{Setting: Sol Dimension, Aedrift Castle} King Egreste: *scolding Mephiles from the comfort of his throne* You're very lucky my daughter vouched for you. If not, my so called 'slow' search party would have killed you or hunted you to the ends of the Earth. Mephiles: *seems a little unconcerned as he checks his fingers* Really? Well, good thing they took so long. Egreste: I will not listen to your observations on my staff after you ran off without permission, nearly killed the princess, fell down a cliff, and almost got away with it! Despite your origin, I took you in, I fed you, I helped you begin to recover, and I gave you a chance to redeem yourself! I practically gave you royal treatment after all you and your kind did to us! Mephiles: This is getting oddly personal. *gives him a look* Egreste: !...*glares back at him with fierceness that would make a lesser hedgehog quiver back* Mephiles: If this is royal treatment, why is your guest sitting in a stool inside the throne room? Egreste: Because you don't deserve a better seat, dark one. Mephiles: If you don't like my other observations, then how's about an observation of the emerald I found? *waves the violet emerald to the side of his own head* Egreste: You...found one? *nods to Ruby, who jumps up from her miniature throne, takes the emerald, and gives it back to Egreste* ... *inspects it* How did you find this so fast? Mephiles: I assure you, your majesty, I have my ways. And I know I'm not the most easily trusted person in this room, but some amount of faith will need to be put in me if I'm supposed to find the rest. Egreste: ... Ruby: *whispers in his ear* Father, I trust him. Egreste: *sighs* Fine. We'll compromise. You can search for them with no search party other than Ruby and Marian. But if you take more unnecessary risks, it'll be the end of you. You can count on it. Mephiles: *deeply bows, then proceeds to leave*
