Amelia and Ophelia: The Former Grand Duchess and Saintess.

“So, what is the plan Your Highness?” Ophelia asked as the carriage slowly rocked along, 

“Your Highness or Olertin is just fine, and…well, first is to introduce you to where you will be staying from now on and meeting the tribals leaders that represent the clans that make up my kingdom” the old man replied with a smile, 

“And what if they oppose?” Ophelia asked as she crossed her arms and legs 

“Leave that to me, I know for a fact most of them will listen to me, so don’t you worry about that” Olertin answered with another smile but Ophelia could sense that something was not right with the man in front of her, opting not to use her vast array of skills to deduce it and instead just letting it ride on. 

She then looked out the carriage window and saw that there was a small town in the distance and as they were approaching, there was a modest-looking castle, the roads were abysmal by her standards and most of the residents lived in poorly constructed buildings or tribal tents that lined the road toward the castle. The castle itself was placed in the center of the mass of tents and many banners and tribal symbols lined their way, Ophelia saw many different people standing by the tents and the road as they gave small bows to the passing carriage. Many of them even waved their hands at Olertin who simply smiled and waved back at them, while she continued to just watch on. 

She also observed the people outside and noted the following groups that had caught her eye, there were wolf beastkin that had ears and a tail alongside their human-like bodies. Their fur color ranged from as far as Ophelia saw, grey, white, brown, or black, and sometimes even red or blue. Next were the Lamias that were basically snake people where upper torso was human but below was a long snake tail that acted as their legs and their way of movement. Their scale colors ranged from bright white and red to black and gold and an assortment of other colors that surprised Ophelia with their beauty. Another tribe they passed was a tribe of Sirens or Mer-people, these were basically people who mainly lived in the water but could also live on land for a period of time. They were recognizable by their blue and cyan scales that would appear on the tips of their feet and legs and their ability to shift their legs into tails whenever they near bodies of water.

Ophelia also saw elves, dragonkin, and dwarves along the way as well, and she was pleasantly surprised that all of these different tribes that were present in the Hillsbrooke Empire and bickered amongst one another were living peacefully and even cooperating together without any animosity.

“Huh…I am amazed that everyone isn’t at each other’s throats” Ophelia openly remarked, 

“Is it different from where you are from Miss Ophelia?” Olertin asked, a bit surprised at the remark 

“Indeed, thanks to some greedy nobles and the tribes back where I come from having ulterior motives against one another, it is very rare to see people of different species living together without any animosity or hostility. Although encouraged in schools to get along with one another, outside it was up to the imperial government but they continued to turn a blind eye and even helped spark some conflicts” Ophelia answered, annoyance and anger in her tone 

“What about you? Since you were a noble from that area, I presume you did things differently?” Olertin said as he locked eyes with her 

“Yes. In the duchy I managed, I invested a large effort to ensure that the tribals and the townspeople living there got along, it worked out in the end and it began to slowly spread to other neighboring territories. It's what also got me into trouble with the conservative hardliners in the government” she answered, the annoyance in her tone growing as she recalled the people who tried to pick a fight with her. 

“Well, those problems won’t be found here” Olertin added as he tried to soothe the person in front of him

“Everyone here understands the importance of unity and the need to help one another, so it will be impossible for anyone to try and undermine one another” he continued a bright smile on his face as he reminded himself of older times 

“I hope for both our sakes, you are right Your Highness” 

They finally arrived at the castle, and Ophelia was greeted at the sight of two rows of maids and servants, but instead of the usual outfits that she was accustomed to, she saw that all of them were wearing their tribal outfits. She also saw that several scaffoldings were still in place and that the castle was undergoing maintenance repairs since it had holes and damage all around.

'This will take a lot of hands-on work to get it to the level I want it to be' She thought to herself as Olertin and his entourage with her in tow exited the carriage. They were greeted by a grey-haired dragonkin lady in an outfit mostly resembling a maid outfit

‘Oh? They have similar outfits like we do? Huh, that’s neat’ she also thought as she scanned the dragonkin lady, noting how even though she had grey hair she still looked fairly young, her face was still pretty by her standards and she was the same height and build as herself, she even wore a pair of circular reading glasses, 

Olertin greeted her and then turned to Ophelia

"This fine lady here is my head maid and my most trusted ally, her name is Mercy and she has been with me since the start of my endeavors"

The dragonkin lady bowed her head towards Ophelia as her introduction was given

"A pleasure to meet someone new" Mercy said, her voice was gentle and older than it made her look, 

