Chapter 150. Comforting Mary, and the Reason Behind It
After leaving the Study, William headed straight for Mary’s palace.
As he passed the palaces where the princesses from other kingdoms were staying, William saw clearly that, as his footsteps drew near, the lights in those palaces lit up at the sa ti, and faint figures could be seen moving behind the windows.
But he did not pause for even a mont and continued all the way to Mary’s palace.
When he arrived outside, the maid standing guard at the entrance imdiately stepped forward and bowed.
“Your Highness.”
“Is Mary here?” William asked.
The maid nodded. “Lady Mary is in the garden.”
William pushed the door open, passed through the inner hall, and entered the garden behind the palace.
The night breeze carried the scent of flowers. From a distance, he heard the sound of suppressed sobbing.
Mary stood beside a cluster of roses with her back to him, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Sensing soone approaching, Mary suddenly turned around. When she saw that it was William, her eyes instantly reddened, yet she still gave a huff of grievance, turned away again, and began to shake even more violently.
William quickly stepped forward and gently embraced her from behind.
Mary struggled once, then stopped moving. She only cried harder, her tears soaking his sleeve.
“Mary...” William’s voice was sowhat hoarse. “Why did you agree? You clearly...”
“What else could I have done if I refused?”
Mary’s voice was thick with tears, muffled as it reached him.
“His Majesty said it was for the Kroll Family, for... for helping you secure your position. Things are so chaotic on Silver Oakleaf’s side. The kingdom needs unity, it needs...”
She turned around and looked at William with tear-filled eyes.
“I feel terrible. I did not want this, but I...”
Looking at her reddened eyes, William felt as though sothing had gripped his heart.
He raised a hand and gently wiped away her tears.
“Foolish girl.”
Mary sniffled and choked back a sob. “As long as I can help you, that’s enough.”
The night wind passed through the garden, rustling the leaves of the roses.
William held her tightly.
“After so ti, we’ll be officially married.”
Mary nodded against his chest, and her tears gradually stopped.
It was not until late into the night that William finally managed to calm Mary’s emotions.
Carrying her sleeping form, he walked softly into the room, carefully laid her down on the bed, and tucked the blanket in around her.
Looking at the lingering weariness between her brows, he remained silent for a mont before finally turning and leaving.
By the ti he returned to his own Residence, the night was already deep.
Zoe lay on the bed, seeming to be asleep, but beneath the faint moonlight, her eyelashes kept trembling, and there were still traces of tears at the corners of her eyes that had yet to dry.
William stood by the bed, looking at her back, and let out a soft sigh.
He knew that what had happened tonight weighed just as heavily on Zoe.
She had appeared to accept the arrangent calmly, but that did not an she felt no grievance in her heart.
William did not light the lamp. Still dressed, he lay down on the outer side of the bed.
The mont he lay down, Zoe turned over and gently wrapped herself around him, as though clutching at sothing to rely on, pressing her face against him.
William reached back and drew her into his arms. The two of them stayed like that, holding each other quietly without speaking, with only the sound of their breathing interweaving in the silent night.
After an unknown length of ti, the person in his arms gradually began breathing evenly. Zoe had fallen fast asleep.
William lowered his head and looked at her peaceful sleeping face, his thoughts in complete turmoil. Only when the pale light of dawn began to show outside the window did he finally drift into a hazy sleep.
At daybreak, a maid entered softly and reported in a low voice, “Your Highness, His Majesty is waiting for you in the Study. He says it is a matter of importance.”
William slowly sat up and gently moved Zoe’s hand away from his waist.
In truth, Zoe had already been awake for so ti. She had only kept her eyes closed, her eyelashes trembling faintly in the morning light.
“I’m going over first.”
William bent down and whispered by her ear, “Father has already issued a decree, investing you as the First Prince’s Wife. Get ready and move into the palace next to mine.”
With that, he turned and left.
The mont the door softly closed, Zoe slowly opened her eyes and looked in the direction William had gone, her expression complicated.
There was shyness, unease, and a trace of confusion that could not be put into words.
She slowly sat up and let her fingertips brush over the lingering warmth on the bedsheets. She understood clearly that from this mont onward, the course of her life had been completely changed.
