CHAPTER 213(A Rite Invoked)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

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pat.treon:/Keanu_Eugene

CHAPTER START---

"We should get up," Riveria's quiet voice called out.

Yang felt her slender hand shaking him by the shoulder, only leading to him pulling the covers over his head and trying to ignore her.

"It's too early," he whines. "Why do all the women in my life hate sleeping in...aside from Thalie I suppose."

"You, and Thalie?" Riveria asked in a surprised tone.

Yang immediately throws the covers off of him to look at her, seeing the Elf sitting up against the backboard with the covers held high to her chest, trying to hide her naked body from him.

"Not like that," he clarifies. "Thalie and I have only ever been friends...honestly after her 'training,' which for some reason included pinning me to trees with her spear in my gut or shoulder, doubt I could even get it up for her after so much of that mental trauma."

"I'm glad to hear it," Riveria says as Yang sits up beside her, also leaning against the backboard but leaving the covers at his waist.

"Romance within a team only leads to problems anyway," Yang says as he gives her a curious look. "So, you show up in my room wearing a robe and not much under it, get in my bed and now you're shy the morning after?"

In response she only pulls the covers higher while sinking down, bringing it all the way up to her chin.

"That was in the moment, this is...different," she says.

"Fair enough, I guess once and princess always a princess huh."

"It's mostly for the best," she says, looking down at his metal hand. "How come you never try to hide your hand?"

"You think I should?"

"NO! I mean, no, that's not what I was saying."

"I'm messing with you, I know what you mean," Yang says. "Not the first time I've been asked. The logical answer is that my magic has to flow through it so it's pointless to try and conceal it just to have my magic destroy whatever is covering it," he lifts his hand and flows Fire into the black metal hand. Riveria's eyes widen as she sees the blue magic flowing from his flesh into the base of the arm and all the way to the fingertips. As the light moves, it flows through the engravings that are near impossible to see because of the black metal but stand out beautifully as they glow blue against the black.

Reaching out, mesmerized by the sight, she absentmindedly tries to touch it only for Yang to pull his hand away. "It's still Fire Magic Riveria," he reminds her, snapping her out of her trance.

"Right, and what's the illogical reason, I assume there is one, right?"

"That's pretty easy," he says. "It's an indestructible black metal hand that shifts colors depending on the element I use...its pretty awesome right?"

Riveria looks at him as if he were a complete idiot. "I would think anyone would regret losing a hand more than appreciating how 'cool' their new one was. How did you even lose it, the leading theory amongst high-level adventurers is that your team went to fight the One-Eyed-Black-Dragon. Since you lost it on the surface after all, and you spent quite a while unconscious afterward."

Yang gives her a soft smile, "don't suppose you'd believe I fell asleep in the woods and a bear ate it?"

Riveria gives him an unamused look, "no. But you don't have to say if you don't want to."

"Nah it's fine, I lost it saving Thalie, that's all I'll say."

"Hmm," Riveria falls into deep thoughts as she stares at the prosthetic. "You sacrificed a hand for one friend, and now you're here dealing with these people to fight a war for another friend, I see why your team is so fiercely loyal to you."

"They protected my ambition, and I protect theirs. It's that simple," he says.

"That only leaves one more question."

"What question is that?"

"How does the invincible Yang Shen lose a hand on the surface?"

"Hmm, firstly, not invincible, secondly, I'm not allowed to reveal that," Yang says with a soft smile.

"Well everyone believes you're invincible on all but the deepest floors, and it's fine I won't pry," Riveria says.

"Thanks."

"Does Thalie think hers are cool too, or they work with her magic as well perhaps?" she asks.

"No, Thalie just decided to keep all her scars from that day. She could have had Airmid make a perfectly concealed prosthetic, I mean we have all the money and materials for it, but she chose to have the mouthguard so she never forgets that day," Yang explains.

"Hmm, a warrior through and through," Riveria says. After a moment she speaks again, "we should get ready for the meeting."

