"Your Highness," Zephyrion began, his voice polite but insistent, "since we have a foreigner among us today, someone from outside the mountain, I would like to propose an exchange of hands with him."
As he observed the King and Queen's expressions turning sour, Zephyrion remained undeterred. This was his father's plan, designed to test the strength of the outsider and gauge his prowess.
He continued, "Certainly, someone who has traversed the upper sections of the mountain and survived, despite the Vylkr vines and a bloodthirsty god, must possess extraordinary strength." Zephyrion then shifted his gaze to Orion, sizing him up, and added, "Considering that our foreign guest appears to be only a few years older or younger than myself, I can't help but wonder about the experience and knowledge I might gain from such an exchange."
