The Devil's Betrothed
Chapter 443: Who Is My Father?

Chapter 443: Who Is My Father?

The Queen empathetically sensed Oriana’s emotions and granted her the space she needed.

Once Oriana had regained her composure, the Queen began to speak. "She was a beautiful woman, and you have clearly inherited her beauty."

Oriana returned her gaze to the Queen and inquired, "And my father?"

The Queen fell silent, unsure of how to convey the truth.

"What happened, Your Majesty?" Oriana pressed.

"I’m not certain about the identity of your father," the Queen responded with hesitation.

"What does that mean?" Oriana’s voice trembled with anxiety.

"I don’t know what to say or whether the information I possess is accurate," the Queen admitted.

"Please, Your Majesty, tell me whatever you know. I implore you," Oriana pleaded.

The Queen let out a helpless sigh and reluctantly began, "Your mother was the only child of your grandfather, Philip Verner, and he loved her deeply. There were numerous marriage proposals for Amaya, but she never accepted any, and your grandfather respected her wishes and never pressured her. There were rumors that she loved a man, but no one knew his identity, or whether she married him. However, she was pregnant with a child, and it is believed that this man was the child’s father."

"My grandfather doesn’t know either?" Oriana inquired.

"I’m not certain of it. Only your grandfather can provide that answer. But due to the uniqueness of your bloodline and for Arlan’s sake, your mother had to give birth to her child," the Queen reassured Oriana, gently squeezing her hand in a comforting gesture. "And that child is you."

Oriana couldn’t help but feel that everything was incredibly complex, with so many secrets concealed from everyone. Even the Queen was not privy to all the information. She understood that Philip was her maternal grandfather, and given that her mother wasn’t a witch, she drew her own conclusion.

’My father was a warlock,’ Oriana surmised, but it left her with a multitude of questions. ’Did he deceive my mother and abandon her? How is it that no one knows about him? Was he callous, impregnating a woman and then leaving her to fend for herself?’

"What about other family members? Don’t I have any distant relatives?" Oriana asked, thinking that connecting with them might help her uncover the truth about her bloodline and her parents.

"Your family’s origins aren’t in Griven," the Queen began, "Ailwin once told me that your grandfather migrated from another kingdom to Griven with the assistance of the previous King, who happened to be Arlan’s grandfather. The previous King had a debt to your grandfather, which is why he extended support to your family and even recognized them as close acquaintances of the royal family. That’s why you have no other family members here. Furthermore, your family was highly esteemed and noble in the kingdom from which they originated, though I do not know the identity of that kingdom. The entire history of your family’s existence in Griven was suppressed by the previous King and it was according to your grandfather’s will."

Oriana began to comprehend that her family’s history had never been ordinary from the very beginning. With a few answers in hand, Oriana found herself facing a vast landscape of unanswered questions. Her own family appeared as a colossal box of mysteries, and her very existence had become an enigma. Where had her family come from? What had driven her grandfather to relocate to this kingdom? Who was her father, and what had become of him? Had her mother been compelled to give birth merely to fulfill a promise to the royal family, or had she willingly brought Oriana into the world, even without marriage? What kind of woman had her mother been? What was so special about her bloodline? These questions swirled within Oriana’s mind, forming a labyrinth of curiosity that she yearned to navigate.

Putting her family matters aside for the moment, Oriana decided to focus on the pressing issue at hand. "And where did this witch come into all of your lives?"

At the mention of that witch, Queen’s expressions turned sore but she collected herself and began. "She was a young woman who used to serve your mother and was very close to her."

"Close to my mother?"

The Queen nodded, "She was a loyal servant within the Verner family. For some reason, your mother trusted and favored her. Even Her Majesty, the previous Queen, had faith in her and held her in high regard, maybe because your mother was fond of her. No one knew she was a witch or what her true intentions were when she came here. But she was one of the reasons behind Arlan’s becoming special. How that I do not know but that witch had caused it using your mother and your family."

"That witch sure must have caused it knowing how she is using the Prince," Oriana muttered and asked, "As for the death of the previous Queen demise, is it as Prince Arlan claims it to be? My grandfather, did he really do it?"

The Queen shook her head. "I am not aware of those details. At that time, I was a new mother who had just returned with her child from her parents home. I was mostly occupied with tending to young Lenard in my chamber. That night we all were shocked with the news of Queen’s assassination. About Arlan?" Queens face painted with a sad expressions, "He was still a child who happened to witness his mother being assassinated."

"He saw it?" Oriana sought to clarify. "The man who killed the Queen?"

"Arlan was a witness to that horrifying event. He lost consciousness after the ordeal, and the entire palace was thrown into chaos. That night marked a profound change, not only for Arlan but for the entire royal family," the queen said with pain gripping her heart.

"That night?" Oriana spoke to conclude further what the Queen exactly meant, "That witch’s evil act towards the Prince began from that night when his mother was assassinated?"

Julien nodded with sorrow in her eyes. "That was indeed the night when I first got to know that woman was a witch, her true nature and intentions. She was a heartless woman... I wish I had the power to defeat her at that time... I wish I could shield Arlan. I yearn to erase that night and return everything to the way it once was." the Queen lamented, her tears flowing freely. "But I was utterly powerless and could only watch Arlan endure his suffering."

With a heavy heart, Oriana continued to press for more information. "What exactly happened to him? What did that witch do to him?"

She couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by sympathy for the young boy who had not only witnessed his mother’s tragic death but had also fallen into the clutches of an evil witch the same night. How could such a small child endure so much pain?