"Whether he suspects or not, that is his part. You need to think about what you have to do. Don't you want to tell him the truth?"
Unlike Drayce, Aureus was someone whose honest emotions were visible on his face. The old lady could clearly see the doubt and worry reflected in the young man's eyes. "I don't know… I am sure it will shock him, but I do not wish for him to think I was deceiving him all along."
"His Majesty is not an unreasonable person. He will be surprised, but he will understand your situation as long as you explain," Lady Tyra assured him.
Aureus didn't reply to her and turned back to look at the scenery outside of the window. Lady Tyra let him brood over his thoughts, acknowledging it wasn't an easy decision to make, but she was thinking about something else.
"Are you perhaps worrying about how Her Majesty the Queen would react to your identity?"
Aureus once again chose to remain quiet. However, at the mention of Seren, he felt his chest turning heavy and he let out a heavy exhale.
Perhaps it was the intuition of a woman, but Lady Tyra found herself frowning at his silence.
She continued, "Are you worried that once you reveal your identity, you won't be treated the same anymore and won't be able to go to Her Majesty like how you used to do as Dusk?"
This time, her words hit him hard and all his worries that he was trying to suppress somewhere in his mind finally surfaced.
Aureus looked at her hesitantly and asked, "Do I really need to reveal myself? Can't I be just like this? I don't mind spending the rest of my life as a pet…"
Lady Tyra sighed upon seeing his shaken form.
'What I was worried about all along indeed happened.'
"Wake up, Aureus," Lady Tyra called out in a manner that made him stiffen, "you are not an ordinary animal and neither are you an ordinary supernatural being. You are a proud member of the Divine Eagle Clan, the descendant with the purest bloodline of your generation. Spending your life as a pet, ignoring your reality to escape, is giving injustice to your existence."
His golden gaze was shaking, but Lady Tyra remained stern in front of him. He was showing what he was actually feeling at this moment, especially so about how much he wanted to be around Seren.
"If she learns the truth…if…" He briefly closed his eyes. "I don't see any other way to remain close to her."
Lady Tyra felt hurt to see him like this but she could not allow him to have such thoughts. "Why do you want to remain close to her? She is someone else's wife—not just anyone, but the wife of the man you think of highly like a brother."
"I know, I know. I never denied this. I accept her as Dray's wife but…am I… am I not even allowed to be around her? Just to be able to see her and look at her, I am satisfied with that. When she talks to me about her thoughts and feelings, thinking I cannot reply to her…this much is enoug—"
"Aureus!" Lady Tyra exclaimed. "I don't approve of this. You are a divine beast who needs to return to your people one day. Being a pure-blooded descendant, you need to continue your bloodline. You need to have a mate and you need to—"
"I don't plan on having a mate," he interrupted her, "and I don't care about going back to my kind or continuing this bloodline. For as long as I am concerned, I am someone who never existed for them. Not having me didn't affect them and such will be the case going forward. I like this life, and I am satisfied with what I have. I wish to continue my life like this."
Lady Tyra sighed inwardly. Drayce was already aware of Aureus' true identity, and he would no longer be treated as his pet now. It would be impossible for Drayce to allow Aureus to remain close to Seren as before.
'How do I explain it to him now?'
Drayce told her not to tell Aureus that he was already aware of his identity, wanting to leave it to him to decide whether he wanted to reveal himself or not.
'If Drayce ever gets wind of what Aureus feels for Seren, he will never even let him lay eyes on her.'
She looked at him with her worry-filled gaze, hoping that she could at least get him to listen to reason.
"Aureus, it's up to you to decide whether you want to reveal yourself, but you cannot let His Majesty know about what you feel for Her Majesty."
Aureus put up a small smile on his face upon seeing the concern she had for him, but it was impossible for him to hide the pain he was feeling. "I feel nothing, Tyra."
Hearing such an obvious lie, Lady Tyra's eyes turned moist. She thought she would be relieved to hear him remain rational, but instead, she felt hurt to witness him trying to mask his real feelings.
The one she considered as her son had fallen for someone who could never be his.
It was unfair. It was truly unfair.
"Aureus, I don't know what to say," she said in a shaky voice.
"You don't need to say anything. I will be fine," he assured. Though the situation was painful, he found it comforting to have Lady Tyra supporting him. She was truly worried for him like a real mother would, and somehow, that helped ease the ache in his heart. "I am sorry for making you worry for me. But rest assured, I will be fine."
Lady Tyra could only nod to what he said, and after a while, she heard him say, "I will take a leave now."
By the time Lady Tyra opened her mouth, the young man had already transformed into his eagle form and flew away.
-----
After having their morning meal together, Drayce and Seren had a short chat with Great Lady Theodora to bid her farewell since the royal couple would be returning to the main grounds of the Royal Palace of Megaris.
"I will miss your presence, Seren," the Great Lady said as she held Seren's hand.
Seren gently tightened her hold on the old lady's wrinkled hand. "I will come visit you again, Grandmother."
"That would be really great," the Great Lady said and raised a brow at her grandson. "I believe you won't plan to keep her only for yourself and allow her to visit this old lady."
Seren also turned to him with a gaze that was seemingly saying, "Can I?"
Drayce smiled at his grandmother. "If my wife wants to be here, I won't dare stop her."
The Great Lady was taken aback by this casual reply from her overly possessive grandson. She expected him to say that he wouldn't send her often because he was not free to accompany her on most days, or something along those lines.
In disbelief, the old lady looked at Seren. "Did you hear that, my dear?"
The young woman's eyes curved to show her amusement. "Yes, Grandmother. I will make sure to visit you as often as I can then."
"Though I am assured that he won't go back on his words, but…"
"But what, Grandma?" Seren asked while Drayce too waited to hear what the old woman had to say.
"Seren, mark my words, when your husband agrees to your wishes easily or is flattering you more than usual, that means he has an ulterior motive. Be vigilant, my dear."
"Ulterior motive?" Seren repeated and looked at Drayce as if to ask if this was true.
He cleared his throat before answering, "Grandmother is teasing you."
"Am I?" the Great Lady asked, a not-so-innocent smirk gracing her elegant features.
"Grandmother, those ulterior motives you speak of are merely efforts of your filial grandson trying to fulfil your wish," he replied.
The talk between the two Ivanovs only confused the innocent queen. Seren wished they weren't talking so vaguely. "Your wish, Grandmother?"
"One of Grandmother's wishes is to have you visit her often," Drayce answered before his grandmother could say anything to his innocent wife.
Great Lady Theodora merely smiled, not denying what Drayce said and then let them leave.
After boarding their boats and reaching the other side of the lake, Drayce escorted Seren to the Queen's residence, leaving her under the care of her servants. He then left for his own palace to clean himself up before starting his day.
When he reached the Grand Palace, Drayce found Slayer waiting for him by the entrance. The knight bowed towards him and then he inquired as they walked together, "Any news about him?"
Following behind the King, Slayer promptly responded, "No news yet, Your Majesty."
"By this time, he should have been here," Drayce said as he glanced about the open grounds.
"As soon as I see any signs, I will inform you, Your Majesty," Slayer replied as the two walked towards the King's study.
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