396 The Guardian Spirit
Dorothy’s POV:
These words reminded the Crown Prince and the president of the Supreme Council of the current stalemate. They did not have the confidence to break the stalemate rashly, so they could only leave with their men unwillingly.
Even if they didn’t leave any spies, they didn’t lack channels to get information about the palace. There were still thousands of servants and guards here.
It was unlikely that there were spies in the Council of Elders, so it was apparent who had leaked tonight’s plan. The servants’ intelligence network was sometimes enough to shock the masters, who thought they had everything under control.
“Are we just going to give up like this?” I asked the Council of Elders.
The Great Elder winked at me but didn’t say anything. I couldn’t figure out what he meant, so I could only follow them and leave the bed chamber.
Tonight’s plan was ruined, so I had no reason to stay in the palace any longer.
The Great Elder personally sent my father and me off. Before he left, he said somewhat apologetically, “I’ve troubled the two of you to make a wasted trip and even made you watch such a big joke. I’m truly sorry.”
I could only dryly console this old man, who was hard to read, before immediately bidding him farewell and leaving.
ƒre𝐞𝘸𝑒𝘣𝘯𝘰νℯ𝒍 𝐜𝑜m
My father had a fixed residence in the capital. Perhaps it was because of the unstable atmosphere between us, or maybe it was because of the curse, but in short, my father always avoids spending too much time alone with me. He hurriedly explained some safety issues to me and left halfway.
The embassy was empty, and a member on night duty asked me if I needed supper or a bath. I waved my hand tiredly and dragged my heavy feet back to my room.
The Elf Forest was indeed a natural treasure trove. My room was messily filled with books, notes, and plant specimens. If it weren’t for the suffocating atmosphere here, I would have stayed here for eight to ten years to study the plants and herbs here.
I was exhausted after a night of high tension. Without realizing it, I put on my clothes and fell asleep.
I didn’t sleep for long before a knock on the door awoke me.
“What happened…”
I opened the door in a daze. To my surprise, besides my team members, my father was also standing outside.
“Pack up. We’re going to the palace,” he said.
I subconsciously looked at the clock on the wall. It was one o’clock in the morning. It had been less than an hour since I returned to the embassy!
“Why are we going to the palace? Didn’t the plan get canceled?”
“That’s just an excuse to the outside world.” My father gave me a meaningful smile.
Thus, I followed my father back to the palace. This time, we used an invisibility spell, and within fifteen minutes, sparks almost came out of the soles of our shoes.
The Great Elder was waiting for us in a hidden room in the palace. He didn’t even light a candle, and his old face seemed kind under the moonlight.
“We meet again, Miss Dorothy.” He blinked at me, just like before. “I hope I’m not disturbing your rest.”
At this point, I finally understood what was going on. It was a lie to give up on the plan. It was a temporary measure to stabilize the Crown Prince and the president. In fact, the Council of Elders was determined to eliminate the external threat in the Elf Forest, so the plan became even more covert.
“But how do we get close to His Majesty the Elf King?” I asked, “After the previous incident, the Great Elder definitely can’t send away the guards and attendants guarding the sleeping chamber. We can’t just swagger in, right?”
The Great Elder quickly answered my doubts. Following him, we passed through the darkness and arrived in front of an ordinary-looking wall.
“This Palace has a history of more than 4000 years. When it was built, the elven race had just experienced a catastrophe. For this reason, the Elf King then had no choice but to move the capital and build the new palace.”
The Great Elder placed his hand on the wall. Then, under my astonished gaze, countless lush vines grew rapidly with his palm as the center. In a few seconds, they had covered the entire wall.
“Legend has it that when this palace was being built, a princess fell ill due to the previous catastrophe. Before she passed away, she wished the Goddess of Nature to become the guardian spirit of this palace, to protect a warm and safe harbor for her family for generations. As a result, this palace has always been called the ‘women’s palace’.”
The vines began to twist and transform, forming a pattern that looked like a door.
“As time passed, more and more people thought this legend was just a story made up by bards to coax children to sleep. However, it is true. The nameless princess from a thousand years ago is still guarding the palace. She never revealed herself, but she was rational and silent as she watched everything that happened here. Not all of her kin can be recognized by her, except for the previous Elf Kings.”
A door made of vines slowly appeared from the wall. The branches and leaves gradually fell as they moved. Finally, an actual door appeared in front of us!
The Great Elder pushed the door open. Inside the door was a resplendent bed chamber. A blurry figure could be vaguely seen on the wide and soft bed through the soft gauze hanging from the sky.
“Now that His Majesty is in a deep sleep, he temporarily gave his authority to me before he closed his eyes. Therefore, the Princess has also acknowledged me. I can open a ‘door’ to any place in the palace, including His Majesty’s bed chamber.”
