After Earl arrived at the palace, he was sent to the waiting hall while his mother and maids left to the main hall. The waiting room was extravagant while maintaining a relaxing atmosphere. The smell of nature was constant in the room, and there was a rich abundance of spirits. In the corner of the room, a pot of tea was boiling. The servants at the palace tended to him enthusiastically as he got the chance to know them through his job as Saryll's assistant. As he waited, he thought of the procedures for the engagement ceremony.
He closed his eyes to calm his mind and regain his focus. It was a big day for him today. What man would not dream of having a princess for himself? On top of that, Alea was an excellent partner that suited his tastes very much. His mind wandered, and he thought about his life. Bit by bit, the puzzles to his life was being filled. He had accomplished most of his goals for the Elven Kingdom.
When he reopened his eyes, he had regained his clarity.
"Lord Earl. It's time."
A servant came to retrieve Earl when it was time for the ceremony.
"Let us go then."
Earl did not wait for the servant and took the lead towards where the ceremony would occur.
His steps were steady as he walked through the hall of the palace. At the same time, he suddenly felt the urge to see Saryll. Unfortunately, it was something that had to be held off until the end of the event.
Dismissing his lingering thoughts, he arrived before the door that led to the event hall. Two guards stood on the two ends of the door. At his arrival, they stepped forward to open the door forth.
The overwhelming light blinded his vision for a split second. Then, golden leaves fell and scattered all over the room at the arrival of Earl.
Claps and cheers resounded throughout the room, and Earl was greeted by the sight of the guests that were invited on this special day.
In the middle of this all was Saryll, who was seated on her throne and her Prince Consort, who was in a lower position. The Queen lightly waved to Earl at his arrival.
Alongside Saryll was Ari, seated on the same level as the majestic Queen of Elves.
The implication of seating Ari next to Saryll was obvious. Her runic halo hovered majestically above her head, emitting a subtle yet terrifying pressure that all mana users within the room could feel.
However, all this paled compared to the incomparably beautiful figure of Alea, who stood across the room. Her still figure exuded a royal elegance. Without a doubt, she was the main star of the show. Her icy blue hair neatly flowed down her shoulders. Her face was like that of a doll. Incomparably perfect and yet captivating. Decorated on this canvas was emerald green eyes that brought a semblance of a lush forest- full of life and filled with endless vigour. Her pink lips finished this art piece.
Just as Earl was observing her, Alea was also following him. Her earpieces clicked together as she turned her head towards him. Her gaze was cool as she looked at him while her face remained without the slightest of ripples.
Earl faintly smiled when their gazes met.
"Isn't this a transactional marriage?"
"The Royal family sold out to that human Archmage..."
The adult nobles discussed quietly among themselves while the youths sent death stares to Earl.
"This was supposed to be our chance!"
Meanwhile, Earl continued making his way towards Alea. His gaze briefly landed on the crowd for a second. He was sure that the elves were going to oppose this decision by the royal family. The question now was how exactly were they going to oppose it?
It went without saying that the way this ceremony was displayed showed only benefits to the royal family and shame to the elves. The royal family would gain the support of Archmage Ari and her knowledge. Looking at this objectively, the increased strength of the royal family would trickle down to the general elven population and nobles as well.
However, the shame that came with dirtying the royal bloodline with a human's was unbearable. Traditionally, the royal family would always take a consort from one of the high noble families. This was the case for Saryll, her mother, and even her grandmother.
If this marriage were to go through, their future generation would have to settle with marrying into the royal family by marrying Alea's mixed-blood offspring.
"How vulgar. Unacceptable." Eins muttered under his breath at the thought.
But this was just one party of the nobles. Albeit in smaller numbers, some nobles supported Saryll's decision. They were the Royal Faction.
At the same time, they could not tell what Saryll was thinking with this decision.
Could it be that she was trying to leverage the might of the Archmage to take over the entire continent?
If that was the case, Alea could have as many human husbands as she wanted!
The event hall quickly spiralled into a heavy atmosphere. The nobles felt like they were standing on needles as they waited for this stalemate to be broken.
Earl finally arrived before Alea. Following the procedures, he kneeled before her.
"Princess, I greet you."