Chapter 1017 Tea With The Queen
Rowena smiled sweetly when she heard her husband's words. She lay down next to him and turned to face him. She admired his good looks and wondered to herself how could she be so lucky to meet this man in her lifetime and have him fall in love with her.
Raphael was all smiles when he saw her looking at him deeply. They had been together for over ten years now but the way she looked at him with so much love in her eyes never changed. He loved that about her.
"I love you," said Raphael in a sweet whisper. Then he moved closer to claim his wife's lips. They kissed and hugged, with Raphael rolling Rowena's body to be on top of his.
"Uhmm... so good," Raphael commented. He finally sat up and took Rowena's body to sit on his lap. He hugged her from behind and his hands got busy taking food from their picnic basket. "We should eat."
Rowena chuckled and took the bread from the basket and broke it. Then she started feeding her husband. Raphael held the wine jug and poured a little for them into one silver goblet. They shared the wine and food while chatting in a low voice.
The breeze flew gently, bringing flowers and leaves from the nearby valley, providing a really romantic setting for the couple. It was such a good day.
***
Rowena took the carriage to go to the royal palace. She was excited about the invitation to attend the afternoon tea with her mother-in-law. She had never had a mother figure in her life and she hoped she could have a good relationship with Raphael's mother.
She knew Queen Lilith was not really happy Rowena married Raphael, thinking the girl brought a bad influence, but she could see the queen had started to make some efforts to show that she wanted to patch up their relationship after Rowena and Raphael returned to Cretea.
Rowena didn't want to dwell on the past and she took this opportunity to show Queen Lilith that she loved Rapahel and would do anything to be a good wife to him.
"Welcome, Your Highness," said the royal butler when he saw Rowena get down from the carriage. He bowed his head slightly in a polite manner and showed the way to Rowena to meet the queen and her ladies in waiting who were enjoying their afternoon tea.
The girl walked gracefully through the white corridor in the huge castle, following the butler. They passed so many beautiful rooms and one vast garden and entered through a double wooden door that had beautiful and intricate carvings and ornaments on them.
Once the double door was opened to the sides, Rowena stepped inside a beautiful white hall decorated with so many gold ornaments and precious stones. It was the most glamorous room she had ever seen.
There were several floor-to-ceiling windows at the end of the hall, showing an expansive view of the garden that Rowena passed earlier. She noticed the guests could enjoy the flowers and the animals in the garden. She saw several deer, swans, and colorful exotic birds.
When she entered the room, she could immediately see Queen Lilith sitting leisurely on the comfortable huge sofa, holding a teacup with her slender fingers. Around her were several beautiful goddesses who all wore intricate and fancy dresses.
"Ahh, Rowena," Queen Lilith smiled sweetly and raised her hand to motion to Rowena to come closer. She turned to the ladies and said, "This is my daughter-in-law."
Rowena and Raphael had stayed in Cretea for over a month now and the royal family hadn't officially announced their return. So, it was understandable that the ladies were all surprised to hear the queen's statement.
One woman who looked chubby and sat to the queen's right pressed her lips and commented, "So, Raphael is married now? Wow, Your Majesty, all your children are on their own now. How does that make you feel?"
Queen Lilith sighed, but she was still smiling. "I don't know. It makes me feel a bit... old?"
Rowena heard that Raphael's brothers were all married a long time ago. He was born much later than his siblings and he was not too close to them. Rowena met some of them and their wives during the engagement party held by King Areal and Queen Lilith before the incident happened.
It was hard for her to connect with them, so Rowena was happy that there was no demand for her and Raphael to spend time with his family if she and Raphael didn't feel like it.
"Gosh, Your Majesty, you are not old, you still look the youngest among us all," said the woman. She then turned to Rowena and gave her a welcoming smile. "Welcome to Cretea... Rowena, isn't it?"
Rowena nodded. She was a cold person and usually didn't immediately smile at strangers, but the woman's warmth made her feel welcome. So, she smiled back. "Thank you."
"Your Majesty, you should hold a party to welcome them back," said the other lady after Rowena was seated. "Let everyone in the capital know that Raphael has returned."
"Well, I plan to do that," said the queen. She turned to look at Rowena. "But I don't want to overwhelm them. I am giving them time to settle down here first. Besides, everyone has met Rowena ten years ago during the engagement party. It's not like I need to introduce her to the public."
"It's true, but now that they are married, you should at least hold a wedding for them," the other lady chimed in. "I know they eloped. However, they have returned now, so it doesn't feel right not to celebrate their wedding."
"We can talk about it," said the queen finally. She raised her hand and then motioned for everyone to be quiet. Then she turned to Rowena. "By the way, I have been wanting to give this box to Rowena, but only get the chance now. I have kept this for you for ten years. I think you will want to have it."
She waved a hand and the royal butler came with a golden tray. On it was a small wooden box.
Rowena furrowed her brows. She didn't recognize the box. What was in it and why did the queen keep it for her for so long?
"What is it, Your Majesty?" she asked.
Queen Lilith shook her head. "I don't know what's inside. It belonged to your father. We found it when the servants were cleaning his room after..."
After Rowena killed him.
The queen didn't continue her words but the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Everyone still remembered the commotion caused by Rowena several days before she was supposed to wed Raphael. She killed her own father and escaped. Then, Raphael followed and they were gone for so long.
Rowena was surprised that the queen kept her father's belonging and waited to meet her to give it to her. She didn't want to have anything to do with Draco Roseland or his belongings... but it seemed the queen didn't understand that.
Rowena was put in an awkward position. She wanted to say no or just took the box and threw it away... but she couldn't do it because it would mean offending the queen. It pained her to think that her mother-in-law still didn't understand how much Rowena hated her father.
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