Rya was making the rounds through the party and chatting it up with girl after girl handing out her stock of tampons while also listening in on the conversations that were going on. It was mostly gossip, but Rya did learn some things that were very interesting.

  The first was that Leandra was the one who was aiming to marry off Lydia to the highest bidder. She felt left out of the conversation when her three oldest daughters were engaged, so she wants to do the same thing with Lydia.

  The second was that the other women didn't like Marchioness Isabel Wrightwood's attitude of te. They thought Isabel didn't trust the Duchess and all of a sudden she flipped on a dime. She demanded that her allies should do the same thing, but after witnessing Rya's personality and actions they began to wonder if Leandra had something on Isabel to make her switch sides, damaging the Marchioness's credibility.

  And the third was that Viscountess Cassandra Bckwood had been spending a lot of time in the capital of Fiafyr without her husband and rumors were swirling about her having an affair. The girls had no idea who with, but Rya was chalked this rumor up as baseless at best. It was entertaining to listen to, however unlikely.

  "I don't know. I wouldn't spread this around. We could cause an unnecessary scandal." Rya said after she had handed out the st of her tampons.

  "But how often does a woman come into the capital unchaperoned?" Laura Whistlo asked.

  "Oh, so you came to the capital with your husband, Lady Laura?" Menie Ingham said as she came in to join the conversation.

  The mid-thirty year old woman was surprised that Isabel's own daughter was protecting the Dark Elf. She took a moment and also noticed that five other dies were hovering around Rya as if they were her entourage.

  "Um, yes."

  "So, your husband doesn't trust you? That's a problem. You need to find someone who is willing to trust you. Otherwise, how can you trust him? Right, Lady Constance?" Menie said.

  "You're absolutely right. Trust is important. Why is it that if we go around without a chaperone that we get judged for it, but men can do whatever they want? If I were a man, I'd be free to do whatever I wanted. It doesn't seem fair, does it?" Constance asked.

  "Um?... No, I guess I never thought about it like that. Maybe it's not such a bad thing as I suspected." Laura said with a bit of confusion. But she did like the idea of being able to do things her way and not have to be concerned with husband.

  Rya couldn't have been happier. Her new friends were doing the heavy lifting and all she needed to do was smile and nod every now and again.

  'Awe!? It's making me all warm and fuzzy inside. I thought I never get to this point,' Rya thought with a big grin.

  "Hey, Princess Rya. Do you think you could teach me how to attract a man like your fiancé? He seems so trusting and handsome!"

  "Oh, I wish I had a man like your Prince. He's so sweet. I feel that most noblemen aren't that nice. My father and uncle aren't nice men. They're very demanding. And the men they tried to pair me up with were... let's just say not the type of man I'd want to be with. So, I'm not a fan of marriage," a girl named Celia said with a frown.

  "Yeah, my father wants me to marry a man I barely know. It's a political alliance, or so he says," Brynhildr said with a sour expression. Her mood wasn't helped with her cramping and bleeding, but luckily she used one of Rya's tampons, which dulled the pain.

  Rya sighed and gave them a sympathetic look.

  "I wish I had a easy answer for you gals. Political marriages seem rough and I, myself have to give some concessions if I'm going to marry Quin. It's never as simple as finding a good-looking guy and falling in love. It's all politics."

  "Oh? What do you mean?" Celia asked feigning interest, but her and twenty other dies were just as curious to get some gossip.

  "Well, the House of Lords are worried about me conceiving a child during Quinus's lifetime. I mean, I am doing my part but I understand why they are worried," Rya paused as she noticed the crowd of women moved in closer. 'Oh? These girls really do want some juicy gossip. I guess they're more interested than I thought. Hopefully that's a good thing.'

  "What did the House of Lords ask of you?" One girl asked, her eyes flickered with excitement.

  "Well, it wasn't something I was comfortable with at first, but if it gets me my man, then I'll allow it... Maybe," Rya said as she paused to add a little dramatic effect. "But the House of Lords asked me to allow Quinus to have a human consort. I would still be the queen, but this would calm the Court about a heir. But I will do everything in my power to have his baby before the end of his life. That is a promise."

