Chapter 666: The Young Queen’s Resolve

After undergoing the ordeal of ascending and descending the operating table and fainting from shock, Lady Cecilia finally received the cesarean delivery she had longed for. The procedure went smoothly, and both mother and daughter were safe.

Having rested for three days at the Oak Grove Clinic and then recuperating for half a month in Nevis, Cecilia could not wait for the child’s full-month celebration and, under Selina’s protection, rushed back to the capital. The day after her return, she received an audience with the Queen.

"Lady Selina, Lady Irene, you have worked hard," the young Queen said, sitting upright in a red velvet-backed chair, nodding gently and smiling at them. "Especially you, Lady Irene, who traveled thousands of miles while pregnant to learn the truth about the Oak Grove Clinic. Your loyalty will always be remembered in my heart."

Both the knight and the sorceress knelt in homage. The Queen then inquired about Cecilia’s condition and the baby’s health, eager to know, "So, does this medical facility truly offer mothers a safe and painless delivery?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Cecilia replied, her face darkening slightly as she recalled her experiences. Despite her loyalty to the crown, she honestly answered, "Based on my personal experience, the birthing process is indeed very safe and completely painless. The mothers can stay fully conscious throughout and feel everything that is happening—however, with all due respect, the clinic’s setting might not be suitable for your esteemed stature."

That sorcerer had forcefully removed her from the operating table and even conjured a skeleton in her presence! Luckily, it was her, but what if it had been done to the Queen?

It was a grave disrespect!

A severe discourtesy!

That sorcerer held no reverence for the royal family and was unfit to serve the Queen!

"Is that so..." the Queen mused, her brow furrowing slightly.

She had always been a devotee of the Spring Goddess, serving as her priestess. For generations, the health of queens, princesses, and royal ladies had been entrusted to the female priests of the Royal Spring Water Temple—a long-standing tradition.

"Your Majesty, I believe that nothing is more important than your safety," Selina stepped forward, bowing slightly in the quiet room. "I spent over a month observing the daily operations at the Oak Grove Clinic. In that time, nearly a thousand women gave birth there safely and left the hospital without complications. This rate surpasses even that of the temple."

She turned to Cecilia, offered a reassuring smile, nodded, and then knelt again before the Queen: "The founder of the Oak Grove Clinic, Mage Nordmark, treats all patients equally, prioritizing based on urgency. He does not intentionally disrespect the nobility, and whenever possible, he tries to accommodate everyone’s feelings."

"..."

The Queen pondered silently, her hand movements subtly indicating her unborn child’s presence. After a moment of hesitation, she smiled broadly: "I remember both your advisories. Rest assured, I will prioritize my safety while maintaining royal dignity. You two have had a tough journey; take some time to rest."

Selina and Cecilia took their leave. As soon as they exited, the Queen rang the bell on her desk, summoning her attendant:

"Please ask Uncle-Great Lord to come."

The young Queen had many relatives, yet the only one she called ’Uncle-Great’ was Count Merlio, the vice-commander of the Knights of the Thorn Flower—by royal tradition, the commander of the knightly order was always the monarch.

This legendary warrior, the only one in the royal family for nearly fifty years, wielded the royal sacred weapon, the Sword of Roses and Thorns. Devoted to the martial path, he seldom involved himself in worldly affairs, except during the invasion by the Radiant Church five years ago, when he drew his sword in battle.

Upon the Queen’s request, Count Merlio arrived promptly. After hearing her concerns, he raised his eyebrows and his signature salt-and-pepper mustache curled upwards in a smile:

"What do you think, young Annie?"

"I... don’t know," the young Queen lowered her head, her slender hands instinctively cradling her belly:

"I grew up in the Spring Water Temple..."

Her mother had died in childbirth when she was three, and the following year her father remarried the third queen—a devout follower of the Radiant Lord. Young Annie was then sent to the Spring Water Temple.

The next year, the queen bore a son who was declared the heir, and Annie was stripped of her princess status, becoming her brother’s servant. If not for the care and protection of the Spring Water Temple, she might not have survived to adulthood.

After various upheavals, the Radiant Church was expelled, the new queen passed away, and the boy was stripped of his right to the throne. When her father

died, the young prince ascended the throne only to die young. A faction of nobles rebelled, aligning with the Radiant Church to crown the third queen’s son...

Annie vividly remembered that during the chaos in the capital, it was Count Merlio who escorted her out of the capital, and the Spring Water Temple that sheltered her in a quiet rural monastery, keeping her away from bloodshed and war.

However, during her service in the temple, she also witnessed more than one noblewoman die in childbirth. Even the high priest’s intervention could not guarantee absolute safety.

"I cannot die... If I die, my father will have no heir..."

Annie looked up slightly, the slender wheat-sheaf crown on her golden hair subtly gleaming, making her face appear exceptionally pale. Her tone grew increasingly resolute:

"If that happens, choosing an heir from distant relatives will plunge the kingdom into chaos. For the sake of the kingdom, it is my duty to ensure my safety and to live well!"

"Then you must act on it," the Thunder Sword Saint smiled approvingly. He casually tapped the sword handle, and the long sword adorned with roses and entwined with thorns, resonating with its master’s sentiments, chimed lightly in its sheath:

"Rest assured, I will always stand by your side. You can appease and make promises to the temple, but never let them control you. Remember, you are the supreme queen of the Kent Kingdom!"

"Thank the Great Uncle Lord!"

The Queen gratefully nodded and bowed. She first summoned the head of the royal mage group, Cecilia’s grandfather, Grand Mage Rafael Seymour, to relay her requests. The Grand Mage, however, could not agree outright but offered to convey her wishes:

"You know, mages always have their own ideas, and the council does not compel a mage to do anything specific. Moreover, Mage Nordmark is a disciple of the Lord of Thunder..."

The Queen acknowledged this. Then, she summoned the high priestess of the Spring Water Temple in the capital, and, as expected, faced vigorous opposition:

"Your Majesty, not to mention the royal tradition, your esteemed body should not be touched by another man—Mage Nordmark, during childbirth, he will actually see and even touch the woman’s body!"

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