The carriages rode towards the marketplace on the city roads. Seren and Rayjin sat on one side while Drayce sat opposite to them. Seren tried her best to not look at him. She pushed the window curtain to one side and looked outside through the glass window.

Drayce didn't disturb her as he knew she was curious about new places and wondered how special it was for her, who had never stepped out of the capital of Abetha. Being always traveling here and there, it was nothing special for him but there was a time in his life when he was desperate to go out and see the entire world.

Rayjin, who saw Seren looking out of the window, asked, "Seren, is it your first time coming here?"

Seren looked back at her and nodded.

"I have been here so many times with uncle Arlan and Dray," she informed and accompanied Seren to look out of the window.

Seren observed the surroundings. Just like Abetha, Griven was blessed with greenery and had pleasant weather conditions. She observed the people walking along the streets. There was a little difference in the style of clothes they wore than what Seren was used to seeing in Abetha.

Soon they reached closer to the marketplace and the carriages stopped at a silent place. Drayce stepped out first and then carried little girl Rayjin in his arms to help her climb down the carriage.

"Thank you, Dray," Rayjin said and went to accompany her two uncles who also climbed down their carriages.

Drayce offered his hand to Seren which she accepted and he helped her climb down the carriage. Below, there was a small round rock on the ground but due to her long and a bit fluffy skirt, she couldn't see it and ended up stepping onto it. The next moment she tripped but Drayce was there to hold her.

The young queen ended up in her husband's arms and there was no distance left between them and his strong arms surrounded him. Seren gulped as she felt her face against the top side of his strong muscular chest which she had seen before and didn't know what to do.

Arlan signaled Lenard to walk away and they stepped away to go inside the market with Rayjin.

Seren stood stable while taking his support and heard him, "Are you okay, my Queen?".

Hearing such a polite and soft tone though it didn't lose that little coldness in it, Seren finally looked at him as her purple eyes closely got the look of his red eyes. She felt her changing its pace as he stared back at her. The way he looked at her, made her heart skip a bit. Not minding she just observed his handsome face and couldn't move her gaze.

"Are you okay, my Queen?" he asked again.

It pulled her out of what she was doing and stepped aside to get away from him.

"I-I am fine, Your Majesty," she replied and could feel her heart was still beating faster.

"Shall we?" he asked and she nodded.

"This way," he instructed towards the direction where Arlan had left- a crowded road with so many shops and other things.

As they walked, Drayce asked, "It's similar to Abetha, isn't it?" and tried to start the conversation.

Seren nodded, "but just a little more crowded."

"Rest assured, My Queen. I am here to take care of it for you," he commented.

There was no need for him to say it aloud as Seren was experiencing his way of protection since the moment they stepped on the crowded road. He guided her way and took care of if she wouldn't bump into anyone on such a crowded road.

If someone approached her even by a mistake, Drayce would put his hand around her shoulder and pull her closer to him and Seren could say nothing. He was so quick to do all this that even Seren was surprised to think how he could act it so fast. Those people she couldn't even see, he would protect her from bumping into them without even looking at them and with swift moves which didn't disturb their walking pace.

Soon they reached where Arlan, Lenard, and Rayjin stopped in front of one sweet candy shop as Ryajin wanted it. The stall owner was preparing it for her on one thin wooden stick.

Rayjin saw Seren who had just arrived there and asked, "Seren, I have asked to make one for you too. It's so tasty."

"N-No, I don't…."

"Try it please," Rayjin insisted, holding Seren's hand and looking up at her with pleading in her eyes.

"Fine," Seren agreed.

Drayce noticed how easily Seren and Ryajin talked and both were comfortable with each other just in the first meeting. He was happy that Seren was opening up and deciding for herself without asking anyone.

Arlan and Lenard passed him a teasing smile who couldn't stop looking and thinking about his wife

Drayce ignored those two as if he didn't see them.

Soon the candies of two different shapes were ready, one in flower shape and another one in butterfly shape.

"Seren, which one do you want?" Rayjin asked.

"Anyone you would like to give me," Seren replied.

"You have pretty purple eyes so this pretty purple butterfly candy for you," Rayjin offered her that candy stick which had a small butterfly at it's tip.

Seren accepted it but didn't eat.