"Mhm," Yang nods but makes no effort to move, only looking at her with a mischievous smile on his face.

Feeling a slight blush on her cheeks Riveria asks, "will you look away so I can get to my robe?"

"No, why would I ever do that?" Yang asks with a neutral expression.

Riveria can't help but smile at his words, feeling beautiful just as she did last night, just as she always does when spending time with him. "We'll be late for the meeting," she says.

"They can wait a bit," Yang says as he leans forward, only for Riveria to clumsily crash her lips into his as she pushes him onto his back...

An hour later, Yang and Riveria barge into the war room.

Seeing a dozen Elves sitting around a large circular table with her father at the head of the meeting. All heads turn as she enters with Yang behind her, all wanting to speak up about a human entering this room during such an important meeting but staying silent as it was her father's duty to address this matter.

"Riveria! What is the meaning of this?!" he stands up in a huff and stares daggers at Yang.

"I'm no longer here to debate the merits of having The Trifecta fight for us in the coming conflict, your majesty," Riveria says in a cold tone. "The fact is I'm only here to invoke the rite of Beloved Protection, Yang Shen and I are lovers and by our sacred laws, he may defend me, my honor, or my home as he sees fit. As the crown princess, I hereby accept his offer to fight Rakia in the stead of our soldiers for the cost of one Valis."

The entire room is silent as everyone watches in awe as the color drains from the king's face.

Turning to the nobles at the table he utters two words, "leave us," and they all make a hasty retreat from the tense room. Turning back to his daughter he pleads," tell me this is a joke of some kind. You're my only heir and you'd actually do this? It cannot me so daughter."

"My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner, your majesty," she says in a cold tone, showing no remorse in her eyes.

Looking toward Yang the king is about to speak when she interrupts him, "this was my choice, I approached Yang and made all of this possible!"

Lost for words once more the man simply stares at his daughter, "why would you do this so publicly? If you'd come to me alone we could have worked something out but now everyone knows, you know the consequences of this as a Royal Elf," he says in disbelief.

"This forest has nothing for me, your majesty. This was my last act for my people, from now on I only live for myself, as an adventurer," she says in a solemn tone, trying her best to keep her composure.

"T-then, as king, I have nothing more to say to you. I shall honor your...sacrifice, former crown princess Riveria," he says in a sad and small voice.

Riveria can feel her heart breaking at his words, expecting and preparing for it was one thing, but to be formally exiled by your father was a completely different feeling.

"Goodbye, your majesty," Riveria gives a polite nod and turns to exit the room, only for him to call out to her.

"Daughter," she stops and looks at him, seeing a sad smile on his face, not a hint of hate in his eyes as he speaks to her. "I do wish you all the best."

Not sure how to respond Riveria freezes in place for a moment. Feeling her sadness bubble over she simply struts forward and wraps her arms around him in a tight hug. Feeling him return the hug she tries to burn this feeling into her mind forever.

"Goodbye, father," she immediately breaks the hug and rushes past Yang toward the balcony doors, concealing her tears from both men.

As she leaves the king stares directly at Yang, more hate and venom in his gaze than all the monsters Yang has fought thus far combined, only to be met with Yang's cheeky smile and a wink before he walks over to the balcony and wraps an arm around Riveria.

The woman turns and begins silently crying into his chest, "can we please leave?" she mutters out, not wanting to be in this forest anymore.

Without a word Yang scoops her up in his arms and leaps into the canopy above, starting their mostly silent flight back to Orario.

Watching his daughter leave for the last time the king walks back to the map table and sits down, cradling his head in his hands he quietly lets his tears fall to the tabletop.

Fully realizing the cost of pride and hate...

---Later That Night, Yang's Apartment...

"She really didn't speak a word since you left the forest?" Freya asks.

She and Yang were sitting on his couch with some boxes of food on the coffee table in front of them. With her currently holding ribs in her dainty fingers with sauce smeared on her lips, while he was eating a burger, as clean as ever.

