Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son

"She sat on my lap and held me tight to feel warmer," Drayce answered Rayjin's question. 

"Really?" Rayjin asked. "It's too cold. Can I sit on your lap too?" 

Drayce nodded and picked up the shivering little girl. "I don't want you to freeze here." 

Although Rayjin was dressed warmly, she was still a little girl with a constitution more delicate than an adult's, and the temperature on top of the lake was lower compared to the land. Drayce made her sit on his lap and wrapped his arms around her. 

Seren smiled under her veil as she found this view so adorable—the tiny figure of a girl with a gigantic figure of a man, a perfect picture of the soft and gentle side of an iron-blooded male. One thing Seren understood was that Drayce though looked cold and scary most of the time, he was not afraid of showing how much he cared for those truly important to him. 

As she watched the two in front of her, she was reminded of all the times Drayce had treated her with sweet kindness. Long before she had learned of his identity, he had been there to help her, and ever since they had been married, he had been patient and indulgent with her, never neglecting to show her his concern for her wellbeing.'

'I am important to him,' Seren concluded, 'and he is also important to me.' 

Her heart felt overwhelmed with the thought as she felt happier than ever. For the past month, the young queen had never been sad, causing the greenery within the royal palace to remain vibrant and lush, despite the entrance of winter. And her sudden realization brought her an intense feeling of happiness, causing the flower-bearing plants and trees on the lakeside to bloom at their prettiest. Various colors seemed to ripple in the air, and the waves passed through the blooming flowers, causing anyone lucky enough to witness the sight to think how magical everything looked. 

On the second boat, the men from Abetha and Griven were in awe, particularly Duke Wimark and Griven's Second Prince, who had nothing but praise at the beauty surrounding them. Cian was both proud and joyful as he appreciated the miraculous ability of his sister once more. Ever since he arrived in Blackhelm City, he had been observing his sister, and the longer he stayed, the more he was convinced that his sister was nothing but happy in Megaris. 

"I believe you now trust my friend," Arlan commented on the side.

"I do and I am happy for my sister," Cian replied. 

As they passed through the familiar waterway surrounded by a dense row of trees on both sides, the breeze above the lake turned even colder. Though Seren was wearing her red stone bracelet, she still inevitably rubbed her hands gently. 

"Sit here," Drayce said. He patted the empty place next to him before offering her his hand. 

Without a second thought, Seren accepted his hand and stood up. The boat wobbled a little as she sat next to him, but she wasn't afraid because the boat steadied itself. His arm then surrounded her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, his hand rubbing her arm to make her feel better. 

Seren blushed as she realized that those from the second boat could see them. However, she could not deny how she was growing to like being near her husband. 

"Seren, I don't feel cold anymore," Rayjin said as she made herself comfortable on Drayce's lap, even putting her head on his chest as she hugged him. "Isn't Dray warmer than a blanket?"

"Seren knows it better than anyone," Drayce commented as he continued to rub his wife's arm. He turned his head to look at her. "This is just the beginning of the winter months for Megaris. I wonder how you will cope once we're in the middle of winter and the entire capital is covered in snow. I will need to take care of you properly." 

'Take care of you properly.'

Seren didn't know what to say so she decided to keep quiet. She could now understand the exact meaning of his words. She simply leaned against his body to make herself feel warm. After all, he was the one to offer it to her, and she never liked the cold anyways.

The three of them were quietly appreciating the view from within the boat. Unlike the other boat that had an oarsman rowing their boat, their boat had no servant to attend to their needs, and Drayce was using his abilities to move the boat. In fact, there was even a distance between the two boats because using his power caused the boat to move in a faster yet more stable manner. No one felt surprised as everyone knew Drayce's abilities. Even Cian was no longer shocked at this point.

When they were traveling the waterway, Drayce's boat had begun to slow as he wished to lessen the cold brought by the blowing wind felt by his companions. Soon, the boat behind caught up to them. The group of men now had a closer view of the lovely scene where Drayce had Little Rayjin sitting on his lap like an adorable little monkey while his right arm was wrapped around his sweet wife. It was a picture of a perfect family. 

Lenard could not help but tease Duke Wimark. "If I am not that little girl's uncle and I didn't know who her parents are, I would have mistaken her for the daughter of the King and Queen of Megaris."

Even Arlan let out a helpless chuckle. "Only Rayjin can dare act however she wants with Dray."

"It's because His Majesty allows her to. My daughter is fortunate to be loved by both the King and Queen of Megaris," Duke Wimark commented, but even he felt like doubting his own existence. He had obviously doted on his precious little princess a lot, but the treatment he received when compared to Drayce…alas! It hurt his heart!

Cian chuckled but said nothing. He could see how comfortable his sister was with her husband and what he saw was a sight to behold. Years from now, he could see his sister having her own family. Perhaps it was a daughter as pretty and lively as Rayjin, or perhaps it was a little boy as smart as his sister. He could not wait to return home and inform his worried father about how happy Seren was and how she was living the dignified life of a queen in Megaris. 

His sister, who the people of her home kingdom hated and despised, was now a wife loved by her husband and a queen respected by her people. It all felt dreamy to him as he never thought he would ever see this day come.

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Dear readers, after dealing with serious health issues for the past three months, now I am covid positive. Due to bad health, I have decided to take a break from writing for the month of February and focus on my health to get it completely better. 

I will resume writing from the 1st March and I hope I will get better completely by then. I will give more chapters to make up for this wait. I hope you all will understand as there is nothing I could do but rest at this moment. 

The next plot will reveal about Drayce and His mother and birth father which I am excited to write but have to restrain myself for now.

As much it is hard for you guys to wait for the update, it is equally hard for me to stop myself from writing when all I want is to write this beautiful story that keeps playing in my mind. 

See you all on the 1st March.