Chapter 347| Home... I Am Finally Home
The steady hum of the Lightning Rail’s engine sliced through the quiet afternoon. Inside the first-class carriage, cold vapor frosted the glass windows from the outside.
Raveena Sudrath pressed her forehead against the glass. Her pair of gray eyes stared straight ahead. Beyond the misted pane, the vast expanse of grasslands faded, replaced by dense rows of fog-blanketed pine trees.
The temperature inside the carriage dropped drastically. The signature freezing chill of the border began to bite at the skin—a sign that the train’s steel wheels had officially crossed into Northreach territory.
"We have officially entered Northreach soil," Caelus whispered softly, cutting through the engine’s roar. "We’ll arrive at the station shortly."
Raveena pulled her forehead from the glass, letting out a long exhale that plumed into thin vapor. "Haaah... it feels like I’ve been away from this place for centuries."
The Iron Hearth Lightning Rail Station welcomed them in a bustling afternoon rush.
Mana-lamps cast a yellow glow that warmed the freezing chill of the platform. Passengers hurried by, merchants peddled warm bread, and the scent of engine lubricant mixed with cinnamon wafted through the air.
Raveena stepped down.
Amidst this crowd of ordinary citizens, no one realized that the woman in the thin blue dress was a princess of the ruling dynasty of the North.
She absorbed that anonymity with immense relief.
Caelus stepped down behind her, slinging his own leather bag over his shoulder. The man swept his gaze across the chaotic platform, then turned his head.
"Want me to escort you straight to the castle gates?" Caelus offered.
Raveena turned around, carving a faint smile. "No need. You and Ramirez should head straight to the Sol-Regis representative estate. You must be exhausted."
Caelus looked into her eyes for a moment, understanding that the woman needed a private moment to finalize her own homecoming. He stepped forward, landing a warm kiss on Raveena’s forehead.
"We already hold my father’s blessing, Raveena," Caelus whispered tenderly. "Rest tonight."
"You too," Raveena replied.
Caelus smiled, turned around, and strode through the station crowd with his aide.
Raveena stood still beneath the platform lights. Watching his back until he was swallowed by the sea of humanity. After that, she pulled her thin cloak tighter and began her walk out of the station.
The streets of Iron Hearth at twilight radiated an honest pulse of life.
Clack-clack... clack-clack... The wheels of the steam tram ground against the rails. Factory workers walked in droves, laughing and wiping sweat from their brows. Young children ran chasing a rag ball on the sidewalk.
Raveena strolled down the sidewalk in silence. Her footsteps slowed, absorbing every inch of her city’s scent.
The walk toward the castle hill felt incredibly brief. Her heart slowly filled with a warmth that settled her longing.
Creaaak...
Raveena’s footsteps halted before the main gates of the Iron Hearth Castle. The colossal wrought-iron fence carved with the Northern Wolf stood majestically bathed in torchlight.
Two soldiers preparing for a shift change reflexively turned their heads. One of the guards suddenly widened his eyes.
"P-Princess... Princess Raveena?!" the guard squeaked in a stutter, as if seeing a ghost from the past.
Raveena quickly raised her hand, halting the panic or military formalities that were about to explode from the two guards.
"Evening," Raveena greeted with a casual smile. "I’m home."
Without waiting for the guards to finish processing the situation, Raveena pushed open the small wicket gate, stepping into the castle’s inner courtyard.
The inner courtyard garden was enveloped in a peaceful evening twilight. Stone lamps ignited automatically, casting light across the neatly trimmed, snow-dusted grass. The trickle of the fountain soothed the atmosphere.
Upon a stone bench by the pool, Queen Aurelia sat alone.
The Queen wore a gray house gown with a thick knitted shawl wrapped around her shoulders. On a small stone table, a cup of herbal tea released fragrant steam.
Hearing the sound of footsteps on the grass, Aurelia turned her head. "Sera? Is that you—"
The Queen’s words were cut short. Her hand, which was reaching for the cup, froze mid-air. She nearly knocked the cup over if she hadn’t reflexively pulled her hand back.
"R-Raveena...?!" she gasped, trembling with utter disbelief.
Aurelia rushed to her feet. Her knitted shawl slipped and fell to the grass, completely ignored. The Queen walked swiftly, then lunged to hug her daughter incredibly tight!
