Chapter 417 - Affectionate

While most of the guests and Royals were enjoying the wedding ball, Prince Edwin was standing outside the hall with his maternal uncle, King Leonel of Frostford.

King Leonel was a tall and thin man. He had black hair, which he liked to keep short because of the springy curls. His thick eyebrows and dark brown eyes would give an impression that he was forever mad for no reason.

Unlike his sister Lillian, he didn't have the gift of magic. But he had made up for that shortcoming of his by establishing himself as the most powerful and ruthless King of Frostford to date.

He had managed to do so by choosing the most powerful witches and wizards of the Kingdom to side with him. They would even be ready to kill or get killed for him. Such was his manipulative power.

Right now, Leonel was not in a good mood because he just found out today what had happened to his sister.

And he asked Edwin in a betrayed voice, "Edwin, why didn't you write a letter to inform me that your mother was captured and imprisoned? Did I have to come all the way to Wyverndale to find it out?"

Leonel turned his head to the side to look at his nephew and sternly said, "And it wasn't even you who broke the news to me. It was Juniper."

To be fair, with everything that was going on in the Palace for the past weeks, it completely escaped Edwin's mind that he needed to update Leonel.

He apologetically looked at his maternal uncle and asked for forgiveness.

And in response, Leonel asked, "Don't you have anything more to ask other than forgiveness? I can have some of my minions sneak into the dungeon right now and make them study the barrier. There might be some way to break Lillian free."

Edwin pressed his lips together and awkwardly kept on holding his breath for a few seconds. He was trying to think of a way to clear the air between him and his uncle without giving an impression that he had betrayed his mother.

And the Prince politely replied, "No, let's not do anything at the moment. I would like to have a detailed meeting with you first. And I will let you decide how to move further ahead."

Edwin then tried to make his uncle understand why he had not tried to have a meeting sooner, "I had been planning to visit Frostford and having a meeting with you. However, I got really busy in the Palace, especially after that Vampire King attacked the King and the Princess."

Leonel looked up at the stars and let out a sigh. And he thought to himself, "And I thought that damned vampire would be capable enough to rally the soldiers and take over Wyverndale. But he ended up falling victim to his lust and went berserk before even commencing the plan!"

Leonel had no idea yet that Edwin already knew everything that Lillian had planned with Reginald. So, he tried to act as though he didn't know anything about the vampires and said, "I had never thought that such creatures still walked the Earth. I thought they were just limited to the myths. I was really shocked when Juniper told me about it."

Edwin pursed his lips and didn't know whether to call out his uncle or just play along. "I think I need to have that meeting soon," he thought to himself and then asked Leonel, "Your Majesty, I hope you will be staying here tonight?"

Leonel rolled his eyes and replied harshly, "I came here with the intention to spend the night here but I don't think I can do that after knowing that my sister is being kept locked up in some cold dungeon."

Edwin turned to stand face to face with Leonel and asked him, "Uncle, I really need to discuss a lot of things with you. Will you please stay? For my sake."

Leonel furrowed his brows and examined his nephew's facial expression. Edwin looked as though he was in desperate need of help. And Leonel guessed that Edwin wanted to plan his mother's escape. So he agreed, "If you insist then, sure, I will stay for the night."

Edwin happily smiled and clasped his hands together. And he suggested, "Let's go to my quarter after having the dinner. And we will discuss everything then."

---

After a whole hour of dancing to the tune, it was finally time for dinner.

The maids asked all of the guests to follow them back to the lawn.

The torches and lanterns that were hung around the posts and kept on the tables were making the lawn almost as bright as the day. And the setup looked really beautiful.

The servants had already set up around 35 large round tables for the guests. Each table had seats for 15 guests. The cutleries were already in place.

And each table was full of varieties of dishes like sirloin steak, fricassees of chicken, grilled chicken breasts, salad with yogurt, roasted potatoes, and many more, accompanied by the varieties of fine wine and beverages.

Adeline, Theodore, Azriel, and the Goddess, settled down at one of the tables in the middle of the lawn.

The Goddess was not able to take her eyes off of her daughter-in-law ever since she sat down beside her. She gave a warm smile to Adeline and complimented her, "You have very beautiful eyes. It's full of hope and innocence."

Adeline had already turned red after sitting with her mother-in-law. She stole a peek of the Goddess and looked back at her plate again. And she softly replied, "Everything about Mother Celestial is very beautiful."

The Goddess let out melodious laughter and gently caressed Adeline's silver hair that looked very similar to hers. And she appreciated Adeline, "Adeline, I am very happy that you chose to see good in my son. He is one lucky man to have found a wife like you."

"And I am also very lucky to have found him." Adeline then gave a loving gaze towards Theodore who was sitting on her other side.

She then glanced back at the Goddess and said with a polite smile on her face, "Mother, I didn't even get to thank you properly for the lovely gift that you had bestowed upon me earlier."

She gave a gentle bow and said courteously, "Theodore told me that you made that harp all by yourself. It is really beautiful. I'm sure that the music will also be equally beautiful. Thank you for such a considerate gift. I will make sure to listen to the music every day."

The Goddess was pleased to know that Adeline was impressed by her gift. She then instructed on how the harp worked, "I have enchanted the harp with my power. Whenever you feel like enjoying the music, just give it a double-tap and it will begin to play the music according to your mood."

The Goddess gently patted on Adeline's palm and said, "You work too hard, sometimes a little too much. Make sure to give yourself some time and enjoy the beauty of life, the music, the food, and everything there is to enjoy. Life is fleeting, make sure to stop and appreciate little joy in life every now and then."

The rims of Adeline's eyes were glistening in the light from the lantern. Her heart was filled with a warm feeling. She swallowed her tears and nodded her head, "I will try to enjoy, mother. Thank you for your invaluable advice."

Adeline gazed at the Goddess and wondered if Auvera would also have been this affectionate towards her. It was in times like this that she wished her mother was still alive.

And as if the Goddess read Adeline's mind, she pulled Adeline into her warm embrace. She gently stroked Adeline's back and whispered to Adeline, "You are such a lovable child.. I now know why my son fell for you."