105: Lie of the Storm Prince

Lie of the Storm Prince

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With a charming smile, the Storm Prince remained unfazed by the question asked of him by the Mother Queen. He replied, 

"I thought you were aware of the purpose of my visit here. It is to find my soulmate, of course."

The Mother Queen and Aziel raised their eyebrows slightly in response to his words. He continued to speak, elaborating,

"I have searched throughout my entire kingdom for years, but my attempts to find her have been in vain. And considering how the bloodline of our ancestral lineage is spread around the nearby kingdoms, I decided I would try my luck here."

The old woman stared at him suspiciously before saying, "I have no objections to you finding your soulmate. However, I doubt that can be accomplished in the middle of the night, wandering through the corridors, can it?" 

"You are right, Queen Ginger," Prince Raylen agreed, which only deepened the Mother Queen's doubts about this man's presence in her palace. He continued, "But I wasn't searching for a woman here; I was merely taking a walk as I couldn't sleep." 

"There is a cellar if you wish to pass the time, or the library. I am certain my minister, Aziel, will be more than willing to assist you. Though I would personally like to warn you to remain in your room and summon a servant with a simple pull of the bell should you need anything," the Mother Queen stated. 

"I will keep that in mind," Prince Raylen replied with a slight bow, earning a nod from the Mother Queen. "I hope you have a good night, Queen Ginger. Minister," he bid them farewell, offering his parting wishes. 

Despite Prince Raylen extending his farewells, the Mother Queen turned on her heel and advanced two steps forward, only to come to a halt. She then turned to look at him and saw him staring back at her. The old woman's lips pursed, as if contemplating something, and she questioned, 

"Have you had the opportunity to meet my two granddaughters? How did your interactions with the two of them go?" 

"Quite pleasant, if you ask me," Prince Raylen responded, giving her a subtle questioning look. 

"Is that so?" the Mother Queen chimed with interest, her voice carrying a sing-song tone. 

Though she wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the Storm Kingdom, she couldn't see any reason why her family couldn't cement their relationship with them if it was meant to be. Although a truce of peace currently existed between the two kingdoms, there had been no alliances in the past. 

As if sensing where the old woman's thoughts were heading, Prince Raylen politely stated, "I have already made contact with one princess, and unfortunately, there was no connection between us." Although his purpose for being there was not to find a soulmate but for another reason, he saw no harm in hoodwinking the woman he had heard was renowned for ardently attempting to match her grandchildren. 

"Oh," there was a hint of disappointment in the Mother Queen's response, and she continued, "What a pity, don't you think? Now, which of the two princesses have you not made contact with yet?" 

"One I am certain is not my soulmate," Prince Raylen replied calmly. 

"Niyasa?" the Mother Queen inquired with a frown, and she couldn't help but feel an internal tinge of worry.

The reason for her concern was that the old woman knew her grandchildren well, and she was aware of Niyasa's menacing nature. If she were to marry the Storm Prince, the trouble she would unleash onto Versailles would be immeasurable. The thought of it filled her with dread; it was something she didn't even want to contemplate. 

"That would be Princess Emily," Prince Raylen replied, and upon hearing his response, the Mother Queen let go of the breath she had been holding, feeling relieved. 

"I see, I see," the Mother Queen replied, and she wondered if Prince Raylen and her granddaughter could be soulmates. But the prince seemed so sure that they weren't, almost as if he already knew who his true soulmate was. And this thought prompted the woman to cast another suspicious glance at him. It would be more advantageous to hasten the prince's departure from the kingdom by introducing him to every woman possible, including her granddaughter. She doubted she would be able to sleep at the possibility of such a surprise, and she asked, 

"You said you weren't able to sleep, right?" 

Prince Raylen had somewhere to be, but it seemed like he had unintentionally gotten himself into a situation that didn't offer him any benefits. Nonetheless, he smiled at the woman as he nodded in agreement with her statement before saying, "Yes. That is right."

"Excellent! Why don't you come with me? Come on!" she insisted, forcing him to walk along with her, with Aziel following closely behind them. They crossed a few corridors, taking the stairs to the floor where the Storm Prince's guest room was assigned. 

When they came to stand in front of a particular room, a wary look appeared on Aziel's face and he began to ask, "Mother Queen, isn't it—"

"Hush now, Aziel. There is work to be done," the Mother Queen interjected before opening the door and stepping inside the room. With light and graceful steps, she approached the bed where her granddaughter was sleeping. She noticed two candles burning brightly beside the bedside and whispered, "Emily?" 

However, Princess Emily was in a deep slumber and remained oblivious to the presence of anyone in her room. The Mother Queen muttered, 

"Remind me not to let any of my grandchildren stand guard while I sleep." She then reached out and gently shook her granddaughter's hand, saying, "Emily, wake up!" 

Emily's eyes sleepily opened, and when she spotted a head hovering in front of her face, she cried out in shock and quickly sat upright in her bed. "It is your grandmother. I am not dead yet for you to scream," the Mother Queen huffed, feeling a strain in her back from leaning over and she straightened her back. 

"Grandmother, what are you doing in my room?!" Emily exclaimed, her heart racing from the fright of seeing the floating head, and she patted her chest to calm herself. 

"There is something that I need to check, and as everyone is awake, I thought why not do it now and save my sleep when I go to bed," the Mother Queen explained as she picked up her granddaughter's night coat and assisted her in putting it on. 

