SERAPHINA'S POV
I reach out and knock three times on the familiar door that has been my home for the majority of my life, pulling away and nervously tucking my hands back into my pockets.
Everything at the orphanage remains almost as it always was; the shape and size of it, the smell of wet sand, the never-ceasing breeze, the rustling of the willow trees around.
I do notice some subtle changes, like the tiled roads leading up to the building, which used to be a muddy path dotted with puddles where children would play during rainy days.
There's the entirely new roof, replacing the old one we kept patching up with leftover wood from the furniture shops down the road, and the newly planted flower beds surrounding the house.
It's home, but a newly improved version of the home I grew up in.
I'm grateful for these changes, more so knowing the smile they must have put on Miss Lucy's face as she watched them come together, easing years of worry about the house falling apart or flooding.
I'm excited yet nervous to see her, with Artemis standing right by my side.
"Points to note: she's going to ask a lot of questions, most of which will come off as invasive, and she will stare you down with her hawk eyes," I mimic from memory.
He chuckles beside me, surprisingly calm for someone about to meet the person who filled the role of a mother for me for so many years.
"It won't be funny when you're lost for words and looking to me for help."
"Don't worry about me; I'm a natural when it comes to charming women, remember?" he teases, winking at me.
I just roll my eyes at his response.
The door finally creaks open, and Miss Lucy's head peeps through.
"Hello?"
"Miss Lucy," I say with a small, nervous smile, stepping forward.
Her eyes widen, then a wide smile takes over every inch of her face. The door swings fully open, and she engulfs me in a bear hug, which I return wholeheartedly.
"Oh, my darling," she exclaims. "You didn't tell me you were visiting."
"It was kind of an impromptu situation. We wanted to drop by before our brief holiday was over and we returned to school."
"We?" Her brows rise before I step aside, and she finally notices Artemis.
Her body stiffens, and she bows slightly.
"Your Highness, I wasn't prepared to welcome you," she stutters, her voice turning more formal and respectful with her bow.
Artemis, however, raises his hands, surprised by her sudden change in demeanor. Her reaction reminds me of when King Silvan visited, the subtle fear mixed with utmost respect for a man who is, in fact, her king.
"No, no, it's okay. I'm here merely as a guest, not as a royal delegate," he says, urging her to look at him.
She raises her head, her gaze meeting mine, and I smile reassuringly.
"It's okay... this is Artemis, my mate," I say gently.
Her walls slowly crumble, her smile returning as she realizes he isn't expecting formal decorum from her.
"Well, why are you still standing here? Come in," Miss Lucy says, pointing towards the open door and stepping aside for both of us to walk in.
Artemis bends his head to pass through the doorway, and I simply walk in, immediately hit with the smell of her chicken casserole wafting in the air.
I pause to take it in, along with the constant memories tied to the smell that fills my belly in one sniff.
"Hmm, what's cooking?" Artemis asks.
"Memories," I respond, lost in them.
"Most of the older children are in school right now, so it's only the little ones left," she tells us, leading the way.
"Children, Seraphina has come to pay us a visit," she announces into the air.
It takes a moment before we hear what sounds like a dozen tiny feet running down the stairs, rushing up to our side.
Little Emily runs up to me with boundless energy, and I pick her up, lifting her off the ground as she hugs me tightly. The other small kids cling to my trousers, their hugs just as warm.
My heart swells instantly, almost to the point of bursting.
"Sera, my tooth finally grew in!"
"Sera, I have a boo-boo on my knee."
"Sera, will you read me a bedtime story?"
They all eagerly give me updates, filling me in on recent happenings in their lives out of pure excitement. I laugh at their adorableness, setting Emily back down.
"It's nice to see you guys again," I say over their distracted chattering.
"It's hard keeping them together when you're not here, Sera. The rest of the girls hardly put in any effort these days," Miss Lucy comments, referring to Emma, Riley, and Tina, while trying to herd the children away.
Yet, they decide they don't want to leave and have now turned their attention to Artemis, surrounding him with wide, wondering eyes and climbing on him as if he were a set of monkey bars.
I can't help but laugh at the sight.
But of course, the others wouldn't help; they were never the helping type, refusing to do menial work to show appreciation to Lucy.
Then again, it was also their way of being angry with the world - after all, they are orphans left behind by families and never chosen for adoption.
I would have been one of them if I hadn't grown out of my hateful phase.
I help Miss Lucy gather the children back to their room until it's just the three of us again, and she pours us a cup of her matcha tea at the table.
"So, you're the prince," she begins, her questioning tone cautiously probing into Artemis.
"Yes," he responds, finally as nervous as he should be.
"I respect the crown, but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you if you hurt my baby girl, young man," she threatens, sipping her tea.
"I wouldn't dare to harm a single hair on her head. She's everything to me," he mutters, his gaze shifting towards me towards the end.
I feel heat gather in my cheeks again and look away, embarrassed.
"Hmm, I like this one," Miss Lucy comments, finally cracking a smile.
Relieved that she at least doesn't hate him, I let out a sigh. With that, the hard part is over.
Her eyes meet mine, watching me a bit too intently.
"You don't look so excited for someone who just dropped by to visit your family," she observes.
I gasp, struggling to come up with a defense. A tinge of guilt hits me, and I sigh, lowering my head.
"Actually, the truth is I came here for some answers."
"Answers?" Her brow rises.
"About my past, where I came from, and all that," I explain.
Her shoulders tense, and her mug clatters on the table as she leans back in her chair.
"Don't tell me you want to go searching for-"
"No... I abandoned that idea a long time ago, Miss Lucy. I'm here for something else. Any sort of documentation stating where I was born, and all that," I say, cutting her off.
From the look in her eyes, I can already tell what her fear is.
Years ago, when I was 12 and under the influence of serious bullying from school, I decided to find my parents myself. I went on a random quest with just a few coins of pocket money.
Lost for two days, when Miss Lucy finally found me, I bawled my eyes out for hours until I passed out.
Maybe it was after that experience that I decided to abandon the idea, hating the people who left me here so it wouldn't hurt as much.
I assure Miss Lucy with my eyes that it's nothing like that before she visibly relaxes.
"Come with me," she gestures, getting up. I follow her, leaving Artemis at the table.
We walk down the hall and into her office, always off-limits to us. She opens a large drawer behind her desk, searching for something.
"I keep every vital piece of information left with the children on their first day here with me, for emergencies like this," she explains, sorting through countless items... until she finds a case labeled 'Seraphina Hawthrone.'
"This is everything you came with thirteen years ago, dear," Miss Lucy announces as she hands me a case.
I stare at its contents, pulling out a faded mint green blanket that's way too small for me now.
"My favorite blanket," I mutter under my breath, overwhelmed by nostalgia.
I had forgotten about it years ago and didn't even know she had kept it.
"You were so attached to it for the first year here, but when you finally got used to your new surroundings and accepted them, you were able to let go of it," she explains, looking over my shoulder.
Tears well up in my eyes as I fight back against the loneliness and feelings that always came with these memories I'd buried so many years ago. A part of me wonders if I'm truly ready to unearth these forgotten parts of my past.
Miss Lucy, sensing my turmoil, stands up behind me and gently pats my back, offering silent support, urging me to take the next step.