A young man had made his way all up to the palace, no one even wondered to ask where he had come, however there was a tint of danger in every step he had taken to walk up to the imperial realm of their majesty. He caught a glimpse of the many staff members and service droids, he understood from afar that the Von Erthal's Palazzo was a massive compound, up close and personal, it was so much more than just that.

Scientists, engineers, and chefs amok. Guards every here and there, as for the knights, he could count them with his fingers it would take a while, but he could take them down, while butlers were scarce, he assumed there may be one on every tower.

The palace housed them, the palace fed them, they owed security to the kingdom, they were expected to respond to the people, each were accompanied by their own droids according to their line of work, but each had a red light on their display projectors, always recording what they had done, who they had seen and were they had been.

To take down the palace, one would first have to take care of the droids, then the guards, then the king, still he thought he could do it.

Before he knew it the doors opened for him.

Light poured in a cascade from enormous windows behind the royal desk, beyond them the visage of the forest, the hills, the nearby city of Belon, the sky clear, perfect. The man on the desk busy filling in a set of papers. At first glance he seemed young, poised; pristine skin rich almond in color, his cascade of curls and locks fell to his shoulder's length, his eyes piercing brown like chocolate, he expected someone with more charm, instead he found a creature of bird-like...

"Your grace"

Shajae bowed, her gold earrings and chains clunked with one another as she reincorporated, behind them the scouting droids bowed, while he did not.

He had never met a server of the Nevermoorian Crown that had not come from within the realm, her words jumbled into his ears, soft cadence almost unrecognizable. She was Alg'rabian, but he could not pinpoint an exact location for the accent.

"May I present Achilles..." she paused trying to read his name, she turned to him scanning from head to toe "Yemilnez, he has some business to attend with..."

"Of course."

The king stood up.

"Shajae Close the door behind you when you leave."

The monarch's voice simple yet melodic, he had to be raised the kingdom.

Shajae bowed, displeased while signaling the guards to leave the room.

"As you wish."

She sashayed away after all of them, her heels clunk on the marble floor at every step and sealed the access once she left.

"Please take a seat."

The man obeyed and walked to the desk's guest's armchairs.

The hunter sitting before Raeb had strawberry blonde hair, had eyes deep like the sea, so deep anyone could drown in, he had thinly sparce facial hair, darker tips narrowly could be seen by an incautious eye. His build seemed lean yet big; he knew the man would have built some muscle if he ought to survive far in the north.

He was clad in deep blue; he wore the distinctive vest of a hunter underneath a navy-blue leather sleeveless hoodie with a particular insignia. He could see straps and buckles that were an ergonomic design he had recognized for sure from the ice queen's men, on his back there was no weapon, he would've noticed by the sound of him sitting, instead his gaze drowned the king in unadulterated attention.

A boy like the one sitting at Raeb's desk may have been the type he would've dream of having in a happily ever after, but that had been so long, and his interests laid somewhere else at the moment.

Finally, after putting aside a glass tablet Raeb asked:

"Who sent you?"

"A friend, a special someone who wanted to grant you a prize for stepping up against the old queen."

The man answered smirking charmingly, his voice and cadence felt proud and snobbish, Raeb already liked this new toy, he wondered how much ego the man had under his belt to speak to royalty like that.

"That is not what happened mister..."

"I heard you were good with names; didn't though it was a lie."

The king placed the last of the paper documents in a folder making way to the front of the seated huntsman.

"There are matters more important I need to attend. If you wish to waste my time I'm afraid I'll call my guards."

"Then the ship where Queen Galia was not breaking down by one of your genies, nor one of your friends. Or am I wrong?"

Raeb's face tainted a faint red.

"How would you dare, blame me of such..."

"Hush down pretty bird, I come from the raven court."

The monarch thought for a second, who knew exactly what had happened or talk about it? How the rumor has not been out lately?

The newly crowned Raven king just smiled and calmed himself running her mind through his list of suspects.

"Was it Hilde?"

It had to be Hilde.

"No"

"Risa?"

"Uh-Uh"

The infallible hunter snickered, proudly.

The monarch could only guess, the man before him had the wit to play the game he and his friends had taken on so many years ago, with mastery he tried to use the stone glyph in his right pocket; The small charm of truth detecting, so far, no lie had been uttered, none of the court members tent him.

"Great, so now should I expect a cake and a gift box?"

The king deliberately snickered, crossed his arms, and leaned gently a few inches into the huntsman's face. estimating his height, a foot or so taller than him? Maybe a half. Raeb had taken on larger and come out surviving.

"What is it you're here for Achilles?"

"That's a long story."

He answered, his voice serious, straight as an arrow.

"Funny, you said you were here as a gift."

"Yes and...?"

"I need to know. Let's say I am curious how none of my guards stopped you?"

The hunter reached to his pocket handing out a scroll sealed with a ring.

A formality of ages past, the only way one kingdom is allowed to contact one another, Raeb took the scroll and read it, a chill travelled his spine, at the bottom of the document the signature of an old friend: "E."

A loop of questions ran on his mind, had the north finally unified? When? How?

Achilles composed himself.

"There is a rumor, about a solar magic wielder."

The raven caped king rolled his eyes and scoffed dropping the document to his desk.

"A rumor at best, you should tell your superiors we assessed it, and no mage is able to undo any of her freezing spells, there is nothing we can do but wait till she either conquers us, or she freezes the world, whatever happens first."

"So, there is a Sun mage."

"Was."

He replied dryly, he could barely hear a small break as the prince uttered:

"She died undoing a spell for me."

Raeb's face seemed almost remorseful.

"What type?"

"A curse on a swamp, there were birds that came in and left out... wrong."

"Where?"

"North, you probably know about it, old Thaumessias knew."

The huntsman's eyes sparked what looked like murderous intent.

"Where is he?"

The hunter about to stand up, stopped as the king placed his right foot in between his legs, stomping a few inches close to him.

"Worry not, I got him in a cell in the Madrigal tower."

"He won't leave?"

"He can't leave."

Raeb assured.

"There's no guard on that tower who is not equipped to murder under my call, the moment I speak, the moment your old compatriot falls."

The royal illuminated his eyes, a shimmering royal blue light fazed in and out for a minute, a taste of the power flowing in the kings' veins.

"Whatever the Ice queen is sniffing on my realm, there is nothing here, nothing but papers, you're free to tell her she is very welcome to help me if she ever wishes to truly run a kingdom."

Raeb stood and went right back to his office chair.

"I'm all yours then your highness, the deal for me was the sun mage mission and I could do whatever you wanted afterwards."

Achilles slumped all the way to the back of the armchair, he unzipped his vest.

"A tempting offer, but there are matters at hand."

"Are there any?"

The monarch bit his lower lip and set sight straight into the huntsman's eyes.

"There is something I need to be taken care of."

"I'm all ears."

"It has to do with my sister."

The king's voice got somber.

The Huntsman straightened his posture.