CHAPTER 150: SILENT CRIES, HIDDEN LONGINGS

Ariana’s lips parted as her throat felt dry, but she managed to maintain her expression. She was Queen. Stephanie, shocked by the news, raised her head, worry etched on her face. She had not expected that at all. How could a family member be this heartless? she wondered.

The seer’s eyes cleared as she stood upright. She cursed herself inwardly, for she should not have checked. Now, the thing about seers was that they observed and made mental notes, and when they reached their place, they checked.

Because while they checked, another seer stayed close by with a book and pen to write it down. As they checked, they began to spill the words without control, and that was why they did not do it in front of people—only after they had checked.

That was why she had spilled it. She had not wanted to do this, but the shock had made her want to confirm. The silence right now was deafening. The Queen Mother, who had been busy eating, stopped.

She was worried as well. Her situation was not as bad, for her immune system was strong, and waking up would only feel like waking up on a normal day. She was royal; her blood was strong. That was why she could not be killed by Lady Emberg—that was why Lady Emberg had to use the flower poison.

She noticed the quietness of the Queen. Lady Stephanie, who had been dumbfounded, felt even more dumbfounded. She was just worried..not for herself, but for the Queen.

Ariana straightened her posture as she spoke, her expression giving nothing away.

"Make sure that the Queen Mother’s room is prepared and taken care of," she said, and one of the maids bowed respectfully. The seer blamed herself for her rashness. If she had not said this, they would have simply found ways to know Lady Stephanie’s, but now she had added more fuel to the fire.

Still, she was more surprised at how the Queen was so calm—extremely calm—that she was a little scared and surprised. She knew that when a person kept that kind of expression, it meant they had received worse before.

Ariana walked, turning to Stephanie with a small smile, and then she spoke. A maid at the other side listened.

"Get Lady Stephanie a cup of water," she said. Stephanie looked at her. She knew that look...the Queen was close to being broken.

"Luna A... Ariana, would you not like some water as well?" Stephanie asked. She did not like what was happening today—all the bad news.

She had never once thought a bright day would turn this way, by actions and words. She was too shocked, but nothing would prepare her for the fact that her parent and the Queen’s Mother died on the same day.

Ariana smiled at her words.

"Don’t bother about me, Lady Stephanie. Yours is even more important."

With that, she began to leave, her face calm. As she climbed the stairs, her legs shook slightly, her body feeling weak. Ariana held her hand against the wall, holding her head. Her vision was already getting blurry, so blurry—but she managed to climb the stairs. She would not want anyone seeing her in this state.

She climbed until she reached the top floor. She moved, opening a door—not to her room, but another. The room was not that large; it looked like a painting room. She moved and closed the door. Her lips trembled as her heart squeezed. Her body moved as she sat on the floor, her golden blonde hair now covering her face.

Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she tried to hold them, but they kept falling. She used her hands to cover her face as she moved up her knees, now resting her face on her crossed arms.

"Z... Zavren, please come home. I miss you so much... please, I d..do not know what to do now. I have no idea what to do."

She sniffed, her face red as her throat felt like a lump rested there. She tried to breathe, but it grew rapid. Her lashes parted as she bit her lips. She used her hands to face-palm herself, but the tears would not stop falling—her soft sobs echoing through the room.

"Zavren, p..please, I do not want this war. I want you to come. Let’s not fight again—we will figure out a way to heal her. I miss you. I d..don’t want to lose...you too, p..please."

The way she looked right now was like some kind of emotional yet sophisticated artwork, her golden hair catching the sun that was about to set through the window. She looked like a fragile painting that was too delicate, unable to be touched by mere hands—something pure.

"We are waiting...Little Vreni and I are waiting for you, honey. I promise I try to be very optimistic, I try to be strong, but today I don’t know if I can anymore. I want you. I want to hold you, touch you, and feel you. I l..love you so so much, honey, please."

