Loving The Cursed Werewolf King-Chapter 442: Brothers Come To Visit
The day before the wedding.
The Nieverdell’s royal carriage had arrived, carrying Arielle’s long-awaited guest. Her legs moved impatiently to see the person in the carriage come out. The carriage door opened, and Arielle’s smile grew wider when she saw a figure wearing a green coat descending from the carriage.
"Archie!" called Arielle, who couldn’t stand still in her place anymore. She ran down the stairs and held her brother’s cold hand. Maybe Archie wasn’t used to the cold of Northendell weather that made him shiver and chill.
"Arielle..." Archie spread his arms. "Can I hug you?"
Arielle nodded, then went into the man’s embrace. Archie sighed in relief because Arielle’s body felt like radiating a very comfortable warmth. He had never set foot in the North before, so the first time he crossed the border, Archie was taken aback by the difference in temperature in this place.
He even asked his charioteer to steer the carriage faster in order to arrive at Northendell’s palace sooner. He couldn’t stand the cold, even though Archie was wearing a coat with thick fur around the hood, but he could still feel the cold penetrate through his skin. It was crazy... Archie couldn’t imagine how Arielle had to live in such a cold place.
"Have you met the king?" Arielle asked, still hugging Archie.
"Ah... that man... I can meet him later. I still want to spend time with you," Archie replied.
He smiled widely and took Arielle’s hand to hold his.
"Want me to show you around for a bit?" Arielle asked.
"Yes. I also want to see if this place suits you or not," Archie replied, making Arielle chuckle softly. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
In all her years, Arielle had never walked side by side with her siblings. Because this was the first time she hugged Archie’s arm, she held it tighter than she should. Arielle had already remembered what Archie, Andrea, and Annelise had done to her when she was nine years old. However, Arielle believed that Archie had regretted it. Really, really regret it. Thus, Arielle chose to close that Chapter of her life story and start to write the new story.
Archie also had no other family apart from her and Duke Ambrose now, so Arielle didn’t want to make him feel lonely by keeping her distance and making things even more awkward.
"How is Duke Ambrose doing?"
"He is well... He started exercising a bit, saying that he should live a long and healthy life so that one day he can visit the North to see you."
"I’m so happy to hear that... He was really good at teaching me a lot of things before I came back here."
"I also brought you a letter from him. I put it in my suitcase, so maybe I will give it to you later after we walk around the palace for a while," said Archie to which Arielle nodded her head.
First, Arielle took Archie to the cathedral. She introduced him to Priest Elis, Priest Jill, and the other apprentice priests. Archie held his chin in deep thought, feeling that the cathedral in the North and South were really different.
In the South, the cathedral was a building that was only used for weddings or gatherings of nobles. However, in the North, the cathedral was used as a place of study, experimentation, and worship.
In the South, there were also no priests who actively used mana power. The South was too spoiled with all its natural resources, so they did not try to explore or develop their potential. Archie felt it was another task he would be added to after returning to the South later. He didn’t want to be a king like his father...
"Arielle, it isn’t too late for me to change the cathedral in the South, right?" Archie asked Arielle who was explaining about how Priestess Unor, the former queen, planted a Frostberry tree on the snowy ground, and the trees became the sacred tree for the northerners.
"What do you mean, Brother?"
"What I mean is... the South doesn’t have active priests like the North. And to form a group of scientists to export the resources of the South, is it too late? I know, maybe I don’t have the full capacity of a king yet but... having a group of scientists seems like it will help advance the kingdom, right?’
Arielle cleared her throat and held her brother’s hand. "It may be too late, but it never hurts to try. Just like me, who has no basis whatsoever as a queen. Even at first I couldn’t read and write, but with a lot of effort, I can read and write fluently now."
Archie smiled with full of pride.
Archie looked into his sister’s eyes. The genuine smile suddenly faded when he just realized something.
"Arielle... what’s wrong with the colour of your eyes?" he asked, grabbing his sister’s face to see more clearly that Arielle’s eye colour had changed from black to bright blue. Even the girl’s blue eyes were much brighter than Alexis’ and Andrea’s.
