The soft click of the door echoed louder than it should have.
The royal study was warmly lit, thick with the scent of jasmine and old parchment. It felt like stepping into a memory—one she didn’t own.
She stood frozen just past the threshold, her breath catching faintly.
Silken curtains swayed lightly with the breeze coming through the stained glass windows, which cast multicolored shadows on the tiled floor. A golden magical harp stood untouched in the corner, its strings humming softly in the quiet.
Evelisse immediately stiffened. ’Did I do something wrong? Did they find out about the dungeon? Or the rune? Oh no—what if it was some maid keeping an eye on me?!’
Queen Seraphina stood near the window, her back straight, hands folded in front of her, clad in a black gown embroidered with golden lilies. She looked like a portrait—regal, untouchable. For a terrifying second, Evelisse thought she was about to get the "Royal Disappointment" speech.
But the moment Seraphina turned and saw Evelisse, all the royal composure shattered.
"My darling!" she breathed.
Before she could say a word, Seraphina rushed toward her, skirts flowing like a tide behind her. She dropped to her knees in one swift movement so they were eye to eye, the Queen’s hands cupping Evelisse’s cheeks with the gentlest touch.
Seraphina’s voice trembled, "My sweet girl, I’m so sorry."
Her arms wrapped around Evelisse with a fierceness that nearly knocked the air from her lungs. It wasn’t a queen’s hug. It was a mother’s. Desperate. Fierce. Raw.
Evelisse stood still in her arms, wide-eyed, as the Queen buried her face into her shoulder.
"I wanted to come sooner," Seraphina murmured, "but I had to tend to the famine in the Draylen district. As soon as I returned, I ran here. I had to see you with my own eyes."
Evelisse didn’t know how to respond.
The warmth... it was real.
She felt it in the way the Queen’s fingers trembled against her back, in the soft way she murmured her name over and over again as if trying to convince herself Evelisse was truly there.
Seraphina pulled back, tears glistening in her eyes.
"Tell me, how are you feeling? Are the memories still troubling you? Is there anything you remember that scares you? Are your brothers smothering you again? I warned them not to treat you like glass—though I know they don’t listen."
Evelisse opened her mouth, but no words came.
’She... she cares this much?’
Seraphina’s voice softened further. "Are you eating well? Sleeping? Does Marta attend to you properly? Has Hildegarde been too harsh again? Say the word, and I’ll send her to the countryside to teach goats proper etiquette."
Despite herself, Evelisse gave a breathy laugh.
But Seraphina was watching her intently, searching her face for any sign of pain.
Then came the words that unraveled her completely.
"I’m your mother," Seraphina whispered, cupping her cheek again. "And I just want my daughter to be happy."
Evelisse’s breath hitched.
That voice... so soft... so full of love...
And suddenly, the Queen’s voice faded into the background. Because Evelisse wasn’t seeing the present anymore.
It overlapped with another voice—colder, crueler.
"You’re nothing but dead weight."
"You’re a waste of space. Getting sick is the only memorable thing you’ve ever done."
She was seeing a hospital room. Dim lights. Machines beeping in the background. A woman standing by the bed—not Seraphina.
"You should’ve died in the womb," the woman had spat once. "Useless child. Sickly from the moment you were born. All you’ve done is cost me money and time and misery."
She had begged, once.
"Mom... please... just stay a little, I’ll get better, I prom—"
"You ruined my life. The moment you were born, I knew I’d regret it."
The image cracked her open.
Evelisse’s hands trembled.
She remembered the cold food trays, the empty holidays, the resentment in her mother’s eyes when she visited the hospital only to sign documents. No warm touches. No comforting words. Just disgust.
"Why couldn’t it have been your brother who had survived instead?" her mother had screamed once during a late-night visit, flinging Evelisse’s favorite book across the room. "At least he was smart. You’re just a cursed burden. You ruined my life the moment you existed."
A lump formed in Evelisse’s throat. Tears spilled before she could stop them, trailing down her cheeks silently.
Queen Seraphina’s face dropped in shock. "Evelisse...?"
Her voice trembled. "Darling, what’s wrong?"
Evelisse didn’t speak.
She was drowning in memories.
Evelisse could barely breathe. The room spun—past and present colliding in waves of sharp, unbearable contrast.
’Why are you being so kind to me?’ she wanted to scream. ’Why does it feel like I don’t deserve it?’
Seraphina panicked. "Evelisse? Darling? Please talk to me—Mom is deeply sorry if I said anything that upset you—Mom didn’t mean to—Mom will do better—I—"
She panicked, pulling Evelisse close again, hugging her like she could shield her from whatever storm had just crashed through her baby’s eyes.
Evelisse shook her head, frantically wiping her cheeks. She gave a small smile—watery and uneven—and whispered with shaky lips:
"Thank you for loving me, mommy."
Seraphina stared at her.
Then the Queen’s eyes flooded with tears, and a sound burst from her throat that was equal parts laugh and sob.
"You called me Mommy," she gasped, grabbing Evelisse in another hug so tight it nearly lifted the poor girl off the floor. "You haven’t said that in months! Oh, Aldric will never let me hear the end of this—but I don’t care! I won!!"
Seraphina rocked her back and forth, pressing kisses to her hair. "When your father returns from the summit, I’m telling him I got my baby to remember first. That’s right. Score one for Mom!"
[Heartwarming Aura – +100% affection gain from direct family monthly.]
[♡ Affection Points Increased: +100]
[Total points accumulated so far: 811♡]