Chapter 62: The Emperor’s Elven Wife

Chapter : The Emperor’s Elven Wife

"This is not a problem at all, old man Valor. The moment you tell him that his wife has arrived, he will come out of seclusion."

Griselda said this with a confident smile, as though she were speaking of something so obvious that it required no discussion.

Valor, on the other hand, froze in place.

For several moments, it seemed as though his mind had completely stopped processing the words he had just heard.

He stared at Griselda with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open, as though her words had struck his mind directly.

Then his awareness suddenly returned.

"What did you just say?"

His voice was filled with a level of astonishment Griselda had never heard from him before.

Maintaining the same confident smile, Griselda said:

"I said that Fafnir will come out of seclusion the moment he learns that his wife has arrived."

Valor's eyes widened even further.

He had heard her perfectly the first time, but he needed to hear those words again to make certain that his mind had not misunderstood her.

He asked slowly:

"Are you saying that you... Queen Griselda... are the Sovereign's wife?"

Griselda nodded confidently.

"Yes."

Silence descended.

Valor stared at her for several moments as though the entire world around him had disappeared.

Then he muttered:

"But the Sovereign never said that he was married..."

He paused briefly, then looked her up and down before adding in disbelief:

"And his wife is the Iron Maiden."

Griselda's smile widened slightly at his words.

"It seems you're finally beginning to understand."

Valor remained silent.

He placed a hand against his chin and began thinking rapidly.

The Sovereign is married?

And among all the women in Gandalia... he chose the former Queen of the Elves?

Griselda herself?

The revelation was far greater than he could fully comprehend in a matter of moments.

After taking several breaths, Valor composed himself and asked seriously:

"Do you have any proof that you truly are the Sovereign's wife, Queen Griselda?"

Griselda's smile disappeared for a moment.

A hint of displeasure appeared on her face.

"Proof?"

Valor quickly explained:

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm not doubting your words simply for the sake of doubting them. But the Sovereign never told me anything about his marriage. If another woman had told me something like this, I would have considered it either a deception or a misunderstanding."

He then added sincerely:

"Especially when the person you're talking about is Fafnir."

Griselda stared at him for several moments.

Then she sighed lightly.

"All right. I understand your point of view."

She raised her hand, revealing the ring on her finger.

It was an elegant ring that encircled her finger, emitting a faint glow. From within it, she retrieved the bathing robe she had worn while bathing in the lake on the deserted island.

She held it out toward Valor and said:

"Examine this robe with your divine sense."

Valor raised an eyebrow.

"This robe?"

Griselda nodded.

"Yes. You will be able to sense your master's aura and mine mingled together upon it."

Valor's expression changed slightly.

He then released his immense divine sense.

At once, an invisible force spread around him and penetrated the robe with extreme precision.

He was not merely examining the fabric. He was searching for the faintest traces of energy and aura that remained upon it.

Several moments passed.

Then Valor's expression changed.

"This..."

His concentration deepened.

He pushed his divine sense further.

And finally, he felt it.

An incredibly familiar aura.

An aura he knew better than almost anyone.

His master's aura.

Fafnir.

But it was not the only aura present upon the robe.

Another aura was intertwined with it, different in nature, yet clearly fused with it.

Griselda's aura.

More importantly, neither trace was weak.

They were both extraordinarily powerful.

Valor's heart trembled.

He slowly withdrew his divine sense and remained silent.

Griselda watched him with a faint smile.

"Are you convinced now?"

Valor slowly raised his head.

"Yes..."

Then he added, his voice still carrying the remnants of his shock:

"It really is the Sovereign's aura."

He fell silent for a moment before muttering:

"He really got married..."

Then he looked at Griselda.

"Fafnir really married Griselda."

A smile appeared on Griselda's face.

"Is it really that difficult to believe?"

Valor answered without hesitation:

"For me? Yes."

Then he added as he looked at her:

"But it isn't a bad thing at all."

Griselda did not understand what he meant at first.

Meanwhile, Valor's thoughts began racing.

The Emperor of Humanity married the former Queen of the Elves.

He married one of the most powerful figures in all of Gandalia.

This meant that the relationship between humanity and the elves would no longer be merely political.

A vast image of the future began forming in his mind.

An alliance between humans and elves.

The exchange of resources.

Cooperation in times of war.

The exchange of knowledge.

And perhaps...

An eternal alliance between the two races.

All of this could become a direct consequence of this marriage.

Without realizing it, Valor's smile widened.

Then he muttered:

"This is wonderful news..."

Griselda looked at him.

"Wonderful news?"

Valor quickly realized what he had said.

"Nothing."

Griselda stared at him suspiciously.

"You were smiling just now."

"I was thinking about the future."

"And what did you see in your future?"

Valor coughed lightly.

"Many things."

Griselda narrowed her eyes slightly, but did not press him further.

After several moments of wild thoughts and dreams of the future, Valor finally returned to his senses. He then bowed slightly and said:

"Forgive me, Queen Griselda, for what I said earlier. But the Lord never informed me of your marriage."

Griselda waved her hand dismissively.

"It's fine, old man Valor. The mistake isn't yours. It's Fafnir's for failing to tell you."

Valor sighed.

"I agree with you on that."

Then he muttered:

"This man can disappear for five thousand years, return, and then marry the Queen of the Elves without telling his closest subordinates..."

Griselda smiled.

"That's just how he is."

Valor looked at her.

"You know him well."

"More than you can imagine."

A brief silence followed.

Then Valor said:

"Follow me to the capital, Queen Griselda."

He turned around, rose into the sky, and flew toward the human capital deep within the continent of Zeta.

