As her nanny, Martha focused on serving her, instead of educating her and there was no such instance that Martha had to explain anything to her as such things kids learn on their own. Most of what Seren knew was learned from the books that King Armen sent from time to time. The books she had read were mostly about politics, history, and geography, and she never read anything that would let her know the answers to the questions that Dryace asked her. Neither had anyone told her.
Drayce cleared his throat. “There is another way to know.”
“What way?”
“My Queen will know later.” He was sure not going to explain anything to her now or this poor girl would get the shock of her life. Drayce could only worry about how he would let her understand everything. “For now, just remember it’s not the same for birds.”
Not understanding what he was saying, she could only nod in silence.
He asked again, “My Queen, you didn’t answer how were you going to check Dusk’s gender.”
She thought for a while and replied, “I thought there must be something that might let me know.”
“What?” he asked, while inside he was laughing at this innocent woman.
“Not sure. Must be some mark or pattern like how we can identify female and male lions from the mane around their neck.”
‘So my wife is not that silly,’ he concluded.
As he stared at his wife who looked at a total loss, Drayce suddenly ordered, “Face me.”
Startled by the change in his tone, Seren looked at him and saw him waiting for his order to be executed by her. Hesitantly, she turned to properly face him.
Drayce pointedly looked around, and his men who all noticed their king’s meaningful gaze turned to look the other way.
Seren noticed their strange behavior. ‘Why did they all turn away?’
Drayce looked at Dusk who was still looking at them while standing on a large rock a certain distance from them. Drayce glared at him and the poor bird also turned around.
Seren saw this too. Her purple eyes filled with curiosity looked back at those red eyes that seemed to burn wickedly.
Before she could say anything, Drayce moved his hand towards her waist and she flinched, only to move back and asked in a shaky voice, “What are you doing, Your Majesty?”
“Stay still,” he ordered and everyone around heard his voice, which made them all pretend to be fiercely busy with something. No one dared to turn around.
Seren stood still and Drayce opened the knot of ribbon around her waist.
“Your Majesty…”
“This robe seems too heavy for my Queen. It’s fine if you take it off,” he interrupted her.
“I-I am fine…”
“I don’t wish to slow down our journey just because one weak woman fainted due to suffocating under her ill-suited clothes.”
She glared at him and thought, ‘I am not that weak!’ but couldn’t voice it out as the man in front of her was busy taking off her outer robe. He slid it down her shoulders and took it off completely. Her inner dress was fine and modest on its own; aside for purely aesthetic purposes, there was no need for that heavy robe over that tiny body.
Seren couldn’t deny how better she felt once that robe was gone. Her entire body was indeed more relaxed without the burden of that unnecessary weight.
“Servant!” Drayce called out.
The two lady servants, Eva and Marie, turned around and hurried to go towards their king and queen with their heads lowered.
Drayce held out Seren’s outer robe in his hand, and one of the servants took it from him.
His hands moved towards Seren’s hair next. He took off all the jewelry from her hair and placed them one by one on top of the folded robe held by the female servant.
Once he was done removing all the heavy accessories attached to her long reddish-brown hair, Drayce gently brushed a few wayward strands away from her face. “I hope my Queen feels better now.”
Seren looked at him in disbelief. ‘Why is he suddenly acting like this? Does he need something from me? But I have nothing to give to him. Didn’t His Majesty King Armen give him enough dowry? I heard from Martha that King Armen had given a lot of dowry to my sister Giselle. As we’re both princesses, mine should be around the same amount, right?. Does this red-eyed man want more?’
Seeing her expression still at a loss, he asked, “Is this fine now?”
Seren nodded awkwardly as her hand moved towards the back of her neck in a reflex as it hurt.
Drayce sighed and spoke, “Turn around.”
“W-why?”
“Just do as I say,” he ordered.
The two servants peeked at their king and queen with dumbfounded expressions. As natives of Megaris who worked in the palace, they couldn’t believe their king was acting like this. He was openly showing his care for someone, looking the opposite of his normal cold and scary self. They had never witnessed him like this; they had never even heard him acting remotely close to this.
Seren turned around as ordered. Drayce entangled her hair before pulling out a small knife from a hidden pocket inside his robe. He then slashed at the long waist ribbon attached to the outer robe that the servant was still holding. Using the ribbon he cut with a decent length, Drayce tied her hair at the back of her neck.
“It’s done,” he said and she turned around.
Seren felt like the huge weight on her neck was gone and now she could be more comfortable.
Drayce stared at his wife, especially the way her hair was tied with a ribbon, and it reminded him of someone. The blurred image of that person flashed in front of his eyes, and he couldn’t avert his sight from Seren as if he was seeing that person in her.
That person used to tie her hair the same way once in a while, and the young Drayce used to love watching her while she did her hair.
A kid’s voice rang in his ears. “Mother looks pretty!”
Just then, Seren’s voice pulled him out of his old memories. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“We will be leaving soon, so you should rest,” Drayce instructed as he turned to leave and the two servants returned to accompany their queen.
