A large room where many officials from different beastkin races stood at the side. In the middle on a red carpet were Kana, Ceilie, and Tilia. In front of them were five steps that led to where the throne was and on this throne was a man that all three of them knew well. He looked down at them and smiled warmly. "I am glad you two have come. I have been waiting for you."
"Ahh! The tiger man!" Kana suddenly yelled out. Causing Ceilie and Tilia to sweat. Kana had no understanding of monarchs or rulers. Even after all the reminders that Ceilie had given for Kana to not speak unless spoken to, she still stood up, put a hand on her hip, and pointed at the big burly tiger man on the throne.
"Insolence!" A guard yelled out and pulled his sword and was about to point it at Kana when a large hand grabbed his shoulder.
"When did I ever give you permission to act like this in front of my most important guest. Did you not hear me when I said I have been waiting for them?" The big burly tiger man gripped the guard's shoulder, causing him to whimper.
"I-I am sorry, Your Majesty!" The guard quickly sheathed his sword and bowed.
"It's fine. You were just doing your job. But remember, there is a time and place for everything! And understanding those around you is another must. Do you see how they are not kneeling? This means they are honored guests." The burly tiger man patted the guard's shoulder before turning his attention to the girls.
"Now, I must welcome our esteemed guests, and yes, Little Lady, it is me. I said we would meet again, and we have." The burly tiger man, the one who sits on top of the beastkin throne, was none other than Claine. The merchant who helped them cross the border.
"Hehe! It is good to see you again!" Kana said with a smile. She liked Claine because he was nice and helped her out when she needed help.
"Haha! Yes, it is! Now I have an understanding of why you are here. You have come to warn me about the Elurean kingdom, am I right, Princess Tilia Elurean? But I am sure you must know by now that your message is a tad late. But this does not mean we can not work together on the issue at hand. I am sure you have much to say. So if you would remove your ring, please." Claine smiled and patted Tilia on the head.
Tilia looked up at Claine and nodded. She reached down and took her ring off, exposing her true appearance. She then got down on her knees and pressed her forehead against the ground. "Although I have cast off the Elurean name. I will ask Your Highness to please take my old title into consideration and allow me to defect to your country so that I can help try to put a stop to the madness that is going on in the human domains."
Claine was very surprised by Tilia's words. He had thought she was only here to warn them and give them some information but instead, she wanted to defect and go to war against her own people. "You do understand that if you defect to this country, you will be seen as a traitor in your homeland."
"I know this. I have thought long and hard about all of this. I know there are good people and that there are bad people. No matter which race it is, there will always be some bad eggs. But the human race, the race I come from, has gone too far. They are enslaving people of different races and doing unspeakable things. This is also the same for their own people. The greed that is spreading is sinking too deep into society. I would rather fight against my own people and bring peace to this continent and allow every race to understand that we can all live side by side. We may look different, but we are, in truth, the same. So I beg of you to allow me this small request." Tilia poured her heart out about the subject. She had tears in her eyes, and as she talked, one could tell she was crying. She felt pain in her heart. The kindness she has received from beastkin is beyond measure. They live the same as humans. But the humans the race that she is from are turning into devils—all led by those who rule.
"You are indeed wise for your age. You understand what the world is like right now more than the fools who only care about lining their own pockets. You truly love your people enough to throw everything away and commit treason in order to save your people. You are truly worthy of your title as Princess. Please rise, Princess Tilia." Claine knelt down and helped Tilia up. He rubbed her head and then looked at all of his officials. "Today is a day that I will be taking in a new daughter. Princess Tilia, from this day, will now be named Tilia Tigeria, the fifth Princess of the Rural Kingdom. "
All the officials bowed to Tilia. "Greetings to the Fifth Princess!"
"Huh? What!?" Tilia's head was spinning. She never expected to be suddenly adopted into the royal family of the Rural Kingdom.
"You will get used to it. Tilia, I am glad you were able to make this long journey, and you met such kind and caring people who were willing to help you along the way. Kana, Ceilie, what reward would you like?"