Her question was quite unexpected, and it was another plication. One he had not even given a thought to at all.
He was a prince of a powerful empire, one that stood supreme over the largest continent in the world.
If not for the absence of sufficient knowledge about the nations in the other two continents, one could as well refer to Reimgard as the strongest nation in the world of Tra-el.
And he was a prince of that place. Who wouldn’t want to go back there?
He thought about the lavish, princely lifestyle and if he was to be honest, it was very enticing.
Served by maidens, it was the kind of lifestyle he wished he had from childhood. But there were people trying to kill him.
There was that too, the moment he returned to the palace what was the proof that those people were not going to e after him again.
Was the Imperial family going to accept him? He’s a bastard to begin with.
That brought him to the realization that even if he wanted to go back there, he needed to be strong first. And he didn’t really need to go back there except if being a prince would better propagate his future plans.
In other words and frankly speaking, it was a family he considered a tool. At least for now, but his mother however didn’t deserve such wickedness, also at least for now.
’I don’t trust anyone, and I won’t until I get to the bottom of this matter. But she gave birth to me, so I’m willing to promise.’
Northern raised his head straight and looked the woman dead in the eye as he responded.
"No, not right now, I have no intentions to."
His mother lingered then asked again, "What about in the future?"
Northern’s expression remained the same as when he answered before, "I don’t know, that would depend on the path I choose to take in the future. Am I not merely fifteen right now?"
She smiled and nodded, "Indeed you are, but I feel like you have grown far more mature than a fifteen-year-old should be."
Northern giggled a little bit, "This hell was not easy on any of us. Each and every one of us had to learn one thing or another and it contributed to the kind of person we’ve bee now."
He thought as he looked down for a moment, ’Especially me, I have learnt a lot...’
A small frown appeared on his face, and quickly disappeared.
Lady Henai pressed down her lips and looked away for a moment, "I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help."
"What would you have done?" Northern tilted his head.
He smiled a second later, "Besides, I’m glad I got to know my real name. There’s so much prestige in the name Artemis, I love it."
"While you were in my womb, your father and I often called you Art."
Northern looked at her in a strange way, bringing his head back a little, "I’m surprised you and the strongest Monarch in the Central Plains had a romantic moment. That was quite ironic to what I was thinking."
Lady Henai covered her lips as she chuckled, menting afterwards, "You wouldn’t believe it but he actually married me because he fell for me."
Northern’s eyes widened, then a grin appeared on his face.
"I mean, with all your beauty, who wouldn’t want to marry you."
"This is nothing, you should really see when I was in my youth."
Northern frowned, tilting his head, "Oh my days, I thought for a moment that you were still in your youth."
"I see you gained a skill for flattering women, you must be husband to many."
Northern laughed shortly and looked away, folding his hands as he responded, "Actually, I am husband to none. And I kind of like it that way."
He sounded genuinely proud of himself.
She, on the other hand, looked like she just had life sucked out of her. She stared at him for a couple of minutes with a deadpan expression.
Then she sighed and said calmly.
"Art, so is it okay if you stay the night, tomorrow we can get you to the harbor and you’ll leave for the Central Plains... but I’m ing with you, no objections."
Northern looked at the woman’s eyes, somehow he could see the resemblance now more than anytime. Those were the same eyes he has whenever he was damn sure he wouldn’t change a certain decision of his.
’This woman...’ He scratched the back of his head and responded, "Fine, but I have one question."
Lady Henai breathed, "Ask,"
"Isn’t there a reason why you left the Central Plains to begin with? If the Emperor was in love with you, why were you giving birth in a forest? And why were people after my life?"
She let out another gentle but shaky breath, it looked like she was toughening up. She probably wished she wouldn’t have to answer the question.
Northern even thought she wouldn’t, however, she started.
"I’m sorry. My knowledge is very limited and I am not sure who it is in particular, it could be one of your brothers or sisters or it could be their vassals. I don’t know. As to the reason why I left, I couldn’t take it anymore. Your absence and my presence in that place was torturing me, so I asked him to e home. He didn’t want to but he allowed me in the end."
Northern nodded slightly as she gave her answers, when she was done, his words flowed out again.
"How many brothers and sisters do I have?"
"You have eleven brothers and sisters, you are the last child which makes you the twelfth, particularly, five girls and six boys."
Northern’s jaw dropped, he was silent for a moment, just staring, stunned.
Then afterwards... "Wow, eleven siblings, that’s a lot. How many wives does he have?"
Lady Henai smiled, "Just one."
"One woman gave birth to all of them?"
She nodded, "Yes, she’s quite a lovely lady."
Northern narrowed his eyes, "She is? I mean, you stole her husband sort of..."
Lady Henai admitted, "It was hard at first but things got better."
"How are you sure she’s not the one that tried to kill me?"
Lady Henai frowned, about to give a stern response when the entire building trembled tremendously.
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