William hurried into the Study. Ancestor Fenlilan and his father, Kroll II, were seated there in conversation. When he entered, both of them stopped talking.
Kroll II spoke first, his tone carrying unquestionable authority.
“William has co at the right ti. I was just discussing your affairs with the Ancestor.”
“This month, you will remain at my side and learn to handle state affairs, so that you can beco familiar with how the kingdom operates.”
“Next month, I will hold your coronation ceremony.”
He paused.
“Your marriage to Mary is set for one week from now.”
“In addition, there are won from the other two families in the Royal Family Secret Realm. You will marry them as well, so that the Kroll Family may flourish and spread its branches. Boy, you are truly fortunate.”
William gave a bitter smile and had just been about to object when Ancestor Fenlilan cut him off in a deep voice.
“That is enough, Little William. It is settled. There are more important matters to discuss right now.”
Kroll II’s expression turned serious as he looked at William.
“You have probably been wondering about the matter of Silver Oakleaf’s Eastern Frontier all the way back, haven’t you?”
William nodded. “Yes. Your son has never been able to understand why we would return territory that we fought so hard to seize.”
Kroll II suddenly smiled, and his tone carried a deeper aning.
“Because Silver Oakleaf needed a buffer zone to imprison that Domain-Level Powerhouse who lost control.”
“And the Eastern Frontier... after being ravaged by the Hydras, is nearly devoid of living things, making it the perfect prison.”
He paused, then continued, “Silver Oakleaf’s Ancestor personally ca to the Royal Capital to see . He proposed using an ancient formation to seal that crazed powerhouse within the Eastern Frontier. In exchange, they offered us a Secret Realm located in the central part of their Southern Frontier.”
“A Secret Realm?” William’s eyes flickered.
“That’s right.”
Kroll II nodded.
“The royal family has already taken full control of that Secret Realm. The Fifth and Sixth Gold Legions are currently cultivating inside it with the help of its resources, and their strength is increasing day by day.”
“Rember this: once you have sufficient strength, why should you fear not having territory?”
Fenlilan added from the side, “That Secret Realm contains dense life energy. It is very likely related to the elves, and it will be of great benefit to the growth of the Gold Legions.”
“Silver Oakleaf had no other way out. That is the only reason they were willing to offer such a precious bargaining chip.”
William felt as though a veil had suddenly been lifted from his mind, and all the doubts he had harbored were swept away.
With a Secret Realm in hand, who cared about the Eastern Frontier? Once his strength rose, the entire Silver Oakleaf Kingdom would be his sooner or later.
“I understand, Father,” William said in a low voice.
Kroll II nodded in satisfaction.
“It is good that you understand. Next, there is still much for you to learn.”
“Start by becoming familiar with the kingdom’s records. This afternoon, I will take you to the Ministry of Military Affairs so you can learn about the state of the kingdom’s legions across the realm.”
“Yes, Father.”
Kroll II looked toward Fenlilan, and there was a trace of worry in his tone that was hard to detect.
“That Domain-Level Powerhouse who lost control—can Silver Oakleaf really keep him stable? If they fail to contain him, the problem may only grow even worse.”
Fenlilan lightly tapped his fingers against the armrest.
“According to Liam, the binding force of the ancient formation should be sufficient. In the short term, there should not be any trouble.”
Then his tone shifted, and his gaze darkened.
“But what I fear is that Silver Oakleaf may have other intentions of its own.”
“Oh?” Kroll II raised a brow.
“They are, after all, an old-established kingdom with deep foundations.”
Fenlilan spoke slowly. “They say the formation is for imprisonnt, but that does not an they are not also thinking of ‘taming’ him.”
“If they truly find a way to control that Domain-Level Powerhouse... a Domain capable of producing undead without end—if that becos their weapon, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
The Study fell into brief silence.
Kroll II lightly tapped his fingers against the desk, then said after a long mont, “It seems the defenses of Iron Skull Fortress must be strengthened further.”
“Lord Xilan must keep a close watch on Silver Oakleaf’s movents, especially the region around the formation.”
“Mm.”
Fenlilan nodded.
“In addition, the legions inside the Secret Realm must increase their rate of growth. Before Silver Oakleaf makes any move, we need a few more trump cards in our hands.”
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