609 The Gnarled Lair



Inside the open gates, Ren and the others were taken aback when they saw Princess Elaine, Elena's sister, waiting for them. She bore a strong resemblance to Elena but appeared more reserved and shy.

"E-Elaine!" Elena exclaimed, rushing into her sister's embrace and holding her tightly. In that simple hug, Elena tried to make up for the lost years between them.

"I thought you were captured or worse! I'm so relieved that you're safe!"

Elaine closed her eyes and returned the embrace, her voice soft and apologetic. "I'm sorry for causing you to worry. The matter was urgent and delicate, so I had to be cautious with every step I took."

Elena held her sister with equal fervor. Her voice choked with emotion. "You're such an idiot. It must have been tough. You should have told me, and we could have faced it together. You didn't have to bear this burden alone."

Elaine shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, as she embraced Elena tightly. After a moment, she pulled away from the hug and turned her gaze towards Prince Zeroth.

Their eyes met, and without a word, they understood each other's feelings. With a soft smile, Prince Zeroth approached her, and they held each other tightly, cherishing the long-awaited reunion.

As they embraced, Prince Zeroth whispered softly, "I missed you so much, Elaine."

"I missed you too," Elaine replied, her voice filled with emotion. "I never thought I would see you again."

Prince Zeroth gently brushed a tear away from her cheek. "I promised you that I would find you, no matter what. And I'm here now, and I'm never leaving your side again."

Elaine smiled through her tears. "I believe you."

"I never stopped thinking about you," Prince Zeroth said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. "No matter where I was or what I faced, you were always in my heart."

Elaine blushed, her heart fluttering at his words. "I never stopped thinking about you either. You were my strength and my hope during the darkest times."

Prince Zeroth brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "Elaine, I love you."

Tears of happiness welled in Elaine's eyes as she whispered, "And I love you, too, Prince Zeroth."

Ren couldn't bear to watch the tender scene between Prince Zeroth and Elaine any longer, as it reminded him of Evie. He approached Elena, hoping to persuade her to express her feelings to the Prince instead of holding them back.

"Is it really alright not to tell your feelings to him?" Ren asked, trying to convince Elena to reconsider her decision –– trying to divert her feeling for him to the Prince.

Elena smiled softly and shook her head. "I don't want to create discord between them. The past is in the past, and we're all happy and contented now."

With a chuckle, Elena leaned over at Ren and closed her eyes in contentment. "I have you now, so I don't need anyone else."

Those words sent a shiver down Ren's spine, especially when he sensed Isolde's intense gaze on his back. Her silence spoke volumes, making him feel uneasy.

Maybe it was a wrong decision to tag her along.

Realizing that he had to create some distance, Ren casually pushed Elena away and cleared his throat. "We better get going."

Elena gave him a playful smile. "Alright, you two lovebirds, we should head inside. You can catch up when this whole quest is finished and the realms are safe."

Blushing, Elaine and Prince Zeroth released each other. When Elena was about to go to the castle, Elaine stopped her.

"Wait. That's not the Queen of Air and Darkness's lair," she informed them.

Isolde questioned, giving the castle on the hill a second glance, "It's not?"

Elaine shook her head and explained, "The Queen set that up to fool her enemies and spies. In fact, she sent me here to guide you to her real lair."

She then went in another way.

Without hesitation, Elena and Prince Zeroth followed her sister, while Ren and Isolde had no choice but to go along.

As they ventured through the forest, Elaine explained, "The Queen's lair is in the depths of this forest and requires a journey through its twisting, mysterious depths."

After making so many turns, they finally arrived in front of an ancient giant tree.

"We're here," Elaine said.

Isolde looked around in confusion. "Here? I don't see anything."

Elaine chuckled. "This Ancient Tree is the Queen's lair."

Isolde swallowed nervously, staring at the eerie-looking tree with its many twisting branches. "Why does she have to be so . . . goth?"

Ren stifled a laugh at her remark.

Elaine provided them with the history of the gnarled oak. "It had once been a lush, beautiful tree, but Titania had drained its life force to banish Maeve from the Seelie court. The tree now served as a power source for a fey ritual that had stripped the Queen of Air and Darkness of her power and exiled her.

"A portion of the Queen's soul and her true name remains trapped within its aged bark," Elaine continued. "As long as the tree stands, the Queen can't be truly killed. But if we destroy it, her stolen power will be returned to her."

Ren realized that this information might hold the key to defeating the Queen of Air and Darkness, should they have to face her in a battle to achieve the true ending.

Elaine went on, "The Queen has built a new court for herself, and when she merges the demiplane with the fey realm, this court becomes her base of operations."

Elaine explained that the Queen's lair was a difficult place for non-fey to locate and enter; even those with fey ancestry faced challenges. Uninvited guests would encounter obstacles at every turn, while those welcomed by the Queen had free passage.

Ren noticed thousands of glowing dots among the trees. These were corrupted Feys, serving as external defenses for the lair. Getting past them would prove challenging.

The only reason why they were still not attacking them was probably because they were the Queen's guests.

When Elaine stepped forward onto the Ancient Tree, Isolde gasped in surprise as Elaine effortlessly passed through the tree.

Elena and Prince Zeroth followed suit without hesitation.

Curious, Isolde turned to Ren and asked, "What do you think we'll find inside there?"

Ren replied honestly, "I'm not sure, but there's only one way to find out." He took a step and passed through the tree.