"You naughty child!" Aurelia sobbed, burying her face in Raveena’s neck. Tears of relief spilled, dampening her blue gown. "You left just like that without saying goodbye... and now you suddenly appear without a single word of notice!"
Raveena returned her mother’s embrace, absorbing the lavender scent Aurelia always wore.
"I’m sorry, Mother... I’m so sorry," Raveena whispered repeatedly, laden with genuine regret.
Aurelia broke the hug, wiped the tears from her cheeks, then gently stroked Raveena’s face.
"You really gave the entire castle a massive headache," Aurelia grumbled with a warm smile she couldn’t hide.
The Queen picked up her shawl, then pulled Raveena’s hand. "Let’s go inside. Your entire family is in the dining hall. There are many things you need to know about what happened while you were away."
Click!
The carved teakwood doors of the dining hall swung open.
The savory aroma of grilled meat skewers and rich spiced broth immediately wafted out. The clinking of spoons and the family’s cheerful banter died instantly.
Every single member of the Sudrath dynasty turned their heads simultaneously toward the door.
King Lucian, Rianor, Elara, Roland, Rhea, Arvid, Elena, Rumina, and Raphael. Everyone froze.
A suffocating silence clamped down on the room for three full seconds.
"Good evening, everyone," Raveena greeted with an innocent smile.
BAM!
Raphael jumped to his feet so fast his chair was shoved backward. The youngest prince took a deep breath, straightened his collar, then slammed both his palms onto the table in a super dramatic pose.
An extraordinarily wide, mischievous grin bloomed across his face.
"Well, well, well! Look who finally set foot back on Northern soil!" Raphael exclaimed, raising his volume like a theatrical orator.
He pointed a spoon at Raveena. "Welcome back, Princess! The princess who always lectured her little brother in class to ’focus on his studies’, but turned out to recklessly jump onto a train just to chase her lover into the enemy capital!"
Pfft! Roland, who was sipping his tea, nearly choked.
Uproarious laughter instantly exploded around the dining table. Riven shook his head with a faint smile, while Kaelven clapped his hands cheerfully. "Auntie Vena is home!"
Raveena didn’t glare or throw a tantrum. She stepped calmly, pulled out the empty chair beside Raphael, and seated herself gracefully.
"Thank you for that incredibly childish welcome, Raphael," Raveena fired back calmly, smoothing the napkin on her lap. "You’re talking quite loudly for a teenager who was crying in a panic at the school park just the other afternoon because he had no idea how to explain the word ’girlfriend’ to a girl named Elodie."
KABOOM!
The smirk on Raphael’s face shattered into a million pieces. The youngest prince froze stiff on the spot. His face turned from pale to boiling red as fast as lightning!
"H-Hey... why are you still bringing that up?!" Raphael stammered, his voice cracking horribly.
"Because you just opened that door yourself, little brother," Raveena replied with a wink, scooping her broth completely unfazed.
The entire dining table erupted into vastly louder laughter. Even King Lucian couldn’t hold back a chuckle, massaging his temples as he watched his children’s antics. Score: one to one.
After the wave of laughter subsided, Aurelia tapped her spoon against her crystal glass. Clink! Clink!
The table’s atmosphere slowly settled, turning warm and intimate.
"Raveena, there is joyous news you simply must know," Aurelia said softly, glancing at Rianor and Elara. "Your sister-in-law, Elara... is currently expecting their first child."
Raveena gasped. The spoon in her hand stopped mid-air. She turned her head to look at Elara.
"Sister Elara... is it true?!" Raveena whispered, her eyes shining with happiness.
Elara carved a sweet, slightly shy smile, blushing faintly. "Yes, Raveena. But... due to my inability to walk, Elena said this pregnancy will require extra care."
Raveena immediately stood up, walked around the table, and knelt beside Elara’s wheelchair. She grabbed both of the woman’s hands.
"You are going to be a phenomenally great mother, Sister Elara," Raveena said genuinely. "I am so happy for you and Brother Rianor."
"Thank you so much, Raveena," Elara returned the grip tightly.
However, that happiness paused when Aurelia spoke again. This time, her tone was heavy with suppressed emotion.
"And... there is one more thing you need to know," Aurelia continued, looking at Rumina at the far end of the table. "Your sister, Rumina... will be departing for the Iron Empire."
