This was killing two birds with one stone. He would teach her and help her learn all that she needed to learn and then he could benefit from it by spending more time with her. He had done her wrong by leaving her all alone while she struggled to familiarize herself with the realm.
"I would like to have you with me," he said. Their faces were so closed that they could feel each other's breath tanning their faces.
"Would they want me there?" She asked and looked away. She was aware that she had not been accepted by the people of Arcadia, so would everything be okay if she were to walk into the Great Hall while they had a meeting with their King? "Would there be trouble you would have to fix later?"
He refused her chin and made her look at him once again, "No one would disrespect my Queen," he said. She nodded even though he didn't answer her question.
"I will go with you," she said and he smiled. She wanted to see what other creatures were in this realm that she had yet to see. The worst that could happen was that she would be looked down upon and probably ridiculed for being the only human in the realm but it wouldn't matter. She can't change who she is so she would just have to deal with it.
"Thank you," he said and made her stand on her feet, he stood and extended his hand to her. "Shall we?"
****
They arrived at the Great Hall, and everyone who was supposed to be there was present including Idril and the woman who gave her a look before masking it and then proceeded to stand beside the throne.
The hall fell into silence the moment they were spotted and all eyes were glued to the little human who held onto the king's arm. She felt discomfort because of their gaze. She felt curiosity, Anger, and many more emotions coming toward her just from the way she was looked at which made her fret. Her grip on his arm tightens and he places his other hand on the back of her palm to reassure her that he was there. Her body became calm once again while they continued to march forward.
Hazel was surprised by the number of creatures that she saw there. There were some that she could not even recognize while standing far from them. She saw the centaur who had led the group that captured her in the forest. She would never forget that fateful day.
He stood with a female centaur beside him and Hazel could not but admire how beautiful she was.
She noticed that the hall seemed to be divided into different segments but in a circular formation around the hall. Some of the people in there looked human just like the man whose hand she held right now and she assumed they must be from. the same race as him or somewhat related.
"Your Majesty!" They all spoke at the same time. Their voices came from every corner of the hall.
Arzaan took his seat and Hazel sat next to him, much to everyone's disapproval.
"You may be seated," he said and they all sat. Though many of them didn't like the presence of the human there, there was nothing they could do about it, she was escorted there by the king. She didn't walk in on them on her own accord else they would have reasons to send her back.
"Sage," he called and the woman stepped forward with a bow. "You may begin,"
"Yes, Your Majesty," she said, then turned to the crowd of people. "Greetings to the Arcadian council," she vegan and there was a hum of acceptance from those seated. "Today, the five seals were almost broken by an unknown individual," she said and looked around the hall trying to find one whom she felt would be responsible for it but she could not spot him even after many seconds. "It was the source of the tremors you all felt, and because of this, the king has decided to increase the guards fit the safety of everyone." She said and the hall became even more silent.
No one spoke. No one wanted to be placed there as guards because they knew that that place reeked of dark magic and the creatures of the dark lurked there more often which was a good reason to have more guards there but the deaths of soldiers there over the years have made them dread those lands.
"The king is asking for your cooperation," Sage spoke again, gaining their attention a second time. "Be cooperative for the betterment of the realm,"
"Your Majesty," a voice called his attention, all eyes in the hall were drawn to the creature that had spoken as he made his way to the front where everyone could see him, although they could already recognize his voice and he could be seen by all from where he stood.
Hazel was stunned when she saw who now stood in front of them, she had not expected to see one here. He was old but looked very much human and from the looks of it and the way he carried himself, he held some power probably over his kind.
"As we all know, those lands have been sealed for centuries now and nothing of this nature had happened before, why did it happen this time?" he asked. His gaze moved over Hazel for a split second before he met with the king.
There was a slight brown on Arzaan's face when he heard the words.
"Are you saying I opened it, Drabor? Arzaan asked. Though he had asked that, he leaned into his seat lazily with his chin propped in his fist.
"I wouldn't dare, Your Majesty," he said but the look in his eyes did not agree with what his mouth had said. "I never meant to sound that way to my king."
"Then what did you mean?" Arzaan asked.
He cast another glance at Hazel, "Perhaps the appearance of a strange creature in our world has caused the breaking of the seals," he said. He could not attack the king directly but who said he couldn't do anything to the king's unmated human mate?