The first few dies who wished to speak with Rya didn't have any injuries or issues that she could help them with. They were mostly curious about Rya's race and asked her many questions about her people. This really put Rya on the spot because she's lived longer as a human man back on Earth than a dark elven woman here on Tertius. Plus, her time at the citadel was short-lived, and she barely got to explore her new home before the Divine Three attacked the Sorellians.

  "I mean... The training was a bit extreme, and the—uh, our food cks the presentation of human cuisine. It was all meat and vegetable-based. All I can say is, it tastes better than it looks," Rya said with a nervous chuckle. She had no god damn clue what any of the Dark Elf's crops were called. They had off-putting colors or textures and seemed to be leaf-based vegetables, mostly.

  The girls oohed and aahed at how Rya's life was.

  "Isn't your society based around female rulers? Are you fine with letting our Crown Prince make most of the decisions?" asked one woman.

  "Yeah, why do Dark Elves have female rulers, and are you fine with being ruled by a male?" Another curious girl asked.

  Rya ughed at this one, "I have no problem with Prince Quinus having the limelight. But don't forget, dies... we also have a say in the matter. If your partner or spouse has any integrity, then they will listen and value your input. Because if they don't, then we can make their lives a living hell."

  That statement got all the young girls cheering for Rya. Out of all the kingdoms in the Agon Continent, Fiafyr was the second-best country to live in as a woman; Kartoll was the exception, as it was the only human matriarchal society. However, even with more freedom than other kingdoms, these girls were taught to compromise in a family setting, whereas the boys were taught that they were in charge. This was why a lot of women were having issues getting their husbands to do things for the household.

  But hearing the Dark Elf's words got the girls pumped. Very few women in power could speak with such authority and respect. They loved how Rya thought they should be treated, and wanted her to become the next Queen. If she were there by Quinus' side, then maybe new reforms could be brought into the kingdom.

  "Oh, by the way. You have any tips to stop men from talking over us or interrupting us?"

  "Hmm. I wish there were an easy answer. It depends on the situation. If it's my fiancé, I usually can show him a bit of skin and wink at him, and he shuts right up. But if you're asking me for serious advice. Be assertive, have confidence, and show that you want what you're talking about. If they still refuse to respect you, then you know they can't be trusted."

  "You make it sound so easy."

  "That's because it is... Especially, if you're a mage," Rya teased, causing the girls to giggle.

  Menie, Constance, Jenelle, Serena, Aris, and Julia couldn't help but be impressed with how Rya handled the crowd. It was like she was born for this type of thing. They wondered how she could come off as so friendly yet regal at the same time.

  'Father is a fool if he sees the Princess as a threat. She's offering us the chance of a lifetime to develop our mana veins, and she can heal everyone without breaking a sweat? She must become the next Queen at all costs. My sword lessons only won't stop my cousin from challenging me for the title of Celestria Hollows Domain. Sorry, Father, but your allegiance to Marquess Duval is going to hurt the Ingham Family. And it's up to me to protect the country and family line,' Menie thought with determination. 'I will become a Maja, and make sure the Ingham name becomes great again. That means I have to stay by the Princess' side and serve her every whim. No matter what, even if I have to go down with her. As long as we can save the country from ruin, I'm willing to y down my life.'

  Menie silently decred herself the Princess's number one supporter and vowed to do everything in her power to ensure Rya's success.

  Meanwhile, Rya noticed that there were seven girls behind the first crowd she talked to who looked a little embarrassed as they didn't know if they should approach her or not. So, she walked over and introduced herself.

  "Hello, I'm Princess Rya Velnax, and you are?"

  "O-Oh. Um, my name is Nysara Kalesas," the brown-haired girl replied nervously.

  "B-Brynhildr, daughter of the te Governor Gormon Bckwell," said the ptinum blonde-haired girl.

  The other girls curtsied, as they were too nervous to say anything.

  Rya smiled.

  "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I hope you're having fun here tonight."

  "Y-Yes, Your Highness," Nysara replied, smiling back.

  Rya's eyes drifted down as she saw that all seven of the girls had red particles floating around their pelvic regions. It wasn't as bad as Katie's, but they all had a good amount.

  'Oh!?... Now I understand why these girls are so nervous. They must be having their menstrual cycles. Well, luckily for them, I brought enough of my tampons to st a couple of months. Damn I'm good!' Rya did an internal fist pump at her self-preparedness. Not only was this going to make more allies, but it was the beginning of her business venture into feminine hygiene.

