Garden Of Poison-Chapter 286: Epilogue

Music Recommendation: Ice Skating (Clair De Lune) - Guy Farley

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In the Blackthorn Palace, the corridors were filled with light chatter. Servants no longer cowered as they had many years ago, before the marriage of the King and Queen of Versailles. The territory, once covered in sand, now boasted tall trees, providing shade for many and expanding the kingdom’s borders. A steady stream of carriages continued to make their way through the kingdom’s gates, proceeding towards the palace.

Inside the palace, within one of the corridors, Mr. Gilbert walked alongside Theresa, whose position had been elevated to Madame Theresa, in charge of looking after the Queen as she had faithfully done for all these years. Mr. Gilbert spoke,

"The guests have been settled in the lower rooms, and additional rooms have already been prepared to accommodate even more. Don’t they know this is a time for family and that she needs rest?" his tone becoming slightly annoyed.

"Mother Queen has left quite an impression on everyone, making them want to see her," Theresa remarked, who had aged gracefully herself. "The rest of the family members should be arriving shortly."

"Mm," Mr. Gilbert responded briefly before saying, "I will go see how things are going at the entrance."

Madame Theresa observed the man as he walked away with the same vigour as he had displayed in the past. Afterwards, she walked up the stairs accompanied by a maid and arrived at the Mother Queen’s room. The Mother Queen, who had lived her life to the fullest, now lay in her final moments. She looked frail, with dark circles under her eyes, and appeared smaller than usual.

"Come in, Auntie Theresa," Anastasia called her in, and the woman stepped inside along with the maid, who held a tray carrying juice.

"Is that alcohol?" The Mother Queen raised her sparse eyebrows as she sat up against the headboard, cushioned by plush pillows for support.

"The physician has ordered you to abstain from alcohol. A glass of juice would do you much better," Lady Sophia remarked, casting a pointed glance at her mother-in-law, as if she couldn’t believe that the woman had no regard for her own health.

"Oh, Sophia, Sophia. Alcohol is a medicine for my aching joints, and my life is almost at its end." The Mother Queen’s words came out softly, as if she were tired.

"And here, I thought you were too young to die," Lady Sophia stated.

"I thought so too. I mean, what is my age again?" The Mother Queen laughed, only to end up coughing, prompting Anastasia to quickly come to her assistance.

"You shouldn’t be speaking too much, and you need to rest so that you can get better," Anastasia voiced gently, adjusting the blanket that covered the Mother Queen’s lap.

The Mother Queen hummed in contentment, closing her eyes for a moment before reopening them. "You are like a daughter to me, Anastasia," she expressed warmly. She then turned to look at her daughter-in-law, who looked away, and said, "Don’t feel bad, Sophia. I don’t hate you."

"I don’t. I am quite used to your words," Lady Sophia responded, crossing her arms as she took a seat on the other side of the bed.

"Do you know why I’ve been hard on you?" the Mother Queen asked Lady Sophia. "It’s because you don’t loosen up. You are always so closed-off and uptight. As if you aren’t allowing yourself to breathe."

At that moment, Anastasia contemplated whether she should give the two of them some space, and she turned to Theresa during the pause and softly inquired, "Have Mary and the others arrived yet?"

"They should be arriving at the palace shortly," Theresa whispered in response.

"If I weren’t breathing, I wouldn’t be alive," Lady Sophia pointed out to the Mother Queen, who smiled before replying.

"Exactly. Look at you, behaving as if your life had already ended." The Mother Queen’s smile faded before she continued, "You should be out there, meeting people. While half of your life may be over, remember, it’s just the first half, and the other half still awaits you."

Lady Sophia’s cheeks turned pink upon hearing those words, and she responded, "I am a grandmother now. My purpose in life has changed, and I am content with how things are." Her children had settled into their lives in relation to Hell, something she had never expected to happen.

"So you say," the Mother Queen replied. "It has been years since William passed away. You and he brought forth beautiful children, but we all agree that it is good that he is gone. You need to learn to let go of those who aren’t for you or the values you once deemed important. And so what if you are now a grandmother? Are you saying you don’t miss being loved? To have a partner of your own?"

"It’s not like you had one," Lady Sophia retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, Sophia. My future will be so bright once I depart," the Mother Queen said before succumbing to a fit of coughing, prompting Lady Sophia to sigh. "What happened to Mr. Hatt? I believe he fancies you," the older woman inquired, only to see her daughter-in-law turn slightly pink at the mention of the man.