"Likewise Miss Mercy, it is a pleasure” Ophelia responded with a small nod and a bow of her own, making everyone watching slightly surprised 

Ophelia also quickly used her <Appraisal> skill on the person in front of her to try and see how strong this person was, 

 

Name: Mercy Stryke

Race: Dragonkin   

Power Rank: A 

Status: Healthy

Age: 62  

STR: 900 

DEF: 900 

MP: 400

DEX: 800 

SPD: 1000 

Skills: 

Draconic Body [Scales that blend in seamlessly with the skin allow the body to be much more rigorous while not impeding the user’s speed] 

Third Eyesight/Enhanced Eyesight [Allows the user to detect hidden enemies, allows the user to have a full 360-degree vision] 

Draconic Transformation [(Available for all dragonkin, must be learned by non-dragonkin) Allows the dragonkin user to turn into a dragon their clan is from, allows non-dragonkin to turn into a dragon of their choosing] 

Single Wield IV [Proficiency in using weapons with one hand]

Dual Wield III [Proficiency in using weapons with two hands]

Appraisal V [Allows the holder to read the skills and status of the target. Higher Appraisal better read, lower power level unable to read higher level]

Spell Casting X [All magic takes less magic power with some being instantaneous] 

Fire Magic Mastery XIII [All Fire magic from tier 4-6 is available]

Ice Magic Mastery XIII [Most Ice spells from tier 4 - 6 are available] 

Magic: 

Fire Magic [Able to cast magic involving lightning]

Ice Magic [Able to cast magic involving ice] 

Conjuration Magic III [Able to create weapons and simple items and tools made of mana]

Doppelganger [Create a fake body that can be modified and swapped out for the user’s real body. Can be remotely activated to explode or do simple actions] 

Defensive Barrier XIII [Create a invisible bubble dome of protection that is immune to most attacks, size depends of the user and magic energy poured into the spell] 

Alarm Barrier [Create a circular zone with a size depending on the user that detects monsters and can be modified to detect anything specific the user wishes] 

Magic Recovery [Recovers mana for a short amount of time, requires the user to stand still] 

Body Rejuvenation [Relives the user's body of any physical pain and exhaustion, enhances body abilities for a short amount of time] 

Draconic Rage [Unleashes a powerful magical shockwave that has the chance to inflict <Stunned> penalty] 

Tags: 

‘Bane of  Kin’ [Do more damage against fellow Dragonkin] 

 

‘Huh, a pretty strong person’ she thought as she finished reading her stats, she then noticed that Mercy had a curious expression that seeped out, 

“You can’t read her Mercy, she is too high for even me” Olertin said from the side as he recognized the expression

“Forgive me then, I was confused at first but considering that the strongest in the kingdom can’t even read you, I ask for your forgiveness,” Mercy said with a sorry tone as she bowed her head

“It’s nothing really, I forgive it” Ophelia answered with a small smile as she waved off the apologizing dragonkin. 

"Let's continue the chat inside. Oh and Mercy my dear, please inform all the tribe leaders I wish to see them urgently since I have matters to discuss with them" Olertin said as he passed her and patted her on the shoulder

"By your word King Olertin" Mercy answered immediately, 

And with that Mercy jumped high into the air before spreading her gracefully spreading wings like a swan then flapping them once and disappearing from sight, 

‘Huh, cool’ Ophelia thought as she was amazed at the speed of Mercy's movements and the grace they were performed with, filling her with a small hint of jealousy that she wasn’t born a dragonkin before suddenly remembering the capabilities she had hidden away. 

“This way Miss Ophelia” Olertin called out to her as he noticed that she was still looking up to where Mercy had disappeared from, 

“Oh! Of course, lead the way” Ophelia said as she quickly followed Olertin into the castle, the castle walls were very crude and as they walked through the hallways she noticed that there were many very crude and simple tools that were worn out were strewn about. Alongside some rough scaffolding that was on either side of the hall. Overall just cluttering up the entire hallway. 

The staff on the scaffolding looked down and stopped what they were doing as they bowed towards Olertin who simply waved back at them and nodded and watched as they returned to their work, 

"This kingdom of mine was made just recently if you couldn't tell, it took me most of my life to get to where I am now, and I know I don't have that much left to continue" Olertin said with a saddened tone as he let out a tired laugh, before coughing. 

He then gestured to one of the windows they were passing by and Ophelia looked at the outside, it was a small town still being constructed and there were tents past it that were close to the sea. There were people going about their jobs in helping the construction while children were also seen playing in the fields next to the site.

