Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
“My mentor has already come here, but he didn’t tell you. He said Lady Avis is just enduring, and it’s uncertain how long she can last. If we stop her medication, she might only have a day or two left,” Ivy replied.
Sophie’s eyes widened in alarm. “You can’t stop her medication!”
Ivy looked resigned as she said, “Even if we continue with her medication, she may make it through the end of the year, but she certainly won’t survive beyond the fifteenth of the new year.”
Tears streamed down Sophie’s face. She hadn’t realized how severe Avis’ condition was. Sebastian had kept her in the dark, and Rowan had always seemed on the verge of saying something but held back. Sophie should have guessed earlier.
“At least the current medication and acupuncture will ease her suffering. When the time comes, she won’t be in too much pain,” Ivy consoled.
As a physician, Ivy had witnessed many patients pass away. However, she felt a deep sense of regret for Avis.
It was a bitter pill to swallow.
How unfortunate could a person be to be despised by both her husband and children? Her family wasn’t much help either. They were stationed far away and unable to visit even once during the harsh winter.
If a person had done wrong and met an ill fate, others would sigh and say it was well deserved. However, Avis had always been kind-hearted and had done many good deeds throughout her life. How had she ended up in such a dire state?
“Vivi, you return to the capital tomorrow. I’ll stay here with my aunt,” Sophie said, wiping her tears. “I can’t allow her to not have a single family member by her side.”
Violet, ever loyal, replied, “I’ll stay here with you. As for Rod, there’s a wooden house outside the monastery specifically for accommodating male guests. Let him stay there.”
“But the monastery is isolated and quiet with the New Year approaching. You’ll have to endure hardships,” Sophie protested.
“I’ve endured hardships when facing the trials of the battlefield,” Violet replied firmly. “What hardship can I not bear?”
Sophie clenched the handkerchief in her fingers, momentarily stunned by her friend’s words.
Was Yuvan’s desire to marry Violet somehow related to her battlefield experience?
Sophie shook her head. No, it couldn’t be. If a prince with military power had such thoughts, Sophie might have found it plausible. However, Yuvan commanded only five hundred soldiers. Even as a prince with no real military force in Valken, the king surely kept a close watch on him.
Besides, Yuvan was not known for his talents. How could he possibly entertain thoughts of rebellion? It seemed too absurd to believe. Sophie thought it was more likely that Yuvan simply wanted to consolidate his power in Valken.
Yet, Sophie was cautious and perceptive. Some things might sound far-fetched, but human desires were insatiable. Who knew if Yuvan was deliberately exposing his shortcomings? Could he be a schemer with deep motives?
Moreover, among the many princes, he was the closest to the capital. It was odd. His temperament was similar to that of Harvey. Yet, while Harvey remained in the capital, Yuvan was sent to his fief. Perhaps the late king had difficulty understanding him, so he chose to place Yuvan in Valken under close surveillance.
The late king had foresight. He sent nearly all his brothers to their fiefs, stripping them of their military powers. Even if they harbored rebellious thoughts, they lacked the means to act on them.
But the late king was not infallible. Even in their fiefs, there were ways for the princes to evade the court’s scrutiny and secretly gather troops. Such occurrences had happened before, leading to internal strife that caused great suffering among the people. That eventually led to the rise of the current era.
What was curious was how Yuvan, who seemed so inept, would dare to divorce his wife and try to marry Violet, who was not only a daughter of the influential Spencer family, but had also proven herself on the battlefield.
That evening, Sophie and Violet stayed in the small courtyard. There was only one bed, so they had to share it. Neither of them could sleep.
Violet had only picked at her dinner, not because it was all vegetarian, but because she was feeling intensely nauseated. Meanwhile, Sophie hadn’t eaten at all. Seeing her aunt in such a state made her feel miserable.
“Sophie, I’m thinking of sneaking into Horizon Estate and getting rid of him,” Violet said after tossing and turning in bed.
“Don’t be foolish. Plotting against a prince-are you trying to have your entire family implicated?” Sophie glanced at her friend. “Are you worried that your family might agree to the marriage?”
Violet folded her arms behind her head. “I don’t know, but I’m sure my father wouldn’t agree. My grandfather has always doted on me, so I believe he wouldn’t consent either.
“However, my family is desperate for a high-status marriage to restore their reputation. I’m afraid that the pressure from the rest of the family members might force my grandfather and father into agreeing.” “Even if they agree, you wouldn’t marry him,” said Sophie confidently.
“That’s right, I wouldn’t,” Violet’s voice was tinged with frustration. “But if the marriage is agreed upon and I refuse, another woman from my family will be married off in my place. How can I bear to let someone else sacrifice themselves for me, especially if it’s a relative from my own family?”
Violet was deeply worried. She wished she could return to the Spencer family’s residence immediately.
“Do you want to go back?” Sophie asked.
“I want to, but I can’t. Didn’t Winona leave some of her people in my care? I’ll have Claire go instead,” Violet decided.
Sophie sighed and pulled the blanket over her head, tears streaming down her face. In the end, she barely slept and was up before dawn.
Determined to do something, Sophie personally made some oatmeal and carried it to Avis. Maybe due to the fact that her niece was feeding her, Avis managed to eat half a bowl.
Jasmine noted, “This is actually quite a bit for her. Usually, she can only manage a couple of bites. Without the chicken soup and all those expensive medicinal herbs keeping her alive, she’d probably be gone by now.”
Then, she added, “If her children could come to see her, there might still be hope.”
“I doubt that will ever happen. Her son can’t come, and her two daughters neither dare to offend Lady Fiona nor truly wish to visit,” Ivy said.
Sophie felt a pang of discomfort and frustration in her heart. As she turned to leave, she bumped into Violet, who was returning from outside. Violet was wrapped tightly in her cloak, with the white fox fur covering her chin. She also had dark circles under her eyes.
“Where did you go?”
“I sent a pigeon to Claire and asked her to look into it.”
Sophie hummed softly in response.
Violet smiled bitterly. “I’m worried that if my family agrees to the marriage, we would be considered an accomplice in helping Prince Yuvan divorce Lady Avis and putting her in such a tragic state.” Sophie remained silent, her heart aching deeply.
The next day, Rafael and Dylan arrived.
Though they were men, the abbess still allowed Rafael to visit Avis.
When Sophie saw that her husband had braved the snowstorm to reach her, the emotions she had been holding back for days nearly erupted. Tears streamed no uncontrollably down her face.
Rafael tenderly wiped her tears and cradled her face. “Let’s go in and see her.”
When Avis saw Rafael holding her niece’s hand, her tears flowed freely. She couldn’t be mistaken-Rafael’s deep affection for Sophie was evident in his eyes, and he couldn’t hide it at all. In fact, he showed no intention of hiding it.
Previously, Avis had worried that e2
Rafael might be put off by Sophie’s status as a divorced woman. But now, seeing the joy in Rafael’s eyes as he looked at Sophie, she knew he did not hold any such disdain The anxiety in her heart slowly eased.
“Don’t worry, Aunt Avis. I’ll take good care of Sophie.” Rafael assured.
“I’m not worried anymore,” Avis said, deeply touched that Rafael addressed her as “Aunt” as Sophie had done.
Her joy was overwhelming, and she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.