"I am alright. Only a small thing happened while I was experimenting with mana power. However, you don’t need to worry, Brother. The priests and doctors said that nothing happened to me or my eyes."
That was not the right answer. That real one was far from the answer that Arielle gave to Archie. Arielle didn’t want Archie to know about her power yet. So she tried so hard by telling a lies.
Archie frowned. Arielle’s status as the descendant of the Moon Goddess was still confidential information to the courtiers. This was done to prevent Arielle from becoming the target of the Thebis, who might want to use her power to extinguish the eternal fire.
"Are you sure? Is there a medical explanation about it?" Archie asked worriedly.
"No, Brother. Let’s go to the blessing hall instead." trying to distract Archie from her eyes topic.
"But, Arielle..."
"Why? Do I look like... I’m not your sister?" Arielle asked, then let go of Archie’s hand.
"Of course that’s not what I meant..."
Archie took Arielle’s hand for him to hold it again gently. "I’m sorry, Arielle. Then, let’s forget about this conversation... Let’s just head to the blessing hall, okay?" said Archie, who did not want Arielle to be sad before her wedding day.
Arielle and Archie walked side by side towards the blessing hall and sat on the front seat. As a result of his comments about Arielle’s eyes, the atmosphere turned a little awkward.
"Do you often pray here?" Archie asked, looking at the interior of the blessing hall.
Arielle nodded her head. "But I always sit in the back." Her answer surprised Archie.
"Why? Aren’t you their future queen?"
"I am not used to the attention yet. I’m trying but sometimes I don’t want them to feel awkward if I were around. Besides, I enjoyed watching them praying for Moon Goddess sincerely without any disturbance with formalities."
Archie nodded.
"So this cathedral are open to public too?"
"Yup, the people who use this blessing hall are not only the courtiers but also the citizens of Northendell. They’ll go through the door over there." Arielle pointed to a mahogany door that was quite high next to the altar. That door was used by the commoners while the back door was used by the courtiers.
"I see..."
"But, these three days, the cathedral was closed to the public until my wedding day..."
Archie nodded in understanding.
"Hey, Arielle," Archie called.
"Yes, Brother?"
"Do... am I worthy of being the one who accompanies you down the aisle to the altar?" asked Archie, who was nervous to think that he was the one who would bring Arielle to the altar.
Of course, as the only remaining brother, only Archie could do it.
"You are the only family I have, Brother. There’s no one else I can ask to do that." Arielle’s reply made Archie smile broadly.
The man held his rapidly pounding heart while looking at the altar in front of him.
"You’re not nervous? I was so nervous when I imagined taking you to the altar," Archie replied, turning to his sister.
Arielle also turned her head to her brother with a smile. "I was nervous, but now I can calm down because of you."
"Because of me?’
Arielle nodded. "Because you are my brother," she replied.
***
Elsewhere, a man with only one hand left reached into his pocket and took out some silver coins.
"Hey, Peach. Which one do you want to buy?" he asked, pointing to several rows of jams.
"I’d like to try the Frostberry jam," the child replied, clutching the man’s coat to keep the two of them apart in the crowd.
The man received two sweet pancakes covered with Frostberry and chocolate jam. He gave one pancake with Frostberry jam to the girl next to him.
"Well, finally have something warm. I still don’t understand why you are willing to sell our strawberries this far," said the child named Peach.
"It’s going to be very crowded here. Can’t you see that the strawberries were almost sold out? So, shut up and eat in peace."
"But, Northendell is very cold."
"I told you not to come with me."
"And let you run away with my grandma and my money after selling these strawberries? Never!"
"Yeah yeah yeah..."
"I’m getting more and more looking forward to seeing the royal wedding parade tomorrow."
There was no answer that the man gave. It made the young girl turn to the man beside her. "You’re also looking forward to seeing the royal couple tomorrow, Simon?"
The man stopped biting his pancake, and he was silent for a moment. "Yeah, I can’t wait to see them," he replied simply.