"We barely even started on a proper town for this castle, and we have barely enough tools for the job" he sighed as he gestured towards the small amount of people and tools in the hallway, 

Soon they arrived at two massive doors with intricate carvings and Olertin motioned for Ophelia to come forward.

"Beyond this door lies the throne room, and it is the only room that has been fully completed" he said with a little bit of excitement in his voice and it also could be seen in his eyes by Ophelia. 

He then opened the doors and they entered the main chamber in the castle, the room was large with a giant glass window at the other end of the room that brought light into it. Below the window was a throne and flanking the throne on either side were stairs that led into other parts of the castle and the throne itself was situated on an elevated staircase. The walls of the room had lavish carvings and decorations on them such as the banner of each of the tribes that made up the kingdom and some murals depicting the events that led up to this point. The throne itself was a large chair with a black cushion with the same intricate carvings as the door and the top of the chair had two dragon heads with crowns poking out on either side.

Ophelia walked behind Olertin as they entered and saw him sit down on the throne. The rest of the entourage passed her and stood next to him and then all eyes were on her, 

"Miss Ophelia, I will introduce these people who are with me now" he then gestured to the four people by his sides. First, he gestured to his right, towards a tall, beautiful and green haired elven lady and a rough-looking and scarred dragonkin with red hair and scales

"These two are Irly and Iris, my ministers of relations and defense"

The two people gave her a small bow and Ophelia nodded in return

"Irly is from an elven tribe in the woods to the east, she has been my friend ever since my childhood and helps me manage the relationships between the tribes. She also helped lay the foundation of this place so I assure you she can be helpful" Olertin said with a happy tone

“It will be an experience and I hope a pleasure to work side by side” Irly said with a respectful tone and a bow which Ophelia quickly returned 

Ophelia shifted her eyes between Irly and Olertine and gave him a nod to let him continue

"Next is my minister of defense, Iris. He comes from the dragon tribe in the mountains to the west and is the strongest fighter in his tribe. He manages the small number of volunteers we have who act as guards and helps keep the peace around here and wards off any attempt by those slavers to take more of our people" Olertin explained with a serious tone

'Look like I have to deal with slavers soon' Ophelia thought with a small grin that flashed on her face before disappearing.

“Wait. what do you mean by slavers taking away your people?” she asked as she suddenly realized the seriousness of the statement

“Well, every once and a while, a group of slavers from the southern part of the continent capture people from outside their kingdom in an effort to sell them amongst themselves for a profit” Olertin answered, his tone angry

“I see…they will not exist long” Ophelia added with her own angered tone

“I share that sentiment” Iris said in a equally angered tone

“Anyways, continuing on” Olertin then gestured towards his left, there was an average looking blonde haired man and a beautiful Siren with blue hair and scales

"These two here are my ministers of finance and minister of construction Simonse and Udaria"

They both gave small bows to which Ophelia returned

"Simonse is from my home village and is good at keeping track of the finances and traded goods we have within the kingdom, we sometimes get traders from other continents and they give us small shipments of salt and sugar and other luxuries, and since we are a new kingdom we often trade in materials and monster crystals instead of a standard currency, and Simonse is in charge of keeping track of all of that" Olerin said with a smile 

“A pleasure to serve you in the future” Simonse said with a bow

“Likeswise” Ophelia replied with a bow of her own

She then shifted her eyes to Udaria

"Udaria is not like the rest of her tribe, for one she enjoys being up and about on land and is fascinated by creating buildings ever since she got a book about it when she was young. And so she is in charge of the construction projects of the kingdom and so far she has been doing her best to make our kingdom come to life" Olertin said with a smirk on his face as he looked at her

“I hope we can get along together” Udaria said with a bow and a smile

“I have several building ideas for you so don’t worry” Ophelia replied with a smile which made Udaria’s eyes light up. 

Ophelia nodded as she took in all the information, her mind running through different plans and possible activities she would have to implement to try and overhaul this entire place so that it would be fit for Amelia and the rest who would arrive soon,  

THUD THUD THUD

Suddenly there was a knock was heard on the door that had disrupted her train of thought,

"Looks like the tribe leaders are here. Let them in!" Olertin said to them men guarding the door

At his command the doors were open and Mercy was in front of a group of people that strolled into the room, they all had curious looks on their faces when they saw a woman they had never seen before standing before Olertin and facing them, the smile on His Majesty’s face confusing them even more.

