She Is My Mother

"Your highness, his highness has assigned me the task of escorting you to the palace with the young lord. He said, "The conditions here are too chaotic and he will take you to the marquees palace later for a visit."

Ana knew this knight, Luca! He was a commoner who rose higher to the ranks of knighthood and gained the position of personal knight of the duchess. But he was never treated well, due to his origins.

Many insulted him behind her back. Even Ana felt insulted by getting him as her knight. Yet he tried his best to serve her.

Looking at his stoic face, she could already imagine that he was expecting the same treatment as before.

Ana smiled brightly as she nodded her head.

"Yes, thank you, sir Luca." The stoic man finally raised his head and looked at the young lady. Her face was covered with bandages on her neck and her cheek was still swollen.

Yet she was smiling so brightly and thanking him?

"My lady, perhaps you know me?" he titled his head with confusion when Ana blinked.

Realizing she had taken his name without taking any induction, she could only nod.

"Yes, who has not heard about you? You are the best knight of dukedom. I am relieved after getting you as escort."

"Is that so?" The man waited for a mocking laughter after the compliment, but Ana nodded her head with a serious look on her face, making the man gulp his frustration.

"It is only my honor, lady. Shall we leave?" Ana stood up and joined Luca in bringing Rowan and then they walked towards the exit.

The ground floor was still filled with crowds though the body was already taken. They all were gossiping out loudly but when they noticed Ana and Rowan, they stilled.

Their eyes kept staring at her with confusion, doubts and pity. Ana smiled at them and waved her hands bidding goodbye to the chaotic scene.

Since Garrison needed to go to the royal palace to handle the chaos, she was sitting comfortably in the carriage.

"Rowan, do you also think that I was responsible for the accidents of today?" Since the baron's and viscount family have called her guilty, many eyes were on her.

But she did not care about them. She cared about the child sitting in front of her.

"I did not understand why they accused you of everything? Why were they so harsh to you ladies?"

"Perhaps they think that i am your step mother and may not treat you well. But accusing me directly was a bit.. But I did not care about their views. Do you also think that I am only an evil stepmother who will hurt you?' It was necessary to know the heart of the child now.

She was trolled by his hot and cold attitude. He looked away, surprised by her sudden question.

"I do not think that you are evil." she laughed at his awkward reply.

"Then, do you take me as your kind mother?" she pressed when he smacked his lips into a thin line.

"If you are not comfortable calling me mother, you can call me auntie or take my name. But I do not want to be called step mother." she cleared in a soft voice as the carriage kept moving.

"Everyone has doubts that your highness wanted Princess Meredith as his second wife, but his majesty refused. So, I was chosen.

I do not know how much truth is in there, but I did not have much hope with this marriage. But when it comes to you, I want to have a fair chance. Don't you agree that I deserve it?" the boy kept flinching with her words.

Even if a noble woman knew of the affair of her husband, she would never acknowledge it, much less accept it in front of her kids.

"I do not think my father would do such a thing! And if he really wanted to marry aunt, he would have found a way. My father is not afraid of my grandfather." he said with confidence when she sighed. Kids were really gullible sometimes.

"But I am sure that we could give time to each other and make a bond rather than being hostile to each other. If you want me to talk to your father about punishing the family or baron and viscount, then I will surely help you." she chuckled hard but shook her head.

"No! I think they were already suffering a lot. The baron had lost his hands while the viscount.. Sigh! I still did not understand what he was doing there and how in the world he fell." the boy nodded and looked away.

She felt the intense gaze of someone and turned to see Luca staring at her. As if he knew something, his eyes were too sharp, but she did not look away.

"Do you want to say something, sir Luca?" The woman kept on challenging everyone with that innocent face as if she did not understand the intentions of others.

Luca shook his head at once and looked away. The carriage suddenly turned very silent. Ana, who had already said everything she wanted, closed her eyes and leaned on the window.

The wind was soft and brushing her hair gently. She felt lighthearted. Her actions and her acting had exhausted her. Acting coldly was a tiring task too. Soon, her exhaustion started to take over and she did not realize when she succumbed to sleep.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the ducal palace. Rowan looked at her sleeping figure with worry. Even if he wanted to hold her, he was afraid that he would not be able to handle her and she would fall. But the thought that Luca was going to take her in his arms, did not sit well with him.

He stared at Luca as if he was a criminal.

"Pardon! Do you want me to help the lady, young lord?" asked Luca when he felt Rowan staring at him and then at the lady many times.

But he was not sure if he should touch a sleeping woman!

"Not at all! She is my mother, I will be the one taking her."