  'This will be my first step into the modernization of the Kingdom,' Rya thought. 'Heh, I'm already feeling like a CEO. But it would be creepy for me to talk about their periods first. Let's give them a gentle nudge.'

  Rya looked at all the girls in front of her and gave them a reassuring smile. "I don't wish to intrude, but it looks like you dies have something on your minds. A copper for your thoughts?"

  Nysara blushed and looked away, while Brynhildr seemed to gather her courage and spoke up.

  "My apologies, Your Highness. It's just... Um?... I don't know if this is a proper question to ask, but can you heal us? down there?" Brynhildr said quietly, hoping no one heard her.

  Rya acted like she didn't understand by tilting her head slightly, "I'm sorry, I don't quite follow?"

  Nysara and the other girls all turned a bit redder.

  "Can you heal monthly cramps. And... and the... uh," Nysara started but couldn't finish.

  'Bingo! Now I slowly ease my way into talking about periods, and then I can introduce the concept of tampons,' Rya thought as she acted like she was beginning to understand what the girls wanted.

  "Monthly cramps?... Oh, OH! You dies are on your period?" Rya said excitedly causing the girls to feel embarrassed as the rest of the party was listening now.

  "Y-Yes, Your Highness," Brynhildr answered.

  "Please, call me Lady Rya. After all, we are friends, aren't we?"

  The seven girls were surprised that Rya treated them like friends, not as lowborn or lesser nobles.

  "Yes... Lady Rya," Brynhildr answered. "Can you heal us?... My cramps are really bad this time," She said shyly. Some other girls nodded along with Brynhildr's question.

  Rya nodded her head and tapped her finger on her chin, while acting like she was thinking of a solution.

  "Hmmm, well, I could heal you all..."

  The seven dies got excited and smiled at each other, happy to get rid of the monthly cramps and flow.

  "However!"

  They all stopped and looked back at Rya, who was looking serious.

  "The issue is that if I heal you gals right now, your bodies will immediately flush out everything that's inside your uterus... It depends on how many days you've been in your period. If it's on the ter side, it's not as messy, but if it is the early days, it's worse. I made that mistake when healing a maid's period," Rya said seriously, and it was true. Her maid Anna, unfortunately, emptied out the lining of her uterus all over the ground one time. So, Rya has to make sure that if she healed anyone on their monthlies, they would have to sit on a toilet or chamber pot before healing them. That was one of the other reasons why she created the tampons. To help make it less messy and a better alternative to cloth napkins.

  The seven girls had different reactions to this.

  "What!? So, you are unable to help us?" Brynhildr said worriedly. She was on day three of her period and was a little depressed that Rya couldn't help her. The other girls were on a simir wavelength.

  "I'm not saying that I can't. But luckily for you all, I created something to help my servants from this issue while also giving the added benefit of not needing my healing magic to help with the cramps and bleeding," Rya said and pulled out her purse.

  "You made an artifact?" Nysara asked curiously.

  "Not quite. I've made an artifact to mass produce tampons—"

  "NO!" yelled Hilda as she finally pushed her way through the crowd and snatched the cylindrical piece of cotton from Rya's hand.

  Rya heard Hilda coming and could have stopped her from taking the item, but Rya wanted to see what Hilda would do.

  Hilda observed the cylindrical shape and specuted it might be some kind of cursed item that could corrupt these girls or deceive them into committing something terrible. Hilda had no knowledge of what this tampon could do, but since it was created by the dark elf, anything she made must be part of her sinister pns for world domination.

  Rya and everyone else saw the tampon and did not understand why Hilda reacted like that.

  "Princess Hilda, why did you yell no and snatch my tampon from my hand?" Rya asked with a smile.

  "B-Because I don't want these girls to be corrupted by your magic, or be tricked into doing something horrible," Hilda said confidently as she waved the piece of cotton around.

  A bunch of the girls took offense at the princess's words.

  "Why do you assume we are easily swayed?" Menie Ingham asked with a gre at the Princess.

  "And what kind of corruption are you talking about?" Serena added angrily.

  "And what horrible thing could a piece of cotton do?" Jenelle asked as she stared at the tampon, wondering how a simple piece of cotton could cause trouble.

  Hilda was taken aback by the anger of the young women, but she stood firm in her stance.

  "All I am saying is, we have never seen or heard of these... These?..."

  "Tampons," Rya provided the name. She originally feared confronting Hilda as she was the only woman who seemed to frazzle her. She wasn't scared of Hilda per se, but Rya couldn't counter a mean girl like her. Rya's own life experiences with bullying and harassment never bothered her until she met Hilda. But the foreign Princess didn't seem to be on her A-game.

