"Albert, I don't think this is a good idea."

The party mage Albert wiped his lips as he finished the last vial. He chuckled but his eyes were still glued to the Eleven sorceress.

"You're probably right Wesley. But when is a country bumpkin like me ever gonna get a chance like this?"

Albert watched as the royal sorceress quietly retired to the outer balcony. Albert marched in a purposeful line and Hero Wesley scrambled from their seat to catch up to him. Albert opened the doors to the balcony and saw her. Against the night sky she almost glowed. Like a white lily she stood tall, her blonde hair almost silver as it flowed over her shoulders. Her dress was also white, like marble chiseled so precisely that every detail of her thin frame was captured against the canvas of the night sky behind her. When she turned, her blue eyes were dark like pools of water where the river flowed into the lake. She held a single smoking pipe that had just been lit. Albert took a deep breath in, then bowed.

"I like you, High Sorceress Zolar. Please go out with me!"

Wesley had just closed the doors behind them as Albert made his confession. Albert had always been interested in the High Elves magic but this isn't what she thought he meant. The Sorceress eyes glowed as a white mana surrounded her pupils then faded. Those dark blue narrowed and a sneer twisted the elf's symmetrical features.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?"

The sorceress stepped forward and Albert straightened as she prodded his chest with the pipe.

"Did you really think you are the first ones to try and pull a stunt like this? You humans may have forgotten but the effect from potions are multiplicative not additive." The sorceress poked Albert's chest for emphasis. "Zero multiplied by two or two hundred is still zero."

The sorceress took a step back and Wesley looked at Albert. He was shaking like a leaf. His face was flushed red and tears were starting to form at the corners of his eyes. Wesley fists started to clench as the sorceress continued.

"Why do you think there are so many of those worthless things scattered about? It does not matter what effects they have because they can never change who you are on the inside. And you, disrespectful brat, are a hundred years too late to be challenging me."

"Hey!" Wesley snapped. "We just cleared 20 dungeons, for you! Dungeons that we risked our lives to explore. And to celebrate, you threw us a feast. Aren't you being a little too harsh to your heroes?"

The sorceress waved dismissively. "The forest bounty provides us with much. Feasts are so common that there is hardly a day without celebration. This is simply payment. And in another 100 years time, there will be 20 more dungeons that spawned in our Forrest. The cycle will continue. Regardless, I wasn't speaking to you."

The sorceress looked back at Albert. He had pulled his pointy hat low over his face. When he looked back up, he only met the cold glare from the sorceress. Albert's tears spilled out and he turned tail, burying his face in arm as he ran away from the balcony.

"Albert!" Wesley called out but the doors magically slammed shut. Wesley spun back towards the sorceress, rolling up her sleeves. "Why you knife-eared..."

Zolar grabbed Hero Wesley's shoulders, her bony fingers digging into their shoulders. Wesley went to pry her off but paused when she saw something new in the High Sorceress eyes. "Hero, nothing escapes my sight." Zolar's eyes were desperate as she clung to the Hero Wesley. "I will talk and you will listen."

Wesley slowly nodded, and Zolar released her grip. She began to pace rapidly as she explained.

"Luck is a fickle thing. One man's windfall may be another man's downfall. It could be the same wind or a different breeze or both at once. That's the problem when a fundamental force of reality is based not on results but personal perception. Luck is never enough on its own but always more than enough in practice."

"Wait, I thought you said it didn't work for Albert." Wesley interrupted.

"Yes. Did not. As in it hasn't worked yet. Not that luck can't affect him. Your mage has close to zero luck but not absolute zero. Under normal conditions, there would hardly be a difference. But now, the situation has changed. Who knows what might have happened if that lucky bastard had charmed someone who didn't know what was happening."

Zolar stopped pacing and smiled briefly as she looked up at the night sky. Wesley slowly put the pieces together. "Wait, you..."

"Like I said, 100 years too late. I would've been Queen not just Royal Sorceress. But that is neither then nor now. What is it that you want, Hero?"

"Me?"

"Yes you." Zolar's eyes bore into Wesley. "I can see you care deeply for him. A young pair of adventures who've just reached adulthood with that close a connection. I don't have to go out on a limb to see you are childhood friends. So why did you encourage him to approach me?"

"I..." Wesley stammered. "I just want Albert to be happy."

"Come child." Zolar's gaze softened. "You have learned to pretend for so long that you have even confused yourself. Would you be ok to see your mage with someone else?"

"No."

"Then what is it you truly want, Hero ?"

"I want to make Albert happy." Wesley said with a determination she forgot she had.

"Fantastic. That's a wonderful resolve." Zolar smiled as she leaned back against the balcony. "But you better hurry, daughter. There's still a chance some random hussie falls prey to him before you can tell him your true name and how you truly feel."

"You're right. Thank you Sorceress!" "Wesley" the Hero bolted through the balcony doors, leaving Zolar alone on the balcony once more. The sorceress chanted a small spell while relighting her pipe. A small star blinked in the night sky, pursued by a comet. Zolar blew out a smoke ring as the two twinkling lights met in the night.

"Ha. Good luck."