Amelia walked into the garden, looking at her surroundings to familiarize herself with the plants and herbs that she could use from the royal palace to prepare a decoction.
Well, that was the lie she was going along with to tell the maids and guards if they asked her.
She was looking for the mysterious green Lotus that everyone kept mentioning, only the werewolf kingdom.
If the werewolf kingdom really had that mysterious lotus blooming, then what would be a safer place than the palace itself to keep it sacred?
While many people considered the real green Lotus sacred and something only a true seer could see, a true legend among the healing flowers, some said it was all a myth and that a green Lotus never existed.
According to them, a hoax was created around the werewolf palace so everyone could know that the royals had higher powers over everyone.
It looks like only the heavens can help her.
"May the lord give me the powers to find the legend of the flowers that can –"
"What are you doing?" Amelia's ritual of jokingly calling the heavens was interrupted when she heard a cold, unfamiliar voice.
She opened her eyes and came face to face with a brown-eyed man who looked at her like she had grown horns.
"Invading the palace?" Amelia asked the man, who raised his brows in return.
"I am the King's cousin, Patrick Bentley," He said.
"And I am his wife…" Amelia paused when she remembered the name.
Wasn't this handsome man that evil uncle's son?
"His protector," Amelia added, and Patrick looked at the girl, intrigued.
"His protector?" He asked, observing the girl from head to toe with genuine amusement.
When Patrick heard that his cousin got married overnight because his grandfather had told him to establish peace, he thought the elders were joking, but now it looked real.
He stepped forward and was about to grab Amelia's chin to look at her carefully. He probably intimidated her a little when suddenly he felt an oppressive aura around.
He paused before smirking inwardly and shaking his head.
He stepped back to his original position as Cyrus walked into the backyard, his aura dominating him and making him take a deep breath.
Patrick was about to greet Cyrus to show his respect to the chosen king when he saw Cyrus looking directly at Amelia, not even sparing him a glance.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice void of emotions.
Amelia, who was ready with her excuse of looking at herbs, was about to speak when Patrick cut her off.
"She said that she is your protector. Is that right, King Cyrus?" Patrick asked.
Amelia narrowed her eyes at Patrick, cursing him inwardly before raising her hand and shaking her head.
"That's just an expression. How can I, a mere lantern, dare to say such words?" Amelia blinked her eyes innocently.
Cyrus looked into her eyes, knowing all too well what she said. But rather than say anything, he just pushed her aside gently, his gentle push making her stumble to the side, and Patrick raised his brows.
It didn't look like his cousin was exactly happy with his marriage.
Well, why didn't it sound nice?
"Cyrus Valentino!" A loud voice roared, and Amelia shook in her place, startled.
Cyrus, on the other hand, briefly glanced back before scoffing daringly.
"So even the old man is here," He said and walked to the palace's main hall without looking back.
Amelia raised her brows when she looked at the old man.
Wasn't this legendary… Grayson Evercrest? The man who had fought in that interspecies war and single-handedly pushed back the mages of the Green Sea?
"King Grayson," Amelia bowed to him, the respect coming from the bottom of her heart.
The old man, who was about to follow his grandson to scold him on how to treat his wife, paused before sighing.
He placed his hand on Amelia's hair and caressed it affectionately.
"May the Moon Goddess fill your life with happiness and give you enough patience to bear with my grandson," He said before walking inside the palace.
Amelia stood frozen in her place.
She had heard countless rumors about how arrogant and rude the former king was, but if someone was that arrogant, would he wish her like that?
One thing was for sure. People have created nasty rumors about royalty to create negativity around their names uselessly.
Amelia entered the palace only to see her husband and the former king sitting face-off.
"Do you think just because you are the chosen king, you have now dominance over me?" Grayson asked, his voice deep and full of authority.
His dominance might've fazed anyone but not his grandson, who leaned back in his seat, least bothered by his anger.
"Don't get angry, old man. We don't want you to die early," Cyrus smirked.
Amelia raised her brows.
Why was he making his grandfather more angry?
"You!" Grayson pointed his finger at his grandson.
"Me?" Cyrus asked.
His gaze moved to Amelia, standing near the entrance in a trance.
"You met her?" He asked Grayson.
"Of course I did. At Least your wife has more manners to greet an elder, unlike you who only knows to anger me," Grayson said.
Cyrus hummed before smirking.
"Is that so?" He asked, looking back at Amelia with a meaningful gaze.
Amelia didn't know why, but something about Cyrus's gaze didn't promise anything good to her, and she gulped.
"Are you glaring at her for greeting me?" Grayson interrupted.
Cyrus shrugged his shoulders before standing.
"What made you come to my place?" He asked.
"Why? I can't come here? Don't forget I made it," Grayson said.
Cyrus sighed and looked at Patrick, his gaze dark.
"Are you here to fight?" He asked.
Patrick, looking around and having arrived with their grandfather just to see Cyrus's bride, raised his brows.
"Are you offering?" Patrick asked.
Cyrus leaned back and raised his hand, ready to order Fabian to prepare the sparring court when their grandfather stood.
"When are you going to take her back? As her husband, you should visit her home with gifts," Grayson said.
Cyrus scoffed at Amelia, who was shifting her weight from one leg to another.
"The only gift I am taking to that place are heads of healers on a silver platter. Would you like that?" Cyrus asked, his question directed at Amelia.
Grayson was about to scold his grandson for using such foul language to scare the girl, but what Amelia said next surprised everyone.
"It's a good idea. Am I allowed to choose which healers we should take?" Amelia asked with a smile as she blinked her eyes.
Her expression was so innocent as she said those words that nobody would've even guessed she said those words if they hadn't seen her lips moving.
Cyrus observed her for a few seconds before he smirked.
"Psycho," Patrick commented.
"Are you offering?" Amelia asked, and the man raised his brows, realising that was the same sentence he had used to provoke Cyrus.
Cyrus licked his lips, amused and interested in this girl even more.
Meanwhile, Grayson, who had expected the lantern girl to shrink in fear and get scared of his family, cleared his throat.
"I haven't eaten anything. Accompany me to the dining table," He said, dismissing the matter.
Cyrus said nothing about how they had already eaten and followed his grandfather to the dining room.
"You are a psycho," Patrick said to Amelia as she walked to the dining table.
"You can expect that from a girl who came back from death," Amelia said.
"Hmm?" Patrick asked, stopping in his steps.
"What? I am a psycho," Amelia grinned before she walked to the dining table with a usual smile as if she didn't make any off comment to Patrick.