I give them all a broad reassuring smile, and I make a placating gesture.
"Please don't worry, Your Highness, I'm not offended. After all, Princess Alara was so kind as to offer me her time and considerable wisdom to teach me magic earlier. I'm just regretful that I lacked the talent to accept her kind gesture." (Mizuki)
To say they looked shocked by my reaction would be an understatement, and I'm desperately trying to hide my amusement over it. Dargo recovers first.
"You're too kind, Mizuki. Still…I find it hard to believe as well. Do you truly have no magic affinities?" (Dargo)
I nod reassuringly.
"It's as Princess Alara said, King Dargo. When I took my assessment at the guild, the crystal test that determines magic class glowed white and then went dark without a second color. I'm sure the elves' knowledge on such magic theory far exceeds my own, so is there another interpretation of this test result?" (Mizuki)
Dargo shakes his head apologetically.
"No, I'm sorry for implying otherwise. That clearly means that you cannot use magic .Every elven scholar knows this as a fact, so rest assured. We apologize even more vehemently for Princess Alara's outburst." (Dargo)
Seemingly attempting to change the subject to something less incendiary, Queen Elira speaks up.
"Well, Mizuki, between tolerating Alara's unbecoming attitude and advocating for your master to release those poor elves from slavery, we are deeply grateful to you. I suppose I can assume that you're a friend to the elven race?" (Elira)
I feel Ilina go tense next to me, and I know why…she knows what my answer will be. It's one of my few rules. I don't claim to be a friend if I'm not. It cheapens my actual friendships.
Queen Elira is smiling at me warmly, and Dargo seems relieved.
"No, Your Highness, that wouldn't be an accurate assumption." (Mizuki)
The room becomes deathly quiet, and the Queen's eyes have begun studying me carefully. Alara is glaring at me with palpable malintent. Dargo just looks genuinely confused – he speaks first.
"Uhm…Mizuki, I don't quite understand. Do you mind elaborating?" (Dargo)
"Of course. I do not discriminate between races, nor do I assume that any classification of people is a monolith. I judge people at the individual level only, and I take being someone's friend quite seriously. Consequently, while I'm certainly not antagonistic towards a whole race, I could never say that I am indiscriminately friends with an entire spectrum of people just because they share the same race." (Mizuki)
Dargo thinks this over for a moment, and he seems to slowly decide that it's not that surprising following my explanation. However, Queen Elira seems to have trouble accepting my answer.
"Mizuki, I'm not quite satisfied with that being the case. If you truly held no affinity towards elves, why did you go through so much trouble to save those elven slaves? More importantly, why would you be so excessively gracious about Alara's obvious prejudice towards you?" (Elira)
Oh ho, I guess we're not mincing words now, huh? All in all, I really do like the Queen. Alara seems angered by her mother's description of her, but she stays silent.
"That's simple, Queen Elira. I saw to it that the elves were freed because they were innocent, and those despicable people had no right to treat them like that. As for Princess Alara, any excessive deference was because she's the sister of Princess Ilina, who has earned my deepest respect." (Mizuki)
This seemingly enrages Alara. I can see embarrassment and anxiety on Ilina's face beside me as well.
"You worthless human…you have the nerve to act like the only reason I'm owed your deference is because that talentless excuse for a sister earned it for me!? Between that and your comment about not being a friend to elves…I was right, you are a problem." (Alara)
I bow my head apologetically to Alara. Elira and Dargo are both expressing conflicting emotions, and they appear too stunned to speak. Klaus is staring at me fearfully, and his hand is white knuckling his sword.
"I'm sorry that you see me that way, Princess Alara, but I disagree that your sister is talentless. I feel quite the opposite, in fact. Regardless, Queen Elira, King Dargo, it seems that my poor social tact has angered Princess Alara, and for that you have my deepest apologies. I think it'd be best if I retired to Lady Nedonera's service now, before I sour your family reunion any further. Please feel free to call for me in the morning if you wish to speak again, though." (Mizuki)
I rise from the couch, with Alara still glaring at me, and I move to exit the room. Dargo recovers and rises quickly as well.
"Of course, Mizuki, I think that's very polite of you. Allow me to escort you back to your room." (Dargo)
Dargo hurriedly follows me out of the room and into the hallway. After we're away from the guards, he speaks.
"Mizuki…I really am quite sorry for how you were treated in there, and I want you to know that neither I nor my Queen blame you for the breakdown in civility. I sincerely hope that this will not deteriorate the relationship between the royal family as a whole and Lady Nedonera's party?" (Dargo)
I smile at him reassuringly and shake my head.
"As I said, I won't judge a group based on one individual or vice versa. You've done nothing but condemn Princess Alara's behavior, so I see no reason to even bother my Lady with the specifics of tonight's meeting." (Mizuki)
This makes King Dargo sigh with relief, and he nods at me appreciatively. That last comment by Alara, though…I should go ahead and cover my bases just in case she's as rash as Alto thinks.
"However…" (Mizuki)