Chapter 1317: The Queen of the Elves

Idan and Arabel exchanged glances.

"A being of the ninth rank!"

Following Eulalia, they rose from their seats.

There was silence, in which excitement and tension could be felt.

Following the elves’ gazes, Idan and Arabel saw her.

An elf woman entered the hall, her blonde hair gleaming with a barely noticeable greenish sheen. Instead of a massive crown, her head was decorated with an elegant crown woven from branches resembling living ones. Her deep green eyes, in which golden patterns appeared when the light moved, looked straight and confident. She was wearing a green dress decorated with living leaves and delicate magical lines.

She was followed by two young elves: a man and a woman.

"This is the prince and the princess," Eulalia said, and immediately explained, "The princess is of the seventh rank, and the prince is of the fifth rank."

Now that they knew this, looking at these two young elves, Idan and Arabel saw a clear resemblance to the Queen, indicating that these were her children. Both had blonde hair with a green tint and green eyes.

"Is this the son the Queen wants you to marry?" Arabel asked Eulalia, and Eulalia nodded, blushing slightly.

The queen proceeded to the center of the building, accompanied by her descendants, and, stopping, looked around at everyone present, paying special attention to Eulalia.

Then she addressed the audience.:

"Welcome to the shadow of the Magic Tree! Thank you for responding to my invitation. I hope that this evening will bring you not only new acquaintances, but also the joy of meeting old friends."

After a few more of her solemn speeches, a graceful elf approached the Queen with a soft smile. The Prince and Princess respectfully bowed to the elf, and the Queen herself gave him a slight smile.

"This is the King," Eulalia said, "he is one of the Guardians of the Magic Tree."

"Eighth rank?" — Arabel asked, and Eulalia nodded in the affirmative.

Idan and Arabel, along with the other elves, patiently watched as the Queen, accompanied by her husband and children, exchanged words separately with each of the representatives of the other six Elven Kingdoms.

Only after completing these negotiations, the Queen turned her gaze in their direction and moved in their direction.

Severin stepped forward, followed by his three students, Milica, Lavena, and Renar.

"Your Majesty," Severin addressed the Queen with respect, then turned his gaze to her husband, the Prince and the Princess.: "Your Highnesses"

"Raise your heads," the Queen waved her hand, dismissing the formality.

"Severin, I see that for the first time in many years you are finally in the circle of all three of your charges?" the Queen smiled, looking at Milica, Lavena and Renar.

"Yes, my Queen. Finally, all my students have returned and gathered together," Severin did not hide his joy and pride.

There were nine of their students standing behind them. And, of course, the gaze of the Queen, the King, the Prince and the Princess lingered on Eulalia.

Even though she was only a Rank 5 Elf, she stood out among those present, which couldn’t help but attract the Queen’s attention. She glanced at her son, but said nothing, and then turned her attention back to Eulalia. Only then did she turn her attention to Idan and Arabel, who were standing next to her.

The Queen noticed their presence even before she came here.

Two humans among the elves. Their unusual clothes and aura. The calm, curious gaze with which they looked at her without a shadow of fear, and the subtle fluctuations of the elements emanating from them, prompted the Queen to an amazing discovery.

"Earthlings?" she asked, and all the elves gasped in amazement.

"Earthlings? Here? In Magelia?" someone said.

Severin and his students turned to Milica, looking for an answer. They received a proud smile in return.

Idan and Arabel themselves were not afraid of being exposed. On the contrary, they were waiting to be discovered. It was amazing that so many rank eight beings still hadn’t figured it out.

The Queen stared at them without taking her eyes off them, as if trying to get into their very essence.

Idan and Arabel responded in kind, deciding to greet her and introduce themselves properly.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," Idan and Arabel bowed their heads slightly in respect. "Let me introduce myself."

"I am Idan Fein, Milica Celestria’s fourth disciple and a Rank four Awakened One."

"I am Arabel Fein, Milica Celestria’s third student, a Rank four Awakened One."

"As you guessed, we are earthlings."

"The Awakened ones?" The Queen narrowed her eyes.

"That’s what they call us in our home world, people endowed with special abilities, including the ability to transition to Junonia," Idan explained, trying to justify his abilities by saying that he is an Awakened One, and not an ordinary representative of the human race.

For a moment, the Queen’s gaze, looking at them, changed, as if she had seen something precious. She thought about how to capture these two "earthlings" and find out their secrets.

However, she had barely had time to think about it when a heavy, familiar look fell on her, which reminded her of the limits of what was allowed.

The Queen instantly dismissed these thoughts and gave the couple a smile.

"Welcome to my Kingdom, Idan and Arabel Fein," the Elf Queen said with a smile. Then her gaze swept over the crowd. "From now on, you are my honored guests. I hope no one needs to explain how to treat those who enjoy my hospitality."

Idan and Arabel exchanged glances, realizing that the Queen had not only welcomed them, but had also taken them under her protection.

Idan was the first to bow his head in gratitude.:

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. We accept your goodwill and will try not to abuse your favor."

Arabel joined in:

"It is a great honor for us to be your guests. We do not seek to interfere in the affairs of the Elf Kingdom, and we do not want to inconvenience anyone."

The Queen gave them a pleased smile.

Then a movement caught her attention, and she whirled toward one of the tables.

"Strange," the Queen squinted.

Her perception of a Rank 9 being didn’t detect anything, but she could have sworn she noticed something taking the food, leaving an empty dish.

Everyone noticed the queen’s behavior and stared at the table where she was looking at.

None of the elves understood what had attracted the Queen’s attention, except Idan.

He had completely forgotten that this scoundrel could follow them and dare to steal food under the nose of a Rank 9 being.

"Coco", Idan mentally pronounced the name of the little fox.