'W-Wait! What am I doing? I'm a man, and I'm leading Quinus on.' Rya thought as her eyes went wide. She pulled away from Quinus and then shook her head as if she was trying to get rid of something. Quinus smiles at Rya, thinking that she's being cute.
"S-Sorry about that. W-Why are you guys down here, anyway?" Rya stuttered as she wanted to change the subject.
"Well, there have been a lot of monster attacks happening in the towns of Kishin and Ironside. We're afraid that the adventurers' guild failed at culling the horde of goblins, and it was getting worse. We fear that the 'Tomb of the Horde' is preparing for a monster stampede, and we need to destroy the dungeon core before that happens." Quinus explained.
"Oh, so that's why you're here... What's the deal with your cousin?... Marcus, I believe that was the name you called him," Rya asked.
"Ah, yes, my cousin," Quinus said as he drummed his knee with his fingers.
"You mean that traitorous dog of a noble?" Sir George shouted.
"Haah... He was hoping to be crowned the next King of Fiafyr. Everyone thought he was going to be the next King because Queen Rianna had seven miscarriages. That was until Prince Quinus was born." Sir George explained.
"Seven miscarriages?" Rya asked.
"Yes, I'm the only child of House Meredydd."
"And one hell of a child, I might add, my lord! No one expected the Queen to give birth after all those times she miscarried. Let alone give birth to a human with a demi-god-level mana vein. King Cyndre and Queen Rianna were ecstatic, as you can imagine." Sir George said this with a smile.
"I didn't know that," Rya said as she looked at the ground shyly.
"It's okay, my lady. I'm used to it, and I was expecting this to happen. My cousin's betrayal that is," Quinus said as he put his hand on Rya's head again.
'Geez! Why is he patting me again? This is really strange.' Rya thought as a shiver went down her spine. Rya thought she would have felt uncomfortable after a third time being comforted by Quinus, but she couldn't deny that the warmth radiating off of him was making her relaxed.
"Why do you keep petting my head?" Rya asked Quinus as she lifted her head to look into Quinus' eyes.
"The heat coming off of you feels like a warm summer's day. And secondly, your face looks so adorable when I give you a head massage," Quinus said with a smirk.
'I-I was making faces? Dammit! I should stop him, but his hands are really nice and warm. Maybe a few more minutes of this wouldn't hurt.' Rya thought as she blushed and leaned back into his hand.
"I-I didn't think I was being that obvious," Rya said with a sarcastic tone.
"Okay, well, I'll stop if you want me to. Just say the word." Quinus said, pulling his hand away.
"W-Wait," Rya blurted out, surprising herself.
"Do you want me to continue?" Quinus said with a mischievous smile.
"S-Sure! You can continue if you like. Ugh." Rya blushed.
Quinus nodded as he let his hand message her for a couple more minutes before he stopped.
"Well, let's continue this once we finish taking down the dungeon core," Quinus said as he pulled his hand away.
Rya felt a little disappointed that her head pats were over. Once she had some time to herself, she started to wonder about something.
"Hey? Why did you even bring Marcus on this quest in the first place? He's not exactly the most reliable person."
"Because he and his family, House Revealia, have an artifact that can pinpoint where the core is hiding. And he's a capable Wind Mage. My Uncle, Duke Alaric Revelia, claims his son is a human with an Elite-level vein. But we are not sure that he's that lucky to have the third strongest vein for humans," Quinus answered.
"That would make sense that the dungeon core wouldn't be out in the open to be destroyed. So what does Marcus' artifact do exactly? Do you know how it works to find a core?"
"They kept that a secret from everyone in the kingdom. We think it can track something that the dungeon core emits. But we're still unsure of what it is," Quinus said while scratching the back of his head.
Rya smirked, "Sounds like their artifact can pick up on ether particles. If you can track that, then you could find the dungeon core."
"Ether particles? That makes sense. So his artifact must be able to detect the flow of ether," Quinus said as he scratched his chin.
Sir George smiled while he shook his head. "Yeah, that may be the case. But we don't know for sure. All we know is Marcus' family owns this artifact, and says it only works for them."
"Well, I can sense ether particles. I just need to relax my mind and focus. Then I can see the flow of ether." Rya said as she closed her eyes and began to concentrate.
"Lady Rya? You can locate where the core is?" Sir George asked as he watched Rya close her eyes.
Rya nodded, "Yes. I'm not sure how far away it is. But I definitely can see the particles. I'm sure I can find it with enough time."
"Lady Rya," Quinus said in a calm tone while he walked in front of her before going down on one knee.
'W-What is he doing? Oh, wait, is he going to propose to me? No. That can't be right.' Rya thought as she looked at Quinus in confusion.
Quinus gently took Rya's hand.
"I know we already owe you a life debt for saving our lives. But will you please lend us your aid this one last time, in our hour of need?"
Percy and George followed their prince's lead, kneeling behind him. Rya had a grin on her face as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.
"Okay? Let's say, I do aid you one more time, what would I get out of it?" Rya sighed while looking at Quinus, who kneeled in front of her. He looked up into her eyes.
And with a stoic temper, he said, "If it's within my power, I'll grant anything you wish for... My lady."
Rya's heart skipped a beat when she stared deep into his golden eyes.
"A-Anything? Anything at all?" Rya stuttered as she stared at Quinus, who was still kneeling before her.
Quinus gave a big smile as he stood up. "If it's within my power. Yes, anything."
Rya felt a shiver run down her spine as she stared up at the handsome man with reddish-brown hair. She quickly took a couple of breaths to calm her racing heart.
'Don't screw this up, Ryan! You can get a place to stay out of this. Hopefully, rent-free... Y-Yeah! This is just a simple transaction, that's all!' Rya thought as she felt her anxiety rising.
"Then I'll help you. If I can have a place of my own in the Kingdom of Fiafyr?" Rya asked as she glanced at Quinus, who smiled at her as he bowed his head.
"Would it be satisfactory for my lady if she were given a place in the Maldura Royal Palace, where my family and I reside? We can offer food and clothing while staying with us, too."
"Well, if the space is adequate, then we have a deal," Rya said as she nodded her head.
"Then from this day forth, you shall be a citizen of Fiafyr, Lady Rya. It is my pleasure," Quinus stated as he smiled at Rya. She was happy to be getting her own room to stay in. But that's when she realized something that she had overlooked. She had given them the wrong name and would most likely have to live with it for the rest of her life until she turned back into a man.
'Crap! So much for not hanging around them... No, that's not right either! Not only am I going to be hanging around them. I'm going to be living with them!... Why didn't I correct Quinus about my name?... If I do that now, I'll just look like a moron! UGH!' Rya shook her head at her own mistakes. 'No! It's not worth it! I'll just look pathetic if I do! I've made my bed, and I'll have to live with it for now.'
"O-Okay, my lord," Rya said as she blushed at Quinus.
"You can call me Quin, my Lady."
"Oh, okay, well, you can call me... Rya," She smiled as she watched Quinus bow his head again.
Quinus looked up at Rya. "Well, now that we have a deal, why don't we finish the meal that Sir George has made for us? We'll need our strength for the road ahead. I know you have a lot of questions, so let's eat and talk."