Delicate tears rolled down Seren's veiled face as she listened to the tragic secrets behind the royal family, her gem-like purple eyes unable to pull away from the bitter smile on Great Lady Theodora's aged face.
None of them seemed to have realized that the sun had long set and the greenhouse had turned considerably dark as they tried to find silent comfort in each other's presence. The lamps left behind by the thoughtful servants casted dim shadows on the ladies' faces.
Although the old lady narrated the story as if she was a complete outsider to the tale, it was apparent that the pain she had buried deep in her heart was ever-present. Though decades had passed since then, perhaps the wounds of the past remained in all the people affected, unable to truly heal.
The current Queen of Megaris looked at the white-haired woman sitting in front of her and reached out to hold the Great Lady's wrinkled hand. "Grandmother, are you fine?"
Both women had teary eyes. Seren was so concerned by the fact the always-elegant and seemingly cold-faced grandmother was crying, that she neglected to think about why there was no rain even when she herself was crying as well.
The old lady wiped her tears with a handkerchief and nodded. "I am. Perhaps my age is catching up to me, and I am simply getting sentimental. This is all in the past and I told you this story in hopes that the questions you had in mind are answered."
"Yes, Grandmother. Thank you so much for trusting me and telling me everything."
"You are my grandson's wife. You deserve to know all these."
After a while, the Great Lady regained her lost composure and only then did she call for her servants to go in. Due to the sensitive nature of their conversation, the two royal ladies were left alone inside the greenhouse with no attendant in sight. As per the Great Lady's instructions, no one was to disturb them.
"We've sat in the greenhouse for so long. Shall we head back inside the palace? It is much warmer inside," Great Lady Theodora said as she stood up with the assistance of her cane. Seren quietly nodded and stood up, feeling a bit of awe at how the old lady was able to control her emotions so well, she seemed complete back to normal.
The Great Lady then turned to the servant nearest to her. "I know it's a bit early but is our evening meal ready yet?"
The servant dutifully bowed. "Yes, Your Excellency. Shall we escort you to the dining hall?"
"Lead the way."
Great Lady Theodora and Seren walked side by side back towards the main residence of the Crystal Palace, both seemingly lost in their own worlds.
Even after they entered the dining hall and the servants brought in the dishes, the two female royalty did not let out a word. Time passed by in silence as both sipped on their drinks, neither talking nor touching their food.
After a while, the Great Lady asked, "Do you want to say something, Seren?"
Seren put down the glass in her hand and stared at the juice inside. "I...I feel bad for Dray's parents. They loved each other so much but they had to part ways. I wish there was a way for them to be together... Dray will also be happy to have both his parents back..."
"We can only wish," the Great Lady commented.
"I wonder...is it possible to at least bring Dray and his father together? His Excellency had a reason at that time to send Dray away, but now, Dray is already a great king--what he wished to see his son to be. Why can't they fix their relationship? Can we not tell Dray the entire truth?"
The Great Lady gently shook her head. "People are not so simple, child. Their actions and words are not distinct like black and white, and some people cannot be honest with themselves, much less others. Do you think I haven't tried to amend their father-son relationship? Theron is my only son and Dray is as precious to me as my real grandchildren. As a family, I wish nothing more than for them to reconcile, but I am afraid that I will die of old age first before that happens.
"So many times, I thought about telling Dray the truth, but I remember about my son and feel like this is an issue that can only be resolved if those two stubborn men would let go of their pride. But Theron doesn't want to. He wants to remain as the villain--no, in fact, he felt like it was proper he became the villain in Dray's eyes.
"The hatred the two had between them was what kept them moving forward. Pain is destructive, Seren. If your pain does not destroy you within, it will make you act to harm others. Both Theron and Dray are in deep pain, and those two chose to vent that out to each other. It would have been better if they could let go of that pain, but I know they think of their pain as the last remaining reminder that Esther existed in their lives. They chose to embrace that pain because they chose to still hold onto Esther.
"Theron doesn't hate Drayce, but as a habit of acting bitter for so many years, it's become part of his life. I am afraid, Seren, afraid that if I were to convince my son it's already enough--that it's all right to let his pain go--he would lose his reason to live. It's like...at this moment...hurting Drayce was Theron's sole reason for living."
Seren found the situation hard to understand. She's barely started interacting with people, and such a complex relationship was beyond her current comprehension. She carefully considered her words.
"His Excellency doesn't hate Dray but," Seren paused, "I wonder, does Dray hate his father?"
Seren asked as she could not guess it from the past that the older lady told her. There was no mention of Drayce's feelings towards his father after he was sent away.