Griselda followed him without hesitation.

Throughout the journey, Griselda's eyes constantly moved across the landscape.

She knew Zeta.

She had lived in Gandalia five thousand years ago and had witnessed the continent in an entirely different era.

But what she saw now was vastly different.

Vast cities stretched across enormous distances.

Straight, well-maintained roads connected one region to another.

New fortresses stood across the land.

Enormous farms spread over the countryside.

Human settlements were scattered throughout territories that had only recently returned to human rule.

Some areas were still under construction, while others already appeared to have flourished for years.

Griselda silently observed the scenery.

Then she said:

"This continent has changed so much."

Valor replied:

"Three years alone have been enough for you to see only part of what has happened. If you had seen it several years ago, you wouldn't recognize half of these regions."

"And humanity?"

"They are no longer the same."

Valor gave a faint smile.

"The Lord did not return to the world to live in the past."

Griselda looked at him.

"It seems Fafnir has left behind a greater influence than I expected."

"Far greater."

The two continued flying.

As time passed, the human capital appeared on the horizon.

After half an hour of flight, they finally arrived.

The moment Griselda's eyes fell upon the capital, she fell silent for a moment.

The city was enormous.

Its buildings stretched across a vast expanse, while towering structures rose above the horizon and broad avenues bustled with activity.

The city she remembered from five thousand years ago had been a magnificent capital in its own era.

Yet this new city made that ancient capital seem like the remnant of a bygone age.

Griselda looked at it in genuine astonishment.

"This is the capital?"

Valor smiled.

"Yes."

She continued staring.

"It doesn't resemble the capital I remember."

"It has changed considerably."

"No. It has changed completely."

The houses were more magnificent, the walls taller and more imposing, and the roads wider and more orderly.

Everywhere she looked, the traces of humanity's renaissance were unmistakable.

Human banners fluttered above the buildings.

Soldiers marched in organized formations.

Farmers, merchants, and travelers moved through the districts.

And in the distance, construction sites were still operating as the city continued to expand.

But what caught Griselda's attention the most was the Sovereign Palace.

It rose at the heart of the capital like a colossal black-and-crimson mountain.

It was far larger than the palace she had known five thousand years ago.

Its grounds had expanded to nearly twice their former size, while its towers rose majestically into the heavens, seeming to pierce the sky itself.

Its main gate had become even more magnificent and imposing, surrounded by enormous structures and intricate architectural details.

The colors of the palace had also changed completely.

Black dominated its walls and towers, while crimson lines and details stretched across various sections, giving the entire palace a majestic and ominous appearance.

Griselda said:

"You humans have made enormous changes to your continent over the past few years."

Valor looked toward the palace and gave a faint smile.

"All of this was done by order of the Sovereign."

Griselda looked at the palace once more.

"It seems he no longer wants humanity to live as it did in the past."

"He wants them to surpass the past."

Griselda smiled.

"That sounds like him."

Valor then descended before the main gate of the Sovereign Palace.

Griselda followed him and landed quietly behind him.

As the two prepared to enter, three figures appeared nearby.

They were Thorin, Morgana, and Eleanor.

The three stopped when they saw Griselda.

A brief silence descended.

Thorin looked at her seriously, while Morgana fixed her gaze upon her. Eleanor, meanwhile, wore an expression of astonishment.

Thorin spoke first.

"The Iron Maiden?"

Valor answered:

"Yes."

Thorin looked from Griselda to Valor.

"Why has she come to the Sovereign Palace?"

Before Valor could answer, Morgana asked:

"Did something happen outside?"

Eleanor added:

"I haven't heard anything about a meeting between humanity and the elves."

Valor replied calmly:

"This has nothing to do with a political meeting."

He then looked at the three of them and said:

"Queen Griselda has come to see the Sovereign."

Thorin furrowed his brows.

"To see the Sovereign?"

Valor nodded.

"Yes."

Then he spoke the words that caused all three of them to freeze:

"Because she is his wife."

Silence.

Thorin's eyes widened.

Even Eleanor seemed to lose the ability to speak for several moments.

As for Morgana, the smile on her face completely froze.

"His wife?"

Eleanor said in disbelief:

"Queen Griselda... the Lord's wife?"

Valor nodded.

"She told me so at the borders of Zeta, and I verified it myself."

Then he added:

"She is telling the truth."

Thorin stared at Griselda for a long moment.

Then he said:

"The Lord never told us this."

Griselda smiled calmly.

"It seems my husband isn't very good at telling his subordinates about his personal affairs."

Valor said:

"That is a very kind way of describing what he did."

Griselda almost laughed.

But on the other side, Morgana and Eleanor were in no mood for amusement.

They stared at Griselda.

Both of them understood the status of the woman standing before them.

The legendary Queen of the Elves.

The Iron Maiden.

A woman who had reached the ninth stage of the True Immortal Realm.

And now...

Fafnir's wife.

Complex emotions began to rise within their hearts.

Eventually, those emotions transformed into burning jealousy.

Morgana stared silently at Griselda, while Eleanor unconsciously clenched her fist slightly.

Griselda, however, did not seem to notice anything.

Instead, she simply looked toward the gates of the Sovereign Palace and said with a calm smile:

"So... Fafnir is here."

Valor raised his gaze toward the palace.

"Yes."

Then he added:

"And he is in a place that no one can easily reach."

Griselda raised an eyebrow.

"We'll see about that."

Valor looked at her for a moment.

He suddenly felt a faint sense of unease.

He was beginning to realize that Griselda's arrival at the palace might prove far more exciting than he had expected.