Lifting his chin, Ivrim appraisingly looked at the young man, who was in his eyes still like a child who had just torn himself away from his mother and yet he throws such loud statements. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

- I believe that Raphael really does not need anyone’s help, however, if I were you, child, I would not be so proud and arrogant. How many witches have you fought? - Ivrim asked calmly, without raising his voice a bit.

- There were enough of them for me to assess my capabilities. - Terrence replied.

- What happens when you face your own mother? Will you be as confident in your words, in your abilities? - The corner of the elf’s lip twitched slightly. – Are you silent? That’s right, you can’t do anything with what you have now, and all because you won’t even have time to get close to her when her henchmen send you to rot in the bowels of the earth.

- Your Majesty! - Artemis raised her voice, interrupting the monologue.

She was nervously chewing on her own lip, but she couldn’t listen to all this nonsense anymore.

- Terrence is still inexperienced, it’s a fact, as is everyone here except you and Raphael. We do not know what we will have to face and how to prove ourselves, but we will not refuse your help as a weapon. And no one is going to argue with this anymore.

She pinned everyone with a deathly icy gaze.

- Honey. - Auriel smiled, feeling emotional.

Artemis returned her answering smile before continuing, but at that moment the servants came in to offer the king’s guests freshly prepared dishes, and she had to pause.

- We already have a definite plan... the initial one, but still... - Artemis finally continued her speech. – My father... That is, the king of Riliya, as well as the werewolves are ready to stand on our side. I am sure that among the witches there will be those who are not ready to pursue Lillian’s dark deeds. With your weapons, the advantage will be on our side.

- Advantage... - Ivrim savored the word in his tongue. – It’s too changeable. You never know when it will turn to you in front, and when it will turn its back. This is war, Artemis.

- I understand that.

- Weapons also won’t give you an absolute guarantee of victory if you act with a hot head. - He glared at the exasperated Raphael.

- Is there something you want to suggest, Your Majesty? - Klaus interjected.

Auriel tried to cut the meat, but at some point the knife slipped and flew out of her hands. The Elf King immediately grabbed a napkin from his lap and pressed it to his wife’s trembling hands. Her eyelashes were fluttering so fast and he could see that she was holding on with all her might to stay calm.

He squeezed her hand very gently and patted it lightly.

- I’m not a seer to know the future, Klaus. If we knew when and where we would fall, we would have laid straw in advance. My dear wife is worried that the fate of the wizard race may be reflected in our people and her concern is not groundless. You can call it cowardice, but I prefer to call it a rational approach to solving the problem.

- How boring you are. - Raphael chuckled.

- If I were as expressive as you, I would hardly be able to live my seven hundred years. You should think about it, but you won’t do it, because your immortality protects you. That’s just none of those present here except you, there is no immortality. And so does Princess Thea.

- Nothing’s going to happen to her. I won’t let it. - a dark haze seeped under the table, shaking the snow-white tablecloth and making the cutlery and glasses shake.

- To answer your question, Klaus, your little group of werewolves, the girl... - he nodded in Adeline’s direction. - the Crown Prince and Artemis will go from here to Abion. Raphael will have a different task – to gather the magicians, the rest of the werewolves and equip them with our weapons. Also, you will be joined by fairies.

Auriel finally pulled herself together to complement her husband’s words.

- The Fairies, like us, remained in the shadow of everything that was happening in the human world for a long time, they didn’t even know about the upcoming changes until Lillian started trying to reach them. You must know that she does not sit idly by, but actively gathers allies. Except the fae, instead of accepting her terms, contacted us.

- Will they give us weapons too? Or maybe they will share their wings? - Raphael laughed.

- Artemis, the faeries will join this war with you. - Auriel sent her reply to the princess. – It was amazing, but their queen didn’t even think when she gave her consent. Now a lot is at stake, so we need to act correctly so that history does not repeat itself. You can’t lose now.

- Of course, she doesn’t have another life. - Raphael cut in again.

Temi looked down at the plate that had been served, completely untouched.

- I thank you for your cooperation, Your Majesty. - she answered timidly. – Raphael is right, I don’t have such a privilege, so this time I will give everything to stop this crazy woman. Give my thanks to the Fairy Queen.

- How wonderful everything is going. Everyone eats so dutifully, accepts some kind of handouts and other people’s plans, but I’m not the one who will follow your words blindly, Ivrim. - Raphael stood up, scraping his chair back. – What makes you think that you can tell me what to do and where to go?

- Raphael, don’t, please. - Artemis rose with him, grabbing his forearm. – Calm down.

- Calm down? - he looked distraught. – What kind of games are you all playing here?

- No games, they’re just trying to help us. – she was trying to calm him down.

- And who said that we need their help? He lured us here to give us his hardware and point out how generous and wonderful he is, continuing to sit in his golden cage, as he did three hundred years ago. - Raphael almost screamed, while Artemis was trembling with fear that he might ruin everything.

- Maybe I should fall at his feet? Maybe I should kiss his hands for his generosity? Ah, Temi? – the small distance between them was filled with a suffocating atmosphere. - How come he even knows about you? How come he was able to get you out of the depths of Thea’s subconscious? Are you trying to mess with my head?

- It’s not like that. – she also shouted, but her voice trembled noticeably.

Fortunately, no one interfered in their little conflict, and Klaus and Sean continued to eat carelessly, as if it concerned them the least.

- Well, of course not, because you have elven blood, so you will protect him now, right? - A crooked grin twisted his lips.

- I’m not protecting anyone. More precisely, I want to protect everyone, I don’t want to see these countless deaths anymore, that’s why I agreed to come here, that’s why I accepted his edits to our original plan. - she was shouting at him, as if scolding him.

- What kind of deaths, Temi, baby? Your death was the best escape from all that I had to see with my own eyes after the elves and fairies cowardly hid in their holes. Do you know how many wizards were left alive that day? Four, Temi, just four. Me, my sister, mother and father. All the others died and no one came to their aid. So why should I be sure that now they will cover our backs, and not run away at the most unexpected moment?