2nd Phase

The long table had the royals gathered, with their fitted high-quality attire. On the table was a feast to welcome the guests. Wine was poured, meat was cut, and each had their own meal before them. King Alastir sat beside his wife at one end with their son, King Valor and the hidden mage sat at the other end alongside his daughter and wife.

"What a meal you present to us, Alastir," Valor took a bite of the white meat, drizzled with gravy.

"You will become part of the family after all, this is only the start of what we would share," the king smiled crinkling his brown eyes.

"Oh really?" Valor's eyes lit up, "Do tell what else you would share?"

'Good, take the bait you conniving pig!' The king grinned.

"Besides a good meal and wonderful people," Alastir spoke casually, "The riches that we have will also be yours, as yours is also ours."

"Wonderful, wouldn't you say?" The other king turned to the woman beside him.

"Very," she nodded and tilted her head, as her hair slid down over her shoulder, "Does that mean your mage as well?"

'This is much easier than we planned,' King Alastir found himself smiling once more.

"My mage has his own mind," he continued, "However, I only call on him when it is needed."

"I would like to meet this mage of yours," Hilda smiled, "I heard he is the only one alive from the Kingdom of Yamaste," she paused and turned to her meal, "Forgive me, I meant the Lost Kingdom."

"It is alright," Alastir waved off as he turned to Christian who nodded to him and walked away, "Sir Christian will bring him here."

Lynn, who stood off to the side watched the glimmer in those dark eyes of Hilda's shimmer. Eyes narrowed slightly, the young knight glanced at around the table. Garret was busy listening to the insistent talking of Arora, the queens were quietly conversing with one another, and the kings were the same. Her brown eyes caught the black eyes of the hidden mage and she felt a shiver crawl up her spine. Clenching her teeth, she stared right back to see what this woman would do. She did try to kill her once, would she do it again?

Footsteps broke the tension as it neared.

Lynn watched their faces turned to the man under the robe, followed by her father. His face showed no emotions as he stood before the royals. Letting out a smile, she watched as King Valor assessed Kurt with his eyes.

"You are the mage here, I have heard much about you," the king rubbed his chin, "… you are so young. Not more than 30."

"I am 24, King Valor," Kurt replied in his soft voice.

"Mm, and to know so much magic," Valor glanced beside him.

"What is your name?" Helen asked and the room fell silent.

"Kurt, milady," he bowed slightly.

"How long have you been a mage for this kingdom?"

"Since I was 12."

"How were you found?"

"By one of the soldiers from this Kingdom."

"I see… and so they took you in like a slave," Hilda said smugly as her lips curled and brows dipped.

"King Valor, you should remind your mistress when to hold her tongue," Queen Celeste spoke up chewing her bite without a glance at the once she spoke to.

"I am only speaking from what I heard," the female retort.

"If you cannot control your hidden consort, then she would not be allowed to stay," the queen continued without a care.

Lynn could see the tension in their necks, veins popped out as if it wanted to scream at the queen. Eyes reddened with blood as they bit their tongues from lashing out. Did she feel bad that her queen would speak to them so lowly? Not even a millimeter of her beings did she feel sorry for them. She had been the at the brunt of it for many of the queen's anger, so she knew that a calm queen was the worst of them all.

"Alastir," King Valor gritted out as his knuckles whitened from how hard he fisted his hands, "Your wife speaks out of turn."

"My wife is my voice and mine is hers," the King of Fiemyr did not hesitate to explain, "I agree with her."

It was silent in the dining hall as the royals all stared at one another. Lynn watched the tightened hold of the princess's grip on Garret's arm, the relaxed shoulder of Queen Annabelle, and the tightened face of the other two guests. This was good. Helen would ask for the book of spells soon or Kurt would show it and they would have their confirmation. Brown eyes moved to the mage and watched as he strode forward a step.

"It is alright. I will answer the mistress," Kurt stated and noted the scowl on the female mage's face, "I am not a slave. I do what I can for my king and queen for they gave me a place to stay, a place to call home."

"Home?" Helen narrowed her eyes, "Do you not think of Kingdom of Yamaste your home? How could you change so easily."

"Kingdom of Yamaste was home very long ago," the male mage paused and kept his purple eyes on her dark ones, "… but a female became power hungry and threatened the lives of many. When they all died, and the kingdom fell… it is no longer my home."

"How sad," Arora spoke up with watery eyes and tuck her head against the side of his neck.