  "Right! These tampons. We have never seen them before, and we don't know what they are capable of. So, until I have tested them myself and made sure they are not cursed or harmful to our bodies, I will not allow you to give these out," Hilda finished as she pointed the cylindrical piece of cotton at Rya, who looked more amused than threatened.

  "Did... Did you hear the conversation before snatching the tampon from my hand?" Rya asked, genuinely curious about the answer.

  "I?... I was too focused on trying to stop your evil deeds. So, no. I didn't hear the conversation," Hilda answered honestly.

  'Well, that's one thing I'll give this annoying bitch. She's honest to a fault,' Rya thought as she chuckled softly. "If you know what that item is, then by all means. Show us how it works, Princess Hilda," Rya stated as she stepped aside.

  Hilda, now put on the spot, was unsure if this was a trick or a genuine invitation. She scanned the rge group of girls and saw that all eyes were on her. A few of them were gring at her.

  "Uhm, s-sure! Let's see," Hilda said as she examined the cylindrical object in her hand. The cottage was wrapped in a glossy wrapper, and one end had a bit of blue at the tip of the cotton while a string was sticking out of the other end. Hilda flipped it around in her hand a few times before deciding that the string was for pulling the item out.

  She grabbed the string and tugged it gently. The cotton came out slowly, and the wrapper fell on the floor and disintegrated into nothing. She held the cotton piece and saw the cotton expanding now that it was free from the package. Hilda stared at the cotton piece, not knowing what to do next.

  "Well, Princess? Do you have an expnation as to what you're holding?" Serena asked as she gred at the arrogant and foolish princess.

  "I-I do, this thing meant to be inserted... inside of us... But where?" Hilda said quietly as her face started to turn red.

  Rya and the other girls couldn't contain their ughter. "It's meant to go inside a vagina."

  "'Wah!? Gross! Why!? This isn't something you insert inside of you. For what purpose?" Hilda questioned with a confused look.

  "Oh my god, you are hopeless. It's used to soak up blood," Rya expined with a sigh.

  "Blood?" Hilda repeated. "This thing is meant for Barren Blood? The Shameful Bleeding?"

  'Ugh... Shameful Bleeding? This has to be some bullshit from the Divine Three's priests. There's nothing shameful about getting a period.'

  "Yes. That's right. And the nice thing about my tampons is that I created a formu that helps alleviate the pain and cramping that usually comes with a period," Rya added as she pulled out another tampon from her purse and pointed out the blue end that had the special chemical compound infused in it.

  The girls oohed and ahhed over the little item. Rya knew she had the dies hooked, so she quickly made her way over to the group of girls and offered a few samples to the ones closest to her.

  "Here. Give it a—"

  "No!" Hilda excimed while snatching the tampon from Rya's hand again. "How can you make an item to cover up our sins! You're just making it worse! We'll burn in the Eternal Fmes of Hell if we do anything other than accept this as part of our lives. It's meant to show that we failed to bring life into this world. To mask our sins is the greatest sin!"

  There was a collective groan from everyone who heard the stupid lecture.

  'God, I don't know if I should be pissed at her or feel sorry for her. This is fucking ridiculous. How can anyone be so dense and blind?'

  "Oh, really?... How many Shameful Bleedings have YOU gone through, Hilda?" Rya questioned as she narrowed her eyes at the ignorant princess.

  Hilda was stunned by the sudden question. "Th-That's only for the Father and the Three to—" Hilda stopped herself as her habit of speaking the words of the Divine Three came back to her like second nature. She grimaced when she noticed herself doing it. They never listened to her prayers, and she doubted that they even absolved her sins. Luckily, the new Divine Three of Fiafyr spoke to her, and surely they would reconcile with her. "It's only for the Three Goddesses to know."

  The crowd of girls started murmuring when they heard that the foreign princess was switching up her usual religious views.

  'Well, I'll be damned... She's ditched the Divine Three? Maybe there is hope for her yet," Rya thought before Hilda gred at her again. 'Tck! Never mind. She's still as stubborn as ever! Time to question her values and beliefs. Let's see how long it takes before she breaks and realizes that she's been lied to.'

  "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," Rya challenged.

  "I won't tell you my shameful bleeding numbers, heathen!"

  Rya smirked, "So, you are saying that if you've had a period, then you've sinned, correct?"

