Chapter 585: Chaos In Gildreach Royal Court

The Golden Palace of Gildreach had never felt so tense.

The enormous throne room was illuminated by thousands of floating golden crystals embedded within the walls and ceiling, their radiance reflecting across polished marble floors and pillars carved from precious metals.

Yet despite the extravagant beauty surrounding them, the atmosphere inside the palace was anything but peaceful.

At the center of the hall sat Elsa upon the golden throne of Gildreach, her hands resting against the arms of the seat as she stared down at the representatives gathered before her.

They were the heads of the great races of Gildreach, each of whom had spent centuries building their influence under Lazarus’s reign.

At the front stood Lord Aerion Valcrest, an ancient elf with long silver hair, pale skin and sharp emerald eyes. He wore a white and gold robe embroidered with countless gemstones, while a thin golden crown rested upon his forehead. He was the patriarch of the Valcrest family, one of the oldest elven houses in Gildreach, and his family had controlled several of the realm’s largest resource territories for generations.

Beside him stood Matriarch Aurelia Aurum of the Gold Demons. She was a towering woman with metallic golden skin, four curved horns protruding from her forehead and long black hair flowing down her back. Her eyes resembled molten gold, and even standing motionless she radiated an oppressive physical presence.

The Aurum clan had controlled some of Gildreach’s richest metal deposits for centuries, and their warriors had fought countless wars to protect them.

The representative of the Mimics was a strange figure named Veyra. Unlike the others, Veyra’s appearance seemed almost deliberately ordinary, a slender woman with pale gray skin, black hair and completely silver eyes. Her appearance shifted subtly whenever someone looked away, as though her body could not settle on a single identity.

She was the Matriarch of the Veilborn, the oldest Mimic bloodline in Gildreach and one of the most feared intelligence families in the realm.

Next was Lord Cyran Veyl, patriarch of the Veyl Gem Demons. His body was covered in translucent crystalline plates that shifted between deep red and violet whenever the light struck them. Two enormous crystal horns curved backward from his skull, while his eyes glowed like polished sapphires. His family controlled some of the largest gemstone deposits and magical crystal mines in Gildreach.

The smallest representative in the room was also one of the oldest. Matriarch Brinna Goldleaf stood barely four feet tall, with curly brown hair, pointed ears and a round face that appeared almost harmless. Her tiny green coat was covered in golden embroidery, and several rings covered nearly every finger. She was the head of the Goldleaf clan, the most influential family among the small treasure seeking demons of Gildreach.

Her people were renowned for finding hidden resources beneath the earth that even dwarven and demonic miners could not detect.

Finally, there was Lord Drogath Stonehide, patriarch of the Mine Demons. He stood nearly twelve feet tall, his massive body covered in dark gray scales and thick stone like plates. His family controlled much of the labor force responsible for extracting Gildreach’s underground resources.

"Your Majesty, we cannot continue delaying this matter." Lord Aerion spoke first, his voice respectful but firm. "The resources of Gildreach are not merely the property of the crown. They were discovered, defended and developed by our families over thousands of years."

Aurelia immediately stepped forward. "My people bled for those mines. Thousands of Gold Demons died protecting them from invaders. Those veins belong to our bloodline as much as they belong to Gildreach."

"And the crystals?" Cyran added coldly. "The Veyl family has lost entire generations protecting the crystal caverns. If the new ruler intends to take possession of everything, then surely our families are entitled to their share before the transfer of power."

Elsa’s expression hardened.

"You are asking me to divide the wealth of an entire realm because your ancestors fought for it."

"Because they died for it." Drogath corrected, his deep voice shaking the chamber. "There is a difference."

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Drogath took another step forward, his enormous feet striking the marble floor with enough force to echo through the hall. "My ancestors died underground. They were buried beneath collapsing mountains and poisoned by corrupted veins. They worked until their bodies became part of the earth. You cannot sit upon that throne and tell me their descendants have no right to what they died protecting."

Elsa’s fingers tightened around the armrest. "I am not denying their sacrifices."

"Then recognize their descendants’ rights." Aurelia immediately replied.

The pressure was beginning to close around Elsa.

The families were not openly challenging her authority. They were doing something far more dangerous. They were presenting their demands as justice.

They knew Damian would soon assume control of Gildreach’s resources and they knew that once Damian formally consolidated his control over the realm, there was little chance they would ever be able to reclaim anything he considered part of the royal treasury.

Matriarch Brinna slowly adjusted one of the rings on her finger before speaking. "Your Majesty, nobody here wants conflict. We merely want what is ours. Give each family a portion of the God Veins, the gemstone reserves, the gold mines and the accumulated treasures before the new ruler arrives. Once that is done, we will gladly swear loyalty to him."

Elsa’s emerald eyes narrowed. "You will gladly swear loyalty after stripping the realm of its most valuable resources?"

Veyra smiled faintly.

"Strip?" Her face changed for an instant, becoming that of an elderly man before returning to the appearance of a young woman. "We prefer the term inheritance."

A few of the representatives nodded.

Elsa stared at them in silence. She understood exactly what they were attempting.

If she agreed, Gildreach would enter Damian’s rule economically crippled. If she refused, these families could unite against her and accuse her of betraying the very people whose ancestors had built the realm.

And worse, she could not simply threaten them. These were not insignificant nobles, their families represented the economic foundation of Gildreach.

"My answer is no." Elsa finally said.

The room immediately became still.

Aurelia’s molten eyes narrowed. "Your Majesty."

"I said no." Elsa repeated, her voice becoming colder. "The resources of Gildreach belong to Gildreach. They are not personal property that I can distribute because individual families believe they deserve them."

Lord Aerion’s expression darkened. "Then what becomes of the sacrifices of our ancestors?"

"They become the foundation upon which this realm was built."

"And what becomes of our families?"

Elsa leaned forward slightly. "You remain noble."

Aurelia’s fist tightened. "That is not enough."

The words were barely spoken before the pressure in the room increased. Several of the representatives began speaking at once, their voices overlapping as they demanded compensation, territorial rights, mining rights and portions of the royal reserves.

Elsa’s patience began to thin. Sitting on this throne surrounded by nobles who wanted to carve up the kingdom before Damian even arrived felt almost as exhausting as war.

"I will not divide Gildreach before Damian takes possession of it." Elsa said firmly.

The room suddenly became silent.

Then Aerion asked quietly, "So you have already decided that everything belongs to him?"

Elsa’s eyes sharpened. "He is the ruler."

"He is an outsider." Aerion retorted

Elsa slowly rose from her throne. "Choose your next words carefully."

Aerion did not retreat. "My apologies, Your Majesty, but it is the truth. Lazarus ruled Gildreach for thousands of years. Our families served him. We built this realm alongside him. Now a human demigod arrives, kills our king, marries our queen and claims everything we possess..."

"AND SO WHAT?!"

The voice did not come from Elsa, It came from behind them.

Bam!

The great doors of the throne room opened and every head turned!