Suddenly, he spotted the Queen standing behind him, her eyes narrowed and fixed directly on him. "My daughter is right, Mr. Orion. Why do you want to start giving people the idea that having children with a foreigner will secure their way out of this mountain?" she questioned, her brow raised. "I don't know where you got this idea, but you need to be cautious with your words. I'm not certain the royal family can protect you if rumours of this start spreading among the Prismerian people."
However, unlike before, Orion didn't appear cautiously subdued.
Instead, he stared directly at Queen Selene, their gazes locking, and replied, "Don't worry about me. If push comes to shove, I'm very confident I can protect myself."
He gulped down the fruit wine, no longer bothering to sip it slowly, and then placed the glass cup back on the table.
Instantly, Queen Selene also seemed to have noticed a change in Orion. Unlike before, the young man in front of her appeared much less tense than he had been during their previous interactions.
Of course, he still maintained a cautious composure, which she could easily discern, but compared to before, she sensed something different about him.
'Maybe he's finally becoming more comfortable after letting off some steam,' Queen Selene thought.
She speculated that after defeating the other Clan heirs, Orion must have released some of his pent-up stress. She also couldn't help but wonder if her husband's speech about revoking the other Clan Heirs' promises if they failed to uphold their promises had played a role in making him more at ease around them. 'Good, good... Bringing him to this banquet was not a bad idea, after all.'
Queen Selene withdrew her gaze from Orion and directed it toward her daughter and her personal guard.
"Excuse us for now; I would like to speak with our guests alone," she said.
Without the need for further discussion, Princess Crystalia and Flintor immediately nodded in understanding and walked away. She swiftly joined a group of people her age who appeared to be from some of the minor clans, and they warmly welcomed her into their circle.
Meanwhile, Zephyrion, who had been lurking in the crowd, couldn't help but grimace at the scene. While it was true that he had initially approached Princess Crystalia with ulterior motives, he couldn't deny that he had developed genuine feelings for the free-spirited woman over the years.
Therefore, when he heard Orion casually suggest that they should have babies together as a means to test if they could escape the mountain, even though he had briefly considered the idea before dismissing it, he couldn't contain his anger, which surged beyond its limits upon hearing such words.
Yes, it was anger, but at least anger showed that he cared for her.
Nevertheless, after witnessing the Queen approaching the trio, Zephyrion also turned and left, blending into the crowd. He didn't want to eavesdrop or linger any longer, as there was a higher chance of him getting caught by Queen Selene.
"Anyway, how are your injuries?" Queen Selene asked.
"I wasn't seriously injured, so I think I'm fine," Orion responded.
Though he couldn't help but wonder why the Queen had suddenly approached him, he thought it must have something to do with the previous fight.
Queen Selene nodded in understanding. "Have you thought about your wishes? Have you considered what to ask from them?" She asked.
"Not yet," Orion responded.
A glint passed through Queen Selene's eyes. She cleared her throat and suddenly said, "Since you haven't yet thought about anything, the royal family would be extremely pleased if you could assist us with just a few of them." Noting his surprised expression, she continued, "Although I would have preferred to wait until we return to the castle and speak with you in private, the sooner we discuss it, the better."
Orion furrowed his brows at the Queen's words. Although he hadn't planned to ask for anything too outrageous, since he was still in enemy territory, that didn't mean he couldn't make his life much more enjoyable while he was here.
Having beautiful companions from each clan and a more comfortable place to call home were requests he was confident the Major Clans would readily grant. Considering his modest requests, he was sure that they would be grateful he didn't ask for more, and it would be foolish for them to renege on their promises.
As for the wealth, he was curious about the specifics of their barter system and looked forward to finding out.
What? Did you think he would ask for something extravagant?
Even genies have limits, so it would be unwise to assume that a trapped race fighting for their survival wouldn't!
Also, after observing Maya's transformative staff and Merida's impressive sword, Orion had indeed considered requesting a few weapons for himself.
However, he wasn't sure if the promises made would be enough to satisfy his desires. When it came to the idea of giving them to the royal family, Orion wasn't naive enough to miss the subtle implications of Queen Selene's choice of words.
Queen Selene scrutinized Orion as he delved deep into contemplation. After a few moments, Orion looked at her and replied, "I don't believe I can provide you with an answer at this moment, Queen Selene. How about we discuss it once we return to the castle?"
Queen Selene gazed at Orion, a perplexed and dumbfounded expression crossing her features. She couldn't discern whether he was joking with his response.
She had assumed he would readily assist the royal family given his current circumstances, but it appeared she had made a mistake.
'Hmm, he does seem unusually confident,' Queen Selene mused, furrowing her brows slightly. She considered whether his newfound confidence was a result of the promises made by the young clan heirs.
Regrettably, if he believed that those promises alone were sufficient to bolster his position in the Prismerian kingdom, he was gravely mistaken.
"Alright, I'll await your decision once we return to the castle. Enjoy the remainder of the banquet, Mr Orion,"? Queen Selene remarked, taking a glass of fruity wine in her grasp before turning on her heel and departing.