did something else," Sulia, dressed in an identical blouse and sky-blue pleated skirt, though with slightly thicker black stockings, smiled even sweeter. "Your Majesty, look, the flowers in the courtyard garden are never as fragrant as the wildflowers outside~"
"Hahahaha~" Ryan burst into laughter. The Knight King propped his chin on his hand, looking at his wife with a smile. "Go on, keep talking, Sulia. I love hearing you talk, whether it's good or bad. I even like it when you're being sarcastic. I love you the most, my dear."
"Ryan, you..." Sulia couldn't maintain her sarcastic tone after Ryan's response. The queen knew her husband all too well. "Did you run into some trouble and need my advice?"
Ryan nodded. He never hid anything from Sulia. The Knight King explained Aurora's request to grant Shire Trolovic a noble title and a fiefdom.
Devonshire chuckled, delighted to see his usually stern father often being put in his place by his mother, Lady Lily, or Aunt Morgiana. He couldn't help but laugh this time either.
Though his father was the invincible Sun King outside, full of majesty and martial prowess, at home, he was the one being managed. Ryan had handed over all authority in the inner court to his queen, including how his own time was allocated. Only Sulia dared to confront him, yell at him, and make him apologize. None of the other ladies dared to do so. Devonshire was proud. This was his mother, the only one who could stand on equal footing with his father.
Ah, and Lady Lily, of course.
Sulia listened quietly to Ryan's explanation, then frowned. "Ryan, this is a tricky situation. Granting Shire Trolovic a title isn't impossible, but it needs to be justified—either through inheritance or significant merit. But as Olica said, they didn't really do much in the Seventh Intelligence Bureau. They just got a list from Neferata. Besides, Shire is destined to inherit the Sorceress Council. Granting a title to a sorceress..."
"What's your opinion, Sulia?" Ryan asked noncommittally. "I came here to hear your thoughts."
"Ryan, whether or not to grant the title is entirely up to you. Why are you asking me? Do you want to grant it or not?" Sulia sighed, then decided to be straightforward. "You spoil that mother and daughter too much. Sorceresses are insatiable. Sometimes, you give them the impression that with your favor, they can do whatever they want."
"The decision is yours, my queen," Ryan shook his head. The Sun King stood up and began pacing the room, gesturing to the head maid. Sylvie immediately closed the doors to the inner chamber. "The inner court has always been your domain. I don't interfere. As you said, there are reasons both for and against granting the title. You decide."
So, Ryan isn't planning to warn Aurora like he did with Veronica, huh? Sulia understood.
After finishing his explanation, Ryan put the matter out of his mind. He truly didn't involve himself in the affairs of his inner court. Whether Sulia decided to grant the title or not, he would respect her decision.
With that matter settled, Ryan didn't sit back down. He continued pacing the room, deep in thought. After a while, he decided to ask the Lady of the Lake, "My Lady, reports have come in that the High Elves' rescue mission for the Little Queen has reached the Badlands. They should be fighting by now. Do you think Tyrion and his team can rescue the Little Queen?"
The Lady of the Lake nodded. With no outsiders present, she spoke directly, "I can't sense that far. The winds of death around Nagashizzar are too strong. The last time I received a prayer from Teclis was quite some time ago."
"Has Aliathra been rescued?" Devonshire piped up again.
"Devon!" Sulia scolded, and the boy quickly added, "I was just asking."
"Patience is a virtue," Ryan chided his son, then moved on to the next topic. "Louen from Kislev has sent word. Dozens of armies, each numbering over ten thousand, are gathering north of the Mourning Mountains. The Troll King Throgg's thirty-thousand-strong barbarian army has already begun moving south. He's asking for our aid."
"We're too far from Kislev," Sulia shook her head. "And we've just finished the Albion Expedition. We've already sent reinforcements to Louen once before. After discussing it with the Lady, we've replied, telling Louen to investigate the situation first and request aid from the Empire."
"Agreed," Ryan said succinctly.
Then, Ryan began lecturing his son. "Devon, you're too impulsive. As a knight, you must be steady, composed, and not let your subordinates or servants easily guess what you're thinking or planning."
"Yes, I understand," Devonshire obediently conceded.
"Good. This afternoon, it's my turn to teach you. Today, I'll start teaching you a special technique for dealing with spellcasters—Energy Feedback."
...I am the dividing line of composure...
Night fell, and snow began to fall outside. Inside the king's bedroom in the oval courtyard.
Ryan had just taken a relaxing bath and climbed into the warm, comfortable bed, ready to unwind. He picked up a book from the bedside table titled The Origin, Development, and Decline of Tax Farming—The Prairie Wolf.
He hadn't been lying down for long when the door creaked open. "Ryan, are you there?"
The Knight King immediately recognized the voice. "No, Morgiana, not now!"
Sure enough, it was the Damsel of the Lake, Morgiana. She was wearing only a long nightgown with a pattern of floating flowers and fragrant roses. Beneath the nightgown, her legs were clad in white lace-top stockings. Seeing Ryan in bed, Morgiana couldn't contain her excitement and quickly approached. "What do you mean 'not now'? You seem quite energetic to me."
