130 Lady Marianne Prescotts Gif (1/2)
TILLY COULDN'T help but smile while staring at her baby bump in the mirror.
Since the weather was sunny today, she opted for a light off-the-shoulder yellow dress that was kind of loose in the tummy area. Yet, her baby bump was still obvious. She didn't know when it happened but now she couldn't hide the bulge– not that she had any intention to do so.
She was proud of her baby bump.
Hello, Winter.
”Leni, Lani, look at my baby,” Tilly said at the twins with a smile. ”We're going to meet him very soon.”
Leni and Lani both smiled and bowed before they spoke in unison. ”Congratulations, Your Grace.”
Ah, right.
She brought the twins along because she knew that she would be tired to move on her own once her training with the saint began. Plus, she trusted Leni and Lani the most. She knew that the twins genuinely cared for her.
And they're no longer scared of Kiho.
”I'm going on a stroll with Kiho and Father but you don't have to accompany me,” Tilly said with a smile. She didn't want to bring her maids because she was going to have a talk to her husband and father about her mother. And her mommy was a Fire Mage. Even though she trusted the twins, she still wanted to be extra careful. ”You may stroll the town in your free time. Just ask the guards to accompany you. I'll give you allowance so don't hold back and spoil yourselves, okay?”
Leni and Lani both looked shocked by her generosity. With teary eyes, the twins bowed and spoke at the same again. ”Our utmost gratitude, Your Grace.”
***
LADY MARIANNE Prescott's grave was actually the beautiful garden behind the Prescott Mansion in Oakes. And in the middle of it all stood a huge tree with pretty orange and reddish leaves that fit the ”sunny” feels their territory was known for.
”Your mother's urn is buried under her favorite tree,” Lord Prescott said while looking up at the giant tree with one hand placed on its trunk. ”This tree is called Fire Tree because of the color of the leaves.”
Tilly blinked several times when she heard the name of the tree. ”Oh. I just remembered that we're supposed to look for the Great Free Tree to uncover the truth behind the Fire Mages' ”betrayal” against the royal family.”
Gosh, she had a lot of things to do but she couldn't start properly without ”powering up” first. Like Saint Forrester said, she needed to master her strengths if she wanted to at least protect herself if she needed to. She figured that it makes sense so she prioritized her training before leaving the Royal Capital to look for the Great Fire Tree and the ”land that worships the sun.”
”That can wait, Tilly,” Kiho said to her gently. ”I know that we have limited time. But still, we shouldn't be hasty. We should be fully-prepared before we go anywhere.”
She smiled at her father before she turned to the giant Fire Tree in front of them. Then, she respectfully curtsied and bowed at it. ”Mother, how are you? Your daughter has come to visit you.” After paying her respect to her mother's grave, she turned to Kiho with a smile. ”Mother, this is Duke Kiho Nystrom– my kind husband.”
”I'm not as kind as you think I am, Tilly. But thank you for believing in me,” Kiho said gently, then he turned to the Fire Tree and bowed respectfully. ”How are you, Mother? I'm Kiho Nystrom– your precious Tilly's husband. I have blood in my hands but ever since I met your daughter, I promised myself that I will live an honest life for her. And now that we're having a child, I swear that I will continue to atone for my sins while taking good care of them. Please look after us in heaven.”
She got emotional after hearing Kiho's sincere words.
Gosh, he's making me cry for a good reason.
She held her husband's hand. When he turned to her, she just smiled and brought their hands near the trunk. He immediately got what she wanted to do.
They both placed each of their hand on the Fire Tree's trunk.
Oh, it's warm.
She was just starting to enjoy the tree's warmth when all of a sudden, she felt her heart thumped hard against her chest.
The next thing she knew, Sentinel was already standing behind her.
”Who are you?” Lord Prescott asked while pointing a gun at Sentinel.
Ah, Father is still nimble for his age.
Speaking of being nimble, her husband has a quick reflex as well.
Kiho stood protectively in front of her when her father pulled the gun out of the holster in his waist. Her husband was probably worried that Lord Prescott might accidentally fire the gun and hit her or something. After all, Kiho never runs out of things to worry about when it comes to her safety.
”Father, he's a friend,” Tilly said. She planned to introduce Sentinel to her father but it slipped her mind. The appearance of the saint in her life really messed up all the plans she made in her head. ”His name is Sentinel and he's the spirit guardian of the Red Phoenix. He left Sentinel to me before he disappeared.”
”Ah, is that so?” her father said while putting the gun back in the holster. ”Tilly, you haven't even told me the full details of your encounter with the Red Phoenix.”
”I'm sorry, Father,” she said. ”I was too busy these days.”
”Our apologies, Father,” Kiho added. ”We plan to tell you everything in this trip.”
”I'll listen to it later. For now…” Lord Prescott turned to Sentinel. ”State your business, young man.”
”I'm older than you though,” Sentinel said. When her father glared at the spirit guardian, Sentinel cleared his throat before he answered politely. ”I didn't mean to come out,” he said, then he looked at the Fire Tree. ”But when Lady Nystrom touched this tree, I was suddenly pulled out of her heart. This tree is strange…” He placed a hand on the trunk. Then, much to their surprise, his whole body got engulfed in an orange flame. ”Just as I suspected.”
”What is it, Sentinel?” she asked curiously. ”And you're literally burning. Are you okay?”
The spirit guardian turned to her. ”This is my original form, Lady Nystrom. I'm not human– I was made from the flame of the Red Phoenix.”
”Oh.”
”Anyway, this whole tree is covered with magic from the life force of your mother,” Sentinel said. ”Lady Nystrom, your mother left a long message for you.”
Okay, that was a pleasant surprise.
”My wife left a message in that tree?” Lord Prescott asked, obviously shocked and pleased by the news. ”How come I never felt the magic in that tree?”
”It's an ancient magic that only old Fire Mages like me could recognize,�� the spirit guardian said, then he turned to her. ”Lady Nystrom, try to burn the tree with your fire. The magic around the tree must be broken first before the message shows up. And the only thing that can break it is the flame of the person who is supposed to read the message. In this case, it's you.”