The Devil's Betrothed
Chapter 442: Do You Know My Mother?

Chapter 442: Do You Know My Mother?

Once Karla departed the chamber, a middle-aged woman, the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, hastened inside.

"Your Majesty, are alright?" Having remained constantly by the Queen’s side, the lady-in-waiting was keenly attuned to the Queen’s condition and could only offer silent solace.

The Queen nodded and replied, "I am fine. I wish to be with Oriana for a while. Ensure that we are not disturbed."

"Of course, Your Majesty," the servant nodded and exited the room.

Oriana fetched a glass of water for Julien and presented it with grace. "Your Majesty, please take this."

Julien accepted the water and drank, finding her composure. Oriana spoke softly, "Your Majesty, I am aware of the turmoil within this palace and the challenges faced by the Royal family."

The Queen fixed her gaze on Oriana, inquiring, "How did you come to know? Did Arlan inform you?"

’He would be the last person to ever tell me about it,’ Oriana thought and shook her head, replying, "I discovered it on my own."

"If you are aware, then I implore you to stay out of this," the Queen expressed her concern. "It is perilous, and I have no desire to put another person in harm’s way."

Oriana assured, "I will be safe, Your Majesty. I have encountered that sorceress, and she could not harm me."

Julien was taken aback but overwhelmed by worry. She clasped Oriana’s hand and urged, "You were not harmed, please tell me."

Oriana reassured her, "I told you, I am unharmed. On the night of the full moon, I was the one who escorted Prince Arlan back to his quarters."

Oriana proceeded to share the details with Julien, explaining how Arlan had discovered her as his betrothed and recounting most of the events that had transpired since that day. However, she carefully omitted any mention of her identity as a Black Witch or her status as the Queen of Witches. It was not the right time to reveal these aspects, as she feared that Julien might become fearful or lose trust in her.

"...about how I entered that room and emerged unscathed that night, just understand that she cannot harm me. I can’t elaborate further at the moment."

The Queen respected Oriana’s wishes and refrained from prying into the information she chose to withhold. "As long as you remain safe, that’s all that matters."

Oriana offered a grateful smile, appreciating Julien’s understanding. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Julien fixed a skeptical gaze on Oriana. "You don’t plan on leaving Arlan, do you?"

Oriana remained silent, lacking a definitive answer to this question.

"Oriana, he’s not a bad person. He has his reasons. All I ask is that you try to understand him and stand by his side. Your presence with him is of great importance," the Queen emphasized.

Oriana had a hunch that there must be a compelling reason for the King to accept her on Arlan’s behalf, even though Arlan had claimed that her grandfather was responsible for his mother’s death. It was inconceivable that the King would simply overlook this fact.

"Why is my presence so crucial?" Oriana inquired.

The Queen contemplated for a while before deciding to talk. "To be completely honest, I’m not entirely aware of why exactly you’re so significant and why you need to be with Arlan. I’ve gleaned some fragmentary details from the past and I can try to explain it to you," the Queen admitted. "You know that Arlan is not an ordinary human, but rather someone special, and that’s precisely why that witch is after him."

Oriana nodded, "I know."

The Queen went on, delving further into the mysterious connection between Arlan’s uniqueness and Oriana’s family. "Arlan being special is related to your family or rather is caused by your family. To compensate the change caused in Arlan, your family pledged that you would be by the Prince’s side throughout your life. This betrothal was set even before your birth. I’ve also heard that the bloodline from Verner family is meant to protect Arlan, or more precisely, destined to safeguard what makes him special."

The expressions on Oriana’s face changed, ’Destined to protect what makes Arlan special?’ Oriana contemplated, her mind racing. ’Could it be related to the dragon? Am I destined to protect the dragon?’

"Your family’s bloodline is indeed extraordinary, but the reasons and the ’how’ of it remain a mystery to me," Julien admitted. "Only Arlan’s late mother, the previous Queen, and Ailwin know the full truth, along with your family and that witch. Ailwin never divulged everything to me and appeared reluctant to discuss it."

"My family is responsible for this," Oriana murmured, a weight on her shoulders.

Julien grasped Oriana’s hand, her voice filled with empathy. "Don’t think that way. Your mother gave her life to protect Arlan. No one could have foreseen how everything would unfold. It’s all the fault of that malevolent woman, that witch."

Julien’s words pulled Oriana from her dark thoughts. She blinked back tears and asked, "My mother, what did she do? That witch told me my mother trapped her there."

"That’s true. Your mother did sacrifice herself," the Queen confirmed. "I’m uncertain about the exact events of that night in that room, but the witch was indeed imprisoned there, and your mother did not survive."

Oriana’s eyes turned moist, and she asked, "Your Majesty, you knew my mother?"

The Queen recognized Oriana’s yearning for information about her mother and family. "I did know her. The Royal family had close ties with your family, and the previous Queen and your mother were like sisters. I was Ailwin’s second wife and relatively new to this place, so I wasn’t as intimately acquainted with her as the previous Queen. However, during the time I spent with her, I could sense that she was a kind and remarkable woman."

Oriana’s teary gaze fixated on the Queen, her eyes filled with anticipation of uncovering some long-awaited answers. She spoke in a voice laden with sadness, "What... was... her name?"

How heart-wrenching it was not to know one’s own mother’s name. Oriana felt a deep sense of sorrow and pity for herself.

"Amaya. Her name was Amaya Verner," the Queen revealed.

"A... ma... ya," Oriana softly repeated that name, a sudden warmth enveloping her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Amaya... Her name is Amaya..." She continued to whisper her mother’s name, finding solace in the simple act of saying it out loud.

Oriana felt finally she got something that could make her aware of the person who gave her birth, the person who was non-existence in her life. But simply knowing her name, she felt closer to that person, that person truly existed.

She finally got to know her mother’s name and could not help but feel happy.

"Amaya," with a teary eyes she let out an happy chuckle, "Such a beautiful name."