Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Kiera's residence, Ivory Estate, was located in the palace district where the highest-ranking nobles resided. The common folk referred to it as Noble Street, and it was only about three or four miles from Royal Street.

Ivory Estate was also conveniently close to Hell Monarch Estate, just a short distance away on foot. Of course, Helen had no intention of walking. They all traveled by carriage.

Ivory Estate was already occupied by staff sent by the queen dowager, tasked with maintaining the property, cleaning, and tending the garden. A number of flower trees had already been planted, and potted plants adorned the grounds.

Salvador had been quite generous to Kiera. The estate was vast, with a grand and imposing front courtyard, while the rear was filled with bright and spacious rooms.

In the garden, a lake had been dug. It was surrounded by pavilions, towers, rockeries, and arched bridges, with water flowing gently throughout. The surroundings created a peaceful and serene atmosphere. The architecture here had a softer, more tranquil vibe, reminiscent of the graceful style of Ebonflow, in contrast to the rigid designs typical of the capital.

Kiera's personal courtyard was called Harmony Meadow, which had a lovely meaning. As Logan's nmeant "small meadow", the courtyard's nincorporated that and symbolized the idea of the couple harmoniously supporting each other.

As Carissa and Helen entered, they found the courtyard fully furnished. There were partition screens, a large cherry wood bed, a chaise lounge draped in luxurious silks-everything one could need, and all of the highest quality.

After looking around, Helen remarked, "There's plenty of furniture already. We don't need to bring any more from her dowry." Carissa disagreed gently, "Since it's already been cataloged, we should still bring it over. This estate is so large, there's certainly enough space to use it all." "The items you chose for her dowry are excellent. It would be a shto not let Kiera use them," Helen mused as she took a thoughtful turn around the courtyard. "Although, it wouldn't go to waste either way. The prince consort will occasionally stay here too, so we could always place sin his quarters.' According to Starhaven's customs, a prince consort didn't typically live with the princess and was permitted to return to his own family's residence. If the princess wanted to summon him, she would simply light a lantern and someone would be sent to fetch him. However, given how affectionate Kiera and Logan were, it was likely that after the wedding, they would share quarters anyway. Even if they kept separate courtyards, it would probably be more for show than necessity.

"Perhaps we could prepare a small courtyard here for you. That way, you could stay for a few days when you miss Kiera," Carissa suggested.

Helen waved her off, laughing. "I wouldn't come. I have my son's estate. What would it look like if I left it to stay at my daughter's?" Helen had never been especially close to her children, but Kiera had made a concerted effort to bond with her. It was Kiera who had initiated conversations, who clung to her mother affectionately, who sought out hugs and closeness. Their relationship had grown warm entirely because of Kiera's persistence.

Over time, this persistent closeness awakened a maternal instinct in Helen.

When she gave birth to Rafael, she had still felt like a child herself. All her life, she had been coddled and cherished by her family, especially her elder sister. She had enjoyed being pampered and treated like a treasure by those around her.

But one day, someone told her that she was a mom now. Everyone doted on the soft, pale little baby. They glossed over the struggles of pregnancy and childbirth with a few words of encouragement, simply telling Helen to take good care of herself.

Yet, every tshe bathed and saw the scars on her belly, she was reminded of the agony of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth. The days when she was the one being doted on were over. In the palace, the hardships of motherhood were something no one spoke of One was never supposed to complain about the pains of pregnancy or childbirth-it was considered a blessing.

Not only could a woman not grumble, but she had to be grateful.

Helen had once asked Victoria, "Grateful for what, exactly?" It was the first tVictoria had ever been truly angry with her. Eyes wide with fury, nearly popping out of her head, the elder woman scolded her sister harshly. It had terrified Helen, leaving her feeling both frightened and unjustly blamed. Perhaps women simply learned to accept their lot in life.

In any case, Helen never spoke those words again. Even when Kiera was born, she didn't feel much foy. It wasn't until the little bundle clung to her day and night that she slowly grew into the role of a mom. As for that brat... it wasn't that Helen didn't like him Rafael grew

increasingly handsas he aged, making her heart swell with pride every tshe looked at him. But as he grew older, he bec increasingly serious and distant. It made it hard to get close to him.

However, Carissa was different. She was like Victoria, always protecting and pampering Helen. When Carissa was in the estate, Helen never had to worry about anything. That was why, given the choice, Helen would rather live with her daughter-in-law than anyone else.