When the teleportation finished we were in the courtyard of the castle.
"Shall we meet with your father to discuss what happened. As I went with you I know neither he nor your fiance should be worrying too much." (Butler)
"I agree, we should. However I'd like it to be a family meeting as there is nothing I'd keep from Carmen anyway." (Dawson)
"Sure, why don't you go get Carmen, I'll get the king, and we can meet in the war room." (Butler)
"The war room?" (Dawson)
"Where you met the Dark Prince." (Butler)
"Oh, that room, sure, that sounds good." (Dawson)
We go our separate ways, I go to Carmen's room and knock on the door, her opening it rather quickly.
"Dawson, I'm so glad you're okay." (Carmen)
"I'm fine ramen, The Dark King only wanted to talk. Also, the butler didn't leave my side, I doubt he'd have let anything happen to me." (Dawson)
"I know, but I was still worried. And wait, did you say the Dark King?!? What'd he want?" (Carmen)
"Like I said, to talk. If you want to know more why don't we go to where we met his heir. The butler and I planned to meet there with father so I could say it all only once." (Dawson)
"Okay, let's go." (Carmen)
We walked to the war room after that, meeting my father and the butler therein.
"I'm glad the staff are skilled enough that no scent of that incident was left behind." (Dawson)
"They have had to deal with worse before, with a better bonus too." (Ernest)
"Oh?" (Dawson)
"Yeh, but, I suspect that conversation is not why we are here?" (Ernest)
"No!, We're here to talk about why the Dark King abducted Dawson!" (Carmen)
"I mean, he also returned me." (Dawson)
"So, what was it he wanted?" (Ernest)
I then told them the events that happened whilst I was not with them.
"You were definitely correct in the assumption that I would not want to join, but you definitely did as you promised." (Ernest)
"I only promised what I'd have done without having promised." (Dawson)
"That's the best way to do it." (Carmen)
"Well, who do you think I learned it from?" (Dawson)
Carmen simply blushes at the implications of my words. At this point Lucifarious appears in the war room, similarly to how the dark prince left that last time, save for the puddle of pee.
"Sir Trixter, why have you interrupted our private meeting?" (Butler)
"Because I suspect what I'm here to report may have a little to do with your discussion. I have heard from some in the dark kingdom that the king planned to abduct the prince today, however I only heard of it after the appointed time, so I decided that now would be as good of a time as any to make my next report." (Lucifarious)
"And what do you have to report?" (Ernest)
"What I suspect may be the most pertinent piece of information I believe you have yet to uncover... the elements of the other 3 nations in the alliance." (Lucifarious)
"You are correct that we have yet to uncover that information, so if that's what you're here to report, get to it." (Butler)
"The first of the 4 is obviously dark, the second is fire, the 3rd is earth, and the 4th is void." (Lucifarious)
"And do all of them function like the 'kingdom of darkness?" (Dawson)
"Yes young prince, the duels needing to be in the corresponding elements." (Lucifarious)
"Got it, is that all?" (Ernest)
"Yes Sire, unless you have any further instructions for me, I will get back to my position." (Lucifarious)
"I have one, I want you to try to find out if any lingering factions exist once your position is lost due to our actions." (Ernest)
"Understood Sire, I'll be off then." (Lucifarious)
After that Lucifarious leaves the same way he entered.
"Butler, do you believe you have the skills needed to dismantle their system from the inside? Using their system to dismantle it?" (Dawson)
"Yes young prince, I do." (Butler)
"And that is exactly my instruction for you butler, I feel this alliance is too dangerous for the world." (Ernest)
My father says that last part with a smirk directed at me, I suspect due to the fact we were both thinking along similar lines. After that the butler nods in acknowledgment then vanishes. As that seemed to be all we needed to say on this topic, we decided to go to the dining room for dinner.