The Heir's Secret Bride

Chapter

456

If Tam could, he would track down those responsible and tear them apart. It wouldn't fix everything, but it might make him feel & Hithe better Meanwhile, the two little ones sniffled, wiping their noses with the backs of their hands, their eyes sparkling with happiness for their inom.

"Oh!" Maeve suddenly remembered the boys patiently standing By. Guilt tugged at her for forgetting them, even for a

moment.

She gave herself a quick mental slap before pulling them closer, Your Majesty, there's someone I'd like you to meet. You already know Theo, but this is his twin brother, Will"

The boys stepped forward and spoke in unison, their voices sweet and polite. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

The Queen raised a playful brow. "Why is everyone calling me Your Majesty'? That sounds so stiff and boring."

Maeve hesitated, looking over at Tom for support. He gave her an encouraging nod. Taking a deep breath, she finally said, "Um... Grandma."

The Queen's expression softened into a warm smile. Not wanting to be left out, the twins echoed in unison, "Great-grandma."

"Such lovely children," the Queen said with a chuckle. She slid a ring from her finger and held it up. "Here, a little gift for you. This ring will let you come and go from the palace freely. But...." She paused for dramatic effect. "I only have one. What should we do?"

Without missing a beat, both boys said, "Give it to Mommy!"

The Queen's expression shone with happiness as she reached out to gently tousle their hair. "You two are just the sweetest. But I was only teasing. Of course, there's one for each of you."

Theo beamed. "Mommy says we should always accept gifts from elders, so thank you, Great-grandma!" He stood on his tiptoes and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Will froze. He wasn't sure if this was the right way to respond. He wasn't confident he could do it, but if he didn't, he might upset her.

Blushing furiously, he leaned forward and kissed the other cheek, mumbling, "Thank you, Great-grandma."

The Queen's laughter was pure delight as she pulled the two boys into her arms. "What wonderful little darlings you are," she said, holding them close.

As she sat with them snuggled against her, the Queen felt a surge of warmth she hadn't expected. Maybe it was the magic of having great-grandchildren, but she realized she wanted to savor every moment with these two and soak up this rare joy. Tom led Maeve to the room he had set up for her in the palace.

Even though he was in a rush as he was about to meet Maeve, he had made sure it was, warm and comfortable, with touches that said "home," while still keeping things luxurious.

Loren followed behind, grumbling, "Uncle, why didn't you tell me? I wanted to help decorate my sister's room too."

'All this credits, Uncle just took it for himself,' he thought, annoyed.

Tom laughed. "If I'd told you, I would still be waiting for you to stop crying. Would have been a waste of time."

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Chapter u

Loren had cried all the way after learning about Marve's identity Normally, he wasn't a crier, but today, he just couldn't hold it inAll text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

This place wasn't just a room-it felt more like a palace.

The ceiling was painted with detailed relief sculptures, the floor was a shiny dark gold that reflected everything, and the angel relief stone pillars made the place feel like something out or a painting. And there was a fountain bath in the middle.

When Maeve spotted the naked figure in the fountain, she quickly looked away. Not to mention, there was no cover around the bath, and she felt insecure just thinking about it.

Even with the door closed, I wouldn't ever use it,' she said to herself.

Just then, Tom got a message from the hospital. Turning to Mace, he said, "Maeve, I'll take you to see your mom now. She is awake."

Maeve was frozen in place. It finally hit her how real this was-reuniting with her family.

She wanted to say something, but no words came out. In that moment, she realized her heart was racing, especially fast now.

At the Royal Hospital, Wren's health wasn't great, so Tom asked Maeve and the others to wait outside. He went in alone to prepare Wren so she wouldn't get too upset and make things worse for herself. Less than five minutes after Tom went in, the emergency bell rang, and the doctor and nurse rushed in.

About half an hour later, a group of people came out with Tom. The doctor, looking a little panicked, was going on about it. "Her Highness can't take any more of this. She's not in a state to handle it. Please, be careful." Tom nodded and then turned to Maeve, who was still a bit dazed. "Maeve, go in. She is waiting for you."

Maeve, maybe feeling the longing, nodded slowly, her body stiff from standing for so long. She slowly pushed the door open, taking her time.

No one rushed her, though. They just watched quietly as she entered.

Outside, Theo and Will were talking quietly. "When I first met Princess Wren, I felt like something about her was familiar, like I'd known her forever," Theo said. "Guess there was a reason for that." "Same here," Will agreed, nodding. "Who would have thought?"

Wren, who had taught them piano and always acted so humble, turned out to be their grandmother.

Thinking of this, Will pulled out his phone. "Theo, I'm gonna call Dad."

Theo pouted. "Go ahead."

Will took a couple steps, but then hesitated and put his phone back in his pocket.

"Why aren't you calling him?" Theo asked, curious.

Byron, aka the Great Demon King, was on a business trip. Will would check in with him every so often to give updates on how his mom was doing, going way overboard like he was writing a report. It was obvious he was the little spy Byron had set up to keep an eye on Maeve.

Will shrugged. "I think it's better if Mom tells Dad herself. No need for us to contact him today."

Theo gave a proud little snort. "At least you're on Mom's side!

"I've always been," Will said with a look of complete innocence,

Loren had been listening, smiling at first, but the more he heard, the more something about their conversation didn't see right with him.

He suddenly realized something he had almost missed-his sister's heart had already been stolen away,

Back in the ward, Maeve walked into the room and noticed Wren wasn't lying, down as she had expected. Instead, the was sitting up at the head of the bed, holding a photo frame.

She had been watching the door, so the moment Maeve stepped in, their eyes met.

This was the first time Maeve had seen the legendary Princess Wren in person.

She looked different from the photos-maybe because of the illness that had drained her, but she still had that elegance, the kind that earned her the title of the empire's pearl. When Wren saw Maeve, her eyes lit up, the dullness fading away

Maeve's feet froze in place. She felt a strange hesitation, not sure if she should take the next step.

Then, Wren smiled softly, a warmth in her expression that seemed almost unreal. "So, this is what my daughter looks like all grown up."

In an instant, Maeve's eyes filled with tears, and her vision blurred.