Small footsteps approached the room, sounding almost like little hops, before a small girl, not more than five years old, entered the Mother Queen’s chamber. She wore a pink dress, which resembled the very flowers that she now clutched in her hand. Her hair was as brown as her mother’s, and her eyes shone with the same shade of green as the forest. There were smudges of mud on her dress, which indicated to those in the room that she had been keeping herself busy since they had last seen her.

"What do we have there, Arabella?" Anastasia gently asked her daughter, who hurried over to her with her small steps.

"Flowers for Grandma to get better. They are her favourites," the little girl explained. "But one of the stems broke earlier."

"Is that so?" Anastasia responded, taking a look at the bouquet of flowers tied together with twine. She touched the broken flower, and in the next second, it magically repaired itself. This had her daughter’s eyes light up with excitement, and she moved away from her mother and climbed onto the bed.

"Aren’t you the sweetest, my child?" the Mother Queen praised, raising her hand to make room for her great-granddaughter, and she beckoned, saying, "Come here."

Anastasia watched as her youngest quickly crawled towards the Mother Queen before settling into the space that the older woman had created, with the Mother Queen lovingly wrapping her arm around the little one. She couldn’t help but smile at the heartwarming sight, knowing that in the near future, it would be bittersweet, as change was an inevitable part of life.

Two years prior, Aziel had passed away, and Anastasia knew that his death had left the Mother Queen without the companionship she had been used to all these years. Occasionally, she caught the woman wearing a distant expression, only for it to vanish quickly when someone noticed.

"Grandma," little Arabella said as she craned her neck to look up at her great-grandmother. "Are you really leaving us?"

"Your loved ones never really leave you. Especially not me," the Mother Queen assured, holding her great-granddaughter close.

"As a ghost?" the girl asked, to which the Mother Queen nodded.

"I guess, in some way, that is how it is going to be." The older woman shrugged her shoulders, but the little girl didn’t seem to mind her words.

One of the servants appeared at the door and informed, "Queen Anastasia, your sister and family have arrived."

Anastasia nodded to the servant and then informed the Mother Queen, "I will go see them and return quickly." Leaving the room, she walked through the corridors and encountered Dante engaged in conversation with one of the court ministers. When they noticed her presence, the minister offered his bows to them before taking his leave.

Dante and Anastasia made their way to each other, and before she knew it, he had taken her into his arms for a warm embrace. Kissing the side of her head, he murmured, "I missed you."

"Me too," Anastasia responded, as if recharging her energy in his arms, before she gently pulled away.

"How is Grandmother?" Dante asked her, hoping she wasn’t in pain.

"Being her usual cheerful self. Nothing to worry about. Lady Sophia and Arabella are with her at the moment," Anastasia assured, which had Dante nod in understanding. "They said Mary and others are here," she added.

"We should go and welcome them," Dante suggested, holding his soulmate’s hand as they began to walk towards the palace entrance.

"Have you heard anything from Lady Maya?" Anastasia inquired on their way. When her eyes met Dante’s, she saw him shake his head. "I see," she murmured.

Over the years, Lady Maya had accumulated a burden of shame and regret for her actions. And while her daughter had turned over a new leaf for the better, Lady Maya was too prideful to acknowledge her wrongdoings or show her face to anyone. She chose to spend her days in the old palace in solitude. At the same time, Dante had made no effort to invite the woman back to the palace, not after what she had put his mother through.

Changing the subject, Anastasia remarked, "Grandmother was asking for alcohol earlier."

"Leave it to her to make light of any situation," Dante murmured in response.

When they finally arrived at the entrance, Anastasia caught sight of her sister and her family, which brought a wide smile to her face.

"Anna!" Marianne greeted her younger sister, and just as her arms opened to embrace her, Dante released his wife’s hand.

Anastasia was quick to reach Marianne, hugging her tightly, who hugged her back with warmth. "It is so good to see you! I hope everything went well during your journey."

"It did! Thanks to the imp," Gabriel answered, having accompanied Marianne along with her parents. "We blinked, and suddenly we were at the entrance of the kingdom," he added, still somewhat in awe of the ease and speed with which the teleportation ability allowed them to travel.

"Where are the children?" Anastasia’s father inquired eagerly, as if he couldn’t wait to see them again.

"They are inside," Dante responded, leading his in-laws back into the palace. "Zayne should be in his room, Memphis is probably causing some mischief, and you will find the smallest one with Grandmother," he informed them.

"How is she doing?" Marianne asked her sister with concern.