  The girls were shocked and excited. All except Hilda, who was disgusted that Rya seduced her Prince before even meeting him and the thought of sharing him made her skin crawl. However the others didn't know that the Crown Prince had consummated his retionship with the Dark Elf. Yet, this news changed things in the Ladies of the Court. Quinus was allowed to have multiple wives. Maybe if they became good friends with the Elven Princess then they could be his human consort. The Crown Prince wasn't just the best looking man around, but he also was sweet and gentle. He was the best option for most of the women standing around Rya.

  "Are you going to allow him a consort? I-I mean, I'm sure the choice has been made with the Major Houses, but do you approve?" A young woman with short brown hair asked.

  Rya noticed that a few women looked at her with hopeful expressions, like she was going to choose one of their best friends.

  'What the fuck has gotten into these chicks?' Rya thought as she tried to figure out what these girls were after. But then it hit her, they wanted to be Quin's other wives. 'God... Dammit! I opened my big mouth and now these girls think that they can be the lucky human who'll have my man's children. Well, there's no fucking way I'm allowing any other woman to have his babies. Not unless I'm struggling after a decade or something. But I can't be out right rude after winning over most of the Court.' Rya put on a nervous smile as she tried to come up with an answer that would not anger the majority of the women looking to become sister wife.

  "Well, I want to try and have Quin's child first, before I will allow the Crown Prince to take a second wife... It's something that I have been negotiating with the House of Lords," Rya said, giving an honest answer.

  Some of the girls looked disappointed but they understood where Rya was coming from. They would like to be the only one if they had a man like Quin. But there was still hope and they weren't ready to give up.

  "Do you have any candidates in mind for a consort? Just so we know if you need someone to help the kingdom with their political needs," a short redheaded woman asked, trying to find out if she had any competition.

  'Haah... These few girls aren't going to back down easily,' Rya thought as she took a moment to think about how to reply.

  "No, not yet. But I'll let you all know once things are ironed out with the House of Lords," Rya said apologetically.

  Menie Ingham, Constance Montcir, and Serena von Maus noticed that Rya was having trouble letting these girls know that she wasn't going to share Quin's affections. So they decided to save the poor girl from these persistent nobles.

  "Come, dies, our future Queen doesn't need a battle royal in Lydia's party. It's not our pce to question our betters. Now, move along and find some other party where men are allowed. I'm sure some of them will be willing to give you a go. But here is off limits," Menie said sternly, but not too harsh. She ushered the women away from Rya with the help of Constance and Serena. Jenelle Dravenhart, Julia Dusker, and Aris Mardax were clueless at first to the situation. But after witnessing the way those noble women acted, they figured it out quickly and followed Menie's lead.

  'Oh?... So, this is what it is like to have groupies... No, maybe it's more like an entourage... Whatever it is, it is super nice. I need to repay them somehow for this,' Rya thought, feeling very happy and relieved at the same time.

  Nieren who was witnessing this from a far couldn't help but ugh at how pathetic the young nobles were. But she did feel a little pity as she wished she could be one of Quin's wives, however, it is a dream that will never come true. She knows her pce and is content to just observe her sister for now.

  Rya finally felt like she had some breathing room after her friends rescued her from her group of admirers. She gnced around the ballroom to see where she should go next and spotted Lydia Revelia talking to her younger sister Eine.

  'Well, since things are going smoothly, I might as well go see Lydia. This is her coming of party and it is said that we need to greet the host... Okay, I know they are the daughters of one of my biggest rivals, but if I can get Menie on my side, then I have nothing to fear from Leandra and her followers,' Rya thought, deciding it was the best course of action.

  As she approached the young noble girls, Rya heard the hushed tone of the three older Revelia daughters. They weren't sure if they should stop the Dark Elf from greeting their sister or let it continue. But one thing was certain. They were afraid of Rya.

  'Hm. Why are they—oh? Those are the Duchess's daughters, right? What was their names again? Sara, Jemma and...' Rya paused for a moment when her eyes noticed the red particles floating around all three of their body's with Jemma having the most. '...Eleanora,' she thought as her gaze lingered on the girl who had the worst injuries.

  It was perplexing to Rya on why these three had such flesh injuries. They weren't untreatable and a decent healing potion could have taken care of them within a day or two. It was like they were being punished or something and it gave Rya a pit in her stomach.

  'That's not a good sign,' Rya thought before putting on a fake smile and walked towards them. Sara stood in front of Jemma and Eleanora, acting like their shield, while Jemma was holding Eleanora close.

