Eileenburg (31)
Entrusted (1)
Ailian looked at the Queen in astonishment. Who could have stabbed the Queen in the Derek Palace? She stood up, the air thick with the stench of blood. She stammered, "Who is this? Who dares to do this in the palace? Xiaowei, bring the medicine. Ah, I'll go back and get you the medicine right away."
"Ailian, don't worry, don't be anxious," the Queen comforted her.
“This—” Ailian stepped forward, “Who else knows?”
“Not for now,” the Queen shook her head. “I can hold on for another two years. His Majesty, I’m afraid, won’t make it.”
"Your Majesty?" Ailian felt that all the shocks she had experienced in her life combined did not compare to the shock she had suffered today.
“Who do you think can get close to me?” the Queen sighed. “After all these years, His Majesty is still as foolish as ever. Doesn’t he think that besides me, who else can guarantee his throne?”
Aileen remained silent. The Derek royal family had been around for nearly five hundred years; it wasn't unusual for them to produce a fool or two. She now understood why the Queen had summoned her. Aileen slowly sat down: "A long-lived race cannot sit on the throne."
"I've never understood why you long-lived races don't declare yourselves kings?" Queen Angelis asked sincerely.
“If the Long-lived Race wanted the throne, there wouldn’t be a Derek family.” Ailian looked at the Queen. “You know that the Long-lived Race is actually a plant species, right?”
"Hmm." The Queen nodded. "Then what is it?"
“Plants have their own territory and do not possess offensive attributes. Of course, some powerful plants will attack people, but that is only in retaliation when attacked,” Ai Lian said. “Such attributes are not suitable for governing a country. Our nature is not kind either. We are only willing to give everything for those we love. As for others, whether the people of this Flower Kingdom live or die, what does it matter to me? Even if they fill my lotus pond, I will just sleep in the soil forever.”
"Love Lotus?" the Queen asked tentatively. "What if the people of this country were your subjects? Don't you love this country and its people?"
“The Longevity Seed has existed for a long time, Your Majesty,” Ailian said to the Queen. “The Flower Kingdom was only established after outsiders came.”
“Yes, I know,” the Queen said, her voice trembling with frustration. “You, the Adventurers’ Guild, have always had a very long reach and a strong desire for power. Isn’t the Adventurers’ Guild controlled by the Long-lived Race?”
“The Adventurers’ Guild wouldn’t exist without the slaughter of long-lived species,” Ailian pointed out this cruel fact. “Most long-lived species do not approve of the Adventurers’ Guild. However, Your Majesty, there are now some long-lived species that are not pure-blooded. They may be more affectionate towards humans than we are.”
"Then, who is the Queen?" Queen Angelis asked, puzzled.
"Can't it be Princess Denise?" Eileen didn't understand why royal princesses didn't have the right to inherit the title, even though daughters could inherit it.
“Apart from the Long-lived race, there are no female titles.” Queen Angelus was silent for a moment, then continued, “Even if I wanted to, it would be too late. Denise has been corrupted by her father, and now she is controlled by her husband.”
Ailian had never understood this couple. Queen Angelis had always held power, yet she had ended up like this. She stood up: "I can't do it, and Grand Duke Sway wouldn't agree either. Your Majesty, you should choose a new heir apparent."
"Elean, I entrust Vivian to you." Seeing that Elean was determined to leave, the Queen changed her approach: "I may not live to see her grow up, so please—" The Queen couldn't finish her sentence. She had always thought she had a long time to slowly make her plans. Elean's relationship with the royal family had always been good, and she had been transferring some power to Grand Duke Sway. As Grand Duke Sway's adopted daughter and the biological daughter of the former Crown Prince Ryan, Vivian, raised by her, would surely be able to wear the legendary Queen's crown!
“Your Majesty, please rest assured.” Ailian knelt down. “I have transferred all the titles and property to Vivian’s name. As long as she comes of age, she can use everything in Ailian Castle.”