"The physician prescribed medicines, but she chose not to take them. Instead, she said she wants to meet everyone," Anastasia replied, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Although the Mother Queen had mentioned her intention to return and visit her daughter after her passing, there was a part of her that made her feel as if the old woman sensed she might not be able to come back once she departed the realm of the living. Perhaps it was because the Mother Queen and the Devil had never communicated again.

Marianne gently squeezed her sister’s hand to comfort her.

As the family made their way to visit the Mother Queen, one of the guests who had earlier come to see the old queen noticed them passing by the waiting room. This drew the attention of a father-daughter duo, who moved closer to the door before they spotted another young man with somewhat reddish-blond hair walking past them, offering them a polite bow before continuing on his way.

"I can’t believe they forgave him so easily after what his mother did to the King and the Queen," the man expressed with disdain. "Even though he’s a prince, it’s still so shameful. Sometimes, families poison their own."

"Is he the youngest brother of King Dante?" inquired the man’s young daughter, who had recently come of age.

"Indeed. The son of the former Lady Noor, Victor Blackthorn," the man continued in a hushed whisper.

"But he is just as handsome as the other Blackthorn men, Father. Perhaps I should get married to him. After all, he is a prince—"

"My brother is not going to marry just any passing woman," interrupted a voice from the other side of the corridor, and the duo turned to see Princess Niyasa, her eyes slightly narrowed. She had overheard their whispers while coming in from outside. "Speaking ill of the royal family within the palace walls."

"We weren’t! We were only—" the man began to apologise, but Niyasa’s eyes narrowed further.

"If you are done visiting my grandmother, you can return to your own home. This is family time." Niyasa shooed them away, and Victor, who had turned back after realising he had left his gloves in the carriage, noticed his sister glaring at the two guests as they made their way towards the palace entrance.

"Is everything alright, Sister Niyasa?" Victor inquired, glancing at the departing guests before turning his gaze back to Niyasa.

"Of course, why wouldn’t it be when I am here?" Niyasa asked before quickly fixing her expression. "Did you hear something?"

"Like what?" Victor asked, now towering over Niyasa.

Niyasa shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Just the sound of birds chirping."

While things had eventually smoothed over time, it hadn’t been that way initially. Even though people were warned and threatened not to speak ill about Victor or Niyasa, the two of them hadn’t been completely shielded from the judgmental looks in some people’s eyes. This had somehow created a soft spot in Niyasa’s heart for Victor, leading her to come to his defence whenever someone tried to pick on him.

"Niyasaaaaa!!" A loud voice suddenly erupted next to them, causing Niyasa to scream in surprise, as she hadn’t expected Aiden to pop in like that so suddenly.

Niyasa placed her hand on her chest and shot a glare at her brother. "You idiot. Do you have to always scare me every time you visit us?"

"Technically, I am a ghost, so I am living up to the name. What do you say, Victor?" Aiden grinned as he hugged him.

"Welcome home, Brother Aiden and Sister Celeste," Victor politely greeted them.

"I brought you gifts," Celeste said, handing a bag to each of her soulmate’s siblings.

"You didn’t have to do that," Victor said as he accepted the gift.

"It is what earthlings do when they visit their in-laws," Celeste explained with her usual stoic expression, which Niyasa was still getting used to.

"Everyone must already be here with Grandmother. Are we the last ones to arrive?" Aiden glanced around the corridor, finding it empty.

"Lily isn’t here yet," Niyasa answered, and she heard Celeste let out a quiet sigh of relief. But that was only because Celeste wanted to show that she was a good family member and was worried that they were the last ones to arrive. "By the way, where is Brother Maxwell?" she asked.

"Hm? I thought he left before us," Aiden said with a puzzled expression on his face. "He should already be here."

"How strange," Niyasa murmured.

Far from them, on the other side of the palace, Marianne had finished her visit with the Mother Queen before she strolled through the familiar places she once frequented. It felt nostalgic, remembering how things were back then, and somewhere deep down, the memories still made her heart squeeze, even after all the years that had passed.

She came to stand next to a window, pushing it open to feel the gentlest breeze caress her skin.

Meanwhile, at one end of the corridor, a shadow stood silently, watching her.

Earlier upon hearing Marianne’s voice, Maxwell had discreetly stepped away and hidden himself, watching her from afar. She looked as beautiful as the first time his eyes had fallen on her. Her hair was tied back, and she was dressed in clothes from where she came from—from where she rightfully belonged.