  Hilda didn't know what this Dark Elf's angle was, but it was well known in the Holy Alliance that menstruation is a sign of sin. A sin to bear life. "Of course. Every woman's period is a sign that she's failed to give life and has to repent for it."

  The dies looked at the Foreign Princess like she had two heads, and a few even balked. Rya, though, couldn't have been happier as Hilda bit the bullet, and it was exactly what she needed to hear.

  'Gotcha! She doesn't realize that she is in her own contradiction. Let's see you dig your way out of this one,' Rya thought before she went for the kill.

  "Alright... So, you are saying that your body doesn't sin twelve times a year?"

  Hilda felt a lump in her throat. "I... Well... I didn't say that."

  "Right, because you're a human female and under normal circumstances every human female has these 'Shameful Bleedings', correct?"

  "I-I believe so, yes," Hilda stammered.

  Rya leaned forward and pressed her advantage. "If you're not a sinner, then why do you bleed every month?"

  "I never said that I wasn't a sinner! But it is a reminder that we fail in our duties every month," Hilda shot back.

  "So, failing to get pregnant is a sin?" Rya responded in rapid-fire.

  "Yes! It is! I don't see how this is such a hard concept for you to grasp, heathen," Hilda said, getting a bit more confident.

  'Gotcha again! This is too easy,' Rya thought, smirking.

  "So, you're saying that in order not to avoid sinning, we females should have opened our legs to men? Isn't it a sin to have sexual retions with men unless you are married? I mean, isn't having a child outside of marriage a sin?"

  Hilda's confidence faded again, and she started fidgeting. "I-It is... but... you have... uh..."

  "Hilda? I'm assuming you started having your Shameful Bleedings when you turned 11 or 12 years old, right?" Rya said, pushing further.

  Hilda's eyes were starting to dart around as she tried to find a way out of this hole she was digging for herself. "I-I am not telling you when I became a woman!"

  Rya grinned, knowing she had this girl backed into a corner. "Why not? You don't want to tell us when you lost your innocence and became a sinner, Hilda? I mean, that's why it's called a Shameful Bleeding. But, if you're a good little follower, then why does it have a shameful name?"

  "Shut up! If I could have stopped my Barren Blood, then I would, but I can't!" Hilda excimed.

  Rya's eyes widened. "Really? So, you should have had premarital sex with a male in order to not bleed? That's the only way to stop this shameful bleeding? But then you would have been a harlot. Do you know what is funny? By your logic, you must have sinned about 100 times by now, but I haven't had my first period yet. How can a dark elf be less of a sinner than you?"

  "Shut up, shut up, shut up! You are the one who sins with all the—" Hilda said as her eyes filled with tears. It was the first time that Rya got under Hilda's skin. She longed for the day to return the favor, but now that it was here, it wasn't as satisfying as she had first hoped. And when a few tears started to fall, Rya began to feel guilty about what she had done. She looked around and saw most of the girls snearing or gring at the poor girl. 'You got to be fucking kidding me... She's a stuck up bitch, and she deserves—'

  Hilda started sniffling as her shoulders sagged. She was struggling to understand what had just happened, but she could see that all the girls hated her. And after a few seconds of contemption, Rya sighed as her conscience caught up to her. 'What the hell am I doing?'

  Rya stood up and walked over to Hilda, who had her head bowed. "Hilda?... Why do you think your country made this rule? Why are women called Shameful Sinners because of our periods?"

  Hilda sniffled and wiped her eyes. She was trying to regain her composure, but her heart was still breaking.

  "I... I don't know. All I know is what the High Priest told us... It's a shame because we were made clean by the gods, but they make us bleed to remind us that we are unclean."

  The murmurs stopped as Rya took a moment to process what she had just heard.

  "And yet, you need a man to help create life within us, which would be another sin," Rya said.

  Hilda wiped away her tears and looked into Rya's eyes. She didn't see malice, or disdain, or hate. She saw an intense look of curiosity, and maybe something else that Hilda couldn't identify.

  "What are you saying? That women are sinners by nature?"

  "No, not by nature, but by the ws of your people." Rya gave Hilda a sympathetic look as she needed to spell it out for her. "Listen... I've read the Tomes of the Three—"

  "You read the Tomes?! And you didn't burst into fmes?" Hilda excimed, interrupting Rya.

  "Yes, yes. I did. And I'm still here," Rya chuckled. "I read it to understand my... Well, my enemy. Anyway, I found it very... revealing."

  Rya paused as she looked around the room. There was a mixture of emotions on the faces of the women present, ranging from curiosity to shock. Hilda, on the other hand, was staring at her, dumbfounded.

