The Devil's Betrothed
Chapter 418: Why Now?

Chapter 418: Why Now?

Oriana remained silent, her gaze locked on Yorian, her mind still reeling from the shocking revelation. If she were truly a Queen of Witches, a flood of questions swirled within her, yet she found herself incapable of articulating a single one.

Yorian patiently allowed her the space to collect her thoughts and waited for her to speak.

After a prolonged silence, Oriana finally met Yorian’s gaze and questioned, "How can this be? How can you be so certain? How did you discover it?"

"How and why you are a Queen is a matter for destiny to answer," the elf responded. "As for how I am certain, anyone who has scryed into your power can discern it."

Oriana pondered when and by whom her power had been scryed, and she could only think of Martha, Yorian and Drayce. It seemed that they were all aware of her true nature.

"You knew all along?" she inquired in disbelief.

"Yes," Yorian affirmed.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Oriana asked.

"Were you prepared to accept it?" Yorian countered.

She shook her head, acknowledging her unreadiness.

"We didn’t wish to overwhelm you with a multitude of revelations when you were unprepared. Now it appears you require the abilities that nature has bestowed upon you, and you are prepared to embrace them," Yorian explained. "Furthermore, we didn’t wish for you to undertake anything rash that might expose your true identity. There must be a reason for keeping your existence hidden."

"What reason?" Oriana mused, her own existence now shrouded in mystery.

"You are the first black witch ever born to rule over the entire witch clan, encompassing both white and black witches," Yorian disclosed. "However, the black witches are in a state of decline, and they may seek to exploit you and lead you astray. To prevent you from falling into the wrong hands, your existence may have been concealed."

"So I was being concealed from my own clan?" Oriana wondered aloud and then mumbled under her breath. "But then, she..."

"She is aware as well," Yorian affirmed, understanding to whom Oriana was referring. "The moment Zaria who you call as Rosetta, approached you, your true identity was exposed to her."

"So, her interest in me is not solely because I am a black witch, but because I am a Queen," Oriana mused. "I suspected she had an ulterior motive for taking an interest in me, but I never expected this. I thought she would teach me and then ask for my support in times of need."

"Everyone has their own motives behind their actions," Yorian remarked thoughtfully, raising an eyebrow. "Haven’t you also approached her for a reason and your own benefit?"

Oriana’s body tensed, and her expression turned guilty. "You were aware of it?" she asked with hesitation.

Yorian nodded. "Since the first day you called upon her using the pendant she gave you."

Her guilt deepened. "Are King Drayce and Queen Seren also aware of it?"

Yorian nodded again, compounding her sense of shame.

"They must be disappointed in me for seeking help from their enemy, someone who attempted to harm Queen Seren," Oriana mumbled.

Instead of addressing her comment, Yorian posed another question. "Do you regret your decision to seek her assistance?"

Oriana shook her head. "I don’t regret it. I needed to harness my powers to aid him." She referred to Arlan. "I was desperate, and I didn’t know who else to turn to. I understand that I’ve let you all down, and I will seek your forgiveness, but it won’t change the fact that she is my master now, and I am connected to her," her gaze, laden with guilt, met Yorian’s calm one. "I apologize for deceiving all of you."

"No apology is necessary," the elf assured her. "No one is disappointed in you. In fact, we commend your shrewdness. Utilizing your enemy for your own benefit is seen as intelligent and courageous. We are pleased that Zaria is your master. You got a perfect person as your master."

This response left Oriana in disbelief, and she could only stare at Yorian.

Yorian chuckled and answered the unspoken question. "There is no other powerful black witch alive who can instruct you, the Queen of Witches. She is our only option. Even if you hadn’t gone to her, we would have had to find a way to make her your master sooner or later. I believe that to secure her agreement to teach you, we would have had to pay a steep price. By approaching her, you saved us from acceding to any of her unreasonable demands."

Oriana was taken aback by this revelation and sighed. "I concealed this from all of you for nothing when you all were aware of it. Every time I felt like I was walking in thin ice, I suffered for nothing."

Yorian smiled gently at Oriana’s somber expression and then raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what price you paid to make her agree to your request."

"An oath of blood," Oriana answered and further explained the conditions of that bond.

"You must be cautious of what she may demand of you. She is a cunning woman."

Oriana could only nod. "I didn’t anticipate her creating a bond that could affect others related to me, rather than just me."

"You should expect nothing less from her. Even if it were someone else, they would likely have had to pay a higher price to become her disciple, so don’t fret about it. Just know that you did nothing wrong. Leave those worries for the future and focus on the present," Yorian’s words provided her with some solace.

Oriana nodded and asked, "Why did you keep this information from me until now, and why did you decide to reveal it?"

"You have to stand against a powerful evil witch who seems no less than a corrupted demon, and to do that, you need confidence and a strong support system. Knowing you are a Queen can be a source of both confidence and strong support. You must have read about the status of the Queen within the Witch clan and her authority over everyone."

"The books I’ve read didn’t mention much about the Queen."

"Such is to be expected from your crafty master, who likely wants to keep you from learning the truth about yourself," Yorian scoffed. He then flicked his finger, and a book appeared on the table. Oriana picked it up as Yorian continued, "This book belongs to King Drayce’s nanny, a family keepsake. It contains information about all the powers and authorities held by the Queen within the clan, as well as how she can rule over the entire clan. You will also find information about the previous Queen."

"King Drayce’s mother?"