Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son

"I don't know how to play this," Seren informed. 

"If your Majesty doesn't want it, we can take this away…."

"No, Lady Tyra. I mean to say, I wish to learn this instrument. I always wanted to learn an instrument but my nanny didn't know any other instrument than just a flute," she said.

"I will ask His Majesty's permission to arrange a tutor for you, Your Majesty," Tyra assured. 

"Thank you, Lady Tyra," Seren stood up and heard Lady Tyra asking her, "Does Your Majesty know how to play the flute?" Seren had just said her nanny only knew how to play the flute so Lady Tyra considered she had learned it too.

Seren nodded, "Yes!"

Lady Tyra stepped towards the shelf on the same wall but was a bit away from the place of an instrument. Along with some small antiques, there was one long and a slender wooden box that Lady Tyra brought to Seren.. 

She opened the box and held it in front of Seren, "We also have a flute here."

Seren looked at that wooden flute kept inside the box, fixed in the red velvet cushioned impression of the flute. It didn't look like an ordinary flute as it was even pretty to look at. The deep brown color wooden flute had a finely carved design which was visible only at a closer look and had multiple fine gold rings wrapped around it at some distance. 

Seren picked it up. "It looked so pretty."

"The previous Queen had ordered the best artist from the Kingdom of Griven to make it. When His Majesty was young, he once heard someone playing it and insisted his mother play it for him."

"She could also play the flute?" Seren mumbled as she found it so amusing.

"Though she got the flute, she never got the chance to play it for his Majesty," Lady Tyra informed. 

"Why?" Seren asked.

"When this flute arrived, she was already gone," Lady Tyra informed.

"It is really sad," Seren said as she felt sad about it. 

"But now Your Majesty knows how to play it. His Majesty can hear you playing and fulfill his long last wish." Lady Tyra commented. 

Seren looked at Lady Tyra in shock, "M-Me...how can I?"

"His Majesty will like it," Tyra assured her. 

"I will try," Seren said, as hearing that story from the past was already a sad thing for her to know.

Seren was about to keep that flute back in the box but noticed there was a tiny flower carved on it- Ashrin flower. 

'Seems like this flower meant a lot to his mother, Queen Esther as she had it carved on everything that belonged to her just like how Martha had it made on everything that belonged to me.'

As Seren was slowly getting familiar with the approach of the Previous Queen towards the things precious to her, Seren knew this flute must have a name too and searched for it. She found a few letters carved on it and it looked shorter than what was written on the previous instrument. 

She showed it to Lady Tyra, "What is written here?'

Lady Tyra smiled, "Queen Esther had a habit of giving a name to everything that was precious to her. Mayka! It's the name she has given to this flute."

"What does it mean. I never heard this name?" Seren asked.

"As I said Queen Esther was familiar with lots of other languages so Your Majesty will always find unfamiliar names on the things belonging to her," Lady Tyra said and answered the meaning, "It means Gracious. The reason was- To hear the music from the flute gave her a feeling of kindness and made her mind feel at peace and she always said, it made her feel everything around seems to be pleasant."

"She was not wrong. When My nanny Martha used to play it for me, I felt the same. It took away all my worries and fears." Seren looked at the flute in her hand and at the name carved on it as she said, "This flute sure deserves the name Gracious."

Seren carefully put that flute back in the box as what Tyra said about playing flute repeated in her mind. 

'Will he like it if I play the flute for him? Does he even remember that he had such a wish when he was a kid? What if it reminds him of his mother and ends up feeling sad. Moreover, I am not sure if I can play it that well to make him like it.'

Lady Tyra put the flute back and returned to Seren. "Your Majesty, there is something else that I would like you to see," Tyra offered. 

Seren nodded and Tyra guided her way towards the glass door of the room which was between the fireplace and music section but far away from them given how widespread this study room was. 

Lady Xena opened the door for them and it led them out in the huge room with glass walls and it was occupied with so many different plants and flowers blooming on them. It was like a mini greenhouse as compared to the greenhouse belonging to the Great lady. In the center of that room, the place was left empty which had a swing hanging to the ceiling. 

That place looked heavenly with so many colors brightening up under the sunlight coming inside through the glass walls. Through those walls, even the sea was visible and felt like it was surrounded by seawater though it was far from it. It was a nice illusion created by the one who made it. 

Seren went to the swing and asked, "Can I sit on it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. This all belongs to you only," Tyra assured. 

Seren sat in the swing as she continued to look at the sea while Lady Xena offered her tea. The time passed without even noticing and it was already noon, time for lunch. 

"Your Majesty, we have to leave for lunch. Seems like we have to postpone our lesson about the royal family of Megaris," Tyra informed.

"Lunch?" Seren said as if she didn't feel hungry at all and didn't wish to leave this place but then Tyra reminded her, "Today, Your Majesty is having lunch with King Drayce."

'I almost forgot,' Seren thought and stood up from the swing, "We can leave."

Lady Tyra led her way out of the study and other ladies in waiting followed behind. Walking inside the corridor, they reached the pathway that connected both residences. 

Standing at the entrance of the pathway, Lady Tyra said, "Your Majesty, you can go from here."

Seren looked at Tyra, who was standing next to her, and asked, "Alone?"

"Your majesty, no woman is allowed in the King's residence other than the Queen and Great Lady. It is the same for the Queen's residence. No man is allowed to enter here other than His Majesty," Tyra informed. 

It surprised Seren and she asked, "Not even you, Lady Tyra?"

"I am an exception as I used to be his Majesty's Nanny and I raised him. But I am allowed to go there only if His Majesty asked me to visit him regarding any issues," Tyra explained.

"Oh!" was what Seren said. 

"His Majesty's knight would be present at the other side and he will guide Your Majesty towards the concerned place," Tyra assured.

Seren nodded, "I will leave then." Seren stepped on the pathway as she felt anxious while going on the other side. 

She remembered what Lady Tyra had just said and thought, 'So Lady Tyra was His Majesty's nanny who couldn't teach him properly and His Majesty ended up being ill-mannered who took off his clothes in front of me. But Lady Tyra seemed to be a good teacher. I am sure it is just His Majesty who must be too stubborn to listen to her teaching. Poor Lady Tyra. Must have had a tough time raising him.'

Walking on that long pathway, holding her breath with each step closer to Drayce's residence, Seren reached the end where Slayer was waiting for her. 

He bowed to her, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Seren, who was anxious, just nodded to it. 

She heard him again, "Please, this way, Your Majesty," Slayer led her way towards the right side of the floor and Seren followed him as her both hands clutched onto the winter coat she was wearing. 

====

Dear readers, the name of the flute "Mayka" Is the real name of the #3 top fan of this novel- "Mayka_h"