Lady Saira smiled at the old lady's casualness and walked ahead while the Great Lady remained at the sideline.
"Your Excellency, you have a guest," the younger woman called out as she carried with her a wooden tray in her hand that had a pitcher of water and a glass.
However, Theron was so immersed in his practice that he still didn't notice that someone was calling out for him.
"Your Excellency?" she called out once more, this time a bit louder.
Theron stopped but didn't turn to look at her. He only looked at his sword as his finger ran along the flat side of the steel blade.
It was nothing new for Lady Saira and she informed him, "Mother is here to see you."
Theron turned to look at where his mother was standing and heard Lady Saira again, "Please have a drink first, Your Excellency."
Theron took the glass of water from her but not even once did he look at Lady Saira. He emptied the entire glass in one gulp, and after Lady Saira got it back from him, she handed him a small towel so he could wipe his sweat.
Inside the Obsidian Palace, Lady Saira was not only Theron's wife, she was also his butler, his attendant, and his maidservant.
Once again, he accepted the towel without a word and wiped his sweat with it. After handing over that towel back to Lady Saira and putting his practice sword back in the stands, he approached his mother.
Theron slightly bowed in the presence of the Great Lady. Before he could say a word, he heard his mother scold him.
"Are you a child, Theron? Will you keep me worrying for you till the day I die?"
Theron understood why his mother was like this, but he pretended ignorance of the matter.
"I am fine, Mother. There is no need to worry."
"How dare you hold a sword when you are injured like this?" the old lady scolded, hitting the ground with her cane to show how displeased she was with her son.
Theron did not even show remorse on his face.
"It's but a small injury. It doesn't even hurt. You worry for nothing, Mother," the man countered as he escorted her out of the practice grounds, matching his pace with her slow steps.
The Great Lady sighed. "At such an old age, you make your mother come to see you like this instead of you coming to me. Such a filial son I have."
Thereon realized he had not visited his mother in a while and could not talk back to his mother.
"I will try to visit often," was all he could say.
While walking, the Great Lady said, "Did the seeds I and Seren planted germinated this time or was it the same as before?"
"There are seedlings," he replied dryly.
"Is that so?" A small smile adorned her aged face. "Shouldn't you be happy that this time those seeds are not dead? It's been twenty years since you tried your hand at gardening and you always failed."
Theron didn't comment on it and heard his mother say, "Let me take a look at it."
Silently conceding, they both walked towards the part of the garden where a row of clay pots could be seen arranged in a tidy manner. Small sprouts could be seen growing in the lightly damp soil. Seeing them filled with vitality, the old woman let out a pleasant laugh.
"Wonderful! Soon, you will see beautiful flowers blooming here."
Theron remained quiet at her side, and his mother turned to him. "I have sent camellia plants to the Queen's residence. I look forward to once again witnessing the sight of that place blooming with these flowers. Like in the past." She was referring to the days when Esther was with them.
The pair of mother and son then walked towards the gazebo close to them. Even without them saying anything, Saira approached them with the other servants, bringing freshly brewed tea for them. Since Theron had yet to have his morning meal as well, Saira had the servants place warm dishes in front of the man. After serving tea for them, the younger woman left without a word.
Seeing her retreating figure, the Great Lady commented as she enjoyed the warmth of the tea, "Is she not a thoughtful lady? She has been by your side for two decades. Will it hurt if you acknowledge her at least once?"
Theron had a sip of tea and replied, "This is how servants are treated."
The Great Lady sighed as he watched him eat without a change of expression. She didn't know what to say to her stubborn son. She changed the topic, "Since Seren stepped inside this palace, everything seems to be returning to normal. Things that have been stuck for years have finally started to move."
"Mother, are you here to praise the new Queen of our kingdom?" Theron asked as if she didn't matter to him.
"Don't forget she is your daughter-in-law as well," the old lady said in a strict tone. "Had she ever done or said something to you that offended you? From what I heard, not only did you not look even a bit welcoming to her, you did not even give her a chance to get to know you. That innocent child had finally brought happiness to your son's life. The least you could do is show basic respect."
"Happiness?" Theron scoffed a little. "Is there such a thing? I am afraid of him being delusional like how I was once because of his mother. He might end up hurt just like me."
The Great Lady didn't like what she heard and asked in a displeased tone, "And why do you think so?"
Theron brought down the spoon and fork in his hands, as if he had lost his appetite. "That flower mark!" he said and looked at his mother. "She has the same mark just like what she had on her wrist." Theron preferred to never say his wife's name and always addressed her as 'she' whenever she was mentioned. "Mother knows who she was and this new queen is known to be her kind."
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