All Chapters of Provoking a Graceful Bloom: Chapter 201 - Chapter 210

Another hour passed in waiting.Yuvan returned at a brisk pace, lowering his voice to say, "The king and queen's party are on their way. They should be here any moment."Wilfred was coming! The news spread instantly, lifting spirits all around.Sebastian grew so anxious that his brow was damp with sweat. "Lena, His Majesty is almost here. Who else could we possibly be waiting for?"He had a faint suspicion that Selena truly was waiting for someone. But if Wilfred arrived before that person appeared, then it would be taken as a slight against the king, and their right to enter the hunting grounds would be in question.Just then, the sound of hurried hoofbeats echoed from outside.Selena's eyes lit up at once as she rose swiftly to her feet. "Seb, they're here!""They?"Just who was Selena waiting for?Through the hunting ground's outer gates, two figures appeared, both mounted on horseback. To his surprise, both were women.One of them appeared to be in her thirties, clad in d

The Obsidian Monarch's team was unlike any of the others. At its head rode Nathaniel himself, a striking figure in a black robe, half his face hidden beneath a mask. At first glance, his manner seemed almost careless.Drawing his longbow, he nudged his horse forward, and the animal surged ahead like the wind. Nathaniel lifted the bow lazily, as though time itself were of no concern. But the horse had already galloped a considerable distance past the target.A murmur of disappointment rippled through the crowd. This was the famed monarch of the Northern Frontier?The horse had already surged forward, yet he had still not nocked an arrow. Even now, he moved leisurely, fitting the arrow to his bow as though he intended to circle the field twice. But did this first circuit even count? He hadn't so much as loosed a single arrow.Sebastian's brow furrowed, his hands clenched tightly, tension radiating from him. Even Wilfred appeared momentarily vexed, taking a sip of tea as Andrew handed

As Wilfred's brow furrowed in confusion, Andrew hurried to explain, "Your Majesty, the young lady is named Mira Talmar. She is Ms. Freya's elder sister.""Another one of them?" Wilfred asked, his tone carrying a hint of impatience.He could not fathom his son's infatuation with the women of the treacherous Talmar clan. The offspring of traitors and bandits, no matter how accomplished, could never hope to become a crown princess, let alone the mother of a kingdom. What could possibly captivate Frederick so?Sensing the king's growing disapproval, Ruth hurriedly interjected, "Like Freya, Mira distinguished herself during the pacification of the Talmar clan. She sacrificed familial ties for the greater good of the realm, and thereby earned her merit."Adelaide smiled wryly. "It seems the Talmar clan women are truly remarkable. They're prepared to betray their own kin at any moment. Quite astonishing, isn't it?"Ruth's face darkened, her displeasure evident. "What are such things when

Selena and Sebastian's aunt? The wife of Tobias, the Duke of Blackmoor's third son?!Every eye in the field swung toward Qiana in an instant. Tobias had died unmarried, and no one had ever heard of him having a wife. The sudden revelation left many whispering in disbelief.Qiana felt a flush of unease. Her instinct was to retreat and shrink back from the stares. However, a firm hand closed around hers. It was Selena, who held Qiana's hand tightly and knelt before Wilfred without hesitation."My aunt and uncle were trapped on the battlefield at Wyverndale Fields. While their fates were uncertain, they decided to secretly pledge themselves to each other, not wanting to regret anything should they fall in battle. They survived that fight, but Aunt Qiana was sent back to the capital to recover. Just days later, my uncle followed my parents to the Northern Frontier and—"Selena's voice faltered, trailing off.Yet, all present knew the tale. The Duke of Blackmoor's family members had be

At this moment, so many men were staring at Selena's graceful form, completely mesmerized.Frederick let out a cold snort, his displeasure evident. It was as if something that belonged to him had been put on display for everyone to admire. Why did she insist on showing off like that?It would be one thing if she were truly here just to compete. But after so many years together, Frederick knew perfectly well that Selena was a sheltered young lady, delicate and untrained, with no real skill to speak of. Yet she insisted on flaunting herself in front of everyone.How vain of her!Frederick's chest tightened with irritation.Soon, Selena was on horseback. Bow in hand, she urged her horse forward, and it surged ahead without hesitation. The horse wasn't running too fast, but her speed in nocking the arrow was far too slow. By the time the horse reached the target, the arrow was not set yet, and she missed the mark entirely.Earlier, the spectators had held their breath when Obsidian M