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As soon as Seren was near enough, Drayce held her in his arms and lowered his head to meet her gaze. "Seems like the talk went really well."

She nodded. "I now feel relieved and free of guilt." She nestled her face into his embrace and asked, "Dray, though you told me before you won\'t, but I want to say it again."

"Hmm?"

"I will be devastated if you ever accept another woman in your life. On that very day you betray my trust, I will leave you and you will never see me again."

Drayce chuckled and tightened his hold around her. "Very well, I will keep that in mind."

He didn\'t have to assure her again and again. There was no need for as his heart was hers and hers alone. To him, only one woman existed in his world—his wife, his Queen, Seren Ivanov. No one else could ever fill that role.

—--

In the garden of Queen Niobe\'s residence, the Crown Prince of Abetha arrived.

He saw his mother quietly standing by the railing of the gazebo and approached her with measured steps. He had long been aware that his sister had come to have tea with their stepmother and he knew the reason of it very well.

Cian entered the gazebo and walked to stand next to his mother, but Niobe was too lost in her own thoughts. She was gazing vacantly at the flowers in full bloom. She didn\'t even realize his arrival.

To her surprise, she felt a warm hand covering her own resting on the railing of the gazebo. She glanced at the hand and then its owner.

"Cian."

Her son smiled at her, gently asking the Queen, "What are you thinking so deeply about, Mother?"

She returned her attention back to the greenery and replied. "It\'s nothing much."

Cian followed his mother\'s gaze.

"Mother."

"Yes?"

"I always wanted to say something but didn\'t know how to begin. Today, however, it feels like the right moment."

"What is it?"

There was silence for a moment before Cian spoke with sincerity, "I have always wished to thank you for being a good mother to me. For raising me to what I am today. For nurturing me despite your own struggles. You have been a great mother, and please do not ever forget how amazing you are."

Cian detected a slight tremor in his mother\'s hand that he was holding. He was not lying when he said those words. They were his genuine feelings. He knew his mother\'s love towards him was real, and she always wished the best for him. Cian might not be a son who came from her womb, but he was the son she raised with painstaking effort and unwavering devotion.

Niobe stood in silence, dignified and elegant as ever, her face tranquil despite her shaken heart.

The recent conversation with Seren had already left her emotions in turmoil, and now even her son—why was it that all of a sudden everyone seemed intent to see her shedding tears?

Niobe was a proud woman, never allowing anyone to see her be fragile and vulnerable. Not now, not ever. In her mind, a strong woman would not easily shed tears.

All these years, despite being betrayed and ignored, despite enduring in silence, she never shed a single tear. It was quite a contradiction, because now she realized that her efforts were not for naught, under Seren\'s and Cian\'s words of affirmation and kindness, her eyes began to turn moist.

\'So this is what it meant to shed tears of happiness.\'

But, still, she was Queen Niobe Ilven, the lofty Queen of Abetha, and she refused to  let her real emotions be seen.. She held her tears back.

After taking a deep breath, she spoke, "You are leaving for Othinia tomorrow."

"Yes, Mother. The preparations are complete."

"Have you thought about meeting the Princess of Othinia?"

"Mother, I have made it clear that I don\'t want a political marriage," he said with an apologetic tone.

There was silence for a while before Niobe spoke again, "Cian, you must think that your mother is too ambitious, isn\'t it?"

"No, Mother, I know you worry for me."

"I won\'t deny that I am ambitious," Niobe spoke. "I am so ambitious that I even feel it proper that my son should rule the entire continent."

"Ruling over such a vast land will overwork me to death, Mother." Cian chuckled lightly. "Besides, I prefer how things are. To follow your wish, the continent will first be plunged into a great war and countless people will suffer unnecessarily for decades to come."

"I know," Niobe replied, acknowledging his words. "What I wish to convey is that despite my own ambition, the last thing I would ever want is for you to be in a loveless marriage."

Cian turned his head to look at his mother, taken aback by her statement.

Niobe met his gaze directly. She looked deeply into his eyes and said, "Cian, men of your stature get married for only two reasons. One is when they have found a person they fancies, and the second, when there are political benefits to gain. You are not only the Crown Prince of Abetha, you are the sole heir of this kingdom. The royal bloodline of the Ilvens will continue through you.

One day, you have to choose a woman to marry."

Cian attentively listened to his mother\'s words, a display of a filial son.

Niobe continued, "You are in your mid-twenties, yet you do not show a single interest in any noblewoman. It does worry me that you keep ignoring the subject of your marriage; afterall, the subject of a Crown Princess is sensitive. Still, it does not matter if you get a lover. In the end, you will end up marrying a woman.

"Isn\'t it better that it is a woman you at least have ties with? Even if  there is no love, the two of you will have respect for each other. If there are political gains after marrying her, then that is a blessing. However, before worrying about all those, you must first interact with a woman who has the potential to be your lover."

Cian fell silent as his mother was right.

"That is why, I took the initiative to select someone suitable for you. That doesn\'t mean I want you to outright marry her, but I want you to consider her when you make your decision. When you go to my homeland, try to get to know about this princess in person. If you find yourself liking her, we can think about giving a marriage proposal.

If not, then I will introduce another person who I think will be a good match to you."

Her words struck a chord within Cian, forcing him to acknowledge her wisdom.

"I will try, Mother, but I cannot assure anything. I am going to Othinia for the kingdom alliance summit, but there are several important things I need to do as well. I might not get the time to spend at leisure."

"I am glad that you at least did not say \'no\'."

Cian smiled. "It\'s hard to say \'no\' to you, Mother, when you are so good at reasoning out things."

A hint of a smile, faint like a ghost, curved Niobe\'s lips. It had been so long since she had smiled for real. Perhaps, the last time Cian remembered it was in his childhood. The circumstances that plagued the Queen had seemingly eroded her capacity to smile.

In that moment, multiple memories flashed from his childhood days with his mother— when she was playing with him, running after him, teaching him, scolding him, feeding him food, trying to coax him when he was sad, among countless others.. Niobe had been there for him every step of the way and he was grateful.

"Where did your thoughts wander?" he heard his mother ask and it brought him back to his senses.

Cian shook his head. "Nowhere significant."

Mother and son settled around the table, delving into a discussion about the upcoming summit. Being knowledgeable in politics, not to mention before becoming the Queen of Abetha, she was a princess from Othinia, the daughter of the previous King, she could guide her son well.

She could provide him with resources to help him in his affairs, after all, despite being in another kingdom, she was a relative to the current Othinian Royal family. She did not let her original foundation go to waste.