Raveena furrowed her brow in confusion. "To the Iron Empire? What for?"
"Rumina is heading there... to hand herself over as a political hostage to guarantee the alliance," Riven interjected with a heavy voice.
Thump.
Raveena’s body froze. The broth bowl on the table seemingly lost all its warmth. She slowly released Elara’s hands, stood up, and walked toward Rumina’s end of the table.
Rumina didn’t look up from her little notepad at all. Her fingers were still busily crossing out budget numbers with absolute calm.
"Rumina..." Raveena called softly, her voice trembling with worry. "Did you volunteer yourself for this insane task?"
Without pausing the strokes of her pen, she answered flatly.
"According to risk calculations... I am the only Sudrath member at this table whose position is the easiest to replace."
"That is absolute nonsense!" Raveena cut in firmly, her chest heaving as she held back her emotions. "You are our Head Treasurer! You are my sister! Not a single one of us in this family is replaceable!"
Rumina’s fingers holding the pen abruptly stopped.
The workaholic girl gripped her notebook under the table. The backs of her knuckles turned white, desperately holding back the emotional burden she had been masking this whole time.
Seeing the movement of her sister’s fingers, Raveena softened her voice. She leaned down, slipped her hand under the table, and tightly clasped Rumina’s trembling fingers.
"Listen to me," Raveena whispered beside her sister’s ear. "Make sure you return to this house. Safe and whole. Without a single scratch."
Rumina swallowed hard, her eyes staring straight at her numbers, which were beginning to blur. "I... will try."
"That is not enough," Raveena insisted, squeezing her sister’s hand harder. "You must come back."
Rumina fell silent for a moment. Finally, she gave a slow nod. "Alright. I will come back."
Beneath that teakwood dining table, the fingers of the two sisters gripped each other tightly—a silent vow left unspoken before the public.
After the dinner banquet, the corridors of the east wing fell quiet once more.
Elara was rolling her wheelchair toward her chambers when the sound of soft footsteps caught up from behind.
"Sister Elara..."
Elara turned her head. Raveena walked over with a deeply guilty expression.
Raveena stopped in front of the wheelchair, bowing her head. "I... want to apologize to you, Sister."
"Apologize for what?" Elara asked softly.
"For leaving the academy just like that without saying goodbye," Raveena confessed, guilt crushing her chest. "I left you to shoulder the burden alone despite your physical condition. I am truly an irresponsible sister-in-law."
Elara looked at the black-haired princess in silence. There was no anger in her purple eyes.
She let out a long sigh. "You know, Raveena... every night since you left, I was always anxious, staring out the window. I was terrified you’d get hurt in Sol-Regis. Trapped in palace intrigue."
Elara carved a deeply warm smile, taking Raveena’s hand. "But... I cannot be mad at you. You recklessly went there to fight for the man you love. And I... was also once a foolish, reckless young woman blinded by love when I chose Rianor back then."
Raveena chuckled softly. Tears of emotion welled in her eyes. She leaned down and hugged Elara carefully.
"Thank you, Sister Elara..." she whispered.
"You’re welcome," Elara replied, patting her back. "But remember... do not ever repeat a reckless stunt like that without notice again. Or I will personally sentence you to teach five classes in a row!"
Late night blanketed Iron Hearth.
Inside her private bedchamber in the castle’s upper wing, Raveena had just finished bathing. She wore a loose cotton nightgown. Her damp black hair was left unbound.
She stepped near the large, half-open window, leaned her body against the wooden frame, and looked out.
Down below, the city lights twinkled through the mist. The stars in the northern sky radiated a calm, silver sheen.
Raveena raised her left wrist.
Tied there was a simple woven leather bracelet with a pale blue gemstone bead in the center. A gift from Caelus from years ago. Raveena gently spun the blue stone with her thumb.
So many things had shifted in such a short time. Elara was pregnant. Rumina was stepping into danger as a political hostage. Rianor and Roland had nearly died in Draconia, and Riven had just returned from the Khanate.
The world out there might be marching toward the apocalypse of war.
But tonight... beneath the shelter of this sturdy stone fortress... she was in the place where her soul always anchored.
Raveena grasped the blue stone on her bracelet. She carved the most peaceful smile on her lips, then whispered softly into the incoming night breeze:
"Home... I am finally home."