The next morning, the Crown Prince of Abetha escorted the royalty of Megaris and Griven for the capital city of his kingdom. It was going to be a two to three day' journey, with their large group taking comfortable stops at the homes of different territory lords along the way. The journey went smoothly, and before they realized it, they were entering the gates of the capital of Abetha.
Unlike other kingdoms, the capital city of Abetha didn't have a different name from the kingdom itself, and this had to do with its not-so-humble origins. According to records, in the past, Abetha used to be a mere merchant city of a fallen empire that had gradually gained independence.
When the royal entourage reached the Royal Palace of Abetha, grand arrangements were made to welcome the King and the Queen of Megaris who arrived there along with the Crown Prince of Griven. They were able to enter unhindered, and a long assembly of uniformed knights with their ceremonial swords raised filled their view, starting from the gates up until they reached the palace.
Their carriages soon stopped, and it could be seen that the hospitality of Abetha was quite elaborate, showing the highest form of respect for these esteemed guests. The welcoming party was personally led by King Armen and Queen Niobe, and all the important personages of the palace—from the administrators to the ministers, along with other members of the Ilven Royal Family, like Seren's cousins and their close relatives—were present.
From their expressions, especially the young ones, they were obviously eager to see Seren and her husband, wanting to know how they were doing after their rushed marriage. Most of them wanted to know if the rumors they had been hearing were true—that the King of Megaris treated his Queen exceptionally well.
From the entourage, the first to move was Cian. He climbed off his horse and went towards his parents, standing by the side of King Armen to whisper a few words to his father. Everyone else's eyes were fixed at the largest carriage which was meant for the King and the Queen of Megaris.
Two royal knights in their mid twenties wearing the black uniform of Megaris went to their King and Queen's carriage. From the medals and ribbons on their chests, one would know these two men were the highest ranking knights under the King of Megaris, the commander and vice-commander of the royal knights.
Slayer opened the door of the carriage while a servant had already arranged a stool below the door.
A man too beautiful to be real was the first to step down the carriage, his long midnight black hair particularly eye-catching under the large golden crown on his head. This was not the first time some of them had seen the young king, but back then, Drayce had just come back from the battlefield, and his bloodlust was particularly strong, especially after he had thrown the royal court of Abetha in turmoil. In their heads, his figure was etched as a person of domineering belligerence. Rather than his appearance, their focus was on this devil's tyrant-like personality.
Today, under the eyes of the people, Drayce Ivanov came with a dignity befitting a ruler of a nation. His scarlet eyes were as red as the rubies on his crown, yet rather than the freezing coldness the welcoming party expected, what they saw was an unbelievably soft expression on his face as he turned his head to the side to escort the person coming down after him.
When he offered his hand to the person climbing down the carriage, a delicate hand accepted his support, the blue-green scales at the back of the hand clearly visible for everyone to see.
A young woman with a delicate figure, wearing a silver tiara and a luxurious robe preferred by the eastern kingdoms, came into the crowd's sight. With a veil covering her face, only her purple eyes could be seen, and it was an appearance both feared and hated by many. When she stepped out of the carriage, though her movements were graceful, many of the onlookers had to lower their heads or turn away, unable to bear the sight of her return.
After Drayce helped Seren down, the couple turned to look at the King and Queen of Abetha who were quietly waiting to welcome them. Though he tried to hide it, King Armen looked pleased to see his youngest daughter, and at his side, Queen Niobe wore a polite smile that carried the dignity of a queen.
"Welcome to Agartha, King Drayce and Queen Seren," King Armen greeted. "I hope the Dragon of Megaris has been well since we've last met."
"The past few months had been my happiest, King Armen," Drayce replied, neither arrogant nor servile, his words and tone acknowledging that he treated Abetha as an equal to his kingdom, and that the relationship of the two kingdoms were closer than mere allies.
"That is the best news I have come to hear."
As the two monarchs exchanged pleasantries, King Armen glanced at Seren, wishing to study her quiet appearance, wanting to check if she had gotten thin or if she showed signs of ill, but to his surprise, she met his gaze with a tranquil look.
"It was by King Armen's grace that we are able to enjoy this good fortune," Seren remarked, her voice steady and clear, a far cry from her past self who was unable to join even the simplest conversations among nobility.
