Chapter 233: Forest of Red
The carriage continued to move, with the sound of the wheels against the wet ground and the horses’ hooves clip-clopping in the background. Emily was so immersed in the conversation with Raylen that she had failed to notice that more time had passed compared to when she had travelled from the castle to the town.
"Sold her soul?" Emily repeated, intrigued by the concept she had only heard in stories before, but never had she heard that story from such a close source. "What for?"
Raylen’s expression remained as calm as undisturbed water. He observed how Emily had fixed her undivided attention on him, her hazel brown eyes eagerly awaiting his response.
"For the same old story that unfolds in every other kingdom," he replied, only piquing Emily’s curiosity further. He then said,
"My mother, Queen Antonella Storm, and King Dominick Storm were trying for a child. The kingdom was on the verge of being attacked by neighbouring kingdoms, and having an heir was crucial to securing the family’s position. The King’s siblings were also eyeing the throne for themselves. A year passed, but the Queen was unsuccessful in conceiving a child. Fearing that the King would find another woman to bear his heir, my mother sought help from where most wouldn’t dare."
"She summoned the Devil..." Emily guessed, and Raylen confirmed it with a slight smile.
"She didn’t dare to turn to any ordinary earthling, fearing that someone might open his mouth and reveal her secret," Raylen recounted as he continued the story. "She did what the witches told her, used the necessary ingredients, and summoned the Devil, who hadn’t set foot in the living realm for the longest time. She begged and offered her soul to him, and in return, he would bestow her with a male heir to secure her position."
So that is how Raylen was born, Emily mused, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Did they... I mean... together..."
"Have sex?" Raylen asked, and he nodded. "They did. The land needs the seed to be sown for the plant to grow, Princess," he chuckled.
"What about your siblings?" Emily inquired, and Raylen leaned in subtly towards her, drawing her in.
"It was later that she found out that her land wasn’t as barren as she thought it to be. The rest of my siblings were King Dominick’s natural children. You cannot sell yourself twice, and once sold, there is no going back. It is for eternity," Raylen explained.