CHAPTER 246: THE QUEEN

The buzz of the duel died down a bit after a day, but that was only on the surface, as behind the scenes, many things were already happening, all kickstarted by the fact that not only did Riven win the duel, he dominated, showing unbelievable skill and power that shouldn’t be possible with years of training unless he was the hero.

And to add salt to the wound, all investigations showed that Riven had only been at it for a few months and he had reached such heights of strength, it was abnormal, and several theories were being born.

Stories about how he might be using some forbidden techniques and methods. If all of this was merely speculation from sore losers that wanted Image to win, it would have been a simple issue to bury.

But it wasn’t. Not only was the Senate invested in it, several other major bodies were also invested and were going about carrying out their investigation.

Riven became the name at the tip of everyone’s tongue in only a second, a monster that the kingdom of Vermillion had produced. Was he going to save the kingdom or cause it harm?

Riven was no longer a normal student that could keep his head low and do whatever he wanted, now he was a topic, and a hot one at that, and that also meant that he would begin to face a ton of hardships.

Riven sat in his room facing the window. He looked outside at the sky, the birds flying past, and every cloud. He took a deep breath, calming himself. He wanted to have it easy before night came and he had to face the system trial.

But fate was simply made to kick him in the balls. A knock came from the door, followed by a deep and heavy voice.

"Mr. Riven Grave, your presence is needed."

Riven looked at the door, he wasn’t expecting anyone, nor did he have any meeting planned for today. He got up without hesitation and headed to the door. He unlocked it and opened it.

Outside were two Royal Guards. "The Queen, Her Majesty, would like to have a word with you," one guard spoke.

’The Queen? What could she possibly want from me?’ he wondered. The Queen was a terrifying figure; the only time she made it on paper in the book was when she was ripping through the enemies.

He followed the guards. The rest of the golden set came out of their rooms to see what was happening as well.

Robert saw that it was the Royal Guard. He knew that it wasn’t his father that would send for Riven; it would be his mother. She was the one who loved to put hands on whatever she liked and find a way to start owning it.

If her curiosity had piqued in the direction of Riven, he was about to become a tool one way or another. Robert prayed in his heart that she would take it easy on him and not make life unbearable for Riven.

A carriage was waiting outside for Riven. He got in along with the guards and the journey started. They made it to the castle and led him through a series of hallways and stairs.

Finally, they came to a door. The guards stopped outside it.

"Her Majesty is inside, go in," the guard said.

Riven nodded. He knocked twice and pushed the door open. When he walked in, he was hit with a thick smell of paint and alcohol; it stung his nose and eyes.

He looked inside the room. It was a very large hall with tons of paintings hanging from the walls and on drawing sstands, hundreds of sculptures, ladies dancing, men at war, and lots more.

"This, this is beautiful," Riven muttered, not believing his eyes.

"Thank you, I worked on all of them myself." A calm yet powerful female voice came from behind a painting that stood there.

The Queen walked out, a wine glass in hand, her hair tied into a bun. She was dressed in a white blouse and dark brown trousers with boots.

The trousers hugged her shape and showed her curves, but in a modest way.

"Your Majesty." Riven bowed. She looked at him for a few seconds, then spoke. "Riven Grave, it’s nice to meet you," she said, then started walking. "Come with me," she said.

Riven followed her deeper into the room where two lounge chairs were and a bottle of wine sat on the table. She sat down there and faced the massive painting.

It was a set of phoenixes flying around a young girl. She pointed at the painting. "My husband and his history is what inspired me to paint this," she said.

Riven sat down. He looked at the drawing, and then a few seconds later, he started feeling slightly dizzy, and it seemed like the art was moving, the girl was spinning and the phoenixes were flying around her.

He shook his head, trying to fight it. "Mana-infused painting. I have over twenty years of experience in it. They can induce a drug-like state of hallucinations tied to the painting," the Queen said. She handed a glass of wine to him.

"Drink this, it nullifies the effect," she said.

He took it from her and took a sip. As the sweet and sour liquid rushed down his throat, the hallucinations stopped.

’It worked. I guess I don’t know much about this world like I thought I did,’ Riven thought.

"I’m sure you are wondering why the Queen would call you here," she said.

"Yes, I am. It’s kind of nerve-racking to be here; your presence is heavy," he said.

"Haha, well sorry, I’m trying my best to be as free as possible," she said and poured another glass for herself.

She took a sip, and as it went down her throat, she then looked at him. "So Riven Grave, tell me the truth, and don’t lie. What really are your plans, and whose side are you on?" she asked.