As soon as the Village Chief stepped into the hut, his gaze was immediately drawn to the bustling activity within.
He recognized several faces among the figures busy grinding herbs, shouting at each other, or tidying the surroundings. The air was thick with tension, and an eerie silence hung among the gathered tree nymphs, who appeared to be protecting someone. He immediately figured that someone was Overseer Anara.
The Village Chief reached out and stopped a man who hurried past him, demanding, "What's happening here?"
Initially annoyed by the interruption, the man's demeanour shifted to one of fear when he saw that it was the Village Chief who had accosted him. He stammered in response, "Overseer Anara... She's... She's about to give birth."
A gust of wind seemed to slap the Village Chief's ears as he stood in stunned silence. His grip on the man involuntarily slackened, and he watched as the man scurried away, looking back in terror.
Through the gaps in the gathered tree nymphs, the Village Chief finally glimpsed a barely conscious Anara, lying beside Greta, who was attending to her, with Ayla at her side
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, LOLA? BRING THE HERBS QUICKLY!" Greta's voice cut through the frantic atmosphere as she gently massaged Anara's swollen belly.
"Overseer Anara is giving birth," the Village Chief muttered repeatedly, still in shock.
"I'M COMING, GRETA! I'M COMING!" Lola's response echoed through the hut as the urgency of the situation became apparent.
"Overseer Anara is giving birth."
….............
Within the mountains
The Castle
Noticing that Elysia wouldn't be waking anytime soon, Orion gently tucked her into the bed and made his way to the castle gates to meet Merida. However, upon his arrival, he found that she had been placed in a room to wait.
After dismissing the guard who had shown him the way, Orion entered the room and was taken aback when he saw not only Merida but also Maya waiting there.
Both of them immediately locked eyes with him, their expressions revealing their surprise.
Maya sprang to her feet and hurried over, coming to a stop in front of Orion. "Mr. Orion, please tell my sister to return to the clan. I made a bet, and even though I lost, I still intend to honour it. There's no reason for her to be here," she said, her voice strong and stern as she bowed with clenched fists.
Orion regarded her with a raised eyebrow before turning his attention to Merida, who had also approached him.
"Please, Mr. Orion, do not listen to my sister. Remember, we consummated our relationship yesterday, making me your wife already. Please do not honour her promise and uphold the agreement we both made, just as I am committed to doing," Merida spoke even more resolutely than Maya.
As she listened to her sister's words, Maya's fists clenched tighter in anger.
'No wonder she seemed so confident about sending me back home,' she thought, her teeth grinding together as she realized that her sister might have outsmarted her once again. "Mr Orion, as the second heiress of the Luminaris clan, it would be unbecoming of me not to honour the promise we made in front of everyone. If you do not wish to proceed with the agreement, then I will not leave. I would rather die here than return to my clan in shame."
"Maya!!" Merida reprimanded her sister sternly.
"What? Do you think I won't keep my word?"
"STOP IT AND GO BACK TO THE CLAN; OTHERWISE, FATHER AND MOTHER WILL BE WORRIED ABOUT YOU!"
"I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!"
Merida and Maya engaged in a heated back-and-forth, their voices filled with frustration and anger.
Orion frowned, observing the escalating argument, and immediately intervened with a sharp, "ENOUGH!" The two sisters fell silent at his command, their eyes dropping to the ground.
They began to fidget under the weight of Orion's stern gaze as the tension in the room continued to build.
"You can both raise your heads," Orion said with a sigh.
Maya and Merida raised their heads and stared at each other once more before refocusing their gazes on Orion, their expressions filled with determination.
"You both want to keep your promises, right?" Orion asked seriously, observing the two eldest heiresses of the Luminaris Clan.
They both nodded their heads in agreement.
"Alright, then that settles it. Since you two want to honour your agreements so much, I see no reason to be unfair. I'll keep my agreement with the other, so from now on, you two will become my partners," Orion said, nodding approvingly.
He noticed the stunned expressions on the two girls' faces and knew they were not expecting this outcome.
Merida snapped out of her daze and immediately said, "Mr. Orion, you can't...".
"I can't what?" Orion asked with a raised brow, before he shook his head. "Please don't misunderstand me, Merida. You are already my partner, so there is no way I would nullify our agreement. However, for your sister, I don't think it would be proper to break her agreement either if she also wants to stay and become my partner," Orion added as he shifted his attention towards Maya.
"Will you keep our agreement, become my wife, and honour the number of wishes you promised? Remember, you are no longer forced into this agreement. It's entirely up to you whether you want to proceed or not." He asked.
"Yes," Maya responded sharply, without hesitation.
She glanced at her elder sister's pale expression from the corner of her eye and added, "I am willing to get married to you and uphold the agreement that we've made. Nothing can change my mind."
Orion noticed that Merida's expression grew even paler after her sister's response. He sighed internally, thinking, 'Poor girl.'
He naturally understood what Merida was trying to do. Unfortunately, she had a very stubborn and righteous sister. But fortunately, whatever worries she had were unnecessary, as he would naturally treat all his women well.
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