Her cracked voice echoed as her shoulders trembled slightly.

****

Back at the castle, Pandora typed as the sound of the typewriter echoed softly in the room. For some reason, she began to feel hurt. Tears began to fall from her eyes. She knew this had happened before, but it was once in a while.

So why was it happening now? Was it because of the help Raven had given her? No, she was grateful for that, but she was sure it was not that at all. She tried her best to think, but nothing—her chest just felt tight, and she felt emotional.

"Why can’t I stop crying?" she said to herself as she cleaned her tears.

The door opened, and she turned, her eyes finally locking on Raven.

Raven’s eyes widened as he noticed Pandora’s tear-streaked face. He moved, his face looking slightly shocked. He was not supposed to be here now, as he had work to do, but he decided to come and check on her—even though he had promised himself he was just coming to check on her, as he was meant to keep an eye on her.

Even though he knew it was more than that, nothing would have prepared him for this...

"R... Raven."

Before he knew it, Pandora hugged him tightly, her face resting on his chest. Since she was short in height, Raven could see the middle of her hair.

He was still shocked by the hug. He moved and hugged her back, wondering what had happened. Her shoulders were trembling badly as she cried so deeply.

He moved, caressing her back, while his other hand moved to her hair, rubbing it gently. He was patient, but he wondered if one of the guards had said something to her. Did someone talk badly about her while he left the room? His face darkened as he spoke.

"Tell me Dora, who spoke badly about you?"

Pandora raised her head. Raven’s body immediately turned still—he did not expect that at all. It was like he was spellbound by her gaze. Her blue teary eyes, which looked like the ocean, just stared at him. Then she spoke.

"R... Raven, I don’t know why I am crying. I feel it...pain and it hurts, an unbearable pain, like something had happened."

Raven’s eyes widened. He had not expected that at all. He just stared at her in silence as she looked at him. He did not know why he could not shift his gaze from her watery blue eyes—it was like he had seen lights.

"Is that why you are crying, Dora?" he asked as he noticed her sniffing softly, her face flushing before she nodded and pressed her face against his chest.

Her hands were still wrapped around him, even though his frame was much bigger, and her hands could not touch each other on either side.

"I don’t know why I cried..." she confessed. Truthfully, she had no idea why. She knew she had been very normal earlier, typing and writing her story, and then all of a sudden, she felt sadness.

"I don’t know... but I do not feel it again. Is it because I am hugging you?" she asked curiously as she stared up at him. Raven just remained silent.

He did not know why this lady always spoke her mind. She should not forget he was a man too, with thoughts.

"You smell so good, Raven. I can hug you all day," she spoke softly, her tiny sweet voice rolling through.

Raven cleared his throat as his ears burned lightly. He turned his face to the side as he noticed the way she looked up at him, her chin resting on his chest, her eyes fixed on him, her hands still wrapped around him.

"You don’t say such things to a man, Pandora."

"But I haven’t said this to any man but you. Is there something wrong with my words?" she asked curiously and innocently.

Raven nodded as he looked at her, trying not to be spellbound by her beauty and her eyes.

"Yes, there is a lot wrong. I am a man, and I have lots of bad thoughts... like touching you and..."

Raven had no idea why he was saying this. Maybe this would make her stay away from him, since his mind was going crazy already. He had tried to hold himself for weeks, and any longer, the walls might crack.

"But we are touching now," Pandora spoke, and Raven’s body stilled. She still did not understand what he meant.

"I don’t mean this touching. I mean like... touching your private... like your breast." He knew he must have sounded so perverted, but that was the truth. Maybe that would make her push herself away from him.

"Go ahead, you can touch them..."

Raven’s eyes widened at her words. Did he just hear what she said? He could not believe it.

She pulled away, and Raven’s eyes drifted down to her chest before he quickly shifted his gaze. Pandora had large, perfect breasts, and it was obvious.

"But you have to promise me...if you touch mine, I will touch yours."