Delythena's POV
The next day...
I couldn't help but be amazed. Everyone in our mansion was so full of life so active, so productive. The halls buzzed with purpose, and there was an odd comfort in the familiar hum of daily routines I hadn't experienced in so long.
"You know, Lady Delythena" Tia said beside me, her eyes sparkling as she looked around. "The people here in your mansion... they're really kind."
I smiled a little. "I noticed that too."
Everyone I passed in the hallways greeted me warmly genuinely.
There was no hint of pretense in their voices, no forced smiles. Just sincerity. And I found myself slowly falling in love with this place.
"Lady Delythena" a voice called out, causing us to pause in the hallway.
A maid approached us with a bright smile. "Good morning! I'm Reza one of the maids assigned to assist you while you stay here."
"Nice to meet you, Reza" I greeted with a nod. "This is Tia, my personal maid. She came with me from the Obsidian Citadel."
Reza's eyes widened in awe. "One of the attendants of the Supreme Ruler?" she gasped, practically sparkling with excitement.
"Nice to meet you" Tia said with a polite smile, but barely had time to react before Reza enthusiastically grabbed her hand and shook it fast.
I couldn't help but laugh. The two of them were surprisingly alike both bright, energetic, and full of life.
It was nice. It made this place feel even warmer.
Since I didn't have anything important to do, I decided to explore the empire for a while to re-familiarize myself with the place where I supposedly grew up.
Reza accompanied us as our guide, eagerly pointing out places and sharing bits of information along the way.
"So, this is called the Kroseidan Empire" she said proudly as we walked through the village, the streets bustling with cheerful vendors and residents. "It's ruled by a queen just the queen. There's no king in this empire."
"That's unusual" I commented, glancing around at the vibrant surroundings. "Does she not have any children? Or King?" I asked in confused.
Reza shook her head. "None that the public knows of. She's always ruled alone. People say she's powerful enough on her own, and honestly... no one really questions it."
Interesting.
An empire led solely by a queen...Strong. Independent. Unchallenged.
"And she governs the empire really well, even though she does it all alone" Reza added, admiration in her tone.
"What does she look like?" I asked, curious.
"We haven't seen her personally, Lady Delythena" she said. "Servants like us don't usually get to attend royal events only nobles are invited."
"What a shame" Tia commented with a slight frown.
"But based on the gossip I hear from the nobles" Reza leaned in slightly, as if sharing a secret "They say she's beautiful, not very old, and has this aura that's incredibly powerful. Like... you can just feel it when she walks into a room."
That piqued my interest. A mysterious queen, ruling alone, unseen by most of her people yet commanding their respect. Now I was intrigued. I wanted to meet her.
As we continued walking and chatting, we noticed a crowd gathering around something up ahead. Curiosity sparked in me, so we moved closer to see what it was all about.
When we got there, we saw a man playing the guitar and singing with passion in the center of the crowd. People were surrounding him, listening intently some smiling, some swaying along with the rhythm. Every now and then, someone would step forward to drop a few coins into the open case in front of him.
He looked like a street performer but there was something about the way he played that made the whole atmosphere feel magical.
"Who's that?" I asked, my curiosity growing.
"Ah, that's Yurad," Reza answered with a smile. "He's a well-known singer around here, people are always drawn to him whenever he performs. He's kind of a local favorite."
I glanced back at Yurad. There was something captivating about him. The way he sang felt like it carried emotion deeper than just melody. The crowd around him wasn't just entertained they were moved.
The moment our eyes met, I was caught off guard when he suddenly winked at me.
What the—
"Yieee, looks like he's into you, Lady Delythena" Reza teased, nudging me with a grin.
"He seems like a womanizer, Lady Delythena" Tia said, eyeing the way women fawned over him.
I didn't bother reacting. I honestly didn't care about that man.
"Let's go" I said, turning away without another glance.
Both Tia and Reza followed, though I could still hear Reza snickering quietly behind me.
"Don't tease Lady Delythena about that guy she belongs to the Supreme Ruler" Tia said, making Reza's eyes widen in shock.
"Wait... is that true, Lady Delythena?" she asked, nearly shouting. "You mean... you really have a relationship with the Supreme Ruler?!"
I sighed deeply and placed a hand on my forehead. "Keep your voice down" I told her calmly.
Reza immediately quieted down, but her eyes sparkled with excitement as she started giggling quietly.
I just let out another soft sigh.
Now, I miss him.
When we got back to the mansion, I went straight to my room to rest my legs were tired from all the walking. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling as I let out a deep sigh.
I barely had the chance to rest when Tia suddenly barged into the room.
"Lady Delythena" she called out, a bit out of breath.
"What now?" I asked, sitting up halfway.
"The Supreme Ruler is here" she announced, and the moment I heard those words, I shot up from the bed.
