Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son

The next morning, the Crown Prince received word that Queen Theodora was finally awake. Without even finishing his morning meal, he went to see his mother and make sure she was fine.

When he entered the room, the Head Royal Physician was helping the Queen drink a bowl of herbal medicine while the young lady with honey blond hair was standing in the side.

He greeted his mother and then waited for her to finish her medicine. While waiting, his eyes found themselves glancing at the young lady standing beside the bed. Only her side profile was visible to him.

Once the Queen finished her medicine, the Head Royal Physician bowed and stepped out of the chamber.

Prince Theron asked, "Mother, how are you now?"

In a seemingly tired voice, the Queen replied, "I am fine, son."

The young lady, the only other person in the room, realized she needed to let the mother and son have some private time. In fact, she had decided to leave this place as the Queen was fine now and return to her usual life in the forest, away from the bustle of the city and its people.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty? As you are fine and your safety is guaranteed here, I would like to take my leave and go back home," the blond girl said.

Before the Queen could answer, the Crown Prince spoke up, "You are not allowed to leave."

Those words shocked the young lady and she glanced at the prince. "May I know why?"

"This incident has many suspicious points. Other than the royal knights, no one should have known the route the Queen is taking, and your coincidental presence in that forest is also a matter of investigation. We are yet to verify who you are. We are not sure if you are sent by them—who knows if you are a spy sent to gain the trust of the Queen by saving her?" the prince answered straightforwardly as he turned to face the young lady in question.

The moment their gazes met, the Crown Prince felt like he would be drowned in those pretty caramel colour irises. There was no fear in those eyes. In fact, she seemed…offended? Indignant? He found it fascinating that a young lady who seemed yet to have come of age could appear unintimated in front of the Crown Prince of Megaris, a feat not even the proud daughters of the high nobles could successfully pull off.

Was she truly innocent or was she stupidly unafraid that her scheme would be exposed?

"Those rebels have nothing to do with me. I just happened to pass by chance and tried to save those who were in trouble. When I stepped forward to stop those men, I didn't even know Her Majesty's identity," the blond girl replied, "and I would have done it for anyone, even if the one in trouble is a commoner."

The young lady had been silent the entire time ever since she arrived in the estate of the Holles Family, and this was the first time she had spoken this long with anyone. Despite that, she spoke with eloquence, looking confident in what she said. She didn't look hesitant or timid in front of the Crown Prince while defending herself. She looked more like she was done with her job and merely wanted to leave.

The Crown Prince felt like he could trust her words, and from what evidence his men had gathered so far, what she said was the truth—but he didn't want to give in easily. It was hard to believe in pure coincidence and goodwill. There was no reason for him to lower his vigilance, especially since he was the Crown Prince, and his mother, the Queen, was attacked. Until things came to light, everyone was under suspicion.

"If you are innocent, we will know that soon, and I will reward you handsomely for the trouble," the Crown Prince replied coldly. "Till then, you are not allowed to leave the estate or I will have to send my soldiers after you and drag you back here."

The Queen found herself quietly enjoying the exchange of words between the two. As a mother, she knew her son best and understood his personality was just like this, hard on the outside but soft on the inside. In truth, he wasn't hostile towards her saviour. Seeing the way her son had lost his composure a moment ago when he met gazes with the blond girl, the Queen could only hide a knowing smile.

She finally thought to end their conversation and said to the young lady, "Dear, I am thankful that you saved me but there are some rules that we can't overlook and every subject of this kingdom has to obey them. Let the Crown Prince do his job. I am sure he will apologize for his rudeness once he's sure that you are innocent."

The young lady could not deny what the Queen said because it sounded reasonable. She was just a little annoyed to be suspected. She nodded, only to hear the Queen continue speaking, "Which reminds me, I wish to know more about my saviour. I don't even know your name. May I know your name?"

"My name?" the pretty blond blinked her caramel-coloured eyes as she mumbled, looking conflicted over it. "I…I don't have one."

"Pardon?"

"I have been alone for as long as I could remember, and from my earliest memories, I have always lived alone deep in that forest, Your Majesty."

This surprised the mother and son pair. It also enlightened the Crown Prince as to why they could not find any information about this young lady.

"You don't have a family?" the Queen asked.

The young lady shook her head.

"Such a pretty young woman lives in the forest, hiding from the world all this while?" the Queen said while guessing some things about this mysterious and secretive-looking young woman.

To this, the young woman nodded hesitantly. "I do trade some of the items from the forest within the city merchants once every few months…"