Chapter114

The King sat rigidly on his throne, his fingers tapping anxiously against the armrest while he stared down at the man standing in front of him. 
"If my family secures the area and clears the anomaly without any major delay, I trust the Crown will honor the proposed arrangement," the head of the Flint family said, his voice completely calm. 
"You have my word," the King replied, though his mind was clearly somewhere else. "If your nephew retrieves the core, that specific jurisdiction will be permanently transferred to your house. However, my primary concern right now is the search parties."
The Patriarch nodded slightly. "I understand completely, Your Majesty. Losing Her Highness would be a devastating blow to the kingdom. My own forces are currently on standby to expand the search grid if she isn't found by tomorrow."
"Let's pray it doesn't come to that," the King muttered, practically ignoring the political transaction they had just finalized. 
He couldn't care less about territory or rewards right now. His daughter had been missing since yesterday, and the news of Sir Gazel's detachment being completely wiped out had him on the verge of a total panic. 
Before the Patriarch could reply, a loud groan echoed through the room. 
Both men stopped talking, turning their attention toward the entrance as the guards outside slowly pushed the doors open. 
The King stood up immediately, his breath catching in his throat. 
Didi walked through the entrance, completely unharmed, her head held perfectly high as she stepped onto the carpet. 
"Didi!" the King yelled, instantly dropping every single ounce of his royal decorum. He practically ran down the steps of his dais, literally jumping in sheer joy as he rushed forward to hug his daughter. 
The Patriarch stepped back to give them space, bowing his head slightly as a gesture of basic respect. 
'She actually survived,' the Patriarch thought, his eyes tracking the Princess. 'How unfortunate. I was thoroughly looking forward to the absolute chaos a royal succession dispute would have caused on the council.'
He raised his head again, casually looking past Didi to see who had actually retrieved her. 
His eyes landed on a boy with cheap clothes, walking directly behind the Princess with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Next to the boy was a beastkin girl with silver wolf ears, staring at the room with a highly defensive posture. 
The Patriarch's composed expression completely vanished. He wasn't shocked or confused at the sight of his exiled son, he was just incredibly annoyed.