"You should've said that right away! You're so slow!" I said as I rushed out of the room, hearing her laugh behind me as I ran.
When I reached the lobby, I saw Zadkiel smiling.
"My lady" he greeted as he walked toward me.
"Zadkiel, what are you doing here?" I asked him.
"I told you I'd visit" he said.
"I thought you were gonna sneak through the window again. So, you actually know how to use the door?" I teased, making him laugh.
"I wanted to come properly this time and speak to your parents" he said, which made me pause and glance at my mom and dad.
"Why? What's going on?" I asked.
"I want to formally ask for your parents' permission... to marry you" he said.
I froze, completely shocked.
"I thought you said you'd wait for my answer first" I whispered to him.
"You're not the only one who gets to decide to marry me," he whispered back teasingly, that playful smirk tugging on his lips. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"So, you're that impatient now?" I asked, brows lifted in disbelief.
"I can wait for your answer but your parents' blessing matters too," he said, and I let out a sigh.
"You don't have to worry about that" my mom suddenly chimed in, making me whip my head toward her in shock. "It's a yes from us."
"Just like that?" I blinked in confusion. "You're not even going to give him a hard time?" I pointed at Zadkiel, who was just standing there grinning like a smug idiot.
"Admit it sweetheart, who could possibly say no to a Supreme Ruler? You're incredibly lucky to have him" Mom said, clearly smitten with Zadkiel already.
"And we have no issues with him" Dad added casually, as if marrying off their daughter to one of the most powerful men in the empire was just another normal Tuesday.
I looked at Zadkiel, who was clearly enjoying this way too much his grin stretching from ear to ear like he just won some kind of prize.
I let out a long, dramatic sigh. "I feel like I didn't even have a say in this..." I muttered under my breath.
Zadkiel just chuckled, "You do, my lady. But it's nice to know the universe is on my side."
"When's the wedding?" Mom asked excitedly.
"Wedding already? I haven't even said yes yet" I replied.
"She's kinda hard to deal with, so bear with it and she's all yours now," Dad said before he and Mom walked away, leaving the two of us alone.
I let out a sigh, about to speak, but Zadkiel suddenly pulled me into a hug.
"I missed you... so much" he said softly. And I couldn't help but wrap my arms around him too. Because I missed him just as much.
We're now sitting out on the veranda.
"How's the Obsidian Citadel?" I asked him.
"As always peaceful and doing well" he answered.
"By the way, have you ever met the queen of the empire here?" I asked curiously.
"I've visited her kingdom once before, but I haven't met her personally" he said, then added, "Why do you ask?"
"I'm just curious" I replied. "Reza one of my assistant here been talking about her a lot, and I can't help but be intrigued by everything she says about this queen."
"Perfect timing" he said. "Because tomorrow, there will be an event at the empire's palace here and I was given two invitations. That's actually one of the reasons I came, to give one to you." He handed me the invitation card.
"That's great" I said with a smile. "I've really been wanting to meet her." I looked down at the card in my hand, curiosity sparking again. "But why do you think they gave you two invitations?"
"No idea" he replied with a shrug. "I was wondering the same thing."
I brushed off my curiosity, choosing instead to focus on the excitement building inside me. I was finally going to meet the queen someone shrouded in so much mystery and power.
After our long conversation, Zadkiel finally decided it was time to head back since night had already fallen.
"Why don't you just stay here for the night?" I suggested. "It's already late, and the travel back is long."
"You really did miss me a lot, my lady" he teased with that smug grin of his.
"It's just because it's already nighttime" I defended quickly.
"Have you forgotten I can teleport?" he smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"Tch! Fine, leave then" I muttered, rolling my eyes as he chuckled.
"Now why would I do that, when you already offered?" he said with a grin. I couldn't help but laugh.
So yeah, Zadkiel didn't go home and to top it all off, my parents were actually happy that he's staying here for now. They were even the ones who suggested that we sleep in the same room.
I could only sigh in disbelief.
But yeah, Zadkiel literally grabbed the opportunity to sleep beside me and honestly, I didn't complain either. I felt at ease with him, and deep down, I knew he wouldn't do anything out of line.
He held me tightly like he never wanted to let go.
"Hey, I can't breathe" I said, tapping his arm as we lay there.
"Sorry, my lady... I just really missed you" he said softly.
"That fear still lingers in me... the fear that you'll be far away from me again," he said, making me lift my gaze to him. I could see the sadness in his eyes.
I cupped his cheek gently. "That will never happen again. I'll make sure everything you did to bring me back won't go to waste," I told him as I softly stroked his face.
He smiled. "I'll do everything for you" he said, and that made me smile too before I leaned in and kissed him on the lips.
