Drayce and Seren studied the two women who entered the ice cave, out of which they could only see the appearance of one as the other had her face hidden under the hood.
The robed figure to the left was a beautiful woman with caramel-colored eyes and long honey blond hair. Seren observed this young protector of hers who seemed to be in her twenties, but her attention was diverted by the stiffening of the man beside her.
Drayce's reaction surprised Seren.
"Dray, what's wrong…?"
However, the young king was unable to hear her words. All his senses were on the woman with honey blond hair.
Standing in front of them was the previous Queen of Megaris, looking exactly the same as she did twenty years ago.
There was not a single change in her appearance, as if time had stopped for her. A gentle-looking face, an elegant posture, it was the same woman in Drayce's memories.
The only difference was that her clothes were of an adventurer's rather than of royalty, and her head no longer wore a crown. Her long hair was tied at the back of her head with a single white ribbon, just like the way she liked it whenever she had no outsiders to meet as a queen, as if she found wearing fussy hair accessories in her own home rather unnecessary.
There was no mistake. This woman was his mother, Esther Ivanov.
Drayce wanted to open his mouth and say something, but his body refused to move. The words he wanted to say escaped his mind and all he could do was stare.
This was not how he thought he would be once he saw his mother. However, he could not control his agitation.
The pair of mother and son looked at each other without a word.
'She recognized me, right? Even though I was a toddler when she left, my appearance is too unique for her to not know I am her son. No one else has red eyes like mine, Besides, she came here for Seren. She must know who Seren married—'
Countless thoughts continued to rush into his mind, but still, not a single word came out of his mouth.
Meanwhile, just as Drayce had his entire attention on her, Evanthe was the same. She tried not to show it on the surface, but the very second her gaze landed on her son, she felt her knees go weak. However, she was mentally prepared for the situation, and none could see the turmoil in her heart.
It was somewhat better for Sierra, as there was no need for her to pretend composure. Under her hood, complex emotions continued to silently brew on her face as her gaze took in the sight of the young woman wearing a veil.
'Seren, my daughter…It would have been better if you looked more similar to your father. But I'm glad, I'm glad you grew up well even without me.'
Among the four, Seren was the calmest.
She sensed there was something wrong with her husband, and realized that he must have recognized the protector with blond hair.
She carefully observed them both, and she realized their bodies were emitting heavy energy around them.
'Strong.'
Given that they were her 'protectors', Seren already expected these two women to be not ordinary. However, what she didn't know was that they were on par, if not stronger, with her husband's power.
She had met quite a handful of supernatural beings—there was Lady Tyra, Marie, and even her own nanny, Martha, but they felt so weak compared to Drayce. Even Yorian's strong aura felt weak compared to these women.
And now, not just one but two beings appeared, their strength probably on the same level as her husband? Maybe stronger?
Fortunately, the energy coming from them didn't seem evil to her. In fact, it's the opposite, similar to the power she felt from Aureus.
Was it divine power?
When she came across Zaria Lynx, the nature of her darkness-attributed magic felt evil and made her restless. According to Drayce, it was because the witch was a black magic practitioner.
Though Drayce's attribute was also darkness, and Erebus was the personification of that attribute, his power too never felt evil to her.
'Hmm? Why does she look familiar? I'm sure I have never seen her before though.'
The more she looked at them, the more Seren felt she had met the woman with honey blond hair before.
'Maybe it was because she has been protecting me? Maybe I have met her in the past?'
Seren then glanced at the mysterious hooded woman; however, she realized there seemed to be a problem with the other's body. Though her energy was strong, her aura felt…murky, incomplete even, and Seren could not put her finger on it.
'How strange.'
The woman with honey blond hair broke the tense silence by curtsying in front of Drayce and Seren.
"We are honored to be in the presence of His Majesty the Dragon and Her Majesty the Phoenix of Megaris. Please call me Evanthe," the honey blond hair woman greeted with a polite smile, "and my companion is called Sierra."
Drayce looked at his mother with a surprise. 'Evanthe?'
She didn't introduce herself with her name Esther but the other name, Evanthe. He had heard this name before. Evanthe, the Queen of Witches from Agartha.
'Is she the one Yorian mentioned before? The most powerful White Witch, the Queen who rules the entire Witch Race?'
"Are you the ones who made the King of Abetha bring me to this place? The ones who are said to be protecting me?" Seren asked, which pulled Drayce out of his thoughts.
Evanthe moved her gaze from her son to Seren, her daughter-in-law to be precise. "Indeed, Your Majesty. Pardon for the inconvenience this trip might have caused you. Please have a seat so we can talk more properly."
Seren looked at her husband who had not spoken a single word thus far. "Dray?"