Negotiations

It only took Zeya half an hour to travel a distance that would've taken many others half a day to do so. Stygia was a nation that mainly consisted of unmanned territory, with the most populated area being the mainland. It didn't particularly help any connections to bloom as well when the distance between the capital and other small regions stretched so far apart.

For some reason, she was now even more determined to continue her search for the creature despite Lex's disheartening news. What Varen had told her was true after all; this monster was indeed not a force to be reckoned with. It had hurt her pride to admit she was wrong, but the truth can never be denied, can it?

The first sight of her destination appeared behind a massive cloud, standing menacingly in the middle of Stygia's capital city. Stygia had always managed to give off an unwelcome nature, no matter the weather and today was of no exception.

Her wings moved silently as she glided gracefully past the streets, her people oblivious to her presence above the sky. No source of light could be seen from inside the structure, confirming that the palace was truly untenanted. Her boots clicked softly against the obsidian floor as she landed at the nearest entrance.

Under Zeya's orders, Arius had dispatched twice the number of royal guards all around the palace during her absence. Despite having ancient shadows protecting the perimeter of the palace since the day it was built, she didn't mind taking extra measures considering how capable the monster was.

Just as she was about to make her way inside, muffled voices could be heard from a distance, slightly puzzling her. A female voice in particular peaked her interest which sounded extremely foreign, its loud and piercing nature a total contrast to the other two whisper-like voices which most Roseabelles possessed.

'Could it be an intruder? This could be interesting.' Zeya thought, deciding to give in to her temptations and investigate. With Nox's help, she hid herself amongst the shadows before getting closer to eavesdrop. Her suspicions were proven right when she saw two guards blocking a woman from entering the palace.

"As much as I appreciate your efforts to do your duties diligently gentleman," There was still a slight edge to the woman's tone despite her attempt to sound polite. "I must insist that you let me in to meet Her Majesty this instant. It is an emergency."

"For the last time Princess, the Empress is currently not here." One of the guards explained, evidently tired of the woman's persistence. "And you do not have the proper arrangements to meet Her Majesty. We were not notified of any guests, especially not one from the human realms."

Although it was now permitted for humans to enter and leave Stygia as they pleased, Zeya's father still made sure to implement some rules in order to prevent any unwanted incidents.

First, the visitor must inform the royal council of Stygia at least a week before they planned to visit the nation along with a statement of entry which included the duration of their stay. Every single request is properly investigated before it is sent to Zeya, who had the final say in whether the request would be approved or denied.

For the time being, Zeya had rejected every single one of the requests she had gotten despite knowing the potential complaints that would make it her way. Stygia now has become much more dangerous with the arrival of this monster, and Zeya was taking absolutely no chances of sharing its existence to the rest of the world... Not for the time being at least.

"We'll make sure to pass on your greetings to Her Majesty, Princess." The taller and slightly leaner guard of the pair nodded his head impatiently, wishing that his words would somehow convince the stubborn human to leave. "But for now, we must ask you to leave immediately. If any of the Circle's High Roseabelles saw, you here-"

"I think it's far too late for that now gentlemen." Zeya finally spoke up, unbothered by the guards terrified expressions.

After quickly dismissing the two guards, Zeya brought the human into her study room, where she wordlessly observed the human princess, who calmly waited for Zeya to question her. A warm, freshly made pot of tea remained untouched on the table that sat between them, it's vapors creating fun swirls before evaporating into the surrounding atmosphere.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Your Grace." The human spoke first with a polite smile. "I've been meaning to meet you for quite some time now."

"Why, what a surprise to find you here, Princess." Zeya replied sarcastically, returning the smile. "Did Varen send you here? I thought I clearly expressed my distain in becoming allies."

"If that was true, I doubt I would be in the same room as you." Kaari responded, her smile never faltering.

"My visit here today has nothing with Exousia, nor does it involve His Majesty." She explained confidently. "In fact, I came to ask you for a favor... a very important one."

"Oh? And what might this, 'favor' be Princess Kaari?" Zeya tilted her head curiously, clearly intrigued. "How important could it possibly be that you dare trespass into Stygia?"

"... I understand your distain towards my kind but please, do not overlook my desperation."

"So, breaking my nation's rules was a sign of your desperation?" Zeya questioned, unimpressed by the Princess's pleas, her face failing to hide the disdain she had towards the human. "I must say, what a pathetic attempt to flatter me, Princess."

Zeya coldly stared at the eager human, carefully considering the choices in her head.

"If it wasn't Varen that sent you here... then it must be from the orders of your own monarch." Zeya said as she poured the now cold tea into her own porcelain cup. "Though I was hoping he'd never woke up."

"How did you..." Kaari trailed off her words, unable to hide her shock.

"I know a lot of things, Princess... there are shadows everywhere after all." Zeya confessed, taking a small sip of the tea. "And not to mention how this isn't a first occurrence."

"How unfortunate that his wish to be immortal made him so frail... though not mentally." Zeya sighed as she smashed the empty cup onto the table, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. "He is still as stubborn as a mule."

"My father may have decided to trust your kind but I on the other hand, do not." She began, intending her words to come out as a threat. "I am merely just tolerating you because of the ignorant promises he made to our people."

"... The late Emperor wanted to bring back the peace that was lost after the war." Kaari finally spoke up, feeling a need to defend the late Emperor.

"You mean the peace that your greedy ancestors disrupted in the first place?" Zeya laughed at the audacity of the human. "Humans are so ignorant it's almost... revolting."

"I pray for your sake that this will be the first and last time we meet, Princess Kaari." Zeya inhaled heavily, trying her best to control her anger. "Because the next time I see you, it will not end so well."

"Get her out of my sight, Nox." Zeya ordered, getting up to leave. "And make sure she can never make it back here again."

Right as Zeya gave out her commands, the once meek shadows suddenly turned hostile towards the human, wrapping themselves all around her body as an attempt to prevent her from resisting.

"I won't be able see you out, Princess but fortunately... they will." Zeya nodded her head farewell to the wide-eyed Kaari. "Goodbye."

"The book!" Kaari yelled from the top of her lungs, gaining back the Roseabelle's attention.

"What?" Zeya frowned, not hiding her confusion.

"The book you need to identify the killer that's on the loose. I can help you find it."

"... How do you know about that?" Zeya questioned, genuinely shocked.

"You're not the only one with spies, Your Grace." Kaari smiled at her successful attempt to gain Zeya's full attention.

"She's bluffing... right? There is no way she could have found that out." Zeya tried to deny her claims, looking over at Nox for its reassurance. The creature however, thought otherwise.

"She tells the truth." Nox confirmed Zeya's worst nightmare, the shadows slowly releasing Kaari from its grasp. "There is no deception."

"... You have got to be fucking with me at this point, Mother." Zeya muttered under her breathe in disbelief, her once cool demeanor now distorted with confusion.

"All I ask is of you is to just trust me this once, Your Grace. I... I'm afraid that this may be my grandfather's final wish, and I wish to make it come true." Kaari assured, trying her best to show her genuine attentions. "If you do, I promise to help you find the book."