As he pulled me closer by the waist, our lips met once more deeper, more intense than before. In one swift motion, he shifted, gently guiding me down until he hovered above me, his arms on either side, supporting his weight.
His gaze met mine searching, cautious, and laced with mischief.
"You started this, my lady... but you woke up something that's been quiet for too long" he said with a teasing smirk.
Before I could even react, he leaned in and kissed me deep, intense, and unapologetically wanting. It wasn't just a kiss. It was a silent confession, a spark set into flame.
I kissed him back, my fingers tightening around his shirt, pulling him closer. Every second felt like time had stopped just for us like the world could burn, and I wouldn't care, as long as he stayed right there, with me.
His lips trailed down to my neck, sending a shiver through my spine. I instinctively gripped the fabric of his shirt tighter, anchoring myself to him as my breath hitched.
"Zadkiel..." I whispered, barely audible.
His lips lingered on my neck, warm and slow, like he was memorizing every inch of my skin. His breath grazed softly against me, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Zadkiel..." I breathed out, barely holding back the rush of heat that flooded through me.
His hands held me tighter, firm but gentle, as if afraid I'd disappear. My mind spun, caught between the intensity of his touch and the tenderness behind it. Every kiss he left felt like a promise of love, of devotion, of never letting go.
"Let's save the rest for our marriage" he said with a soft, teasing smile.
I couldn't help but smile back, warmth blooming in my chest. Even though we were so close, close enough to feel each other's heartbeat he still chose to wait. He still knew how to hold back.
"Good to know you still have self-control" I said, trying not to smile too much.
"For you, I do" he replied, taking my hand and pressing a gentle kiss to it. "But don't test me too much, my lady."
I let out a quiet laugh. "Then stop being so tempting."
He grinned. "No promises."
The next day...
Tonight is the event at the Kroseidan Palace, and I'm so excited to finally meet the Queen.
"You really look stunning" Zadkiel said from behind me. We were both facing the mirror. I glanced at him he looked incredibly handsome, as always. But tonight, in his elegantly regal attire, he looked even more striking. A true supreme ruler.
"And you look amazing," I said to him with a smile.
"As always, I'm just matching my good looks to your beauty" he replied with a hint of playful arrogance that made me smile.
He stepped even closer until his body pressed against my back, and he gently held my waist.
"And this looks beautiful" he said as he traced the side of my neck with his finger, which made me wonder.
I turned slightly to see what he was talking about and to my shock, I saw the love bites he gave me last night.
"What the—" I muttered in surprise.
"It's art" he said proudly. "Made by me."
"What kind of art on your face maybe!" I snapped, quickly grabbing the foundation to cover it up. Good thing this world also has makeup supplies.
"Why are you hiding it? It looks beautiful," he said.
"Be quiet" I scolded him.
"It's gone now you covered it. Guess I'll just have to make another one" he said, leaning in to kiss my neck again.
But I quickly turned to face him, blocking his face with my palm and pushing it away.
"We have an event to attend, Zadkiel" I reminded him firmly.
"Alright, alright. I'm just teasing you" he said, chuckling. I rolled my eyes at him in response.
A little while later, we headed to the palace. It didn't take long before we arrived.
As we entered, we were immediately greeted by the grand and extravagant interior.
The palace interior was breathtaking an opulent blend of elegance and power. Towering marble pillars lined the grand hall, each one intricately carved with symbols of ancient royalty. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high, vaulted ceilings, scattering soft light across the polished golden floors.
Velvet drapes in deep royal blue and crimson framed tall arched windows, and golden trims ran along the edges of the walls like fine embroidery. Ornate tapestries told stories of the kingdom's history, while fresh blooms in gilded vases filled the air with a subtle, luxurious fragrance.
At the far end of the hall, a sweeping staircase curved upward like a sculpture, its balustrades shimmering with embedded gemstones. Every detail, from the intricate floor mosaics to the regal banners hanging above, declared one thing: this was a place of legacy, power, and undeniable beauty.
The place was filled with people, and from what I could see, everyone here looked elegant and distinguished. Many approached Zadkiel, which wasn't surprising he was well-known for his leadership.
What caught me off guard was how many also recognized me as a Grimaldi, and as the so-called "hero" they spoke of.
While we were busy mingling with the crowd, a man approached us.
"The Queen is summoning you" he said.
Zadkiel and I exchanged glances, then silently followed him.
We approached the front and saw a woman standing with her back to us, engaged in conversation.
"Your Majesty, they have arrived" the man announced.
We both bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, nice to meet you" Zadkiel and I greeted, though she hadn't yet turned to face us.
When she finally did, I was stunned to realize who she was and it seemed Zadkiel was just as surprised.
"Croseiada" Zadkiel whispered.
The Queen smiled warmly.
"I'm delighted to see you again, Zadkiel and Delythena" she greeted us with a bright smile.