The Devil's Betrothed
Chapter 474: Arlan’s Powers

Chapter 474: Arlan’s Powers

Alex had directed everyone to their respective guest rooms, and the servants had promptly attended to their needs. After their grueling battle against the formidable demoness, they were all in dire need of rest and rejuvenation.

An hour later, Evanthe emerged from her room, making her way to the expansive balcony lounge of the manor. There, Yorian stood by a vast window, gazing outward with a calm demeanor, his emotions concealed behind enigmatic eyes.

"I know you’ve been steadfastly guarding Oriana," Evanthe began, positioning herself beside him. "Are you still worried about her?"

Without shifting his gaze, Yorian retorted, "Should I not?"

"It seems your feelings run deeper than mere concern," Evanthe observed. "Does she evoke memories of someone from your past?"

"I just do not wish another foolish woman sacrificing her life to protect the man she values," Yorian still didn’t look at her but spoke calmly, "Women can truly be foolish."

A solemn silence enveloped them before Evanthe broke it, saying, "Do you still carry the weight of blame from the past?"

Yorian remained silent, prompting Evanthe to continue as she recalled the memories from their past, "I recognize your rationality, and I believe you comprehend the situation fully. Yet, I must voice that her choices were her own. Were you in her place, your actions might have been the same. Stop blaming yourself."

"I understand," Yorian responded with a resigned sigh, "It’s been over a century, and I’ve moved beyond those emotions." He paused briefly. "Have you reconciled with the fact that your actions back then were necessary to protect everyone, that you committed no wrongdoing?"

"Rules are rules," Evanthe asserted firmly. "Transgressing them constitutes a sin, irrespective of the circumstances prompting the breach. If we simply justify our actions based on situational reasoning, then rules lose their very essence. Should we, as supernatural entities, fail to adhere to them, we risk spiraling into chaos."

Yorian could not deny what she said and finally glanced at Evanthe for a while as he said, "You don’t seem to be corrupted."

"Perhaps I am safeguarded by some potent divine force," Evanthe chuckled, "or maybe my cultivation is simply unparalleled."

"Perhaps, what happened in the past, it was the reason that the new queen is Black Witch so she can use black magic without any restrain."

"Nature always finds its balance."

Sierra and Cornelia arrived there and happened to hear their conversation.

When Sierra heard Evanthe saying that some kind of strong divine power was protecting her, Sierra thought ’You are a deity yourself, the master of the strongest divine power. Who else do you need to protect you?’ But she kept quiet as bound by the strict rules of heaven, she was not allowed to say it and sighed, ’I hope one day you will know who you truly are.’

Yorian and Evanthe exchanged glances as the two women approached, settling into chairs within the lounge area. Their expressions grew serious, signaling an impending discussion of weighty matters.

"I haven’t seen your son around," Yorian remarked, addressing Evanthe.

Just as the words left his mouth, Drayce entered, offering a respectful nod to his mother. "How’s Seren?" Evanthe inquired.

"She’s well. I’ve informed her of my temporary absence," Drayce responded before taking a seat. "My concern today revolves around Arlan and Oriana."

Evanthe nodded thoughtfully. "Let’s begin with Arlan." She turned her gaze to Sierra. "What’s your assessment of his abilities?"

"They align with your description," Sierra replied. "Neither of those powers naturally belongs to him. He’s human; those abilities were imposed upon him."

Evanthe concurred, then shifted her attention back to Drayce. "Has Arlan ever confided in you about the origin of these powers?"

"Not entirely, but he did mention it was a prerequisite for his birth. He’s always avoided any further discussion," Drayce replied. "Now, I suspect he must have refrained from elaborating because revealing the truth would unveil secrets he’s safeguarded for years."

While sympathy lingered for Arlan’s childhood ordeal, the present demanded a forward-looking perspective, urging them to seek answers.

"Upon examining him today, I realized both powers within him, the divine power and the power of darkness are not his," she looked at Drayce, "Like you, who has duel core of divine power from me and darkness from your biological father and it inherently belongs to you, it’s not same for Arlan, though he has a dual core as well. Your energy core can be said to be split in half divine and half darkness, while Arlan’s core is entirely darkness and divine energy within him is surrounding that core of darkness like a shield, as if trying to protect it."

Drayce leaned forward, his curiosity evident. "And what does that signify?" he pressed, while the rest awaited Evanthe’s insight, recognizing her unparalleled expertise in soul and core analysis.

"The darkness is the Dragon and that Dragon is being protected by the divine power," Evanthe articulated her findings as she looked at her son, "Your powers can act independently depending on whether you want to use darkness or divine power, both powers are independent and can be separated...But in Arlan’s case it’s different. The purpose of the divine power within him is solely to protect and preserve the darkness. Both are inseparable. Whether the motive was to inject divine power or the power of darkness within Arlan to protect his life, the other power followed the one which was being injected."

Everyone was left with confusion and questions as to why and how it was in this way.

"Now why that divine weapon could not harm Arlan, its answer is hidden in what I had just explained," Evanthe continued.

Cornelia’s eyes widened with a sudden realization. "Your Eminence," she interjected, piecing together the puzzle, "did that witch use Prince Arlan’s own divine blood in crafting that weapon? But as that divine power is meant to protect the darkness inside Prince Arlan, it could not harm him."

"Yes," Evanthe agreed, "That witch made a mistake. She was not aware of it or she would not have made this mistake. How can a divine power that is meant to protect him can even harm him? It only temporarily sent him into a comatose state and trapped his soul for a while as that divine weapon was also laced with dark magic crafted from his blood."

"This explains why I could not detect his life force," Drayce spoke as he remembered when he examined Arlan after he was stabbed. His body was showing the sign of no life but at the same time it showed he was still with him, "But part of me was telling a Dragon cannot die just like that."

Sierra concurred with Drayce’s sentiments, stating, "Dragons are celestial beings with a destiny that are born with a purpose, the purpose beyond one’s imagination. It’s impossible a mere evil witch can kill them. That witch was sure so delusional to think she could continue to control a Dragon for eternity."

"She was indeed delusional," Yorian commented. "There are still so many questions about Prince Arlan and for that we need to find out how he was born. We can ask Prince Arlan when he heals entirely."

Drayce shook his head with certainty. "I genuinely believe he’s in the dark about it. He only knows these powers were bestowed upon him for protection."

Evanthe raised an eyebrow, probing further. "Are you certain?"

"He appears just as bewildered whenever we broach the topic," Drayce affirmed. "It’s evident he’s unaware of the complete truth."

"Then who..." Evanthe began.

"The key lies with his father," Drayce interrupted, "King Ailwin holds the answers."

"And Oriana’s grandfather must know of the truth as well but he is not in a situation to answer anything," Yorian interjected with a somber note, "King Ailwin’s current state is precarious, especially after today’s incident had affected him through blood curse. King Drayce, once King Ailwin is healed, you’ll need to get Prince Arlan to coax the truth from his father. He’s harbored this secret for two decades; extracting it won’t be straightforward."

"I’ll handle it," Drayce resolved.

"Now Let’s talk about Oriana," Evanthe spoke and then she looked at Sierra, "Please tell us what you know about her. You said back there that she is a Princess of the Demon realm."

Sierra nodded, affirming her earlier statement. "Yes, what I said is true. I can recognise the essence of her power clearly and her soul when she was manifesting her powers of Demoness."

Evanthe leaned forward, intrigued. "Then how did she end up here, in the Mortal realm?"