126 Motivation

The queen's decision only confused him. From what he could glean from Master Ortiz' words, it appears that winning the gauntlet will certainly depend on his mastery of Katra. As of right now, he only reached stage one, and there is no way he could win it.

If this is the case, could it be possible that the Queen no longer wanted him to marry the princess?

As he was lost in thought, Serene spoke out.

"My Queen, for your sake, I would accept any duty even if it costs me everything. But, if you wish for the elf to be my mate, it might be better to give Master Ortiz more time with him. Then, he will have a better chance to win."

Tristan glanced at the princess, her decision to speak up making him wonder about the intention behind her words. Did she want to postpone the marriage even further? Did she finally take a liking on him and wanted him to have a better shot at winning?