  "What's so relieving? It talks about the Three Gods and how the three created humanity in order to save the world," Hilda said.

  "Is that all? Tell me. If a man gets tempted by a woman, and he gives in to his temptation and sins, is he a sinner or not?" Rya genuinely asked.

  "They say the man is the sinner if the woman in question survives the Faith of the Three. But if the woman doesn't survive the faith, then the man is considered a victim," Hilda said.

  "Wait... So women get put through the tests? What tests?" Serena asked, curious.

  Rya looked over at Hilda, who hesitated to speak. "Hilda? Tell them. Or do you want me to?" Rya asked, raising her eyebrow.

  Hilda hadn't had to worry about her former Gods' Laws since she became the chosen girl to marry Quinus, and she's been x about practicing her old religion once she got a room in the Maldura Royal Pace. She didn't have the watchful eye of her half-brother, Zane, or Father Gil breathing down her neck. She was free and had almost forgotten what it was like before coming to the Fiafyr Kingdom. But here she was, standing before the Dark Elf, who was making her recall the Laws of the Three and all that they stand for.

  "Ahem!..." Hilda cleared her throat and started speaking. "The tests are a series of trials meant to prove if it was the man who sinned or the woman. If the woman fails the tests, she is deemed a sinner, and she is killed. But if she succeeds the test, she is allowed to live, and the man must take a vow of... silence."

  The Foreign Princess slowed her speech, as if she had just realized how unfair this all was.

  "They... A woman has to survive getting hit by a number of stones deemed by the priests. More stones for the higher sins. They must stand in the middle of a circle while the stones are thrown at her, and if she dies, then it means the man was a sinner. And if she lives, then they move on to the next trial... Submerging the woman in a ke, tied to a stone. If the woman doesn't drown in the allotted time, she's decred innocent." Hilda spoke with a hint of hesitation.

  The other girls were silent as they heard what happened to the woman, and Hilda knew this was the part where the men would speak up, but there were no men here, just them.

  "What's the final test?" Rya asked, looking over at Hilda, who looked like she wanted to disappear.

  "She..." Hilda swallowed and looked like she was staring off into space. She looked like she was experiencing PTSD. "The st test... They tie them up to a post. If they don't starve to death before the priests untie them, they are deemed innocent and the man is the sinner," Hilda said.

  "Oh. My. Godesses. That is insane!" a girl excimed.

  Rya held her hand out to calm the group. "I know this is disturbing. I'm sure many of you didn't know the truth until now. But there's more," Rya said.

  "There's more?" one girl gasped.

  "Yes. If a woman dresses inappropriately, she is shamed within her town by mud being thrown at her. If a woman wears too much jewelry, she can be whipped. If a woman is disrespectful to her husband, she could be killed. I didn't know about the menstrual cycle, but it isn't a surprise. Basically, a woman's pce is to obey her husband and serve him, and any misstep, big or small, she will be punished. And do you know why, Hilda?" Rya asked, looking at the Foreign Princess.

  Hilda felt hollow inside. She didn't know why she put it together when she was growing up inside the Alliance. Now that she has a different perspective, the Alliance looks evil and dark.

  "Why, Hilda?" Rya asked again.

  "I-I don't know," Hilda finally answered.

  "Because they wish to control half the popution. I don't know why they are so hellbent on controlling women, but these strict rules make it easier to weed out those who go against the grain." Rya looked at Hilda, who looked defeated inside. Rya couldn't help but give her a reassuring smile. "I guess that is why you are unique."

  Hilda nearly fell over from Rya's compliment. She didn't see Rya's kindness as anything but a cunning scheme, but now she wasn't so sure.

  "W-What do you mean by that?" Hilda asked.

  "You seemed to become your true self after the first time we met, after the first Emergency Session, almost two months back. I thought I pissed off Terenthiel, but the way you took him down with your words only showed me that you weren't just some sheltered girl. You are smart, quick-witted, and have a good head on your shoulders. That's what makes you special, Hilda... and extremely annoying... I almost feel like we could have been friends in another life," Rya teased Hilda, which made all the women respect the Dark Elf even more.

  Here Rya was, going up against her competition for Quinus' heart, and yet, instead of ruthlessly destroying Hilda, like most high-css noblewomen would do, Rya was being gracious and generous to her. Rya didn't realize it at the moment, but she had won over most of the next generation of the Court, and Queen Rianna was getting the modern guard on Rya's side, piece by piece.