Lilly could see the resolve in Princess Adelia's eyes. With a gentle motion, she extended her hand, inviting the princess to take it.
Princess Adelia paused and raised her hand in hesitation. "Wait a moment, I need to remove my protective gear first." She started unclasping the tiara resting atop her head and sliding off her earrings, placing them with care on the table in front of her.
Lilly felt an intense urge to study the protective gear of a princess, but understood it was a bad time to ask. 'I'll just ask later if everything works out,' she reassured herself silently.
"It should be fine now. Will I need to remove my glove as well?" Princess Adelia asked, looking at Lilly with uncertainty.
Lilly shook her head, offering a comforting smile. "I don't think that will be necessary, Your Highness. Just give me your hand and let my flame merge with you, and everything should be fine."
Princess Adelia put her hand in Lilly's and closed her eyes while Lilly did the same. Lilly focused her mind, guiding the flame's warmth towards the princess' palm with the utmost care, ensuring the heat remained gentle.
After a short while, it started weaving into Princess Adelia's arm, giving Lilly a vivid perception of her body. She tried to shift her attention away from certain parts, but it was difficult, like looking only at the corners of a magnificent painting. 'I probably should have told her I'm attracted to girls before starting…'
As the connection deepened, a torrent of emotions cascaded into Lilly, striking her all at once. Determination mingled with apprehension, respect shadowed by wariness, a touch of embarrassment laced with trust, fear intertwined with hope, and an undercurrent of excitement and curiosity. Each emotion painted a complex portrait of Adelia's current state.
'Those are all reasonable emotions to have right now, I guess. She really respects me and hopes I'll trust her… But I'll have to dig to know more.'
"Do you mind if I ask you some questions to see your reaction?" Lilly asked.
Even just that question gave significant changes to her emotional state. Apprehension and fear increased, followed by a wave of embarrassment.
"Uhm… As long as it's nothing embarrassing, it should be fine, I think," Princess Adelia replied with a hint of trepidation in her voice.
"I'll try avoiding that. Can I mention people you know?" Lilly inquired, mindful of the princess's comfort.
Again, it shifted rapidly. Now embarrassment, love, and respect rose to the surface.
"S- sure, anyone except Claude," the princess stuttered.
'Claude? I didn't sense any romantic love as her thoughts shifted to him. Is it just a distraction? None of the emotions suggested that,' Lilly pondered, finding the restriction odd.
"Okay, for the first name; Selene," Lilly proceeded, observing the emotional landscape shift once again.
A wave of pity, guilt, helplessness, and anger washed over, painting a vivid picture of complex feelings associated with the name.
'That tells me pretty much everything I need to know. But a few more won't hurt,' Lilly thought, feeling optimistic. But aiming to make sure of her suspicions, she delved deeper.
"Grandfather," she said next, invoking another name.
The emotions that followed were a mix of confusion, sorrow, respect, love, and longing—a mosaic of feelings that hinted at a deep, personal history tinged with loss.
'Oh, that felt familiar. So her actual grandfather passed a while ago, and she has no knowledge of the stupid Grandfather,' Lilly deduced, feeling a bit guilty.
"Last one, father."
The response was a tumultuous blend of respect, fear, betrayal, hurt, anger, love, confusion, determination, regret, and longing. It was clear that the princess had a complex relationship with her father and that something had changed recently.
"Okay, I can trust you completely then," Lilly concluded, pulling her flame back again.
"... You sensed it?" Princess Adelia asked, putting her tiara and earrings back on.
"Yeah, it's clear you know what the king has done to this city and to Selene…"
Princess Adelia seemed relieved to hear Lilly admit it, but also sad to speak about it. "He really… I can't fathom his reasoning!.. When did you come to know about it?"
"Since Elly here told me about it." Lilly gestured to Eolane, who stood behind her, offering a warm smile and a nod of recognition to the princess. "She was once part of the clan of assassins that attacked Selene and went to confront them directly. She only returned the day you arrived, so I didn't know during our first meeting."
"Clan of assassins? The ones meant to infiltrate Dortfell as traitors?" Princess Adelia sought clarification, clearly surprised by the revelation.
"Correct. How did you learn about the plot?" Lilly asked back.
"... One of the generals, whom I respect a lot, suddenly acted strangely and imprisoned himself. I tried to ask him why, but he refused to tell me. So I started digging on my own, using my friends in the palace to figure out what had happened. Claude was instrumental in that effort."
After a moment of reflection, a look of recognition crossed Princess Adelia's face as she turned her attention back to Eolande. "Are you General Dahn's wife then? Eolande, was it?"
Eolande affirmed with a nod, "Yes, that's me. Did he tell you about me?"
"Sort of. After I learned the truth, I confronted him. He all but confirmed my suspicions and advised me to come here to talk to you if I wanted help. That's part of why I came here to hold the ceremony…"
"... He probably knew I would oppose the king's plan and, of course, that I knew the clan well. I doubt Lilly will have any qualms about helping you, but we need to discuss how to move forward," Eolande concluded.
