เข้าสู่ระบบElena smiled sadly. "Exactly what Elyra tried to show them." She reached for my face. "Remind them that they aren't untouchable."I stared at her. "And what if they won't listen?"Her expression hardened. "Then you protect yourself." She paused. "But never become what they want you to be."I nodded slowly.Mother Elara was quiet during the whole conversation.Elena looked at the silver pendant hanging on my neck. "That pendant."I touched it. "What about it?"Elena's eyes remained on the pendant. "It is the first Nullifier relic. It belonged to Elyra." She finally looked at me. "Aria..." Her voice was different now.My fingers tightened around the pendant. "The first Nullifier relic?" I repeated.Mother nodded slowly. "That is what I said.""It's more than a hundred years, how come it’s still new?""I know. It is supposed to look dull and faded.”"I don’t understand?"Her gaze was fixated on the silver. "When I gave it to you, it was dull."Chills ran up my spine. "What!"Elena looked
Turns out Mother Elara and my mom had the same obsession for herbs. By the time we reached the herb room the following morning, Elena had already forgotten that she was supposed to be a guest.She walked straight toward the shelves. "Is this Silverleaf?"Mother Elara turned around. "Silverleaf?"Elena looked offended. "I was brought up in a herb culture."Elara's eyes widened. "Oh I almost forgot there." she said sarcastically as she laughed. They had both grown up together, so definitely she knew."You never asked," they both started laughing.Within minutes, the two sisters were debating whether a certain root should be dried properly.Nora was observing them with a smirk. "I think we've lost them," she muttered.I grinned. "Yeah, we definitely have."Elena lifted a bunch of dried flowers. "These shouldn't be stored next to lavender."Elara frowned. "Why?""They absorb its scent.""And what's wrong with that?""It affects their medicinal properties."Elara looked at her, then she sm
I closed my eyes. "Thank you for choosing my life, Mother."She pulled me to her and I rested my head on her shoulder. For some time, we remained silent. Then I asked the question that had quietly rested in me. "Did you know about Kael?"Her body stiffened slightly. "I knew that you were married.""You knew?""I knew that you had found yourself a partner and I knew that you had given birth."I pulled away slightly. "How?""Because your blood changed."I frowned. "Changed?""Your powers started to stir." She looked at me carefully. "I knew that you had bonded yourself to someone. I did not know what kind of man he was."I looked away. "He wasn't what I thought he was.""I am sorry you had to go through such humiliation, it hurts me to know I couldn’t protect my only child.”I swallowed. "He rejected me," saying it brought the feeling of humiliation back to me, and I swallowed again but harder. "At the Luna ceremony. Mother, he could have told me before then and I could have left quietl
Aria’s POVI found Draven alone in his study. He was standing at the window, looking at the kingdom.He turned to me as I came in. "You should be sleeping.""So should you."He smiled. "Fair."“But I came to thank you for hosting us, it really means a lot to me.” “It’s a pleasure to me to host your family.”I walked toward him. "Mother and Elena are still talking.""I know."There was something different about his expression.Thoughtful.Nervous, even.I stopped. "What is it?""Nothing." I narrowed my eyes. "You are terrible at lying."He laughed quietly. "The same thing your mother said."I stepped closer to him. "What did you talk about?"He hesitated and then looked at me. "Aria…"Something in his tone made me curious. "What?" I questioned.He took a breath. "I want to marry you."My heart skipped.He went on without pausing. "I've been wanting to for quite some time."I gazed at him. "But I do not wish to ask you just yet.""Why?" I frowned."Because you have spent too many year
The palace had settled into what should be its evening routine. Everyone had gone off to their rooms for the night, the last remnants of the dinner dishes had been cleared by the servants, and I was standing in the doorway of Alpha Draven's study.A servant had shown me the way.I knocked gently."Come in," came his reply from inside.I opened the door.Draven was standing behind his large wooden desk, looking at some of the documents. He quickly looked up when I entered."Elena.""I hope I'm not disturbing you.""You aren't."He put the documents aside. "Please." He motioned toward the chair.I walked into the study but did not take my seat right away. Instead, I looked at him.Draven noticed. "You have something you wish to ask me."A smile played around my lips. "You're observant.""I have to be."I finally took my seat. "I wanted to talk to you without the presence of my daughter."Draven leaned back slightly. "Of course."There was no hesitation in his reply.I folded my hands in
Aria’s POVI had never seen Mother Elara so happy.I mean, I had known her for about six months now, I had seen her in different moods, in different shades of happiness, but never in this height.Draven had decided to host my family to welcome the arrival of my mother. I hadn’t gotten the chance to thank him yet, probably because I hadn’t been able to stay a minute away from my mother.Even the same with Mother Elara.She had been smiling ever since we had left the herb room and even now as we walked into the dining hall, I could see that her eyes were red around the rims with tears.I could hardly blame her.Considering all those years she and my mother had spent apart, it must have felt strange for Elena to sit next to her and have Elena at Draven’s table.The dining hall had been transformed for the evening.There was nothing particularly formal about it.There were no rows of silent servants lining the hall, and there wasn’t enough silverware to make anyone feel intimidated.Inste







