CHAPTER 129: WHERE COMFORT AWAITS

The carriage moved gently as Ariana sat on the other side, while Leah, beside her, held the baby gently in her arms.

It was already morning, and the sun was beginning to rise. The rain had long since died down, and Ariana was now wearing a lavender floral gown—the color and style she had developed a liking for over the past few months.

Ariana was also curious. She had not expected that when they said they would be taking her somewhere, it would mean outside the palace building. This place was really big, because right now, they were using a carriage which meant there were still places she had no idea of. Finally, the carriage stopped.

"Lady Leah, is there another castle?" Ariana asked.

Leah, who was still getting used to Ariana’s voice, was silent for a while before she nodded respectfully.

"It’s not really a castle, Luna Ariana," she explained. "It’s more like a duplex...not as big as the castle, but still large, with twenty-five rooms."

Ariana nodded. Even a single floor in the castle had more rooms than that, but that did not mean the number sounded small to her.

She noticed that the carriage had stopped in front of a particular gate. She had no idea this gate even existed...not even a duplex, it wasn’t like she had ever gone farther from the castle before.

The black gate opened, and Ariana’s eyes almost bulged from their sockets. The place looked beautiful...so beautiful. The green, well-trimmed grass lined each side of the path, and flower vases decorated the middle gracefully. As the carriage moved closer, she saw the duplex building, modestly yet elegantly painted in royal colors.

She grew curious..why did Zavren have this place? She noticed the maids standing there with bowed heads, clearly expecting them. But what caught her eye was the staircase—or more precisely, the smooth railing ramp beside it, perfectly designed for her wheelchair to move without trouble.

Her eyes widened as she wondered if Zavren had ordered them to place such ramps all over the palace just in case...

Or... did he know something like this would be happening?

Fear gripped her as a sudden realization struck...her dream.

War had happened... and why did this feel exactly like that?

"No," Ariana said out loud her heart beginning to beat loudly.

But, Vrazen sent a letter saying they wanted no war? Yet, in the end, war still came.

Leah turned to her, and Ariana immediately flushed slightly with embarrassment.

"Luna Ariana, is the place not to your liking? Or are you perhaps unhappy with it?" she asked, curious yet respectful.

She was wondering if the queen was not pleased with the arrangement.

"No, Lady Leah, this is perfect," Ariana spoke with a smile. She knew Leah must have mistaken her earlier words for something else.

Leah nodded at Ariana’s words, and then the carriage door on Leah’s side opened. She stepped out gently with the little one in her hands, the sun now fully risen as its rays rested warmly on the duplex building.

The wheelchair was moved down as they opened the other door of the carriage—the one where Ariana sat. They pushed the wheelchair onto the wooden slide, guiding it carefully.

As it reached the ground, a lady stepped forward. She bowed respectfully before gently lifting Ariana into the chair. Ariana adjusted her gown with her hands as the maid began to push the wheelchair forward. Leah walked beside her ast they moved up the stairs, and the maids bowed respectfully as they passed.

Immediately upon entering the house, the large living room welcomed Ariana. To the side, there was a dining room large enough to seat about ten people—unlike the palace’s dining hall, which could seat nearly fifty. Yet Ariana found she liked this one better.

They moved toward the stairs, and the lady began to lightly push the wheelchair upwards while Leah followed closely along the staircase area.

"Luna Ariana, this is where you will be staying for now. Everything has been prepared for you here the flower garden, a little pond at the back, and much more. We even made a new garden in case you wanted to pluck fruits," Leah said.

Ariana’s lips curled up widely. She had not expected that they would create a garden just for her. She was already comfortable here—it looked perfect.

Zavren had done more than enough already. He was so caring, going so far as to make sure things were comfortable for her. Now she was beginning to wonder what she had done to deserve such treatment from him.

She decided not to let her mood turn sour—dwelling on such thoughts would not be right.

"Beh-eh," the little baby’s voice was heard, making Ariana chuckle at her cuteness. They finally reached the hallway, and Lady Leah looked at the little one, whose tiny hands were now in her mouth.

"Oh, how I wish I understood a baby’s language," Ariana said with a soft laugh.

"There is a school for that, Luna Ariana," Leah replied.

Ariana’s head snapped toward Leah in shock, but Leah only smiled and nodded.

"Though it is very rare, it is mostly studied by my kind. I have not studied it myself—it is not a compulsory course," she explained.

Ariana could not believe that something she had just said without thinking was actually a real thing. Now, she would not even be surprised if people could also learn a plant’s language... though—don’t plants have a language?

’Ariana, focus.’

It seemed she really got distracted too easily.

The maid stopped, bowed respectfully, and opened the door. Leah stepped in first before the lady pushed Ariana inside.

Ariana noticed this place felt far different. Here, it was like she was the only one—and surprisingly, that was not scary. If she were the only one in the castle, it would feel unsettling. But here... maybe it was because this place was smaller.

Her eyes scanned the room, it was big, with a king-sized bed and a baby’s bed beside it. Everything looked similar to their chamber room, as if they had simply copied and pasted the design, ensuring everything would suit the queen perfectly.

And Ariana liked it. She was grateful for the hard work.

"Lead me to the window. I wish to look outside," Ariana said gracefully.

"As you wish, Luna Ariana," the maid replied with a respectful bow as she pushed the wheel chair gently.

Once at the window, Ariana looked out. From here, she could see the front of the duplex, other areas beyond it, and even notice when someone was arriving—though, for now, no one was.

She gazed outside gently, but then her eyes widened when she noticed two carriages approaching. They stopped at the gate.

Leah, who had gently placed the little one in a soft, rolling chair, buckled them in to avoid a fall before rolling it toward Ariana. Noticing her stare, Leah spoke.

"A few trusted royals will be coming here as well, Luna Ariana—like Lady Emberg and Lady Stephanie."

Ariana’s face lit up in excitement. She had no idea Lady Stephanie would be coming; it had been so long since she last saw her.

She then shifted her gaze to the little one.

"Oh my, she is so obedient. I know I might not remember when I was little, but I cried a lot," she said with a soft laugh.

Leah nodded with a smile as Ariana leaned in, gently rubbing the baby’s cheeks.

♤♤♤

The two carriages finally came to a slow stop. Lady Emberg, clad in a nature-green gown, held her walking stick a little tighter as the carriage door opened. With the help of a man, she stepped out. A gentle breeze brushed against her face, and she looked up softly, her gaze resting on the mansion.

A small smile played on her lips before she spoke.

"Who would have thought that Lady Persephone’s greatest granddaughter would be the king’s wife—and I had no idea," she murmured, the smile lingering.

What no one else knew was that Lady Emberg alone understood that the Senerp was not merely blood, but once a flower eaten by Ariana’s great-grandmother.