The Beloved One!

Chapter 37

With the room now returned to its regular state, Cyril thought to himself with a smug look in his turquoise eyes. 'Now I wonder how long it will take little Anzor to get here. I should pay her a visit since she's at grandmother's residence.'

Even after Ashnah Morley had recovered and Anzor had found out from Cannenta that it would be fine for Ashnah to leave the Alice Estate, to get more exposed to Rafferty, the Archduke had always made excuses for his daughter to not be summoned at the main palace for him and his wife to take a look at her. The main excuse the Archduke had used was that his daughter had yet to learn manners for meeting a royal yet.

The silver head had also reminded him that her etiquette teacher was Iduna Bell but due to work, she was out of the capital. It had been him (King Cyril) who had given Iduna the assignment, so Archduke Morley had practically insinuated, "you only have yourself to blame since you sent my daughter's teacher out of the capital before she could even have one lesson with her."

He would even rather him and his daughter visit the ex-adventurer at Marshall Estate than the royal grounds even though his grandmother had long asked before the retired Viscount to see Ashnah.

Heading for the door of his study, he steps were abruptly stopped when he heard these words from his aide. "Your Majesty, King Cyril, there are still documents that require your signature and the stamp of your royal seal."

The King sighed at the thought of the paper work. Cyril couldn't wait for the crown prince to grow up so he could toss this 'King' title to his son and go travelling around the world with his wife.

••••

"Did you not know, Ashnah?" When Anzor had last been here, he had said that the child was learning about family history. So why hadn't she been taught about Marshall Family even though they were distant relatives?

She answered, "when I asked about him, everyone avoided speaking about him. Even daddy used vague words to described him."

Milcah smiled, understanding why. "It was I who had given Alfred Marshall his Viscount title. Before I had even bestowed a title of nobility onto him, he was Emphraim's number one adventurer, a special class."

Ashnah took of sip of the pink coloured tea. A cotton candy like flavor bubbled on her tongue. She smiled from ear to ear in delight of the taste of the tea. 'I want the recipe.' The seven year old thought.

Seeing Ashnah dimpled smile reminded Milcah of how Anzor had used to adorably and innocently smiled when he had been around that age. 'It's seems like that child was right when he said his daughter loved cotton candy.' She was glad she had arranged for the cotton candy flavored tea to made for Ashnah. She liked the expression on this child's face. "And shortly after he became a Viscount, he opened up his own Adventurer's Guild."

The Queen Regnant looked at Ashnah who was completely absorbed into the tea and witnessed an unruly dark brown hair strand popped upwards. 'Esme's .... hair used to do that.' A feeling of regret rolled over her. The royal's grasp on the handle of the teacup tightened. If it hadn't been for her asking Alfred he would marry his precious only daughter off to the Duke of Morley of that time, then she had probably would had still been alive right now.

Esme Marshall, ever since she had been a young girl, she had been thrown into long and vigorous training with her younger brother. Even at the age of sixteen she had been ranked as an A class adventurer, the third highest rank an adventurer could posses with the second highest being S class and first, Special Class. That had been why she had thought she would had survived with ease when she had married into the Morley Family. But she had thought wrong and a dear friend had lost his daughter. Nothing could make for the lost of a child and it hadn't only been a child but a grandchild as well.

Noticing the shift in the atmosphere and the Queen Regnant's sudden silence, Ashnah asked."Are you feeling unwell, Queen Regnant?" She could see obvious sorrow and regret in Milcah's emerald eyes.

"Ashnah, I want you to know if you ever need my help, I will stand by your side." Milcah declared.

Ashnah's eyes widened at this statement, a little bit confounded. She had been talking about her Papa Al and she had suddenly switch to this.

"I mean like if your daddy ever makes you angry." The royal smiled. "I will give him a nice talk. I will even get the King, my grandson involved too."

••••

"Hey, is that the look an Archduke should be giving his King?" Cyril chuckled standing in front of the entrance of Milcah's Palace.

Hearing this, Anzor put on his best noble smile. "Your Majesty, I am surprised you are not in your royal study, too preoccupied with paperwork."

'Ah, this fake smile of his again. I want to break it.' Cyril said within his mind then spoke. "Ah, you want to help me with my paperwork, little Anzor? You're the best Archduke a King could ever have. You're truly too kind."

The Archduke's face contorted in exasperation.

"Ah? Did I irritate you there?" Cyril voiced in a teasing like tone.

Blue lightning branched off into the clear blue sky.

The King of Emphraim gazed up at the sky. Then he whistled. "I wonder if there is going to be a storm coming soon. The weather was completely perfect up until a few seconds ago, wasn't it little Anzor?"