CHAPTER 190: HIS PAST

"Is it possible to see my husband’s past?" Ariana asked the Queen Mother softly. In the Queen Mother’s lap was a sheet of paper, and she held a pencil as she wanted to sketch something.

Ariana had been so curious to ask about her husband’s past, but she hadn’t known how to put it into words.

The Queen Mother stared at her, surprised and caught off guard by Ariana’s question. This was exactly what Ariana had planned to ask today, even before the maid had come in to tell her that the Queen Mother wanted to speak with her.

"Tell me, why such a question, my queen? It’s not impossible, but..." she trailed off, urging Ariana to answer before she continued.

Ariana laughed softly as she spoke. "I’m just curious, Queen Mother. I figured it would be a little fun, knowing my husband’s past. Now, hearing that it’s not impossible gives me hope—lots and lots of hope."

A soft smile graced the Queen Mother’s lips as she looked at Ariana. This lady really was smart; she could already see the excitement building.

"Warning, I will not be held accountable for any little heartbreak," she said. Ariana tilted her head, curious about what the Queen Mother meant.

"Mother, you’re not telling me something... Is there something I have no idea about?" she asked, now even more intrigued.

"Not that serious, sweetheart. You know your husband had many secret admirers back then—including someone you know."

Ariana’s eyes widened. Someone I know? she thought. What did she mean by that.

She raised her brow and tried to piece it together, but nothing connected. The Queen Mother’s lips curled into a small smile as she watched Ariana think deeply. She wondered what would happen if Ariana ever found out everything that had happened.

"Do not stress your head over this. This is more reason why you shouldn’t check... not now, at least," the Queen Mother said. Ariana raised a brow, clearly curious.

"You know one thing about Alphas: before they find their mate, it could take years. They might marry someone, but that doesn’t mean that person is the chosen one or the first wife—more like a mistress who stays within the castle till the mate is found ," she explained.

Ariana’s brow furrowed. She didn’t fully understand, but she knew the Queen Mother often spoke briefly, and it always made sense later. She wondered why she was saying all this now.

"There was a lady King Zavren was supposed to marry when he was a prince. The King had wanted him to marry... her name, I can’t quite remember," the Queen Mother said, raising her hands to her chin.

Immediately, Ariana’s chest tightened. She knew this was in the past, but the feeling now was almost unbearable—as if her heart were being shredded.

"Precisely... precisely. That was her name. At that time, people thought they were mates. But he caught off the idea of marrying anyone, and the king m.my... husband—accepted that .

Everyone was shocked, knowing how strictly the king adhered to his words. They had thought he would marry her, but he openly said he wouldn’t. That if he did he would hurt her. Surprisingly, the king respected his decision and finally accepted his choice of meeting his true mate," the Queen Mother said, shifting her gaze from the rough sketch to Ariana. Even though Ariana appeared calm, jealousy seeped through.

"This is why I said not to check... not for now," she added.

Ariana’s curiosity only deepened. Why would the Queen Mother tell her not to check for now? What had happened between them? Zavren had never spoken to her about such things before... or was she not important enough to be in his thoughts?

"See what I mean?" the Queen Mother chuckled. Ariana snapped out of her deep thoughts and turned to the lady, who continued her sketching.

"This is why I said not to check. You haven’t even checked, and I’ve just told you a little story—and here you are, already thinking of ways to confront him," she said, letting out a laugh that plainly said: I told you so.

Ariana’s expression was as calm as ever, a gentle smile moving across her lips.

But then her body shivered, as if she had suddenly felt something. Ignoring the feeling, she finally spoke.

"Oh, why would I confront him, hmm?" she said, moving her hands back to casually check her nails. The Queen Mother’s lips parted in surprise as a smile spread across her face.

Ariana had subtly shown the ring on her finger, making it look as if she were just staring at her nails. The Queen Mother could not believe it—she simply stared in awe at the lady’s cleverness.

Ariana looked at her, and they both laughed. She knew the Queen Mother had noticed; she had made sure never to remove her ring. Zavren had kept it with him throughout the years. She had no reason to confront him when he was already hers—and the ring alone gave her even more reason not to.

Suddenly, quick footsteps echoed. Ariana stood immediately. Footsteps so hurried could not just be heard—they meant something serious. Her heart stopped as she realized it was Leah, not a maid.

She moved as Leah bowed, her face pale. Ariana’s heart began to race; she did not like this at all.

"Y-your grace... P-Princess Anavren," Leah stammered, her lips trembling as she struggled to calm herself. Ariana looked impatient, and the Queen Mother rose, moving her stick as she tried to see what was happening.

"She... she is missing," Leah said, her words immediate and frantic.

Ariana’s vision blurred. This had never happened before—it shocked her. Leah had not expected a well-behaved little Vreni to suddenly go missing , and the news left her equally stunned.

Before Leah could say more, Ariana moved quickly, climbing the stairs. She could not believe what Leah had just said. It had barely been half an hour since she left her little baby; how could this happen?

Entering the room, she searched frantically. Her throat tightened as she tried to calm her racing thoughts. Where was her child? It could not be possible. How could Vreni be missing in this small duplex—it wasn’t even a castle.

Her hands trembled in fear. Leah wanted to cry; she had never thought a day like this would come. She had been careless. The baby had been left in her care, and she had failed. If only she had not gone to rinse the stain on the towel after feeding Vreni. Normally, Vreni was always there, playing, walking, or lying on the mat, babbling playfully. But today was different.

Her knees felt weak as she moved downstairs to check. She was glad the railing had been changed, now perfectly safe for children. She had never found the use for it—until today.

Ariana didn’t know why, but the moment Leah said her little one was missing, she felt her world stop again. This was the same way she had felt on the day her husband had stopped breathing. It was the same feeling she had felt the day they... didn’t know what had left. Leah’s lips trembled. That was how scared she had gotten.

Ariana knew how she had tried over these past years to carefully guide her child to understand more about her father—showing her many things about Dada and then Momma—so her child would not grow up thinking that she only had a mother caring for her, unaware that she already had a dad as well. And even though things hadn’t gone as planned, Irena still held deep faith that one day she would see her daughter in her husband’s arms.

That was why she made sure to be a very good mother—not a perfect mother, but a very good mother—and a very good queen.

She had also brought that Zavren painting, and most of the time she would point to it and tell her little one that this was her Dada when he was little, just like her. She always shared stories about him, often finishing a story before her little one would ask questions, her little one was very intrigued.

Ariana stepped out, her mind briefly nudged to check her husband’s room, but she pushed the thought away. She had never taken Anavren there.

The only time she had tried was to coax her baby to say "dada," which had failed—Vreni had said "momma" instead.

She finally turned, her eyes landing on the door, and her body froze. The door was opening. Her heart accelerated; she could not believe her little one might enter there. She did not want Vreni to see Zavren in his presence state. Her lips trembled as she reached the door—and just as she did, she ran inside.

"V...Vreni," she called.

Her eyes widened. The bed was empty. Where... where was Zavren? she wondered.

"D...dada." Her little vreni soft voice made her heart stop. She smiled, her eyes watering. Her child had finally called her husband’s name.

She turned—and to her surprise, there was Zavren, standing with a small smile on his lips, carrying Vreni.

"My wife... did you miss me?"