Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son

"I did. I could not bear to see him suffer, doubting himself and wondering about why he had to experience such a childhood. My grandson…he was desperate to get answers, and I wished to put an end to his suffering. Alas! I should have done more for him…"

'What kind of suffering? What treatment?' Seren could not imagine a strong person like her husband suffering or even being put at a disadvantage. She wanted to ask, but hearing the old woman's sigh, she could not bear to let her recall what seemed to be a terrible memory.

However, she heard the Great Lady continue, "Soon, Dray will leave the royal palace for some time and won't return for a day or two. At that time, you should accompany this old lady instead of staying in your palace, and I will tell you that story."

Seren agreed. "I look forward to spending more time with you, Grandmother."

The Great Lady offered her a smile. "Let's go out then. I am sure my grandson is getting impatient to have you returned to his side."

Seren also smiled under her veil. She assisted the Great Lady down from the stairs, and the two ladies soon left the greenhouse. 

"Where are our guests?" the Great Lady asked the servants standing outside.

"They headed towards the western gardens, probably to sightsee by the water lily pond, Great Lady," one of them responded.

Seren and the Great Lady then made their way towards the other side of the Crystal Palace. There, inside the gazebo by the lakeshore, they saw everyone seated with freshly brewed cups of tea arranged on the table in the middle.  Only Little Rayjin was standing near the edge of the gazebo, seemingly enjoying the faraway view of snow-covered mountains. 

Drayce, of course, sensed their presence. He turned to look at Seren in particular and felt relieved to see his wife. Rayjin also realized their arrival and came running towards the young queen. 

"Be careful, Rayjin. You might hurt yourself," Seren said when she saw how this little girl ran hastily towards her, despite being covered in those heavy winter clothes. As someone who suffered from the unfamiliar weather of the North, Seren knew it was not easy to move while wearing them, much less run under their heavy weight. 

"Seren, I love this place! There are flowers here, unlike at home, no flowers are blooming," Rayjin said matter-of-factly. "Can we stay here to play?"

"Of course, we can play in this garden. I don't think Grandmother will mind."

"And tomorrow as well?"

Seren didn't know what to say. She looked at her father, Duke Wimark, as she could not decide for Rayjin.

"Rayjin, we can come here again in the future," Duke Wimark explained. 

The little girl blinked innocently. "Why do we have to come here again when we can stay?"

"Because tomorrow, we will be departing back to Karlin to see your mother. It will take some time to get back to the capital. Don't you wish to see the little baby the moment it is born?" Duke Wimark asked. 

Rayjin looked at her father. "I want to but when is the baby coming?"

"Soon, perhaps in the next few days if everything goes according to estimation. I hope we can return before then as we won't want to miss it," Duke Wimark told her, aware that his daughter would understand the importance of her sibling's arrival in the world. "Your mother will be sad if we are not by her side when the baby comes out."

Rayjin pouted but she no longer insisted. She looked at Seren with wide, pitiful eyes. "I need to go then. I will miss you, Seren."

Seren let out a soft laugh as she fixed the winter cap on Rayjin's head. It was lopsided due to her hasty running, and of course, the little girl didn't realize it. "You can come here again afterwards. The Royal Palace of Megaris will always welcome you. "

"But when will that be?" Rayjin asked with a pout. "Father is always busy, and Mother will probably be busy taking care of the baby too. My uncles…"

"When Dray has his own kids, I will bring you here," Arlan intervened with a wide grin. "I am sure you want to play with them, don't you, Rayjin?"

Drayce threw a cold glare towards Arlan, which the prince deliberately ignored. The others merely smiled but said nothing. On the other hand, Seren did not know where to hide. But Rayjin was excited to hear that suggestion. "Oh! Uncle Arlan is so smart! I can also bring my baby sibling to play with us! When will Dray have a baby?" 

"That you should ask Dray," Arlan replied, unrepentant as he continued to make fun of his friend. He knew that in front of Rayjin, Drayce would not dare say anything threatening or do something like pulling out his sword to swing his way. 

Rayjin ran towards Drayce and held his hand as she excitedly looked up at him. "When will you have a baby?"

Drayce kneeled in front of the little girl, allowing him to talk to her face to face. He gently patted her head. "It will take time. Seren has just arrived in Megaris, and she is still adjusting to her new home.  She will also need to travel here and there to see our kingdom. With a baby, she will have difficulty doing those things."

"True. My mother can't go anywhere because of the baby in her stomach. She didn't even come to the wedding even though she was eager to come here," Rayjin said, pulling out a sad face, but then her face resumed its smile. "Don't have a baby so soon. Till then, I will be your daughter. When the baby comes, you won't love me like this."

"That is not true. You are special to me," Drayce assured her. "I will love you still, even if I have a child. You will be their older sister, so you must behave well till then."

His words made Rayjin's smile bloom brightly, happier than ever, and she hugged him tightly. Seren looked at how well Drayce treated Rayjin and how much she loved him. It made her feel funny, comparing the man kneeling in front of the child and the man painted in the books she had read in the past.

The Drayce Ivanov she had read in the books about the King of Megaris was cruel and merciless, a king who only knows how to conquer territories to expand his kingdom and a swordsman feared by his enemies on the battlefield. That Drayce Ivanov, her husband, she had grown to know was nothing like that.. Instead, he was a gentle and caring man who had never hurt anyone without a reason.