"Why are you not waiting?" Rayjin asked after she had a tiny bite of that soft candy.

Drayce knew what was the reason. "Feel free to do what you like. No need to be bothered by others," Drayce said softly.

Seren moved her veil a little and had a bite under the veil and they continued to walk. Arlan and Lenard already walked ahead while the three followed them as Drayce held Rayjin's hand to take her safely with them.

Rayjin looked at Drayce, while eating the candy, "Dray, what will you gift me this time?"

Drayce looked at her and asked, "What do you want, little lady?"

"Umm..?" Rayjin thought and looked around the crowd. Her sight could only catch the glimpse of the closest jewelry shop and she pointed there, "I want to go to that shop."

Drayce stopped at the shop as the two ladies accompanied him. Seren only stood there to accompany the little girl as she enjoyed it but had no plan of buying anything.

"I want that," Rayjin pointed out towards one tiny baby hairpin which had gems embedded in it.

The shop owner gave it to Rayjin and she looked at Drayce, "This one."

Drayce nodded, "That's it?"

"Hmm, I will keep the rest for the next time," Rayjin said and passed it to Drayce, "Dray, put it in my hair."

It puzzled Drayce. He looked at the pin in her hand and then looked at the tiny head that had hair braided nicely that ended up till her elbows.

"Hurry up," Ryajin said and Drayce accepted the hairpin from her while Rayjin turned around to get it done.

Drayce didn't know how and where to put it on that little head of a tiny girl and looked puzzled. The king who had accomplished and solved lots of difficulties on his path, and planned so many difficult missions was bothered by a simple thing and it was something to look at.

Seren understood it and pointed at the back of Rayjin's hair where the braid started, "Here."

Drayce looked at her and then looked at where she pointed. He just nodded and observed the hairpin in his hand to see how to attach it to the hair.

"Dray, are you still not done," Rayjin called out.

Seeing the impatient girl and the slow man who knew nothing, Seren put forward her hand to get a hairpin from him and he gave it to her. Seren pulled out a tiny pointed metal rod from the pin and then put the top part of the hairpin at the start of the hair braid and fixed the tiny metal rod under the hairpin which managed to grab enough part of hair to fix the pin.

Drayce just observed it and understood how it was done and thought, 'It is so easy but why did it seem so difficult before?'

It's done," Seren informed Rayjin.

Rayjin touched the back of her head and smiled, "Thank you. Now I look like my mother. She wears it the same."

Seren just patted her head but only to hear one more demand from the little girl, "Seren, you too buy it. It will look good on you."

"I already have enough of them," Seren countered.

"Which one do you like for her," Drayce asked Rayjin, ignoring what Seren had just said.

Rayjin pointed towards one pin which was for adult women. "That one. The Purple stone that looks like her pretty eyes."

Drayce picked it up, "This one?"

"Hmm," Rayjin nodded and looked at Seren, "Wear this."

Seren couldn't help but think- Everyone in Abetha thought of her eyes as ominous things but this little girl couldn't help but praise them again and again. She had no heart to deny her request.

Seren accepted it and said, "I am already wearing one so I will wear this once we return."

Before Rayjin could say anything, Drayce said, "let me help you."

Even before Seren could react, Drayce was already standing behind her. He removed the hairpin she already wore the same way he saw Seren putting it on Rayjin's hair. He didn't even give chance to Seren to say a word.

"Give me that one," Drayce instructed as he put forward his hand from her one side to get the newly bought hairpin from her.

Seren obediently followed what he said while Rayjin stood beside him to see how it would look.

Drayce followed what Seren did when she put that tiny hairpin in Ryajin's hair and successfully carried out the same task.

"It's done," he said.

"I want to see," Rayjin said as she couldn't see it due to her small height.

Drayce picked her up in his arms and she finally saw it. "It's so pretty. I knew it would look good on Seren."

"Drayce smiled and looked at the little girl in his arms, "You are very smart."

Seren turned to look at them and didn't know what to say but she saw Drayce smiling at Rayjin. She couldn't deny that he didn't look scary at all but one beautiful man that she could not take her sight away from him despite knowing he was scary...or was he not?

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The chapter is not edited today as our editor is not available but I will upload the edited version in a day or two. So pardon the mistakes if there are any.