Shock seemed to ripple among those who heard her, and in King Armen's eyes, the worry in his eyes faded, replaced by relief.
"You two must be tired due to the long journey. We have made ample arrangements for your stay inside the palace. A welcome banquet has been prepared tonight. Please have a rest first," Queen Niobe interjected to break the silence. "Lord Eudes, may you lead the King and Queen of Megaris to the guest palace?"
The King's aide, Lord Eudes, was ready to guide their way but…
"Dray, I wish to stay in my tower."
Everyone heard Seren speaking casually towards her lord husband, even wrapping a hand around his arm.
Dray? Did they just hear her call her husband in such an affectionate way in public? They all looked at the couple in surprise. No one wanted to believe that the King of Megaris cherished this witch who they hated with all their might to the point he would let this social blunder slide.
However, they were bound to be disappointed. Drayce turned to look at his wife and he moved her hand up, only to put his other hand over hers and caress it affectionately. "Whatever you wish, my Queen." Drayce looked at the Queen of Abetha. "Queen Niobe, I would like our lodging arrangements to be as my Queen wants. Please arrange for both of us to stay in her tower."
At this moment, Seren's attention was at how Drayce called her. It was the first time ever Seren found the importance and weight to the words he used to call her 'My Queen'. It sounded ordinary to her since she was used to it, but this was not the case for these people. It showed everyone how important she was to him, and for the first time, she didn't wish to complain about him not calling her by her name.
"That tower might not be as comfortable as the guest palace for King Drayce," Queen Niobe replied. As she was the one in charge of the affairs within the palace, she knew best about the difference between these two places.
"I will be comfortable anywhere as long as my Queen is by my side. Rest assured," Drayce countered.
Seren had no word to stay. Initially, she wanted to ask Drayce to stay in the guest palace arranged for them, and she alone can stay in the tower so she could reminisce about her past, but she swallowed her words because of what he said. She felt over the moon, to be the object of his affection, and she could see the envy in the eyes of some of the women in the crowd.
In the end, Queen Niobe had to look at her husband for his opinion.
"As per your wish, King Drayce," King Armen agreed.
Only a few people seemed happy to see the King of Megaris showing tender affection to their princess—King Armen, Prince Cian, among others.
Though Queen Niobe smiled. "Then, I ask that the King and Queen of Megaris enjoy a stroll around our garden while I ask the servants to make proper arrangements. Lord Eudes, please guide our esteemed guests."
Lord Eudes bowed before the two. "King Drayce, Queen Seren, do you wish to accompany this old man for a stroll? However, if you wish to rest or freshen up, I can also escort you to the guest palace to temporarily stay until Queen Seren's tower is arranged."
Drayce first looked at Seren. "What do you say, my Queen?"
She nodded to what Eudes had offered.
Drayce looked back at the old man. "We shall rest first then."
At this point, people would be blind if they were unable to realize the situation. Despite not wanting to believe it, the infamous King of Megaris, the feared Devil King, followed every word his wife said.
Has she bewitched her husband? Were witches truly scary creatures capable of bewitching even the most extraordinary men?
No one could voice their thoughts out loud, and those women, regardless of age, could only envy her.
After that, they did not immediately leave as they waited for Arlan to exchange a few words with King Armen. Though he was of less importance than the King and Queen of Megaris, the Crown Prince still came as a representative of the Cromwell Royal Family, not to mention he was the brother of King Armen's future son-in-law. No one was surprised to see Prince of Griven with the Royals from Megaris as everyone was aware of the friendship between Drayce and Arlan.
Soon, their way was guided towards the guest palace.
Cian also followed them as he walked with Prince Arlan whose stay arrangement was also made in the same guest wing as the royalty from Megaris.
"Your face cannot suppress the happiness you are feeling at this moment, Prince Cian. Why so fussy? Smile if you want to smile," Arlan commented.
"Not everyone is good at putting on a pretty smile on their faces, Prince Arlan, though that smile most of the time is nothing but a mask."
Arlan smirked. "Rest assured, you are among the few lucky people who are spared from that mask."
Cian faked a sigh as he said sarcastically, "Such a relief."
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A/N- New month started. Kindly vote all your golden tickets to "The Devil's Cursed Witch" as Double golden ticket event is still ongoing for this week.
Mass Release will be there if we reach 3rd spot in the event.
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