Thethia: Royal Palace, Queen's Bedchamber

• Queen of Thethia, Nadia •

"Marie, could you please help me pick out a dress?" Nadia requested.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Marie nodded, walking her towards the dressing room while she added, "Knight Wayland sent a message to say that all preparations have been made."

"Good, thank you," Nadia smiled.

While waiting for Marie to pick out a dress for her, she swiped her hand idly against the soft material of all the beautiful dresses that hung in her dressing room and a thought surfaced. This wasn't the life that I chose for myself.

Nadia looked into the mirror and the woman staring back at her had skin almost paler than while and a fragile demeanor that resembled nothing like the young and brave person she used to be. If being surrounded by extravagance came with the price of sacrificing her children and all her happiness, she wished that she had went against the Royal Decree and escaped to a faraway place, with Jason.

She settled herself in front of the vanity and pulled out the drawer, taking out a velvet box and within it was simple silver ring, a promise ring. Nadia reached for her ring finger, removing the gold ring that she wore for the last few years of her life and replaced it with the silver ring. Her eyes watered and her heart ached, Nadia kissed gently on the silver ring which brought her back to the memories of the good old days back in Veilstein manor.

In those days, he was always with her. He stayed with her in the library for an entire day while the read. Rather, it was him who had all his attention focused on the text he read while she had all her attention to tease him. Jason wasn't a man with much words but he allowed her to poke fun on him all the time. On days with great weather, she would pull him to go horse-riding together and travel out of the manor to the lake they named as their secret hideout. It was funny how they would always return all drenched and messy and Butler Oswald would give them a good scolding while punishing them to trim the garden bushes the day after. Jason never approved of her cutting the weeds but she didn't care because even being punished together with him brought her so much joy.

A wide smile lifted on her face as she reminisced those carefree days and if there was a chance, she would give anything to return back in time just to experience those happiness again. This palace became her cage and the entire Royal Grounds was the prison she was sentenced to suffer for the remain of her life since the crowning.

Marie dressed her and she sat back on the cushioned seat in front of the vanity. When Marie slowly lowered the crown above her head, she quickly felt the weight that was making it difficult for her to breathe but she held herself upright.

For the first time in eight years, Nadia left the Royal Palace.

For the first time, and the last time.

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Thethia: Heather Palace, Entrance

• Queen of Thethia, Nadia •

"Your Majesty, we have arrived," Marie announced as she pulled the carriage door open.

Nadia nodded and slowly got out of the carriage with Marie's help. Tipping her head back, she looked towards the palace ahead of her and sorrow welled up in her heart.

There was nothing extravagant about this palace, it lacked the vibrancy that every other Thethian palace had. Cracks were seen on the walls and some windows had overgrown plants hanging on them. The wind felt colder here and there were no signs of life around. Anyone being thrown here would be scared. There was this overwhelming sense of uneasiness surrounding this place.

At the moment, the entrance to the palace creaked open. Jason and Lylia bowed towards her and they greeted, "Your Majesty."

"Please rise," she said. "Don't have to stand on the ceremony today."

Looking around, she noticed that the inside of the palace resembled the outside. It lacked the lavishness that one would see in other palaces. Yet, there was something comforting about this simplicity that felt vastly different from outside. There was warmth in this place, a tingling warmth that she hadn't felt in the longest time.

"Lylia! Lylia!" A child's voice filled the air. Excited footsteps thumped as a small figure ran along the hallway towards them. 

Nadia leaned her body slightly to look behind Lylia. Her beautiful child was running while shouting enthusiastically with Jason's panther and that brought a smile to her face. She was happy to see her liveliness.

When the child caught sight of her, her feet halted to a stop and her eyes widened with disbelief glinting in her crystal clear eyes. Elianna looked at her and turned to gaze at the hallway behind her again. She fidgeted with her hands, seemingly guilt that she had acted inappropriately for shouting and running along the hallway a moment ago. The child kept her head low and spoke in a voice that was barely audible, "Good evening, Mother."

Nadia stifled a laugh, greeting her lovingly, "Good evening, my darling. How have you been?"

The child lifted her head shyly and stole a peek at her. She continued to smile at her with affection and she saw how her small shoulders jumped but a small grin appeared on Elianna's face and she replied, "Thunder and I just came back from the woods. I learned how to climb a tree!"

From behind her, Jason sighed and Lylia was trying her hardest to suppress a laugh. Nadia reached for her hair and picked out a few twigs that were trapped in between the brown wavy strands, she said, "That explains the adorable mess you've made to yourself."

The child looked down at her torn dress and dirtied hands before hiding her hands behind her. She apologised, "Sorry for my rudeness."

"Why are you apologising, my darling?" Nadia laughed lightly and squared her shoulders slightly and continued proudly, "The Queen of Thethia knows how to climb a tree too and I climbed trees to run and hide from lessons. Am I right, Jason?"

"Really?" Elianna gleamed, seemingly pleasantly surprised.

Jason finally laughed, "Your Majesty—"

"You're not allowed to nag at me today," Nadia gave a warning smile to Jason before turning towards Elianna again. She said, "Eli, I would like for us to have dinner together. What do you say?"

"I would love it!" the child responded enthusiastically.

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Nadia sat in the receiving room while waiting for Lylia to help Elianna tidy herself up and Marie had gone towards the kitchen to oversee the preparations. Jason stood beside her and she subconsciously reached for the ring on her left hand, fiddling with it idly. She had many thoughts within her mind and she didn't realise that Jason had noticed her movement. He sounded lost for words when he called out to her, "Your Majesty, you—"

Nadia quickly came to realisation and looked towards her knight. Something sparked within his dark grey eyes and she smiled, "Jason, would you please call me by my name again?"

It was a sudden request that she simply wanted him to call her by her name once more and heed to her whims, just one last time. There wasn't anyone else in the receiving room except for them, and he had relaxed his demeanour when he said her name softly, "Nadia."

The sound of her name in his voice struck right through her heart. Even when she wanted him to say it again repeatedly for many times, but having heard it once already placed her at ease. She murmured, "Thank you."

"The ring," Jason pointed out.

"Now that you've found out, you're my accomplice," Nadia smiled playfully, speaking to him casually like how she used to.

Reaching for his hand, she touched the matching ring that he wore. A smile lifted from the corner of her lips but she didn't say a word to express the many thoughts within her. She noticed that he wore the ring on his index finger, so she pulled it out and wore it on his ring finger instead. Jason had also remained silent but she felt him stiffening a little, seemingly apprehensive about what she had done.

A knock on the door interrupted them and Nadia released his hand as she straightened her knees to stand. It was Lylia at the door and she stepped out of the room, not forgetting to turn her head around to call Jason up, "Why are you standing there, Jason? Let's go to the dining hall."

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Thethia: Royal Palace, The King's Study

• King of Thethia, Wynston •

"Your Majesty! Her Majesty has left her chambers!" A guard reported with panic in his voice.

"Where did she go?" Wynston was taken aback because Nadia never left her chambers for a very long time and neither had she requested to leave for the last few years.

"She was seen heading towards Heather Palace!" The guard replied.

A fleeting unease and a silent swear within him before he bellowed an order, "Prepare my horse!"

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