20. We love you, Prince Galdur.
"You look like you're having fun," Elena said with a smile on her face, noticing how excited her little nephew was while staring at the castle and the huge forest around it. "Do you like what you're seeing?"
"Yes, I do," Orion replied with a nod.
He turned around to see Elena dressed in a shimmering blue gown with a silver circlet gracing her forehead.
Elena smiled and the two continued to talk before Orion turned his attention back to the kingdom and the houses he could see within the kingdom.
'Based on the countless novels I've read concerning elves, I knew most elves lived within a forest.'
'However, this forest and the houses within it far exceeded my expectations.'
The elven kingdom was located within a vast, ancient forest, secluded by a misty valley and majestic mountains.
Crystal-clear rivers flowed through the forest, with wildflowers of every color blooming throughout the valley.
As the chariot moved along the kingdom, Orion could see the houses of the forest elves which were way below that of the royal family's castle.
'It's like a completely different world here.'
'The elven world and culture are on a whole different level.'
'Fantasy worlds are the best.'
The houses of the elves in the kingdom were like tree-houses and each of them looked similar to the other.
The houses resembled lantern-like structures suspended high above the forest floor, nestled on the crook of a tree branch.
The roofs were curved like a leaf, with moss-like materials which blended seamlessly into the surroundings.
Aside from the houses, Orion could also see a couple of male and female forest elves roaming around the streets.
Unlike the high elves who were known for their blonde hair, the forest elves had platinum blonde hair and each of them had a quiver full of arrows on their back with a longbow slung over their shoulders and a small pouch containing their hunting tools attached to their waist.
These were the common accessories among the forest elves in the kingdom.
The number of male elves in the kingdom was smaller than the females, meaning that the elves lived in a matriarchal society where females held the majority of the power while males were sought after for their rare perspective and skills.
And the male elves were relatively rare.
They made up about 30% of the elven population and this made them a valuable and cherished part of the society.
Due to their rarity, they were given important roles like high-ranking officials, and this would also explain why Evelyn and Elena welcomed the orcs into the forest.
The orcs didn't only provide more warriors to fight for the elves during the world war, but they also contributed their strength in building the elven army while helping to build the towns and houses within the kingdom.
Aside from the orcs having the roles of royal guards and knights, they also helped to lift heavy objects and carry out various tasks around the kingdom, allowing them to have jobs that helped to keep them busy within the kingdom.
With that out of the way, the royal chariot finally arrived at the sacred grove where Orion would be forming his mana core, but several elf men and women were already gathered to see the prince.
They heard of the rumors about the queen having an adorable little prince and everyone wanted to see him as well.
The flying golden chariot finally landed, causing everyone to scream loudly in excitement as they watched Elena and Orion step down from the chariot.
"Look, they're here."
"They're here?"
"Yes, look over there, it's Princess Elena and Prince Galdur."
"You're right, he's here."
"It's the prince."
"The prince is here!!"
"Prince Galdur!!! Over here!!"
"We love you, Prince Galdur!!" Rumors of the prince name had spread from the maids and knights of the queen who had overheard the queen mentioning her son's name during one of her conversations.
Of course, Evelyn wasn't annoyed by this.
In fact, she was glad to see that everyone knew of Orion's name.
She wasn't hiding him from the world, so she had no reason to hide Orion's name from his future elven subjects.
"You look amazing, Prince Galdur!!" The crowds continued to cheer their beloved prince.
"Good luck, your Highness. I hope you summon powerful spirit guardians just like Her Majesty and the princess!!"
Many male and female elves shouted out their wish for Orion's success in forming a mana core and summoning a spirit guardian.
Since most of them had formed a mana core already with a few of them having their own spirit guardian and elementals, everyone knew exactly what the prince came here for.
They continued to wish him good luck and of course, others noticed Elena as well and shared the same amount of love towards her as well.
"We love you, Princess Elena."
"You look beautiful as always!!!"
"You're the best!!!"
Elena had made a name for herself as the strongest knight within the kingdom. Her contribution to saving her kind and ending the war made everyone love her just as much as they loved Evelyn.
The elves of the Elven Kingdom were extremely glad to have both Evelyn and Elena because when the kingdom went through great peril and turmoil, it was Evelyn and Elena who fought and brought hope to the kingdom.
They gave the elves in the kingdom a reason to smile and a future to look forward to.
The elves in the kingdom were forever grateful to the queen and the princess and they would direct the same love and respect towards their prince for as long as they shall live.
======
With the knowledge of what the prince came to do today at the forefront of their minds, none of the cheering elves came to disturb him.
They knew how important it was to give him the space he would need to focus on today's ceremony.
Orion and Elena walked towards the sacred grove which was a bit far from where the chariot landed.
As they stepped deeper into the forest, the sounds of birds chirping vanished and everywhere became as silent as a graveyard, but still they continued to walk deeper into the forest, heading towards the sacred grove.
After a few more minutes, Orion finally saw Evelyn with a couple of elders, waiting for them.