"Thank you, Ailian, thank you."
Half a month after Ellen returned to Ellen Castle with little Vivian, King Derek summoned him again from the palace. This time, all the royal family members and ministers of the council came to Derek's Gallery. King Derek had suddenly fallen seriously ill, and the ministers all came to his bedside. The queen sat by the bed with a pale face, looking every bit the heartbroken wife worried about her husband.
“Ferran, come,” the king said, pulling his younger brother Delga’s youngest son, Ferran, over despite his illness. “Come and meet your aunt.” The queen looked up in surprise, and little Ferran shrank back, avoiding Queen Angelus’s gaze.
"Scribe, this is the crown prince I have chosen," Derek suddenly said. Derek's move was unexpected, and all the ministers turned to look at the queen. The scribe quickly took notes.
"Your Majesty, have you thought this through?" Queen Angelis had been in a daze ever since confirming that Queen Aileen was heartless. She had refused to consider who the crown prince was. Princess Denise's name had appeared in her mind several times, but she had driven it away each time. Denise was too stupid; she would only be made a fool of.
“Yes, Your Majesty, do you have any objections?” Derek stared at the Queen with his scarlet eyes.
"Your Majesty's decree is obeyed." The Queen stood up, bowed, and looked at the scribe who had already betrayed her, saying, "Scribe, record that Prince Ferran is the Crown Prince, and... the coronation ceremony will be held soon."
In the year 516 of the Flower Kingdom, Prince Ferran was crowned and ascended the throne as Ferran II, with Queen Angelis honored as Queen Mother. Because Ferran was too young, his father, Duke Delga, was granted the title of Regent and Protector of the Kingdom. That same year, Ferran began selecting a wife. The Queen Mother intended to choose from among the nobles, but Duke Delga insisted on another marriage alliance between Ferran and the princess of the Sea Kingdom, leading to a stalemate.
Winter arrived, and Queen Mother Agnes's health deteriorated until she was bedridden. She could no longer interfere much in Ferran's marriage; instead, she brought little Vivian in to talk to her daily. Prince Ryan was the son Queen Mother had carefully raised for over twenty years, and now only little Vivian remained. Like her mother, little Vivian had smooth, jet-black hair, and surprisingly, her eyes were a light brown. Were it not for the typical aquiline nose of the Derek royal family, Vivian wouldn't resemble a royal princess at all.
That day, Ailian was reading in Mi's room when Xiaowei suddenly walked in: "Miss, something terrible has happened! Miss Vivian has fallen into the water."
"Didn't Vivian go to the palace to visit her grandmother?" Ailian had complete faith in Queen Mother Angelis and had never stopped Vivian from entering the palace. She looked out the window; the mimosa tree had lost all its leaves, and the only remaining mimosa flower shivered in the cold wind. Although little Vivian could swim, she would surely catch a chill in this cold weather.
"The royal family sent it back, along with this." Xiao Wei handed over a feather letter bearing the Queen Mother's seal.
"What's going on?" Ellen opened the envelope. Queen Mother Angelis had entrusted little Vivian to her, saying that she would never summon Vivian to the palace again, and that no matter who sent someone to fetch her, Vivian should not be allowed to leave Ellen Castle.
"I heard that Miss Vivian slipped into the fountain in the palace, and no one saw her. The rescuers arrived too late," Xiaowei said in a low voice.
Ailian didn't believe this explanation at all. She stood up and went downstairs. Little Vivian lay on the bed, pale and almost lifeless. Ailian rushed over and touched Vivian: "How did it get so serious?"
The medical officer bowed and said, "Madam Ellen, Miss Vivian has been in the water for too long, and water has entered her lungs. I'm afraid this old minister is powerless to help."
Ailian hadn't expected Vivian's condition to be so serious. She looked at the Queen's chief lady-in-waiting who had followed her and asked, "Did the Queen Mother leave me anything?" Ailian lowered her voice, "The longevity seed?"
