After standing outside for what seemed like an intentionally set long time, someone walked out of the house. From the very first glance, Ken could tell she was a lady, her armor was shaped to fit her, and her steps were refined and very steady. A sword was strapped to her side.

She made it to Ken and Luna. She gave Luna a head bow, "My lady, your mother has requested that you come to her first," the guard spoke, her voice steady but feminine.

"I’m not leaving his side," Luna stated. She knew that no one here really liked humans, so there was a high chance that he would be bullied if she left.

"You don’t have to worry about me, Luna. Head in, I’ll be in soon," Ken spoke with the same confidence that he always had.

Luna bit her lower lip, fighting hard with herself. She finally left, heading inside. She looked back a couple times at Ken, but then she finally went in.

The guard stared at Ken after Luna was gone, the kind of look you gave to someone you could not trust at all. She scanned him from head to toe.

"Are you with anything that might be harmful?" she asked, only as a procedure, her hands already patting down his body to check. She paused when she got to his chest and abdomen, her eyes widened under the helmet for a moment. She had never seen a young person have a body this sturdy, it felt like if she attacked it, the sword would bounce.

Her unprofessional moment lasted only a second and she was back to patting him down, and when she was certain, she stepped back, the same disdain in her eyes.

"Come with me," she said before proceeding to walk toward the house. Ken followed without speaking.

"What is your relationship with the young mistress? I should warn you, if you have anything inappropriate with her, you’d be killed very fast," the guard warned him as they walked.

"My relationship with her? I don’t think that has anything to do with you," Ken replied in a calm tone.

When she heard that, she almost turned to look at him, but she managed to keep her head forward.

"If all humans are as cocky as you..."

"They can’t be as cocky as me, they’ll need to be as good as me first," Ken said.

She gritted her teeth, the way he spoke oozed with pride, and she hated that extremely. She pushed open the door that led inside and walked in. She pushed the door in a way that almost slammed in his face, but he used a foot to stop it. She turned back and saw him looking at her with a calm smile.

Not a smile of emotion, but one that said, that was a weak attempt.

She turned around and kept walking. He followed her in.

[...]

The guard led him to a door that seemed to be the door to the throne room, or wherever the mother of Luna stayed.

She looked at Ken one more time and then spoke, "Be careful when you walk in, your words could determine your life." She gripped her sword as she spoke, trying to make his eyes go there to act as a threat, but Ken didn’t look, he stared at her right in the eye.

She frowned when she saw that her plan had not worked, but regardless, she pushed the door open and allowed him in while she followed behind.

Inside was a throne room made mostly of wood, but it was stunning. Somehow, it allowed the flow of the outside to get inside without an opening, and without the harsh rays of the sun burning down on them. The air smelt of wood, herbs, and flowers, it soothed the soul easily.

A red carpet led all the way to the wooden throne where a lady sat, silver hair that flowed down her beautiful pale body, green eyes that looked like emeralds. She was dressed in a beautiful silver gown that flowed down elegantly.

Standing beside her was Luna, her eyes lit up when she saw that Ken was brought back without issue, a weight was lifted off her chest.

Ken walked up and the guard followed. He didn’t know the proceedings of how to act here, so he decided to do the one thing that would show respect and not demean him. He stood a few meters away from the throne and then gave a bow, leaning his body forward with one hand on his chest.

"Greetings, your majesty," he said.

"You’ll bend your knee when speaking to her," the guard barked at him, but Ken didn’t even budge or look at her. Bend a knee? That would be the day.

"Leave him be, Sierra, he is not part of our tribe and does not know all that, and frankly speaking, I find the kneeling bow quite bothersome," Luna’s mother spoke, her tone as light as air. She exuded an immense amount of grace from sitting there alone.

"Raise your head, human," she spoke to Ken.

He stood straight up and then looked her right in the eye, not in a way that showed disrespect, but rather confidence. She saw this, a smile formed on her face.

"You are the human that has been in the forest for over a month training, I must say, that’s extremely impressive. Remind me, what’s your name?" she asked.

"Ken," he replied calmly, "and if I may, can I know your name, your majesty?" he asked without a single hesitation.

"Your brat!" the guard exploded in anger and was about to rush forward.

"Sierra, stop!" Luna’s mother commanded. She got on her feet and then bowed her head slightly, "I am Lumeria, the mother of Luna and the head of this tribe of elves."

Sierra was shocked to her core when she watched her queen bow her head to this nobody. It was as if a fuse in her head blew, she gripped her sword tight to fight down her anger.