The Great Lady smiled upon hearing Seren ask such a question. Seren might have initially been naive and ignorant, but now, she’d begun to pay close attention to the complicated relationships within the Ivanov Royal Family, even actively seeking to understand them more, which was a good sign towards her development as a queen.

“What do you think must be the reason?” the Great Lady asked instead of answering her.

Seren fell into silence as she didn’t expect her grandmother to ask her a question instead. She thought for a moment and gave a hesitant reply. “Because Lady Saira is someone important to the previous queen.”

“And why do you think so?” the Great Lady further inquired.

“Umm…” Seren lowered her head a bit. “If we hold a person important to us then anything related to them also becomes important for us.”

“Is it?”

Seeing the old lady’s encouraging look, Seren nodded. “Like what is important to Dray is also important for me, then that should also be the case for His Excellency and his first wife. Since the Third Concubine is dear to the previous queen…” She looked at her grandmother who was slowly walking with her. “Doesn’t Grandmother also value everything that is important to Dray?”

The Great Lady offered her an approving smile. “You are right, dear.” The two ladies continued to stroll along the hallway with the old lady’s slow pace in mind.

“You know, Esther didn’t come from a noble household, and even after she rose from being a commoner, there were no known people sharing the same blood as her aside from her own son. Thus, she had no one else but the ones who came into her life after she came to the palace. Drayce, of course, is a given, and then there was Saira who was her most trusted confidante aside from Tyra and me, and with her serving by her side the longest, it was Saira who had spent the most time by Esther’s side.

“Her son, she loved him more than anyone, and Saira was her favourite lady-in-waiting, someone Esther trusted the most enough for her to leave her precious son in her care. You could say that among those in the palace, the people who were constant reminders of Esther were these two. Though he and Dray had become estranged throughout the years, he kept Saira close to him.

“Like I told you before, taking her in as a concubine was a reckless mistake of his, and he needed to take responsibility for what he did due to Saira’s weak political background. Though he acts as if he cared for nothing in this world anymore, he still has his conscience alive.”

“Hmm,” Seren nodded as if saying she understood.

“But there is a greater reason as well,” the Great Lady said.

“Because Lady Saira’s existence reminds His Excellency of his first wife, Grandmother?”

“Indeed. If you think of it, isn’t it pitiful? My son seeks comfort in Saira’s presence and has granted her and her alone the privilege to be inside his residence where he kept everyone out. Though he doesn’t recognize any of his other wives, Saira still holds a special place in his heart simply because she was a person belonging to Esther.”

Seren thought for a while. “I don’t think it’s pitiful, Grandmother. Rather, I think it is admirable. I cannot imagine how deep those feelings His Excellency have been holding on for so long for the previous queen. Their relationship sounds like something that could only be found in books.”

“That is the case when love is real.” The Great Lady chuckled. “So you and Dray. Both of you are creating a connection that is both real and magical between yourselves, and this too would deepen with time. Even now, you probably have no idea how important you are to him.”

Seren smiled lightly behind her veil. “Maybe I know.”

The Great Lady laughed a little. “Oh, I would be very pleased to hear that is the case but…”

“But?” Seren asked, wondering why Grandmother paused as if to tease her.

“…but, when will you start calling Esther your mother-in-law? Instead of calling her the ‘previous queen’ all the time, why don’t you directly address her as ‘mother’?”

Seren felt speechless. She had never met the previous queen and all she knew about her was from what others told her. Seren wondered if it was even fine to address her in a more intimate manner. For her, she felt inadequate, like she’s yet to earn her right to call Esther Ivanov her ‘mother-in-law’.

“Umm, I am not sure. I never met her so…”

“Maybe you have, but you don’t remember. If I’m to be honest, she’s been like your beacon of light who led you to find the one meant for you,” the old lady replied.

Seren felt puzzled, but she later recalled one of the things Great Lady Theodora mentioned before.