"Your majesty, the leaders of the tribes have arrived as instructed" Mercy stated as she bowed her head and kneeled before him 

"Thank you for your hard work Mercy as always" Olertin said with a pleased tone 

"It is nothing, your majesty, I am just doing my job" Mercy replied as she then stood back up and walked over to the side of the room, standing at attention

Meanwhile, the people she brought in had arranged themselves and approached Olertin, standing before him were a dwarf, an elf, a siren, another dragonkin, a wolf beastkin, a kitsune, and several others who were all wearing ornate and decorated tribal outfits. From robes to simple clothes around their waists. 

"We greet his majesty," said the Elven man, as he took a step forward and bowed toward Olertin who waved his hand after hearing the greeting,

"My friends, I thank you for coming on such short notice," Olertin said as he stood up from the throne and walked down the steps

"For years I have tried my best to accomplish the visions I have had and turn our scattered tribes into one formidable nation that can protect us from those slavers to the south. And as you know, I have no heir to lead us after I am gone. But that issue has now been resolved"

The tribal leaders murmured to one another and were confused about his statement

"What do you mean by that your majesty?" the kitsune asked, causing Olertin to smile and gestured towards Ophelia who gave a slight bow

"This woman here has been present in my visions recently and I can assure you all that she is something else and much much more" he said with a smile

"If what you speak is true Olertin, does that mean she can dominate and tame that thing?" The dragonkin tribal leader said as he stepped forth 

All of the tribal members looked at Olertin and their faces gave away their expressions, making Olertin sigh

"So you wish to let her prove herself then...I will be honest the visions showed nothing about the test but I am sure she can do it. But at another time since she just arrived and there are many things we have to discuss besides this" his tone a bit annoyed he answered

“Tch, typical” the dragonkin said 

“I request you shut up before I shut you up myself Valantros, your still His Majesty’s servant, and as his servant he deserves your respect. Now get back in line” Mercy threatened from the side, her killing intent spreading across the room, 

“Fine” Valantros answered as he stepped back 

“Just take them to another room Mercy, we have much to discuss for today besides this, oh and my entourage as well” Olertin said, trying to calm the situation

“By your word Your Majesty” Mercy answered, looking at the tribal leaders and Olertin’ entourage

The tribal leaders nodded and soon followed behind her out of the throne room with Olertin's entourage following behind them, leaving the two alone.

"What did you mean by test?" Ophelia asked as she strode up to him, Olertin let out a small sigh and a tired chuckle 

"The test to prove you are worthy of leading them, it's usually a competition to see if you are stronger than them, but the one Valantros is asking about is the test in where you have to tame a beast that is holed up in the mountains to the west" he answered as he let out a cough to which Ophelia handed him a handkerchief 

“Care to elaborate on that Your Highness?” Ophelia asked 

"The symbol of our nation is a black double-headed dragon, when I tried to form the kingdom early on I tried to tame that dragon and make it our guardian, but I failed and nearly died because of it. But since I was able to beat the other tribal leaders I gained their respect and they trusted me. All except for the dragonkin tribal leader Valantros, the man from earlier. While he did end up serving after some convincing he still does not completely follow because he sees me as someone who has failed in his eyes"

Ophelia nodded 

"Any particular reason why he is so infatuated with the dragon?" she asked

"I learned from Irly that the twin-headed dragon is supposedly one of the divine beasts scattered throughout the world and that it's the strongest one there is..." Olertin continued 

{!} the information catching Ophelia by surprise

"I heard about those divine beasts when I was still in school, the divine beast where I am from is a lion but I heard in the desert continent of Sultana it's a scorpion"

"Indeed all of the continents have a unique divine beast that rests there and ours had to be the one considered the most dangerous"

Ophelia nodded at his words as he sat down on the steps of the throne, she sat next to him and kept silent

"To be honest Miss Ophelia, I have little faith in you succeeding where I failed in taming that beast, but I have faith in you for building this kingdom into something else," Olerin said as he eased into the seat

“Although you are strong, I doubt you are strong enough to best a divine beast” he added

“Well, I could always give it a try, and who knows, maybe I will win” Ophelia replied in a  lighthearted tone

“Heh, if your that confident in your abilities, then I believe in you” Olertin said with a chuckle 

"That's reassuring Your Majesty" Ophelia replied and she could not help but let lose a small laugh

"Rest assured I will try my best and if I do succeed it will benefit all" she added with a smile

"Indeed it will...Indeed it will" 

 

A/N: Heyo, this was finished quicker than I imagined and we are back with Ophelia, well, the next few chapters will be nothing but Ophelia as we follow her and what she has been up to all this time. I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think! anyways, thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter!