The prince shook his head.

"Even I don’t have unrestricted access."

That was a fair point. Atheline nodded.

"As expected."

The prince relaxed slightly. Then Atheline continued.

"A royal token will do."

If silence could kill, it would have committed mass murder by now. Prince Lucifer stopped moving. The councillors exchanged glances. Even the guards seemed interested.

The prince stared at the two then slowly repeated.

"A royal token."

Atheline nodded.

"Yes."

Prince Lucifer leaned back slightly, now that was very different. The royal token would represent the demonic kingdom’s recognition and trust. The implications were significant.

The prince understood immediately. A royal token wouldn’t bypass every law but it would bypass enough. More importantly, the request was actually reasonable, which was deeply inconvenient. If they wanted to refuse without strife, they would have to come up with a reasonable reason.

He rubbed his chin sinking into his thoughts. A royal token wasn’t his to grant. Only the Demonic Emperor possessed that authority, which complicated matters considerably.

Yet... it wasn’t impossible.

The prince realized that, that was the problem. He couldn’t immediately dismiss the proposal.

Above him, the two watched him carefully. Eventually, the prince slowly exhaled and then smiled. For the first time in weeks, it wasn’t the smile of a desperate negotiator but that of a man who finally saw a path forward.

"I’ll need to send letters."

Atheline smiled while Lilith remained composed. Prince Lucifer looked between them, then laughed, a genuine laugh this time.

"So that’s why you finally called me here."

Neither ruler answered which was answer enough.

"If you’ll excuse me, your Majesties," he calmly said then bowed slightly, just enough to show his respect.

Lilith nodded. The prince glanced at everyone before turning to leave. The doors of the throne room closed behind him.

For several moments, nobody spoke. Prince Lucifer’s footsteps gradually faded into the distance and silence gradually settled over the chamber.

Atheline leaned back slightly in his chair. Lilith remained seated upon the throne. Neither appeared particularly concerned.

Unfortunately, everyone else in the room looked extremely concerned. The councillors had remained silent during the discussion out of respect. Now that the foreign prince had left, however, that restraint immediately vanished.

The noble elder was the first to speak.

"Your Majesty."

She glanced toward him. The noble elder hesitated then continued carefully.

"What exactly are you planning?"

Atheline immediately looked toward the ceiling. Lilith noticed and so did several councillors.

The noble elder continued.

"With respect, I do not understand."

Another councillor nodded.

"Neither do I," Councillor Renault Said in a lowered voice, "Why would the crown require a royal token from the Demonic Continent?"

More murmurs followed. Atheline was beginning to regret remaining in the room. He had thought they were taking it well when they didn’t raise the issue in the throne room but he thought wrong.

Lilith folded her arms. The councillors waited. Silence stretched longer than necessary. Eventually, the Councillor heading Trade spoke.

"And what about the moon crystals?"

That question immediately attracted everyone’s attention and the room became quieter.

Moon crystals.

That subject had become increasingly important throughout the kingdom. The Hunting Competition had cut the discussions short and taken everyone’s attention with it. Now, it has returned fully.

Everyone wanted access and with the addition of the demonic kingdom, it had made things much worse.

The councilors had thought she would not come to an agreement after dragging the crown prince for so long. The agreement had come as a shock.

The councilor of trade adjusted his glasses.

"If we begin exporting moon crystals to the Demonic Continent..."

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"...will that affect domestic distribution?"

Several others nodded. The concern was legitimate. Lilith had already promised allocations when they came to a decision. Changing those arrangements could create problems.

The two glanced at each other. Neither actually wanted to explain the truth. There was no need to. They would eventually find out but it would be the same as the last ruin discovery, after they had gotten everything.

Atheline cleared his throat.

"Actually."

Every councillor looked toward him. He smiled then took Lilith’s hand into his and linked them before the whole council. Some of them frowned but no one said anything.

Atheline continued.

"We’ve always wanted to travel."

The throne room fell silent. The councillors blinked while several looked confused. The councillor of Trade frowned.

"Travel?"

Atheline nodded seriously.

"Travel," he repeated.

Silence filled the room. Lilith and the councillors stared at him. Atheline maintained a perfectly straight face which was an impressive accomplishment.

The noble elder finally spoke, his voice filled with disbelief.

"You want access to the Demonic Continent... for tourism?"

Atheline immediately pointed.

"Exactly."

The room became even quieter. One councillor nearly choked. They had thought the reason they told Prince Lucifer had been a ruse, but it seems to be true.

Lilith looked away. Atheline knew that look. It meant she was either contemplating murder or trying not to laugh.

The noble elder looked horrified.

"Your Majesty..."

He nodded encouragingly.

"We’ve been very busy."

The councillors looked increasingly confused.

Atheline continued.

"The hunting competitions, political crises, assassinations, and kingdom collapses... We deserve a vacation."

Nobody knew how to respond. Lilith closed her eyes briefly. Atheline had fully committed and there was no stopping him now.

The councilor of Trade looked toward the queen, seeking help. Unfortunately, Lilith had already chosen a side. She nodded.

"He has a point."

The councillors froze. Atheline immediately looked pleased which she ignored.

The noble elder stared in both frustration and disbelief.

"Your Majesty..."

She remained perfectly serious.

"The king enjoys traveling."

He nodded vigorously.

"I do."

Lilith continued her voice becoming serious.

"The Demonic Continent is culturally significant."

Atheline nodded again.

"It is," he sang her tune.

She unfolded her arms.

"We wish to observe it."

Silence filled the throne room. The councillors looked utterly unconvinced. The story was terrible and everyone knew it. Yet nobody could prove otherwise.

The councillor of Finance rubbed his forehead.

"Then why a royal token?"