"I was wondering where you went," Gabriel remarked as he made his way over to where Marianne stood. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Reminiscing about things from the past," Marianne smiled at Gabriel. "It feels like it was only yesterday that Anna decided to escape from the palace," she chuckled at the end. Maxwell noticed how Marianne’s voice wasn’t constrained, but she spoke freely.

Marianne asked Gabriel, "How are you doing?" It was because she knew he didn’t hold any fondness for this place after his sister was stolen from his family, just like she and Anastasia had been kidnapped and brought here.

"I am doing better. You?" Gabriel responded.

"Me too," Marianne replied with a smile, and her eyes briefly drifted to the other end of the corridor, as if sensing that someone was there. But then she returned her attention to Gabriel, who was gazing at her.

"You know what I mean," Gabriel said. He had been patiently waiting for Marianne and giving her the space she needed. But somehow, he wasn’t able to muster the courage to openly ask her, so for now, they had settled for being friends.

"Time changes everything, Gabriel," Marianne answered, her hand letting go of the windowsill she had been holding onto.

Maxwell understood what Marianne’s words meant, and he instinctively took a step back when her gaze shifted in the direction where he stood. But some things... were hard to change, especially considering all that had happened, he thought to himself.

"What’s wrong?" Maxwell heard Gabriel ask Marianne.

"Nothing. We should go back to where everyone is," Marianne replied, sparing another glance towards the other end of the corridor before the sound of footsteps indicated their departure from the area.

When Maxwell turned around, he discovered his brother’s nine-year-old son standing there with a lollipop in his mouth, which he pulled out with the help of the attached stick. The boy had messy black hair and striking black eyes.

"Sneaking up behind someone without any notice isn’t a good habit, Memphis," Maxwell reprimanded the boy.

"Eavesdropping isn’t good either, Uncle Max," Memphis retorted, nonchalantly sticking the lollipop back into his mouth. The two stared at each other before the older man sighed. "You like Aunty Mary?" the boy asked.

Maxwell hadn’t expected to bump into the most troublesome Blackthorn kid his brother had. Unlike his brother, this one didn’t let certain things slide. He replied, "A long time ago."

"Hmmm," Memphis mused as he walked alongside his uncle. He suggested, "We could plan to keep her here for you in the palace. You could stay here too." Because Maxwell always returned to Hell, which had become his new home.

"No," Maxwell said firmly. "If you truly love someone, you let them go to find happiness in a better place."

"How do you know?" Memphis inquired with curiosity.

"Sometimes you just do," Maxwell responded with a hint of sadness in his eyes, and then said, "Go back to your parents. I will be leaving. Forget about what you saw."

The young boy cheekily moved his hand in a gesture as if wiping something away, and at the same moment, Maxwell vanished from sight. Memphis murmured to himself, "Always hurrying to return to Hell. It must be a fun place." He then popped the lollipop back into his mouth and strolled away.

Outside the Mother Queen’s chamber, a faint commotion drew the attention of those inside the room. Anastasia frowned and looked towards the door. Dante, who had been in the room, stepped outside, followed by his eldest son, twelve-year-old Zayne.

The boy possessed Dante’s black hair and Anastasia’s green eyes, with an air about him that resembled his father.

"I guessed it would be all of you," Dante remarked when his eyes fell on the Storm family and the Devil right beside them.

"We are late because someone here," Raylen explained, casting a small glance at his father, "refused to part with Nikolai and Quentin. So we had to pack him up with us."

"I can tell just by looking at him," Dante responded, seeing Viktor carrying his sister Emily’s second-born.

Emily smiled, just glad to see Dante, before her eyes fell on Zayne. "How are you doing, Zayne? I heard you have started riding on a horse without any assistance."

"Father has taught me well, Aunty Emily," Zayne replied in a polite tone.

"You are so much like your father when he was young," Emily remarked, remembering the fond memories they had created in this palace.

"Good afternoon, Uncle Dante," Nikolai greeted with a smile, his demeanour more relaxed as he had spent a fair amount of time with his uncle. However, that had mostly been because, while most grandparents took their children to the garden or town, he was frequently taken to Hell thanks to Viktor.

Emily and Raylen didn’t mind it, seeing how quickly the once-detached Devil had grown attached to their children. Viktor now spent more time in the living realm than in Hell.

"Good afternoon, Nikolai. Come on, Grandmother is waiting for all of you," Dante said to his sister and Raylen before glancing at the Devil, who was adjusting Quentin’s blanket that he had brought along with him.

As Emily entered the room, her gaze immediately fell upon her grandmother, who was seated against the bed’s headboard. The Mother Queen, upon spotting her granddaughter, offered her a warm and welcoming smile.