"Leaving your home behind, even if the place wasn't the most accepting, still hurts. But hey at least she got to say goodbye and didn't just wake up in another place, took me two weeks locked in my apartment to get my head straight when my memories came back." Yang says.

"So that's what happened to you?" Freya raises a brow at his casual remark, finally getting some information on his very well guarded past. "Always thought you came on a quest to find something in the dungeon for your village."

"Well now you know I guess," Yang says.

"So what are you looking for in the dungeon?"

Yang gives her a serious look, "Freya."

"Alright alright I won't pry, can you atleast tell me how the princess was?" Freya asks.

"No, I don't kiss and tell remember."

"It's one of my favorite things about you actually, I suppose I'll just ask her myself when next I see her," Yang gives her a warning look. "I'll wait until she's at least speaking again obviously."

"Fine, whatever, just don't be hard on her, this whole thing was your idea remember."

"I remember, she needed it, needed some real love, but I'm the first lady in your life, always remember that," she says in a sharp tone.

"Shouldn't Hephaestus be the first lady in my life, after my mom?" Yang asks.

"You barely listen to Hephaestus on a good day," Freya points out.

"I barely listen to you either."

"That's beside the point, all that matters is Riveria has to come here to spend the night, you don't sleep in Twilight Manor, agreed?"

"Sure, don't think her familia would want me there overnight anyway."

"Hmm," Freya frowns as she ponders a thought. "Loki will probably be mad for a while because of this but I doubt the Elf nobles or Loki would let the public know about this. Having the Elf Princess was a big lure for aspiring Elves, that's why she has so many of them after all. Banished Princess just doesn't have the same value."

"I doubt she'd stay mad for more than a day or two. Riveria is the third person to join her familia and one of her favorites, they'll be fine."

"And if you want you could always just go challenge her for Riveria," Freya says offhandedly as she takes a sip of her drink, Orange Juice instead of wine for a change.

"What and win Riveria like a piece of meat?" Yang asks incredulously.

"Exactly. Your team is registered as a separate familia so challenging them won't involve the main Hephaestus familia. In a war game, anything the god or in this case you as familia captain agrees to bet is available. That includes people, you could easily challenge them and demand Riveria as the prize, of course, they'd have to agree as well-"

"Which they won't because she's a person," Yang says.

"Nothing a little pressure can't fix, you could go win your second wife," Freya says. "And you can probably get them to add Lefiya as a bonus and start recruiting that list you have."

"Right the unique people to keep an eye on," Yang says.

"Mhm," Freya hums as she takes a bite of her ribs. "Who are the other two?"

"Airmid and Cassandra, I was considering Bete for a time since he's the only Werewolf in Orario and I honestly think he's wasted in Loki familia."

"Never heard of Cassandra," Freya points out. "How is she on the list but not famous?"

"She helped me out with something once so I owe her, let's leave it at that alright."

"Mhm, if you say so," Freya gives him a suspicious look, mostly jokingly as she knows he'd never cheat on her.

"Honestly I don't know why people always think starting a fight is the best option," Yang sighs.

"Violence solves problems. It's literally always the answer, people who think otherwise are either weak, cowardly," she then gestures at Yang, "or aren't willing to use enough violence."

Yang sighs and rolls his eyes before taking a bite of his burger. "How did I ever end up with a war god of all things."

"And how did my Odr turn out to be a man that can win a war against the entire world, but goes so far out of his way to avoid using any violence," Freya muses.

"That's why I like fighting monsters, they aren't really alive and the dungeon just makes more. Challenging myself and pushing myself in fights is one thing, but I'm not willing to go to war just to further my adventure, unless someone brings the war to me of course, a man has to defend himself after all."

"When you say it like that it sounds so sweet," Freya says before she shakes her head in disappointment. "I still think you should flatten a few countries and build a kingdom in your image."

Yang chuckles at the suggestion, just as he always does. "You just want a crown and fancy throne."