Emily couldn't help but wonder if something had happened to one of her family members, and she hastily donned the coat before following her grandmother out of the room. However, as soon as her eyes fell on Aziel and, next to him, the Storm Prince, the worry disappeared, only to be replaced by confusion. 

"What is going on?" the princess inquired. 

"It is for a future truce. Now shake hands!" the Mother Queen urged them so that she could move past the matter. After all, there was no sense in leaving unfinished business. 

"What truce?" Emily frowned, turning to look at her grandmother, but before she could get an answer, she felt Prince Raylen pick up her hand. Her eyes snapped to the dark red-haired prince's hand that enclosed her hand in his. 

Emily couldn't believe she was making any contact with this prince, who now stared back at her. As she noticed a faint curl at the corner of his lips, it tested her patience, and she swiftly pulled her hand away from his grasp. 

Meanwhile, the Mother Queen and Aziel leaned forward, waiting for the verdict, and heard Prince Raylen say, 

"Like I already knew. She isn't the one."

"Is someone going to tell me what is going on?" Emily demanded from them. 

"I wanted to check if you two are each other's soulmates, but what a disappointment. Quite pitiful," the Mother Queen murmured to herself. 

Was her grandmother serious? Emily blinked in surprise and took a deep breath before saying firmly, "He cannot be my soulmate. My soulmate is going to have blond hair, be tall and kind. His name is going to start with N."

"How can you be so sure? And why haven't I heard about it before?" the Mother Queen questioned curiously. 

"Because of the 'lack of suitors' as my mother stated, she brought a soothsayer when we were in the old palace, who said I would meet my soulmate this year," Emily sighed, feeling slightly exasperated by her grandmother's eagerness. This was no time to look for her soulmate, when there were other pressing matters. She added, "Do you realise it is probably two in the morning?"

"Time sure seems to fly by here," the Mother Queen laughed, noticing the frown on her granddaughter's face. "Pardon your grandmother for waking you up. You can go back to your sleep. And Aziel." 

"Yes, milady?" Aziel, whose head had been nodding in a drowsy state, quickly responded, jerking his head back up to snap to attention. 

"Make sure to see Prince Raylen to his room and attend to any needs he may have," the Mother Queen instructed, smiling at the Storm Prince, which only amused him, and he nodded in acknowledgement. 

"Thank you for your hospitality," Prince Raylen offered the woman a slight bow and added, "Once more, I hope you have a good night, Queen Ginger. Princess."

With that, the two men departed, and the Mother Queen disappeared from the corridor, heading to her room. Meanwhile, the princess stepped back inside her room and closed the door securely, even locking it to ensure no one else would disturb her sleep. 

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Another hour passed, and exhaustion from the tiresome day finally lulled everyone into a deep slumber, including Anastasia, who had initially tossed and turned before being pulled into her dreams with the comfort of the soft bed. 

The candles placed at one side of the room continued to burn, their soft glow casting a warm ambience without disturbing her sleep. Suddenly, the doorknob of her door turned gently before someone quietly entered the room. A shadow trailed along the floor before coming to a halt before the bed, watching Anastasia sleep. 

Several minutes passed before the person's hand reached out towards Anastasia, and at the same time, she moaned in her sleep, uttering, "Mary…"

The person's hand froze in midair upon hearing Anastasia murmur, and upon seeing a tear slip from her closed eye, their fingers withdrew from her. After a moment, their hand moved forward again, gently adjusting the blanket before quietly leaving the room. 

The following day, Anastasia was woken up by Theresa as she entered the room. The woman drew the curtains apart and pushed open the windows, allowing the fresh air and sunlight to filter in. 

"Good morning, Anna! It is time to wake up. I have brought you some refreshments in case you want to eat or drink something…" Theresa's voice trailed when her eyes fell on Anastasia, who was staring at the ceiling of the room. She walked towards the bed and said, "I am sorry… I heard from Mr. Gilbert. Are you alright?" 

"Mm," Anastasia responded before pushing herself to sit upright on the bed. Her mind felt blank, and she gazed vacantly ahead. She said, "He did it so that no one would force me to sleep with them." 

Theresa sat on the edge of the bed and said, "Maybe it is not that bad then, is it? When the time is right, you can ask him to let you go." That wasn't an option, though, Anastasia thought to herself. She switched the subject by saying, "It feels strange to have you serve me. We have always been equals."

"I am more than happy to serve you, Anna. Besides, no one has ever asked me to serve them, so you have elevated my status here," Theresa smiled before picking up the glass of juice and handing it to the young woman. "Drink it. God knows how much you cried. I will prepare the bath for you, as you are expected to join the royal family in the dining room." 

And once Anastasia was dressed in a far more presentable dress, she and Theresa left the room, walking through the corridors. But as they walked, they noticed the maids whispering among themselves. Theresa leaned in and whispered, 

"You are becoming more popular by the day."

Anastasia's lips only tightened as she attempted to ignore what the maids whispered about her. But when they reached the next corridor, she noticed a few servants who looked pale up ahead, prompting her to request,  0

"Give me a minute. I will be back."

"I will be right here," Theresa nodded, watching Anastasia walk forward. 

As Anastasia approached the king's chamber in the corridor, she could hear voices coming from inside the room. When she came to stand before the doorway, she saw the royal family members gathered around the bed. On the bed lay King Maxwell, covered with a white bedsheet stained red with his blood. His hand, which had turned to metal with his ability, was lodged in his chest as his vacant eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. 

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