Emily approached the bed with concern evident in her voice. "What’s this about you falling sick, Grandmother? You’ve yet to visit me again in the Storm Kingdom as you promised," she remarked, a touch of gentle teasing in her words.

Meanwhile, little Arabella had already clambered out of the bed and toddled over to her mother. Anastasia tenderly scooped up her daughter and settled her on her lap.

Sitting beside her grandmother, Emily enveloped the older woman in a heartfelt embrace. She spoke softly, her voice tinged with a touch of sadness, "Even though I know where I’ll be able to find you, it still saddens me."

"Oh, child. You truly worry for nothing," the Mother Queen murmured, bringing her hand to gently brush her dearest granddaughter’s head. "Besides," she continued when Emily pulled away from her, "I believe I have already taught everything I know to all of you."

"We will make sure to take extra good care of you, Queen Ginger," Raylen assured her, and the Mother Queen smiled.

"I am sure you will." She was counting on it, considering she couldn’t count on the Devil.

Of course, as a woman of ambition, she had made her attempts at the Devil, but eventually she stopped. She was a woman of pride, after all!

"Her soul isn’t intended for Hell," Viktor cut into their conversation, his eyes still on his second grandson. His words drew everyone’s attention to him.

"What do you mean?" Dante asked, voicing the question that everyone present had on the tip of their tongue.

Viktor finally looked away from the five-month-old baby and turned his gaze on the Mother Queen. He said, "Look more closely. You will see that her soul is no longer shadowed. For some strange reason, there was a change, and it seems she’s got a ticket upstairs. Even I was surprised when she last visited Storm Kingdom, but I have no explanation for how it happened."

The room fell silent, with no one expecting this turn of events. Aiden broke the silence by saying, "Grandmother’s good deeds must have outweighed the murders she committed."

"It is a good thing, isn’t it?" Lady Sophia asked, though she was already aware of what was on everyone’s minds.

Considering that most of the Mother Queen’s family members were either in Hell or tied to Hell, it was difficult to view this as good news. She had been leisurely spending her time, believing she had more, before suddenly realising her time was up. But Heaven had not been a part of her plan.

"If you think about it, Aziel is in Heaven," Niyasa added, mentioning her grandmother’s trusted minister.

"There’s still time for a quick fix," Raylen remarked, prompting the Mother Queen to look at him.

"I believe she is done dirtying her hands, though," Viktor commented as he crossed the room and approached the bed.

Emily got up from the bed, turned, and took her child in her arms, which the Devil passed to her with care. She then walked over to where Raylen stood, while the Devil questioned her grandmother, "Isn’t that true?"

And it was. The Mother Queen had left the past behind, wishing for nothing but peace.

"But there is a way," Viktor said to her, and the older woman pursed her lips.

"Says the man who wants nothing to do with me," the Mother Queen uttered with a soft harrumph. "If I were my younger self, you would be visiting me every day."

Anastasia turned to look at Dante, who wore a faint smile on his lips.

A smile threatened to tug at the Devil’s stoic face at the audacity of this woman’s confidence. The woman did intrigue him, but he had been busy due to two Archdemon positions remaining vacant. He then said,

"Perhaps we can begin anew once we arrive in Hell, and you can reunite with your beloved cat."

The Mother Queen’s gaze returned to him with a frown. "I am apparently going to Heaven, though. It’s a pity that there’s no time."

"Then you should quickly sell your soul to me," Viktor suggested. "You are already well-versed in black magic. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you. What do you say, Ginger Blackthorn?"

All eyes in the room were fixed on the Devil and the Mother Queen, whose gazes were now locked on each other. She finally answered, "If you are courting me so earnestly, then you leave me no choice but to say yes."

Emily whispered to Raylen, "For a moment, I was worried there."

Raylen chuckled softly, drawing Emily’s attention. He put his arm around her and said, "It was bound to happen. His eyes kept looking for her after she returned to Versailles. What can I say? It must run in the family, as we find the Blackthorn women to be irresistible."

— The End —

Thank you to everyone for tagging along with the book until the last word and finishing everyone’s story. Another world has come to an end, and thank you for supporting and having patience with the book and me ^.^

As mentioned, the next two books will be updated from March 10th, so do keep an eye. I will be seeing you all in March! Lots of love and take care until then! ^.^

If you haven’t added the new books yet to the library, here are the book titles-

1. Scarecrow of 1889

2. Beauty and the Immortal: It started with a dig