Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
After sitting for a while longer, Rafael stood up. “I’ll head to the palace to report in. I’ll be back later to join you for dinner. By the way, where’s Kiera?”
“She’s out with Logan,” Helen replied, waving a hand dismissively. “The wedding date is already set; they’ll be married in just a few days. Let them run around as they please There’s no need to keep her confined just because she’s a princess.”
Rafael didn’t argue. He glanced at Sophie once before heading out.
Sophie turned to Helen. “Has Kiera’s dowry been packed and sealed?”
“Yes, everything has been arranged. Gillian and Luke took care of it all, but I didn’t completely leave it to them. I personally checked the ledger.”
“Have you visited Kiera’s estate yet?” Sophie asked again.
“No, I haven’t, but Luke went to inspect it, and everything seems to be in order.”
“We don’t have much to do at the moment. Why don’t we bring Vivi along and go see for ourselves?” Sophie suggested, still feeling like it was necessary to see for herself.
“It’s just a residence. There’s nothing much to see. Besides, my sister has already instructed the palace staff to ensure everything is prepared.”
Helen glanced outside, where the sun was blazing down. She wasn’t eager to step out into the heat and risk damaging her skin. But when she saw Sophie’s expectant gaze, she relented with a sigh.
“Alright, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look. If there’s any furniture missing, we can order it now. After all, we can’t rely solely on the palace staff to get everything right.”
Kiera’s residence, Ivory Estate, was located in the palace district where the highest-ranking nobles resided. The common folk referred to it as Noble Street, and it was only about three or four miles from Royal Street.
Ivory Estate was also conveniently close to Hell Monarch Estate, just a short distance away on foot. Of course, Helen had no intention of walking. They all traveled by carriage.
Ivory Estate was already occupied by staff sent by the queen dowager, tasked with maintaining the property, cleaning, and tending the garden. A number of flower trees had already been planted, and potted plants adorned the grounds.
Salvador had been quite generous to Kiera. The estate was vast, with a grand and imposing front courtyard, while the rear was filled with bright and spacious rooms.
In the garden, a lake had been dug. It was surrounded by pavilions, towers, rockeries, and arched bridges, with water flowing gently throughout. The surroundings created a peaceful and serene atmosphere. The architecture here had a softer, more tranquil vibe, reminiscent of the graceful style of Ebonflow, in contrast to the rigid designs typical of the capital.
Kiera’s personal courtyard was called Harmony Meadow, which had a lovely meaning. As Logan’s name meant “small meadow”, the courtyard’s name incorporated that and symbolized the idea of the couple harmoniously supporting each other.
As Sophie and Helen entered, they found the courtyard fully furnished. There were partition screens, a large cherry wood bed, a chaise lounge draped in luxurious silks-everything one could need, and all of the highest quality.
After looking around, Helen remarked, “There’s plenty of furniture already. We don’t need to bring any more from her dowry.”
Sophie disagreed gently, “Since it’s already been cataloged, we should still bring it over. This estate is so large, there’s certainly enough space to use it all.”
“The items you chose for her dowry are excellent. It would be a shame to not let Kiera use them,” Helen mused as she took a thoughtful turn around the courtyard. “Although, it wouldn’t go to waste either way. The prince consort will occasionally stay here too, so we could always place some in his quarters.’
According to Starhaven’s customs, a prince consort didn’t typically live with the princess and was permitted to return to his own family’s residence. If the princess wanted to summon him, she would simply light a lantern and someone would be sent to fetch him. However, given how affectionate Kiera and Logan were, it was likely that after the wedding, they would share quarters anyway. Even if they kept separate courtyards, it would probably be more for show than necessity.
“Perhaps we could prepare a small courtyard here for you. That way, you could stay for a few days when you miss Kiera,” Sophie suggested.
Helen waved her off, laughing. “I wouldn’t come. I have my son’s estate. What would it look like if I left it to stay at my daughter’s?”
Helen had never been especially
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close to her children, but Kiera had made a concerted effort to bond with her. It was Kiera who had initiated conversations, who clung to her mother affectionately, who sought out hugs and closeness. Their relationship had grown warm entirely because of Kiera’s persistence.