  Rya stopped a couple of feet away looking between the three. Sara put on a stoic face, ready to defend her sisters if the Dark Elf made any sudden movements. Jemma, who was scared stiff, clenched her fists in hopes of hiding her trembling, but she could not help but shrink back as Rya looked at her. Eleanora looked like a dear in headlights. She knew what this creature did to her brother and did not want to end up like him.

  Sara's expression hardened and spoke before Rya could even say anything, "Lady Velnax... I must know, what do you intend to do with us?"

  Rya's eyebrows rose at the question, "Pardon?"

  "What are your intentions with our family?" Sara asked, getting straight to the point.

  "Well, I am not sure what you mean by that," Rya said, pying dumb.

  Sara was not amused, "You know what I am referring to. The incident with our brother has put you in the ire of my parents. They would rather see you dead than be anywhere in their manor. And yet, you show up here like nothing has happened. You're either brave or foolish. So, I ask you, what are your intentions?"

  Rya couldn't help but give the three a soft smile, "What can I say. I rub some people the wrong way. Yet, you all seem to be worried about me instead of yourselves. That is very kind and noble of you, Lady Revelia."

  Sara, Jemma, and Eleanora looked surprised.

  "What do you mean?" Eleanora asked, speaking for the first time.

  "I don't know if past healers could see the same thing as I, but I can see injuries that are hidden from the naked eye. The three of you have bruises around your arms and legs, some are new, while others are a few days old. Some are so deep they're nearly in the bone. And yet, I don't see any healing potion or some form of ointment to deal with the pain," Rya expined.

  The three looked away, trying not to look Rya in the eyes. Rya thought she got them, but the discomfort that was in the pit of her stomach told her otherwise.

  "So, why does three women from a prestigious family have injuries that aren't being treated?" Rya asked.

  "Well... we're just clumsy..." Eleanora lied.

  Rya raised an eyebrow. The cockiness of putting these women down began to wane. Something in the way Eleanora's voice cracked triggered a memory of her past. When she was in middle school she had a childhood friend named Kirk that she grew up with. But one day, Kirk started acting off. Rya couldn't put her finger on it at the time, but there was something about his demeanor that changed.

  Soon after that Kirk became withdrawn, he rarely spoke to her or any of their friends. When he did, his words would be clipped and harsh. It wasn't until Rya's mother told her about an incident at Kirk's house. His father attacked his mother, younger brother, and him. Out of all Rya's cssmates and friends, she was the only one who knew the truth about his home life.

  She knew what it was like to get bullied when she was targeted by a few people when she was younger. Luckily, she was a bigger kid growing up so it didn't st long. But Kirk's was on a whole nother stratosphere. She didn't know what to do but keep this information to herself and after a couple of weeks a counselor brought Kirk and her into a private room. This counselor was trying to console Kirk, but he wasn't having it at first. He shed out verbally, but when the counselor told him that Rya knew all this time and didn't tell a soul, he broke down crying.

  Rya only sat there and watched as her friend broke down hugging the counselor. What was a 12 year old boy supposed to do or say to a friend who experienced, if not the worst, then one of the worst things a child can experience. There was no words that she could say it give Kirk any relief. So, all she did was sit there, feeling hollow that she couldn't do anything other than sit silently. Just being a silent witness to her friend breaking down in front of her.

  After that day Kirk seemed to be closer to his old self, but it was never the same as they didn't speak of what happened in that counseling office. Rya could see the change in him. He still had his moments, but it seemed the counselor gave him ways to handle his anger and trauma.

  A week after that was when Kirk's mother got a divorce. His brother and him moved away with his mother making it seem like it was a figment of her imagination.

  Rya and her friends chatted with Kirk a few times on a old AOL server, but they grew apart when they reached highschool. She heard that he was doing okay from some mutual friends.

  This moment reminded her of Kirk, but this wasn't a childhood friend. These were women who had their lives ripped away from them because their husbands and parents abused their positions. Rya wasn't sure if this was the right move, but she wasn't going to sit by and offer a silent comfort. Her only hesitation was finding out if these women were on their parents side or not.

  'I... Maybe I should help them regardless of what side they are on... Dammit... My hunch better be right.' She thought, before taking a deep breath.

  Rya cleared her throat, which caught the attention of the women.