"I think I deserve it honestly, I'd be satisfied with just making you some babies but these stupid mortal vessels can't do that," Freya grumbles.

"Hmm, what else can't your body do?" Yang asks out of curiosity.

"Well aside from the limits Heaven places on us to stop most of our divine power. The form we chose reflects who we are and cannot change since gods are unchanging."

"So you can't get fat?" Yang asks.

"Exactly," Freya says. "If I got fat would that have been a problem?"

"....."

"What, would you have broken up with me?" Freya leans forward and glares dangerously at him.

In response Yang closes the distance and gives her a small kiss, "yeah I probably would have. I'm the Dungeon Emperor right? My women need to meet a certain standard," he says with a cocky grin.

"By women, you'd better only mean Riveria and me, but I suppose Emperors need a certain standard in partners, but try not to be such an ass."

"Is that any way to speak to your Emperor before he goes off to war in a few days?" Yang acts insulted much to her amusement, earning a chuckle from the goddess.

"The fact that it's three against a quarter of a million soldiers and I'm not worried simply shows how much faith I have in my Emperor," she says with a soft smile.

Leaning forward she goes in to give him a kiss, only to have him move to the side.

Opening her eyes she leans back in confusion and a bit insulted only to see his face scrunched up and confused.

"Babe, why does your hair smell like blood?"

Freya completely freezes for a moment, memories of her very long night with Horn flashing through her mind.

A sinister smile unconsciously forms on her lips as she looks into his eyes, "familia business, just dealing with a traitor."

"Ahh," Yang takes a sip of his drink. "Makes sense I guess," he says as if it were nothing at all.

Amused by him Freya can't help but ask, "how is it that you never get suspicious of what I do in my free time. I come home with my hair smelling like someone else's fresh blood and you don't even bat an eye at that, how?"

"That's actually pretty easy," Yang leans back and gives her a cocky smirk. "Hephaestus gave me a really really really long lecture about all the messed up heinous shit you've done in the past to try to get me to stay away from you after our first date. Definitely earned yourself the title of the vilest and most petty goddess...maybe Adrestria has you beat from what I've seen, but definitely up there with the worst."

"And yet here we are."

"And yet here we are," Yang repeats, nodding gently. "See I don't really care that much if at all, because you make me happy. I'm selfish and petty, never claimed to be smart."

Freya blushes furiously at this, something she hasn't done in quite a while considering how casual they've become. Yet this is among the closest she has ever received to an actual 'I love you' from Yang.

"I thought you didn't like people getting hurt. How can you be with me if that's the case?"

Yang shakes his head, "I don't care about people getting hurt. I care about if MY actions get people hurt. There is a difference," he points out.

"Yet you're going to kill thousands in a war soon."

"A war that would happen regardless, that Welf would join even if I didn't go and that would possibly lead to him getting reckless and being hurt. A war where honestly both sides could get wiped out for all I care. A war of two disgusting cultures. And a thousand-year conflict that we can stop in one day. That's a good exception, besides, the hate is so ingrained in Rakia that most if not all of those soldiers believe it, and Welf will be doing most of the work anyway."

"You've really given this a lot of thought."

"It's a war, any less would have been idiotic," Yang says as he continues eating.

Looking at the young man sitting beside her Freya takes a pause and just stares at him, a desire blooms in her heart, this time instead of simply binding him, she wanted a child with this man. Not for any reason beyond wanting to be a family with him and have his children. And her heart broke knowing she could never do it herself.

"Freya?" Yang's concerned voice snaps her out of her thoughts.

"Huh, what?"

"You're crying, what's wrong?" he asks.

Looking down at her lap Freya sees small water droplets staining her pants, "oh...I should go try to wash the scent of blood out of my hair. I'm full so come to bed when you're done," she puts down her ribs and lifelessly walks away, leaving a concerned Yang staring at her back.

END CHAPTER---

This was supposed to be a Yang X Riveria chapter but this response to banishment made far more sense than her talking casually :/