"No, Morgiana, we already... twice during the bath," Ryan's face turned a bit green. The Knight King quickly put the book aside and tried to sound composed. "Tonight is meeting time. Didn't you all schedule it?"
"Twice isn't enough," Morgiana sat on the edge of the bed, her face slightly flushed but filled with anticipation. "Let's do it a few more times. The Lady and the Queen are busy with the Damsels in the front courtyard. They won't be here anytime soon."
"No, Morgiana, not now!" Ryan thought to himself that if he got tangled up with her long, stocking-clad legs, it wouldn't be over in just twenty or thirty minutes. He quickly added, "The Lady and Sulia will be here soon, and Olica too!"
"Then you owe me a day?" Morgiana seized the opportunity, counting on her fingers. "Including what you've recently repaid and what you still owe, you owe me 26 days!"
Damn it! I've fallen into her trap! Ryan could only smile wryly and reluctantly agree to Morgiana's demand.
Morgiana immediately pounced on Ryan, kissing him passionately. Her lips and tongue carried a faint sweetness. Ryan wrapped his arms around her waist, and the two kissed for a while before parting. Morgiana then closed her eyes and leaned against Ryan's shoulder to rest.
After a while, the Lady of the Lake and Sulia walked in arm in arm, followed by Olica, who was dressed in a black-and-white maid's dress with a mink coat draped over her shoulders. Seeing Morgiana already there, the Lady of the Lake giggled. "Morgiana, you're early."
The Damsel of the Lake blushed furiously and quickly moved to kneel. "My Lady, My Queen."
"No need," the Lady of the Lake waved her hand, indicating that Morgiana didn't need to kneel. The goddess glanced at the Damsel. She was quite satisfied with Morgiana, who was like a leash she used to keep Ryan in check. So far, Morgiana had done well in winning Ryan's affection, which was good. "Today, I'll allow you to join us."
"Yes," Morgiana was overjoyed. She kicked off her slippers and climbed onto the bed, sitting to one side.
Ryan, the Lady of the Lake, Sulia, Olica, and Morgiana all sat together on the king's large bed, discussing what to do next.
"My Lady, what will happen if the High Elves fail to rescue the Little Queen? Will the Dwarves and Elves go to war?" Sulia asked the Lady of the Lake first. The queen had clearly been pondering this question for a long time.
"No," the Lady of the Lake shook her head. "Even if they wanted to, they couldn't. The Dwarves and Elves are too far apart. The War of the Beard already cost both races their dominance over the world. Would they really start another war now, after thousands of years of decline and with their populations decimated? No rational person would... but we need to prepare for one thing."
"Prepare?" Ryan narrowed his eyes, thinking for a moment. "Is it that the High Elves and Dwarves won't be able to unite against a common enemy?"
"The High Elves are too preoccupied with their own problems," the Lady of the Lake nodded. "And with the Great Vortex failing, the White Tower of Hoeth has predicted that in the coming months to a year, large numbers of Chaos daemons will appear in Ulthuan."
"Even with the Great Vortex still intact?" Ryan's frown deepened.
"The Great Vortex is rapidly collapsing, Master," Olica, leaning on Ryan's back, whispered. "The Pale Queen and her son, the Gatekeeper of the Underworld, N'kari, have learned that the Witch King and Witch Queen have gathered an army of a hundred thousand, ready to invade Ulthuan and reclaim the Phoenix Throne and the Great Vortex while Chaos daemons run rampant."
"It's not reclaiming. The Phoenix Throne rightfully belongs to him," the Lady of the Lake sighed, her voice tinged with helplessness. "But Asuryan has never been clear about such things."
"Why not be clear?" Sulia was still puzzled.
"If things are too clear, who takes responsibility when something goes wrong? If too many mistakes are made, how can He remain the God of Gods?" the Lady of the Lake sneered. "But Asuryan will surely act soon, as the Great Vortex is collapsing rapidly. Even staying in the White Tower of Hoeth won't guarantee safety. He must find an avatar. Similarly, Khaine is also preparing."
"What about the human gods?" Ryan continued. "My Lady, do you know if Ulric, Taal, and Sigmar have chosen their avatars yet?"
"Not yet," the Lady of the Lake shook her head. "The human gods aren't as far-sighted as the Elven gods. Some of them haven't even realized what's coming. But it's certain that Myrmidia has chosen a human girl as her avatar and plans to manifest at the Myrmidian Academy in Nuln. It seems she's planning to align herself with your son, Frederick. But who exactly she's chosen is still unclear."
"You don't even know?" Ryan was surprised.
"My relationship with the human gods isn't as good as you think," the Lady of the Lake said helplessly. "I'm a foreign god."
Ryan felt a sense of helplessness. He knew many things, but there was little he could do. He couldn't militarily intervene in the internal affairs of the High Elves or the Dark Elves, nor could he convince the Dwarves to let go of their ancient grudges.
"Everyone, listen," the Lady of the Lake wasn't finished. She bit her lip and suddenly spoke with great seriousness. "Ryan, Sulia, I think, given the current situation, we should go with the flow."
"Go with the flow?"
"What I mean is, this Little Queen is already tainted. She's beyond saving! Let her be sacrificed!"
"???"
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