The Villainess only wants to go home

Chapter 76 - Mother's Lullaby

It was the feeling of happiness and joy in the castle. The cheerful voices echoing the hallway once again, maids chatting joyfully as they strolled down the huge corridors of the marble palace with their daily chores or flirted with the royal knights or guards.

Kitchen staff cooked up a feast with loud enthusiasm, the mouth-watering smell lingering the air making the people close by drool at the thought of the glorious food that was going to be prepared for all of them as a reward from the king for spending night after night, day after day looking after the young prince who was ill.

Knights were drinking away in entertainment, clashing their wooden mugs together spilling their ale across the table as they did.

The cheerful atmosphere of the castle had returned once again taking over the gloomy and dull feeling that lingered around everyone these past months.

Meanwhile in the sleeping chamber of the prince where the warm rays of sun shining down upon the windows and brightening the room, the Empress sat on a chair beside her sleeping son while her hand gently stroked his soft silver hair. A soft melody she sang as her lavender eyes stared tenderly down at her son's sleeping face.

His chubby cheeks enlighten with a hint of pink that made Arabella want to kiss it, a little button up nose, thin eyebrows and long eyelashes that covered his eyes. He was an adorable little boy who would grow up to become someone handsome that all the girls will fall head over hills like they did to Ambrose when he was in his youth years and still marriageable and now to Neil who resembled his father very much.

Soft gentle breaths came from as he snored soundly.

"~May you bring love and may you bring happiness. Be love in return to the end of your days~" Arabella sang softly. Her voice gentle like melody of a flute yet beautiful like a siren.

"~Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you. I'll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, Lai-lay~" with a every stroke of his silver hair Arabella sang, her hands tracing through his hair as his head lay comfortably on the white pillow.

"~Mat there always be angels to watch over you. To guide you each step of the way~" the birds had began to chirp outside listening to the sirens voice inside the castle.

"~To guard you and keep you safe from all harm, Loo-li, loo-li, Lai-lay~"

Her beautiful singing wasn't just listened by the sleeping prince but the emperor who stood outside the chamber with his back leaned against the wall as his gloomy silver eyes stared down at his feet, eyes filled with shame and guilt and a face that could contain the anger towards himself.

His heart begged him to waltz in through these doors, kneel down on his knees and beg for forgiveness from his wife, but his mind refused. He was too ashamed of his actions yesterday to even come face to face with his dear wife.

With the end of her lullaby, Arabella pressed a kiss on Ben's forehead. "M-mother why did you stop?" Arabella felt something sting her heart. Glancing down she met the faded colour of her son's violet eyes that stared up at her in wonder. Those sweet eyes that she thought she would never see again made her heart sink to the ground as her eyes became a blur because of the tears that she could not contain came prickling down.

"B-Benjamin" Arabella voice trembled with a crack. "Thank the Gods they gave mercy to my son" she scooped his head up into her embrace, hugging him as she snuzzled her face on top of his head soaking his silver hair with her tears.

The young prince hugged his mother back, hiding his face on her bosom and clenching the back of her material with his fist while salty tears began to fall down Ben's eyes. "I'm sorry for getting sick and worrying you mother" Ben apologised with a muffled voice.