Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son

Lady Tyra nodded and explained, "Since it is a divine flower, once it blooms, its state will always be the same, preserved for as long as its innate divinity sustains it. It will only wilt the day when one who has gifted you this flower ceases to exist."

Seren looked at Lady Tyra as she understood the meaning of it. The one who had gifted this flower was Dusk. As long as Dusk exists, this flower exists too.

"Thank you, Lady Tyra. I will always keep this flower with me," Seren smiled, "and I wish for it to never wilt, for it to remain fresh and beautiful for eternity."

Seren was visibly moved by Dusk's gesture. She liked the smart and thoughtful eagle a lot, but she never understood until now how important herself was to Dusk that he chose to give her this flower with a protective attribute. She too would never want a day to come when Dusk would not be around her.

-----

Night had fallen, and during this time, Seren would normally be in bed, buried under the sheets and ready to retire for the night. However, her large and comfortable bed was currently empty.

The young queen, clad in her nightgown and covered by a thick robe, was standing by the window of her room, staring outside in a daze. She wanted to stand on the balcony, but she was sure that she would not be able to withstand the cold night breeze on her own.

"He must be busy with his work," she murmured with a sigh. "Maybe he fell asleep already…no, I think he is just late…"

She was waiting for Drayce to come to her chamber. She was sure he would come as there had not been a single night where he left her to sleep alone.

Just then, there was a strong gust of wind behind her. Even before Seren could turn around, a strong pair of arms surrounded her stomach. A tall man hugged her from the back and whispered in her ear, "Are you waiting for me, my Queen?"

Seren was caught off guard and turned frozen. There was no way she would admit that she was waiting for him. So embarrassing!

"Y-Your Majesty!" she said to greet him.

"Huh? Do I need to remind you of my name again?"

"I think I need to do the same?" Seren countered.

His breath felt warm against her ear. "I love to call you my Queen as it gives me a sense that you are mine and mine alone."

Seren turned quiet as she felt her heart do a flip at those intimate words.

Drayce continued, "Sometimes, I love to address you as something else as well."

It puzzled Seren as she had only heard him calling her either my Queen or Seren. "Something else?"

"Little kitten!" he replied with a low chuckle. "When did I start? Ah, back when I heard an innocent little girl trying to scare others by saying, "I am a witch and I can burn you!"

Seren's eyes widened at his admission. Her mind tried to recall if such a thing ever happened with Drayce. "I-I never said those words in front of you!"

"But my ears caught you saying it a few times." His arms wrapped around her tightened a little. "Seems like you love to call yourself a witch."

"That is what I am."

Silence suddenly enveloped the two. The atmosphere felt strange, but those words were her honest thoughts. Seren felt like she said something she shouldn't have and lowered her gaze.

"Seren, my little kitten, my sweet wife, my Queen," Drayce said in a slow yet firm manner as he entangled his fingers with hers, still holding her in his embrace. "Whoever you are, you are mine."

With her feeble back pressed against his hard chest, Seren felt a sudden warmth spreading within her heart. Even her breath had turned shallow as she tried to keep her emotions in check. No one had ever treated her as sincerely and as preciously as him.

The young pair of husband and wife stood in comfortable silence, seemingly listening to each other's heartbeats like they were the most wonderful music to their ears. After a while, she felt her husband move.

"I will be going away for two days," Drayce informed her.

Seren nodded. She remembered that Great Lady Theodora had already mentioned this to her. The old woman even offered for her to stay in the Crystal Palace during those two days.

"Where are you going?" Seren asked as she felt him resting his chin on her shoulder.

"The place where my mother disappeared from my life." There was a brief silence as Drayce hesitated to continue. "Once a year, I visit that place on the anniversary of her disappearance." Another pause, and then he added softly, "Many people believe she's dead, but I never gave up searching for her. I never gave up waiting for her to return to me."

Seren moved her fingers, slowly rubbing her thumb over his. Her voice was as soft as his. "What if she's not…?"

She felt his hand shiver under hers. His voice was slightly muffled as he buried his face into her hair. "I have always believed she is still alive, that's why I wait for her every year on the same day and same place…and now that I found you, that belief has grown even stronger."

He meant the flower birthmark on her forehead. She wished she could help him in finding his mother, but as Great Lady Theodora guessed, Seren must have been a newborn infant when she met Queen Esther.

"Why did she leave?"

Seren was always curious about what exactly happened to Queen Esther. Her curiosity was further strengthened after meeting King Theron.

Who was Drayce's real father? Why did the former queen abandon her son in the royal palace and not bring him away with her?

She could not help but compare it to her own situation—but with her, it was different. While her mother's whereabouts were unknown, Seren was at least put under the care of her birth father.