"Why did you have to tell that elf I was a diplomat?" Lucy complained as she began being fitted for a dress by the fey who resided in the palace. "It was the quickest thing I could think of." Min said with a light shrug as he put on a more noble looking outfit, though it still looked just as rugged and used as all his other clothes.
The palace staff were excited to finally be able to do something for once, since they had fallen into the same routine everyday with out much change since their queen decided on a whim to cut of access to the mortal world.
As a few Spirggans began weaving Lucy a dress out of their own fibres, she couldn't help but sigh at the sight of Nvr, who had just worn her old bridal combat dress, as tight fitting as it was in her current form. Arlo just wore a rather classy looking red nobleman outfit they had made to his specifications.
Once the former demon put on her new black and red fey dress, she stared at herself in the mirror with a blank stare. "This is defiantly some sort of Fey trick, mark my words." She grumbled under her breath.
The four eventually gathered into a large fancy dinning hall filled with countless artefacts and bizarre decorations. They each began to sit down as they saw Ayre and Netel enter with more noble looking outfits.
The two sat across, with the elf waving to the group as he smiled brightly. "Ayre, stop it." Netel whispered. "Shh, these are esteemed guests! Father even said he would come back for the night!" He whispered, though not very discreet.
"Who's your father?" Lucy asked with a bored wave of her hand, since she had nothing else to talk about as a "diplomat". "Well, our father is the most respected warrior in the realm. I'm sure you will get along." He said with a smile.
"I'm sure this will go swimmingly." The former demon grumbled as their food was served up on a silver plater. As everyone began to eat, Lucy gave a piece of her food for Min to try. "Eat this." She said flatly. Min wasn't one to turn down free food, quickly scoffing down the small morsel of food.
"Is it poisoned?" Lucy looked him up and down, making sure he didn't seem ill or cursed. Min gave a playful look before shaking his head. "No. You can eat."
Lucy sighed and took one bite of what she first assumed was fish before it jumped at her, making her fall back in surprise. Netel began laughing. "I got her! Ha." As she continued to laugh and Ayre looking shocked, everyone else continued eating.
"Nvr?" Arlo asked flatly. "I got her." Nvr quickly grabbed Lucy by the leg as she leapt towards the pixie like a feral animal, just barely saving her as the demon began trying to claw at her. Nvr sighed and tossed Lucy over her shoulder, with Grey wrapping himself around her to stop her from moving so much.
As Nvr went to go take Lucy outside for some air, she accidentally bumped into someone who was entering the dining room. "Ah crap, Netel, did you do the flipping fish trick already?" The figure said as he raised a hand created out of vines.
"Hey guys, Miss me?." He said before Lucy let out a loud groan at being dropped on the floor as Nvr and Grey quickly rushed to hug the middle aged man with vine limbs. "Vinea!" Nvr cheered out.
Lucy got up to see the vine kid she once knew now middle aged. "Oh come on, why does he look older then me!?" She yelled, looking at his more defined look, his dark green hair looking still as scruffy as ever.
"Holy shit, is that you Lucy? Ha, looks like you got younger." He laughed. the former demon gave a dismissive wave as she stared at him. "I was gone for six months. How the hell are you this old?"
"Fey time works differently. Ha, I'm 42 this year. And just as handsome as ever. Kids, these are the guys I've been talking about all these years." He motioned to Arye and Netel, who both let out surprised gasps. Netel quickly began berating her brother over never getting their names while Lucy looked stunned. "Uh... Their your kids?"
"Adopted. I don't really do relationships." He shrugged, flicking Lucy's bangs and revealing her three eyes, making him gasp. "Geez, what happened to your eyes? Their so... Not there."
She let out a long sigh and while they began eating their dinner and doing introductions, Lucy explained her situation and everything that has happened.
Vinea gave a light sigh before snapping his viny fingers together. "If you're aiming to take down Titania, you are gonna need some help." He said as he tossed the last bit of his meal into his mouth. "We'll go visit Avis. She'll be happy to see you again."
"The Harpy is here?" Lucy asked while Vinea gave an awkward look. "Yeah... Just don't use that term when you see her... She's become a bit different since you last met." He said with an awkward laugh. Grey leaped off of Nvr's neck as he shifted into his Fox form, brushing against Vinea's vine leg. "Don't worry, I shall keep our friends in line." He said, making The vine limbed man laugh.
"Holy shit, the scarf can talk!?" Arlo yelled with his mouthful.
After a long evening of more catching up over light stories of adventure and Vinea bragging about his kids, everyone headed off to separate rooms to rest up to go and find Avis. Though as everyone slept, Lucy decided to practice her Ego powers outside under the eternal moonlight of the Fey realm.
"What in Mollia's are you doing out here, Lucy?" Vinea asked with a smirk while he leant against a wall, trying to look as cool as he did in his younger days. "Practicing." She said before breaking a rather sturdy tree with a slash of a jade chain whip.
"I get you were the broody, menacing Demon Lord of The Underbelly... But right now, you can relax." He sighed and casually approached her. "Well, not all of us have a literal palace to relax in right now. Speaking of which... How did you get a palace?"
"I... Sorta maybe accidentally got roped into a Fey contract with Titania."
"You idiot. So what's the contract?"
"I'm technically her husband until Death do us part." He sighed, scratching his stubbled chin as he created a seat made of vines. "Let me guess, you want me to kill her?"
"No! Nononono... But how do I get out of it?" He asked with a half smile. Lucy stopped her training and began to think, she had a decent understanding of Fey and unrivalled knowledge of contracts. "Have you got the contract on you?"
Vinea gave a nod, summoning a white piece of glowing paper in his hands and began reading it over. Lucy was actually impressed how air tight the contract was, but noticed one loophole in it. "I just have to kill you and restart your heart. But let's leave that for now. I don't want to screw it up before I beat Titania."
The two parted ways after talking a bit more, as Lucy went to get some sleep for their next trial of their journey. To climb a mountain literally named "Mountain".