The Thread Of Fate

Chapter 59

On one hand, having a big family was something I'd always dreamt of but on the other, more often than not, situations were far from ideal. Dominic had been a victim of hatred from someone within his family. My parents had died at the hands of Nish because of cracks in their respective families.

However, I was optimistic about the situation in Ralia and how things would progress with Ariadne. She was more than capable of dealing with malice. A small part of me worried about her but my belief in her was stronger.

Our party was to leave for Ralia soon. Leo and Maria were accompanying us along with ten soldiers. Dominic wanted a lot more men but Leo had argued that it was unwise to seem as though we were marching onto a battlefield. It was a wedding after all and he wanted to seem 'friendly'.

"I have a few things I need to take care of before we leave." I said to Dominic, chewing on my last bite.

"And I need to fulfil my end of the deal." He said, getting up with Jenna.

I raised an eyebrow and he smirked.

"Eurus !" Jenna demanded.

"Ah so that's what your deal was." I chuckled, wiping her face.

"Can't keep a secret, can we?" Dominic chided and Jenna laughed in return. Sometimes it felt like she understood a lot more than she let on.

After kissing them both, I made my way to the meeting room. There wasn't enough time to brief all council members so I'd made different arrangements.

"There you are." Mira said as I entered the room, "I was about to send someone to look for you."

"You know how Jenna is." I sighed, we didn't have much time and there was work to be done.

"Well, lets get right into it." Mira laughed and we began going through the list of things that needed to be done in my absence. I was going to leave instructions.

I was grateful to Ferra, Cleo and Hara, for they had worked tirelessly to save the victims of the attack two year ago. Most of them had not only survived but had recovered completely, among them was Mira. Though she had survived, Mira had sustained a lot of injuries and had been asked to refrain from extreme physical activity for a couple of years. She'd been told to regain her strength from scratch. It would've been a shame to let her wit and skill to go to waste in the meantime and hence I'd made her an envoy for the nation.

Mira's main duty was to make sure that the relationship between various states in Isolde and those in Ralia, remained smooth. Ralia was our immediate neighbour and there were a decent amount of international trade deals between the two nations, especially since after the war.

I also asked her to fill my seat at the council when I was unable to. She didn't make decisions on my behalf, she just communicated what was to be done. It was much easier to explain my plans to one person rather than involving the whole council at a time of my convenience. She was also a loyal friend and I recognised the value in keeping her close.

"All done then." Mira exhaled with relief. I hugged her goodbye and rushed to the room for some last minute packing of essentials. Travelling with a toddler was hard.

Fortunately, we'd made upgrades on the carriage itself. Though slower moving, it was double the size and had a lot more room as well as storage space. It was also equipped with thicker curtains so Jenna could have her afternoon nap. Maria had decided to keep me company inside, while Dominic and Leo rode on horses.

"You sure you don't want to ride a horse?" I asked Maria as we made our way to the main gate.

"I've actually come to appreciate the ease and comfort of a carriage." She muttered, a sly look on her face.