The chief lady-in-waiting curtsied and said, "The Queen has already consumed her share when she gave birth to Prince Ryan. Princess Vivian does not have a quota for longevity children."
"You didn't go to the Adventurers' Guild?" Ailian looked up in disbelief.
“The Queen Mother doesn’t trust anyone now,” the chief lady-in-waiting shook her head. “The palace is out of control.”
"I'll go," Ailian instructed. "Xiaowei, prepare the car."
“You can’t go anywhere,” Grand Duke Sway announced as he entered. “Eileenburg is under siege.”
"Why? What can little Vivian possibly do to them?" Ailian didn't understand.
Grand Duke Swei waved his hand, and everyone except Xiaowei withdrew. Ailian nodded to Xiaowei, who then retreated to the doorway to stand guard.
"You know the legend of the Queen's Crown?" Grand Duke Sway asked seriously. "It's no longer a secret."
"So what? The current king is Ferran." Ailian breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Grand Duke Swei was talking about her.
“They say the future queen is Vivian,” Archduke Sway dropped a bombshell.
"What?" Aileen turned incredulously to look at the barely breathing child on the bed. Vivian's chest heaved very slightly, her brows furrowed tightly, clearly in great pain. Aileen was silent for a moment before realizing why Vivian had suffered this at the palace: "Who did this?"
“It doesn’t matter who did it. Now the Adventurers’ Guild and Duke Delgado are working together. They won’t give Vivian the Longevity Seed.” Duke Sway looked at Ellen. “Now it’s all up to you.”
“I didn’t,” Ailian said, turning to Grand Duke Sway to refuse.
"The Queen Mother said that Vivian's fate is up to you." Grand Duke Sway sat down. "I am here only to ensure Vivian's final peace."
"Is there really no hope?" Ailian could no longer stand and sat down, holding onto the edge of the bed.
“If we could save him, we wouldn’t release him,” said Grand Duke Swei. “Even so, I risked my life to pave the way with the Queen Mother’s edict.”
"You came from the palace?" Ailian asked, her head bowed.
“I’ve said it before, I’ve always been on the Queen Mother’s side.” Grand Duke Swei didn’t hide this fact.
"I won't trade my life for Vivian's," Ailian said again.
"It's all up to you." Grand Duke Swei also fell silent.
"Why did Vivian become queen? You—" Eileen raised her head and looked directly at Grand Duke Sway, "What gives you the confidence?"
“To be honest, I don’t,” Grand Duke Sway shook his head. “I don’t even really believe in this legend.”
"Where did this come from?" Ailian didn't believe it either.
"Adventurers' Guild".
“Impossible!” Ailian paced back and forth in the room. She stopped and looked at Grand Duke Sway: “If the Adventurers’ Guild recognizes Vivian, they will send longevity seeds as long as they support her.”
“The Adventurers’ Guild is out of control now too.” Duke Swee shook his head. “This news is just going around in circles without any real basis. And there’s also talk about your Mi—” Ailian’s heart tightened, and she stared intently at Duke Swee.
“Mi is the future queen’s guide. Derek’s former squire, the astrological Severus, once said—Mi is the queen’s apostle.” Grand Duke Sway stared intently at Ellen. “Ellen, has Mi really disappeared?”
"Queen Angelis told me that I clearly rejected her," Ailian sighed. "Mi really is gone and won't be coming back."
"Where did she go?" Grand Duke Sweig persisted.
“She’s gone home,” Ailian sighed softly. “She’s not from the Flower Kingdom; she’s a shooting star.”
“The meteor brings the queen.” Grand Duke Sway uttered a prophecy that the Derek royal family had kept hidden for over three hundred years. “The heir to the throne knows this, and the Queen Mother just told me.”
“So,” Ailian looked at the pale-faced Vivian, “the Queen Mother has been educating Vivian about becoming a crown prince?”
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