Danmachi: My Adventure With a High Fairy Queen, Vol. 1

The Elven Princess and the Vespyad Princess

Shortly after her impromptu matrimony, Riveria Ljos Alf was left to fend for herself in an unknown new world, one that she found far more daunting than the Dungeon itself. In spite of her lifetime of vast knowledge and wisdom, and all of her experience as the deputy of one of the most powerful familias in living memory, the uncharted territory of romantic love bollixed her more than even the most fantastical magic. She desperately needed mentorship from one so obviously well endowed in this neck of the woods.

"Lady Zatrona, if I may trouble you for a moment... I have a rather delicate situation I need assistance with," Riveria said, with a subdued tone lacking confidence and her usual lofty demeanor. The high elf seemed ill at ease, skittishly glancing over her shoulder in case of eavesdroppers. "I find myself at a loss. I was the century old maiden, having never been touched or known love throughout my long life. Now, suddenly, I'm a married woman. I was hoping you might be able to give some pointers. I am woefully unaccustomed to romance."

The two princesses's eyes locked, regarding each other as equals. Zatrona held an ancient leather-bound book held in one of her dainty hands and a steaming porcelain teacup in the other. She studied Riveria's expression and body language carefully, unsure whether to be worried or inquisitive. "What weighs so heavily upon your mind, Fairy Queen? Surely you do not harbor regrets over your union with young Bell?"

Riveria sighed softly as she gracefully lowered herself into the ornate chair across from Zatrona, her emerald eyes clouded with uncertainty. "No... not at all. It's more of a... personal matter, I suppose. The problem is me." She hesitated, her slender fingers absently tracing the gilded patterns on the teacup before her. "You see, now that Bell Cranel and I are wed... I want to make him happy... but I don't know how...." The Elven mage's brow furrowed with concern as she met the Princess's gaze. "I want to be a good wife to him, to ensure his happiness, and yet... I'm afraid I lack the wisdom. I'm not cut out for marriage, or romance, I was brought up as a stone cold royal, with marriage only being a sense of duty."

Zatrona smiled knowingly and closed her book with a soft thud, her eyes twinkling with mirth as she regarded the flustered high elf before her. "Ah, I see. So the great Riveria Ljos Alf, esteemed mage of the Loki Familia, is still a virgin at the ripe old age of ninety-nine, eh? Good lord, you Elves really do take this whole chastity and purity thing to the extreme, don't you? You're as old-fashioned and stuffy as they come!" The Princess chuckled, her tone playful yet not unkind as she watched a delicate blush color Riveria's porcelain cheeks. "Really, though, that's what makes you and Bell such a great couple: despite your vast difference in age, you're just as pure as he is when it comes to romance."

"I... I... have little to no experience with romance in general. In my youth, my father sequestered me away from the world and tried to force me into arranged marriages. Elves, especially high elves, are obsessed with preserving the purity of our bloodline, and in the House of Alf, we were simply married off to other royals or nobles. As a result, I've never had the opportunity to be in a real, genuine romantic relationship... I've never experienced the joy and excitement of falling in love naturally, or the butterflies that come with a first kiss. I see romance as such an alien, abstract thing, as mythical as the heroes of old, only existing in fairytales or from the gossip of giddy maidens. But a part of me has always yearned to know what it feels like... to have my heart race at the sight of someone special and to be cherished by them in return. I never got to experience any of those things until Bell Cranel became such an important figure in my life. So, I was hoping, maybe... you could mentor me in how to be a loving wife?"

Zatrona looked at Riveria compassionately, her eyes expressing sympathy. "You poor thing. Being a high elf must be difficult. You must have been lonely for so many years. But there's no need to fret - as a Vespyad, I am well-versed in the ways of passion and love. We are the embodiment of those powerful emotions, after all. I can sense that you love Bell Cranel deeply, but are at a loss on how to express it." She smiled warmly at the elf, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I have plenty of tricks and techniques up my sleeve that I would be more than happy to share with you. By the time we're through, you'll be a master of romance, ready to sweep Bell off his feet."