Lilly nodded in agreement. "What do you aim to achieve with our cooperation, Princess?"
Adelia's resolve was palpable, even as she wrestled with the gravity of her wishes. "I want my father to pay for the betrayal of his people, and I think he should abdicate. I… I'd still like him to live, though."
"Asking for his head would be excessive and make our path forward more difficult, so I think that's for the best. Do you think we could reach a diplomatic solution then?" Lilly pondered, considering the path ahead.
"... Claude?" Princess Adelia asked, showing how much she valued his insight.
Claude weighed in, "It's feasible, assuming Princess Adelia steps forward with her allegations and secures General Dahn's support. If Lady Lilly also exerts her influence, along with Thundrel's backing, we stand a chance at meeting our objective. I would advise caution, though; the throne has many friends that won't be swayed so easily by wartime sacrifices."
"Even worse if the war ends in our victory, which would make the sacrifice seem like the right choice," Princess Adelia added.
Lilly felt it might be a mistake to make moves before the war's end. "Wouldn't such an accusation weaken the people's trust in our rulers? Is that a good course of action in the middle of a war? It might even weaken our forces."
"... You're right. I guess we should prioritize victory in the war, after all. And since you're one of the heroes in the war, your word would have weight even after it is over. If Selene also contributes, we would have more ground to stand on."
Lilly nodded, glad to have shifted the timeline back. "I think waiting is the right course of action. Do you think we should tell Selene about the betrayal?"
"I think you should. It might hurt her deeply, but she seemed reasonable from the little time I spent with her. As long as it won't affect her prowess on the frontlines, I think it's the best choice."
"I'll talk with her tomorrow then. I don't think she'll take it well, but she's very loyal to this country. It's hard to say what she will do," Lilly wondered, already dreading the conversation.
Lilly thought about other things she should mention. "Right, you should know about the leader of the assassins. He's an ancient and powerful elf who can disguise himself extremely well. In fact, you even brought him here yourself."
The princess seemed shocked. "Master Keldorn? Or Claude?" After mentioning his name, she turned around and looked at Claude, but quickly shook her head. "Obviously I would notice that. So, Master Keldorn is not who he claims to be?"
"Well, Master Keldorn is just an identity he has made from scratch. An alias," Lilly clarified.
Confusion and realization dawned on the princess. "But… Why did he come here? To attack you? No, to observe?.. Oh, is that why you looked so unwell during our first meeting, Miss Eolande?"
Eolande confirmed with a solemn nod. "I discovered his real identity during the meeting and was afraid of what he might do."
Lilly replied to the princess's questions. "As for his motives, we're not entirely sure. But the entire situation with him is highly complicated, so you don't have to worry about it. He's teaching me as promised."
"Highly complicated?" The princess repeated.
"Highly complicated. I can tell you if you really want to know-"
"Please do," she urged, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.
"Okay. The clan of assassins were the ones who eradicated the Vermilion family. The reason was to prevent a powerful demigod from resurrecting again, which can only be done through the Vermilion Flame. But now, after hundreds of years, I got the flame, meaning his plan failed spectacularly. And if the demigod returns, she'll have a giant vendetta against him, making me think he wants me to be on his side. She can only be resurrected if I die, so I feel pretty safe. And he doesn't know that I know about the extermination. Or the king's betrayal," Lilly explained patiently.
"... That certainly is highly complicated. What a mess. And what a bastard! How many did he kill for that plan?"
"Far too many... He says his priority is keeping the peace, no matter the price. If he learned what I know… In fact, if he learned about our plan, he might become a danger to all of us."
Princess Adelia seemed a bit nervous, hearing of this ancient powerhouse that might come after them. "Yes, we should keep this all secret. We will need a way to keep in touch after I leave. I can stay for a while, but soon enough, I'll have to return to Eldhaven."
"We could say we became good friends, giving you a reason to visit," Lilly suggested thoughtfully.
Princess Adelia's lips curved into a smile. "Why, it almost sounds like you don't consider me a friend. You know me more intimately than even myself, Lady Lilly."
Lilly couldn't help but smile back, feeling touched by the princess's words. "In that case, I am honored to call you a friend, Princess Adelia. And you can drop the title on the future."
"Same to you, Lilly," Adelia responded warmly. She rose from the couch with graceful movements, signaling the end of their meeting."This has been an exhausting meeting, and I have a lot to think about. I would love to have another meeting with you soon, Lilly."
"I would also like that, Adelia," Lilly responded, trying not to sound awkward when using her name.
The princess lit up and waved as she and Claude left the room.
Lilly sank deeper into the couch, exhaling a deep sigh. "I believe that went as smoothly as we could have hoped for."
"Seems like it! Her emotions made you certain you could trust her?"
"Well, it should be impossible to fake emotions like that. It was a complex web of emotions, but they all made sense with what she told us. I felt pretty certain after asking about Selene, but continued a bit more to be sure."
"Then I'd say we've gotten a great ally on our side. You think our goals are starting to seem realistic?"
Lilly pondered for a moment, trying to temper her optimism. "I am, but I'm sure other stuff will get in the way before we get that far."