Over time, this persistent closeness awakened a maternal instinct in Helen.
When she gave birth to Rafael, she had still felt like a child herself. All her life, she had been coddled and cherished by her family, especially her elder sister. She had enjoyed being pampered and treated like a treasure by those around her.
But one day, someone told her that she was a mom now. Everyone doted on the soft, pale little baby. They glossed over the struggles of pregnancy and childbirth with a few words of encouragement, simply telling Helen to take good care of herself.
Yet, every time she bathed and saw the scars on her belly, she was reminded of the agony of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth. The days when she was the one being doted on were over. In the palace, the hardships of motherhood were something no one spoke of One was never supposed to complain about the pains of pregnancy or childbirth-it was considered a blessing.
Not only could a woman not grumble, but she had to be grateful.
Helen had once asked Victoria, “Grateful for what, exactly?”
It was the first time Victoria had ever been truly angry with her. Eyes wide with fury, nearly popping out of her head, the elder woman scolded her sister harshly. It had terrified Helen, leaving her feeling both frightened and unjustly blamed. Perhaps women simply learned to accept their lot in life.
In any case, Helen never spoke those words again. Even when Kiera was born, she didn’t feel much joy. It wasn’t until the little bundle clung to her day and night that she slowly grew into the role of a mom.
As for that brat… it wasn’t that Helen didn’t like him Rafael grew
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increasingly handsome as he aged, making her heart swell with pride every time she looked at him. But as he grew older, he became increasingly serious and distant. It made it hard to get close to him.
However, Sophie was different. She was like Victoria, always protecting and pampering Helen. When Sophie was in the estate, Helen never had to worry about anything.
That was why, given the choice, Helen would rather live with her daughter-in-law than anyone else.
After the excitement outside died down, the members of the Septimus Tetra reconnaissance team all returned to their respective homes, except for the two from Stonebrook District, Scott and Wilfred. Jacob took them to stay at Northwatch Estate, where they would await the king’s summons the next day.
When Thomas stepped into the Farrell family’s residence, Alice couldn’t stop crying. She clung to her son, sobbing continuously until she nearly fainted from exhaustion. The other family members consoled her while shedding their own tears, and eventually managed to help Alice sit down, allowing everyone to finally speak calmly.
In the Farrell family, there weren’t many sons left. Several members of the third branch of the family had fallen in battle. Thomas’ return was a great comfort to everyone.
He knelt before each of his elders to greet them. The oldest member of the family, the patriarch of the third branch of the family, broke down in tears. Soon, everyone was wiping their eyes.
After discussing the general events of the past few years with the whole family, Alice and Thomas headed off to talk privately. There was something important she needed to tell him. Once they were in a room, Alice dismissed the servants. Even as she looked at her son, she still felt a sense of disbelief.
She let out a heavy sigh. “Your brother probably told you about your former wife’s situation when you were at the Southern Frontier. But as your mom, I need to explain it to you myself. Your dad died on the battlefield, so I understand the hardships of being a widow. It’s not easy. But with you and your sister still with me, I had hope.
“However, Viola was different. She didn’t have children yet. I thought that since you had died serving the kingdom, it would be best not to hold her back. I discussed it with your sister-in-law and the other family members. We also sent a letter to your eldest brother, and everyone agreed that it was best for Viola to return to her family. We gave her a divorce letter and allowed her to return home.”
As Alice spoke, she recalled the sudden news of Thomas’ death back then, and it sent waves of panic through her heart again.
She took a sip of water to calm herself before continuing, “Viola didn’t want to leave. She said she would remain faithful to you for the rest of her life. Even with the divorce letter in hand, she was determined to stay. I worried that she would suffer when she returned to her family, so I gave her your death pension, along with two shops.
“She’s remarried now. A few days ago, someone from the Earl of Silverstone’s family came to return the money and the shops. The shops’ value was converted into silver coins since we’ve already transferred the ownership. That marked the end of any ties between our families.”
Alice looked at her son with a grave expression. “I’m telling you all this because I hope you won’t go and disturb her. From now on, you have your life, and she has hers. Even if you have the chance to meet again, just act as if you don’t know each other to avoid causing her any trouble.”
Thomas listened quietly as his mom spoke.