Emmelyn and Mrs. Adler spent more time talking about their experience after they were separated last year. She told the old witch about Margueritte The White and Raphael who lived in Mount Tempest and their encounter.

Mrs. Adler was very distraught by the fact that Raphael gave Emmelyn a magical artifact that was very valuable without asking for anything valuable back.

She knew Margueritte was not the type of witch with a kind heart that would give anyone something precious just like that. 

And if Raphael was really Margueritte's son, Mrs. Adler thought the young man must be taught to do the same thing by the white witch.

However, since she didn't really know the truth, Mrs. Adler didn't dare to air any of her concerns.

She was worried the king who was sitting nearby and watching her like a hawk would become angry and demand answers from her which she couldn't give.

The old witch decided to investigate the issue by herself and if she found anything suspicious, she would immediately notify Emmelyn.

Yeah.. that would be better, she thought to herself.

"I am so happy that Margueritte seems to have a good life," Mrs. Adler said with a smile. "If she still looks so young after all these years, that means her power is already so advanced. Really powerful wizards and witches could defy aging. So, I am sure that is what she did."

Emmelyn nodded in agreement. She remembered how King Alexander of Myreen and his mother still looked young despite their age. She realized it must be because they both were powerful people too.

"Did she tell you what happened to Dolores?" Mrs. Adler asked again. Since Margueritte seemed to have a good life, she hoped the same thing happened to Dolores.

However, her hope crashed when she saw Emmelyn's expression turn grim. The old witch's heart suddenly felt heavy. Did something bad happen to Dolores? Was she even still alive?

She pressed her lips in shock, ready to hear the bad news from Emmelyn's lips. "What happened... to Dolores?"

Emmelyn sighed and looked away. She remembered Renwyck's really sad face when he told the story about his wife and their unborn child who died during childbirth.

Having experienced such difficult labor herself when she was giving birth to Harlow, Emmelyn could empathize with the wizard.

Her heart broke for all the women who couldn't survive childbirth like Dolores and Catalina Leoralei and this made her feel extremely grateful for her own survival. She was still alive now and she could even raise her baby with her loving husband.

Emmelyn would never, ever take this for granted.

"I am very sorry, Grandma. Dolores married a powerful wizard called Renwyck and..." Emmelyn lowered her face dejectedly. "She died during childbirth, together with their unborn son."

"Oh..." Mrs. Adler was ready to hear that Dolores had died, but knowing that her sister witch died during childbirth was truly heartbreaking for her to hear.

Mrs. Adler couldn't help but wail and covered her face with both hands. She remembered the beautiful red-haired witch who was always full of life. Who would have thought that she didn't live long?

Emmelyn couldn't do anything to console Mrs. Adler. She understood her pain and left her be. The old witch cried for an hour before she regained her composure.

Meanwhile, Mars already took Harlow out of the hut, so the toddler didn't see the witch weep so pitifully. Only Emmelyn stayed beside Mrs. Adler and waited for her to dry her tears.

"Renwyck told me how much they were so in love and had a happy life together," Emmelyn finally decided to share more about Dolores' life with Mrs. Adler so the old witch would feel better.

She added, "Dolores went to Cretea and got herself three dragons as pets. Her husband raised them for her and he treats them like they are his own children to preserve Dolores' memory."

"Her husband sounds like a good man," Mrs. Adler wiped her tears with her sleeves and forced a smile. "I am happy Dolores found happiness before she died."

"Yes, Renwyck is a really good man," Emmelyn agreed. "He is still loyal to Dolores even decades after she passed away."

"He is?"

"Yes. He is still not married and he doesn't love any other woman. He keeps Dolores' memory alive in his heart and in her three dragons. I met him and know that he is a good man."

Finally, Mrs. Adler's countenance changed and she looked relieved. At least Dolores was happy when she was still alive. That was all that mattered, she thought.

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty, for going out of your way to see me and share with me the updates about my sisters," Mrs. Adler touched Emmelyn's arm and smiled. "I am very happy to know that they are happy."

"It's my pleasure, grandma."

***

Emmelyn spent all day at Mrs. Adler's hut and reminisced about their time together. It was a good day. After she left the Bay of White Whales, Emmelyn and Mars returned to the Wintermere palace.

They had visited her family's graves and other places that were dear to Emmelyn's heart. They also had got some rest. Now, after ten days of stopping by Wintermere, they were ready to continue their journey.

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask your permission to let me stay longer in Wintermere," Edgar suddenly spoke after they finished having dinner together. Mars turned to him and furrowed his brows. 

Edgar didn't usually ask for such permission to stay longer when they were visiting other places, unlike Gewen who loved fooling around with the local women and would usually ask for an extension if he found a woman he fancied and wanted to fuck longer.

However, Edgar was not Gewen and he never asked for such extension. So, his sudden request piqued the king's interest.

"Of course, you can stay here longer," Mars said. "I am just curious to know why. Do you mind satisfying my curiosity as to why do you suddenly want to extend your stay in this lovely province?"

Edgar cleared his throat before he answered that question. His face suddenly flushed red. This made the people around him at the dining table exchange glances. 

Did Edgar just blush?

So, was this request to stay longer related to a woman? Did he fancy anyone here in Wintermere?

Wait...

Emmelyn and Mars remembered Lady Clara Langley whom they met last week in the feast held by the governor. They knew Edgar went to the Langley's home to take Clara and her father home because the duke was drunk.

He was also invited to have tea at their home the next day. So, did the duke and his daughter move swiftly to secure a son-in-law?

"Is this for Lady Clara Langley?" Mars decided to ask bluntly. "How far is your relationship with her?"

Edgar hiccuped when Mars asked him about his relationship with Clara.

Was it even a relationship? He was not sure. Edgar spent a  lot of time with Clara after the feast and he always wanted to see her again after they separated.

Edgar wanted to get to know her better, but it would be hard to do if he left Winteremere now. That's why he requested an extension to stay longer in here.

"No relationship..." Edgar replied with a low voice. "... yet."

"Aha! So, you want to court her and get to know her better before you decide to marry Clara? Is that true?" Mars asked Edgar seriously.

His friend nodded firmly. "Yes."

"Very well," Mars smiled and patted Edgar's back. "You've got my permission. You can take as much time as you need to court Lady Clara Langley. If she is a good woman for you, you have to marry her and don't waste her time."

Edgar nodded. "Yeah, that's my plan too."

"Good." Mars turned to Emmelyn. "What do you think, honey? Should we continue our journey to go home tomorrow?"

Emmelyn nodded. "Yeah, we should. I want Harlow to start having a stable life in the royal palace, not like this... always on the move and tired."

Then she turned to Edgar and gave him her best smile. "Congratulations! You have found a good woman. I know her since she was young and I know her family. I think Clara is a good woman for you."

Edgar was beaming with happiness when he heard the queen's approval. Ahh... that's right. He also thought Clara was a good woman. He just needed a bit more time to get to know her better.

Edgar would propose to her and marry her as soon as he was certain that she was the one for him. Edgar would never waste Clara's time.

.

.

***************

From Missrealitybites:

Yeay!! Edgar finally found love and he is such a good guy, he wouldn't want to waste a woman's time. I  really like him.

PS: Thank you so much, DespinaNY, for gifting a dragon to The Cursed Prince.. I am so grateful for your kindness. x

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