She Belongs To The Devil

1Adeline lightly stroked her daughter's head and was lost in her thoughts.     2

Ariel was now resting her head on her mother's chest and had calmed down a little. She was still taking heavy breaths every once in a while.     

Joyce, on the other hand, was trembling badly thinking about what would have happened if that wall hadn't magically appeared to save Ariel.     

She looked up at her aunt and then apologized, "I am so sorry, aunty Adeline. I didn't see Ary in time and I almost…" She paused and covered her mouth because her voice cracked up.      

Adeline caressed Joyce's hair and said in a consoling tone, "Don't beat yourself up, Joy. Ariel is alright, isn't she?"     

Joyce slightly nodded her head even though she was still feeling responsible for what never happened. She couldn't help but think how the situation could have turned out much worse if not for the miracle.     

Adeline was worried about Ariel, yes. But she was much worried about how bad Joyce looked. She could tell the guilt was eating her up even though it wasn't her fault that Ariel came running to the practice ground out of nowhere.     

So she crouched down to Joyce's level and gave a kiss on Joyce's forehead. "Joy, I will make sure Ariel won't come there during your practice, alright? I'm sorry that she came there."     

Bennett finally bowed down and apologized to both Queen Adeline and Princess Joyce, "I would like to apologize for my carelessness. None of this would have happened if I had kept an eye on Ariel. I will accept any punishment."     

Adeline looked at her daughter. Ariel had cried herself to sleep in her arms.     

Adeline glanced at Bennett and then apologized instead, "I'm sorry that Ary is like this. She always runs away from your class…"     

She sighed and added in a remorseful voice, "I never thought of putting the guards right outside her door because I actually loved the pleasant visits from her during the day. I would actually wait for her to come running to me. But I never thought that my carelessness would get her into such an accident."     

And she said to herself, more than to others, "I will appoint some guards to stand outside Ariel's door and will ask them to not let her run on her own. And I will also increase the number of guards outside the quarter. I will instruct them to be strict with her if she ever tries to sneak out again."     

Joyce furrowed her brows and then suddenly spoke up, "Aunty, I don't know if you are aware or not but Ary runs really fast... like really really fast for our eyes. I can barely see her when she runs at her full speed. I bet that's how she avoids the guards when she runs away."     

Adeline and Bennett raised their brows upon hearing that because it was a news to them.     

Bennett finally understood how Ariel would disappear from his sight the moment he would look away or he would blink his eyes. He smacked himself on the forehead and thought, "Why didn't I guess this obvious reason before? Am I dumb or what?"     

"I did not know that," Adeline said in a whisper. She felt a bit ashamed at herself that she didn't know about this even when she was Ariel's mother.     

"How did I not know this?" Adeline creased her brows and thought, "Maybe because she never runs away from me at her full speed. And I mostly see her when she is inside the quarter or in her room… Not much room to run like that…"     

Adeline took a deep breath in and gave a smile to Joyce. "Thank you for letting me know, Joy." She tapped her feet for a while and then said, "I will assign the werewolf soldiers to be her guards then."     

Joyce nodded her head briskly. She couldn't agree more on keeping the werewolf soldiers to tail Ariel. She didn't want her cousin to run to her again and get into another accident. Or run out of the Palace or run somewhere else.     

Adeline then glanced at Sybil and asked her, "Sybil, will you escort Joyce back to her quarter. I think you both should call it a day and rest."     

Sybil gave a gentle bow. And she also apologized to Adeline for not being able to do anything in time. There was just not enough time for her to react since Ariel was running really fast and she didn't see Ariel until she was seconds away from getting hit.     

Adeline gave a smile to Sybil and said, "It's okay, Sybil. Ariel is safe. It's all that matters for now. You should go and rest."     

Sybil bowed again and took Joyce's hand.     

Joyce took a glance of sleeping Ariel and let out a soft sigh. And before heading out, she said to Adeline, "I will come to check up on Ariel later on."     

"Sure." Adeline then asked Bennett, "Bennett, will you see them off?"     

Bennett nodded but then asked, "Is there anything else I can do? For Ariel? Call some healers maybe?"     

"No, she isn't hurt, I made sure of that. She sure needs a warm bath though." Adeline lightly ruffled Ariel's hair and some dust rose up in the air.     

Bennett bowed to Adeline and said, "I will ask the maids to prepare the bath and come and pick the Princess up."     

"That would be lovely," Adeline agreed and then walked inside her workroom to sit down on the sofa.     

Adeline lay Ariel down on her lap. She wiped the tears from Ariel's lashes and then wondered, "If it was mother who protected her then she wouldn't have hidden herself. Even if she did, she would have brought Ariel to me herself. She wouldn't leave Ariel crying like that."     

She furrowed her brows feeling a bit uneasy at the pit of her stomach. And she began thinking about who could have been the possible savior of Ariel.     

"No sorcerers can enter the Palace without prior permission unless they are from the Mystic Coven. Does that mean… Does that mean he was watching over her?"     

Adeline shook her head and scoffed, "Why would he be interested in our life anymore?" She sighed and mumbled, "I hope it stays that way."     

She snapped out of her thought and then looked out of the door. And she murmured, "Theodore… Is he not back yet?"     

Adeline wanted to ask Theodore to find out exactly who was the one to create the wall. She was getting anxious by the second thinking that God was keeping an eye on Ariel.     

Not that she was complaining that Ariel was safe and sound but she really hoped that it was someone else and not him.     

Adeline couldn't hold in her curiosity. So she kissed her ring to summon her husband.