The old lady spoke. “I told you. That flower on your forehead is the same as the mark on Esther’s wrist.”

“Yes, Grandmother. I remember,” Seren replied. She never gave much thought to that flower mark even after hearing the past from the Great Lady. She had been curious about it when she’s younger, but she never really treated it as anything more than an ordinary birthmark.

“Only one person can have that particular mark and as she passed it to you. She had helped you find your way to Drayce who was meant for you, your soulmate. She must have somehow come across you, but your circumstances don’t allow you to remember that encounter. Such a pity.”

Seren pondered over those words. She wished that truly was the case. If it were, then wouldn’t that mean she could help her husband locate the previous queen’s whereabouts? “Maybe…,” she started, “maybe my nanny has answers to your doubts, Grandmother. But she stayed back in  Abetha, then so I can only ask her in person. Should I write to the King of Abetha and request her to be sent here?”

“It would be lovely if she’s able to come, but if you’ve thought of this, maybe Dray has already considered it. Why don’t you bring this up to him first?” the Great Lady said, and by then, they had reached the gates of the Obsidian Palace where their carriages were waiting.

“Will Dray go to Abetha?” Seren asked.

“It will depend. As you know, it is difficult for kings to leave their posts, let alone travel far and enter another kingdom unless there is war or other equally important concerns. Well, officially that is. There are other ways to go around it,” the Great Lady commented. “Do you want to go as well?”

Thinking of going back to her homeland, Seren felt her chest tighten. The view from the tall lonely tower, a single companion to attend to her needs, knights stationed outside to ‘keep her in’ in the guise of keeping outsiders out, the snide remarks and hurtful murmurs on the rare chances she showed her face in society…

“I have no fond memories of the palace and my life there was not one I’d want to be reminded of but…I want to see my brother and my nanny. I dearly miss them, especially my nanny, Martha. I haven’t seen her since my wedding day.”

“Regardless if you meet her when you visit your homeland or if you summon her to Megaris, make sure you meet her as that woman likely holds the secrets to your life.”

“Maybe she will answer me at least this time. She never told me anything.”

“Sometimes the one we want to protect, keeping them in the dark is better. She has raised you well to be such an adorable woman so don’t blame her. “

Seren was grateful to her nanny for being by her side. She considered her more a family than her father or her step-mother.

As they walked closer to their carriages, Seren finally asked the question that had been plaguing her conscience since earlier. “Grandmother, do you think Dray will not come to visit his father?”

The Great Lady offered her a consoling smile. “Don’t worry about them. Those two are fine with the way they are with each other.”

Seren could only nod her head in response, but in her heart, she still wished for Drayce to come to visit his father.

The two royal women then left the Obsidian Palace in their respective carriages.

——

Seren was reading a book while waiting for Drayce inside her bedchamber when one of her ladies-in-waiting, Lady Xena, knocked and delivered a message to her.

“Your Majesty, a messenger from the Grand Palace has come. The King wishes to inform you that he will be retiring to bed late tonight. He seeks your understanding and tells you to not wait for him and go to sleep without him,” her lady-in-waiting informed.

“Is that so?” Seren mumbled.

“His Majesty must be busy dealing with the public’s reaction to what happened to the previous king, so he’s still busy with work. Rest assured, Your Majesty.”

Even after her lady-in-waiting excused herself, Seren decided to continue with her reading, but soon enough, she could not cover up the yawns escaping her mouth. She lay down in bed and told her personal servants that they too could retire for the night.

After making sure the fireplace inside the chamber had enough wood to keep the temperature warm throughout the night, the servants left after wishing their queen a good night’s sleep.

However, their well wishes had no effect.

Seren could not sleep at all even as she turned and tossed in bed. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts about her husband. For the entire day, she had been waiting to see him, wanting to somehow persuade him once more and try to improve the relationship he has with his father.

However, she had been unable to meet Drayce ever since then. She wanted to make sure if he was fine.

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