Lynn agreed. Kurt had gone through a lot and given much to this kingdom. Never hesitated in helping them and assisted with what he could, but it was taxing on him. He was sleeping more, darkness underneath his eyes, and was slower in his movements. She worried about him because how much longer was he going to push his body? Pursing her lips, she tried to shake the thoughts that were straying toward sadness.

"So you left everything behind then," Hilda wondered quietly.

"I brought some items with me," Kurt spoke up and her dark eyes turned quickly to him.

"Would you show them?" She asked a bit more excited as her eyes sparkled.

Mr. London looked at the king who nodded and held her hand out in front of him. A smoke of purple and black appeared swirling higher before it dispersed, revealing a large book. The female's eyes widened, and she stood up quickly. Eyes on the book, she reached for it as she neared.

'So close,' she felt her heart beating quickly, 'I will be able to recover fully! Finally-'

Before her fingers could touch the binding, the book was pulled back and the older knight stepped between her prize possession and herself. Anger filled up as her face scowled deeply as she aimed her heated gaze at the man. Fingers curled into claws as she lifted it up and aimed a hit, but the knight caught her wrist with a stern look.

"Valor," the voice of the king of this pathetic kingdom spoke with tone laced with anger.

"Tell your knight to let her go," King Valor spoke up standing upset.

"Why did she attack my knight?" King Alastir also stood and both kings glared at one another.

The electricity and tension in the room was palpable and Lynn walked over to tap her father in the arm.

"Our apologies mistress," she bowed, "Please return to your seat."

Hilda hesitated before turning with a huff and sat beside her king. Both kings sat down and Lynn could not letting out a curl of her lips, as she fought the laugh back. Hilda was the female mage that was released from her capture. She wants the Book of Spells from Kurt.

'Good. Let's keep teasing her until she can't take it anymore,' she thought, just like they planned.

"Because the marriage between both Prince Garret and Princess Arora will be commenced tomorrow evening," Lynn stated looking at the guests, "My king and queen had preparations ready to go."

"Kurt will be using some of his magic to create a spectacle. We would like to know which you would agree too," Queen Celeste stated sending a cold stare at the unfavored king.

"I would like to see Mother-in-law," the princess piped up happily as she stared at her future mother.

Lynn saw the twitching underneath her right eye and the cold look sent to the princess, but the smile was perfectly in place.

'What a great actress…' the young knight had to admit, 'I wonder how much she acted with me… or were they all real?'

"Let us go to the garden to view it," Celeste spoke as he looked over to her husband.

As the couple stood, everyone else followed and Lynn was the last to leave. Walking slowly behind, she was nearing Queen Annabelle since she was walking alone. Since her father was leading them out to the courtyard, Lynn walked forward to strode beside her.

"Queen Annabelle," she bowed to her, "I apologize if this is out of place, but I would like to ask a question."

Her brown eyes crinkled, and her lips curled up, "Go ahead, Sir Lynn."

"My queen had spoken to you about the situation," she paused and continued with the woman nodded, "It would be hard for you. If… if you need aid, please do not hesitate to ask me or my father. My mother spoke about you and I can hear her sadness."

She glanced at the queen beside her to see her close her eyes with her hand over her mouth.

"She was sad speaking of me?" The queen's voice was quiet and filled with guilt that Lynn wasn't sure what for.

"She had told me my father was to marry you many years ago," she thought back to her mother's words, "She felt selfish taking him away from you."

A soft laugh escaped Queen Annabelle's lips as her eyes teared up.

"Your father fell in love with her," the queen explained as they followed far behind the group, "She was my good friend. I was not going to stand in the way of it," she let out a sigh as she thought about the event, "I know I have more power than her. I would be place to marry another, but your mother was not privileged as I am," she turned to the young knight, "I wanted both of them to be happy, even if it meant that I would not be."

Lynn felt her heart break for Queen Annabelle. To sacrifice her love for the ones she cares for… to watch them live their lives and to have a child… to have her. She believed she would be strong like the queen if Garret were to marry another and live with generations of children as his kin, but she would be hurting every single day. Blinking away the tears, she faced forward.

"Did you know," she said softly, "… that my mother was sick."

She felt a hand touch her and she turned to the queen's soft smile and sheened brown eyes.

"Your mother was very intelligent and was honest, but held this secret so close to her heart," Queen Annabelle let out a deep sigh, "I did not know until she sent me a letter a few days before she passed."

"There are many regrets that I have, Sir Lynn," she continued and the young knight watched her, "… but I do not regret what we are doing now. They should be punished for even harming not only the prince, but also you."

Lynn let out a wet laugh as she nodded.

She really liked Queen Annabelle.