bookpower 308 – The Son of the Goddess Freya
308 – The Son of the Goddess Freya
Agnes Asalon:
In front of me stood Ryan and John, while Charles remained by my side. Due to our intense schedules, this was the first time in a long while that we gathered with both grand dukes—my brother and Charles’s brother.
We had just returned from a formal dinner with none other than Haiten and Siofna, held at the elven majesties’ mansion in the city. The topic of the meeting had caught us off guard: the lost elven heir. Or rather, one of them… because the revelation was far more shocking than we had imagined. He wasn’t merely the descendant of one of the dukes—he was of the royal elven family itself.
According to the information we received, there were three elven heirs, two of whom were connected to our kingdom: a woman and a man. However, there was one detail that we had been discussing for months—the male heir was a high noble. That was the real concern we had been grappling with since last year. The implications of such a status were potentially destabilizing. Yet, even while maintaining the stance that this posed a problem, I had already started seeing it as an opportunity.
If I played my cards right, I could turn this into a political advantage. I could propose a formal alliance with the elven royal family, uniting our kingdoms through a marriage between Syvis and Duncan. However, this required finesse. I couldn’t suggest the idea outright—I had to plant the seed carefully, while their relationship was still in its early stages. And deep down, this possibility didn’t even seem that far-fetched. Generations ago, the archduke himself had married a human from our kingdom, which had led to the situation we were in now.
"There’s just one problem," John’s voice cut through my thoughts. "Who is this high noble?”
The question hung heavily in the air.
The process was slow, and both sides were proceeding with extreme caution—even they were. The heir’s identity would only be revealed at a later stage, once our response to recognizing the dual citizenship was formalized.
We also had no information about the third elven heir, the demi-human woman. We didn’t know her age or which tribe she belonged to. The matter of the third heir was being handled directly with the queen of the other kingdom, so we couldn’t demand too many details. She could be two years old or a hundred—she could be anyone in that kingdom since she was a commoner.
Or she could be someone living in Apsalon—this city had a history of rare individuals awakening elven magic due to racial intermingling. Being a commoner, the possibilities were vast.
John pointed to the open document before him. The list detailed all high nobles of the realm, nearly a hundred names. It didn’t include just the eight dukes but also their direct relatives—fathers, mothers, grandparents, siblings, cousins. Anyone from a duke's lineage was classified as a high noble.
"Even knowing it’s a man and a woman, that still doesn’t make things any easier…" Charles said, crossing his arms with a tense expression.
"Well, brother," John countered with his usual calculated calm, "only the man is a high noble. Haven’t you noticed? The mother of this high noble is not of noble birth from our kingdom. That means that among all high nobles, we need to filter by those whose mother is a commoner."
John was meticulous—a specialist in information. His mastery of lightning enhanced his memory, making him a living archive of facts and connections.
"There are thirty-five high nobles who are men and whose mothers are commoners," Ryan continued, flipping through one of the documents on the table. "Among them is the next archduke of the elves."
That information should have made me uneasy. But instead, a part of me saw nothing but opportunity. Yes, this was a new heir to the elven throne. Yes, it could complicate my plans. But at the same time, I could smell victory. If I played my hand correctly, this was the key to realizing the future I had spent years carefully crafting.
"The noble is from a duke's family," I said, savoring each word with a touch of coldness. "That means he must obey us."
Even so, reality was more complex. There were two other female heirs—a human commoner and a demi-human commoner... And whoever married them would automatically gain a direct link to the elven royal family. A clear threat to the balance I had fought so hard to consolidate.
I sighed, taking another sip of wine. The meeting shifted focus, and the rest of the evening was spent discussing the state of the borders. However, my mind kept spinning around this new game of power.
Later that night, in our chambers, as I prepared for bed, Charles lay beside me, reading a book. The room was quiet, illuminated only by the soft glow of the fireplace. When I lay down, he closed the book and placed it on the bedside table, turning to face me with that ever-analytical gaze of his.
"There are three more heirs..." he repeated in a low voice. "Doesn’t that worry you?"
I kept my expression serene, but inside, unease pulsed beneath the surface. Still, my tone remained controlled.
"It doesn’t matter. The main family is from Syvis’s lineage. Like I told you before, we have the advantage in political negotiations. I needed an excuse to propose an arranged engagement between Duncan and Syvis... and this situation came at the perfect moment."
"Even so," he insisted, his voice carrying lingering doubt, "there are still three heirs..."
"One of them is a high noble tied to our kingdom," I repeated firmly. "At the end of the day, he must obey us. The real concerns are the other two women. Whoever marries them will gain automatic influence over the elven royal family... and consequently, our empire. That cannot happen."
Charles hesitated for a moment,