  "You're Lady Sara, correct?" Rya asked the oldest looking woman who was standing in front of the others.

  Sara looked at Rya with suspicion, but answered.

  "I am, Midy," Sara answered, while being cautious.

  Rya took a deep breath.

  "I wanted to heal you three... And I wanted to know if you are on your father's side," Rya asked, getting right into it.

  Sara looked taken aback, but composed herself.

  "Why do you want to heal us?" Sara asked.

  Rya was about to answer but Jemma jumped in, "She probably wants our husbands to punish us."

  Rya was confused, "Punish you? I don't follow."

  Sara gave Jemma a look, before looking back at Rya, "You wouldn't understand. You are trying to marry our cousin who is a good man. Not that many Nobles outside of Fiafyr are good men."

  Rya remained silent and Sara continued.

  "You are confused about why we haven't treated our wounds?" Sara asked rhetorically. "The answer is because we get punished for our little defiance. If we were to us a healing potion then we would be punished again until new injuries would show."

  Jemma and Eleanora nodded their heads.

  Rya was almost afraid to ask, but she had too, "Why do you get punished?"

  Sara scoffed, thinking that this Dark Elf was toying with her, but the look on her face was not one of mockery or disgust, but genuine concern.

  Sara sighed, "We get punished because we refuse to give them children... Our only value is the Royal bloodline that flows through us. And the older we get the less likely it will happen. Eleanora and my husbands are a little more patient. But once I can no longer have children my husband will send me away or kill me... I don't know until that day comes."

  Eleanora and Jemma nodded their heads.

  Rya had a hard time swallowing. These three women seemed to have accepted a fate that was far worse than anything she could have imagined.

  Rya knew that these women were just pawns in the games of the powerful men in their families, and they thought they had no control over their own lives. If only they knew the potential that was inside each one of the Revelia daughters.

  'No one deserves a fate like that.' Rya thought. She stared at them in silence once again. She focused on Jemma who stared straight back at her. Rya saw a person who put up a brave face, but there was sadness and pain behind her eyes. A sadness that Rya never experienced, and yet it was something she never wished for on anyone. Not even Hilda.

  Sara watched as Rya seemed lost in thought. It was as if the elf was having a battle within herself. Sara knew the stories about dark elves and how they were evil creatures, but Sara saw the kindness and sadness in her eyes.

  "What if I can help you. I can—"

  "Do what? Hide us in the pace and cause a diplomatic incident? No... Our value is our bloodline, Midy. If we had our brother's gift of being a mage, then maybe things would be..." Sara paused when she saw a tear run down Rya's face.

  Rya was surprised that she was crying. She quickly wiped the tear away, hoping no one else saw. But all three of the Revelia girls had. Sara was speechless, why would her parents enemy care so much for their wellbeing.

  "I'm sorry..."

  "Midy... Please... You have done nothing wrong... It's just that even with all the power you hold can't change our fates. And the House of Lords won't start a war on our—"

  "You don't understand the potential you have. That you all have," Rya stated as she straightened up her posture and looked Sara straight in the eyes.

  The three sisters looked at each other as if to see if this was a joke or a ploy.

  "Potential... Potential to what? Bear children for our husbands?" Sara said with a scoff.

  "Potential to become more. To be someone of greatness. To do what your father or deceased brother couldn't," Rya said, knowing that was a low blow, but she was desperate to convince them that they had worth beyond bearing heirs.

  Sara, Jemma, and Eleanora were waiting for Rya to drop the act, but the longer they waited, the more Rya's expression remained sincere. Hope was a fool's game, but Sara's heart couldn't help but want believe what the Dark Elf was saying.

  "Are you speaking the truth or are you simply toying with us," Eleanora asked.

  Rya looked at Eleanora with a serious expression. "Eleanora... I saw all of your Ma—"

  "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, LEANDRA!?" Roared the voice of Viscountess Cassandra Bckwood.

  Everyone turned towards the Duchess, who was in a state of rage. Her hair was a mess, her face was red, and her dress was disheveled. It was clear she had been in a tussle as Queen Rianna, Yuliana, Ysandra, and the rest of the major pyers of the Ladies Court were gring at Leandra.

  'What the hell is going—Hold on? Is that Amelia? Holy shit!? She's almost as big as Hilda!' Rya thought as everyone moved in closer to see what Amelia was holding in her hands.