Chapter 91: The Queen in the Fields

The place fell into a stunned silence one had expected that. Ariana stared at the lady who bowed respectfully. "This is very rare, my Queen, but you don’t have to worry. The baby is perfectly fine, and that is what matters most. You just have to take care of yourself avoid stress, go on walks to move your body a little, eat fruits, sleep well and Lady Leah will help schedule everything for you." Ariana nodded calmly as she stared at her tummy. The lady gently arranged her bag as she continued speaking. "I will come again, and Lady Leah will inform you next." Ariana simply nodded, and Leah added politely, "I will take her out, Your Grace." She said this because she knew Ariana would need to bring her dress back down. To avoid making her feel shy again, she decided to leave. Just as the door closed, Ariana’s eyes dropped to her tummy. She reached out to touch it, and to her surprise, there was no burn. That meant the baby had accepted her. Her lips curled up into a smile. Now that no one was there, it was the perfect time to bring her dress down. She quietly adjusted it, but just as she did, a soft knock came at the door. Leah entered with a bow, walking toward Ariana as she spoke. "What would you like to do? Would you like to take a nap?" she asked. Ariana raised her hands and signed, "How about a little walk with you around the castle?" Leah nodded. If that was what the Queen wanted, of course she would do it. Ariana wanted to walk a bit, and she was sure it might help the baby too. She gently stood, and they left the room. Calmly, they walked through the hallway, and it was then Ariana realized how different these hallways were compared to the one she and Zavren stayed in. The paintings helped her distinguish thier part of the palace from the others. They walked on, following a path that led to another side of the palace. "Queen Ariana," Leah said, "I don’t know if you’re okay with this, but this path leads to the poultry farm where we rear chickens, and also where the fruits and vegetables are planted." Ariana nodded, her lips curving into a smile. Leah’s eyes widened—she hadn’t expected the excited look on the Queen’s face. It was like she genuinely wanted to see it. No one had ever been interested in this before. The last lady she had told nearly stripped her of her duties, saying she was being disrespectful. She had even used the word "downgrade," claiming Leah had downgraded her. And yet, to think that Queen Ariana seemed excited—Leah was truly stunned. This lady was so different from all the others she had met. Different, in a deeply unique way. That was what made Leah’s admiration for the Queen grow with each passing day. Ariana, on the other hand, could barely contain her excitement. She had no idea they planted fruits and vegetables—let alone had a whole farm! No wonder the produce was always extra fresh when she ate. Farming was something she was genuinely good at. Back in the village, it had been one of her ways of living. She would distribute fruits and collect pennies and coins in return. In fact, that was what she had did the very day she gave that lady some fruit—before the chicken incident. And now, the irony of it all: she was heading to the royal farm... and the chicken area. They walked outside, moving toward the side of the castle. Freshly trimmed grass lined both sides of the clean stone path. It wasn’t long before they reached a particular gate. Ariana noticed tall walls stretching outward, and she could barely believe what she was seeing—until the gate opened. Her golden eyes dilated in surprise. The farm was huge, larger than any she had ever seen. In fact, how could she even compare the little patch they had back home to this? Her family’s farm was tiny, but this... this was the size of a full field. No, she wasn’t mistaken—it was the size of a field. The structure was carefully organized, each fruit or vegetable had its own section, with small walking spaces in between—like separate little villages made of crops. Her mouth opened and closed in disbelief. She noticed a few workers planting, others watering crops. Then her gaze landed on a man who seemed to be the inspector. His face was calm, serious even, as he moved through the rows. The level of organization impressed Ariana deeply, and a slow smile curved on her lips. The man, noticing movement, turned. His eyes widened when he saw someone in royal attire. He began walking toward them to confirm—and then his steps halted. "T-The Queen..." he stammered. He hadn’t expected the Queen. In fact, he never imagined a royal would ever come here—so this was truly shocking. Quickly, he moved and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Your Grace. A pleasure to meet you. Welcome to the royal farm." Ariana curtsied with a smile, though the shock still remained on the man’s face. This was the last thing he had expected today. Ariana turned to Leah and signed, "Is there anything I can help with here before going to the birds’ area?" Her lips curled into a wide smile. Leah’s face turned shocked. She looked at the man and asked politely, "The Queen is wondering if there’s anything she could help with." The man’s body froze. He had never thought a day would come when a royal not just any royal, but the Queen herself—would actually ask to help with farming. Was he dreaming? No. This was real. He managed to gather his thoughts quickly and responded, "Oh, everything is mostly done... but she could help pluck the tomatoes. That’s what we’re currently doing," he said, smiling as he noticed the excitement sparkling in her eyes. Leah nodded, and the man turned with a small bow. "This way, please." He walked ahead, leading the way as Ariana and Leah followed behind. Most of the workers had been focused on their tasks, but were caught off guard when they recognized the Queen. Their eyes widened in disbelief, but they only peeked—none dared to stare, for fear of disrespect and possibly losing their jobs. The man led them to a section of the farm. Ariana’s eyes widened as she took in the vibrant sight. The tomatoes were beautiful and rich in color, glowing in the sunlight. Several baskets were placed on the ground, and a few workers were gently plucking the ripe ones and dropping them into the containers. The man walked nervously toward one of the baskets and bowed slightly before speaking. "Your Grace, you may pluck the tomatoes here," he said respectfully. Ariana nodded quietly. She stepped forward and slowly bent down, beginning to pluck them gently. Then she turned to Leah and signed, "Would you like to pluck with me?" Leah nodded immediately. Ariana waved her hand, signaling her to come closer. Leah moved to her side, and the two began plucking in calm silence. Ariana couldn’t help but smile. She was happy. It had been so long since she did something like this. Her fingers moved with a rhythm of familiarity, and in her mind, she could already calculate how many coins she would have made selling these in the village. Even though fruit-selling had brought her many moments of embarrassment in the past, she still loved it. Looking back... maybe it wasn’t so bad. A small, nostalgic smile tugged at her lips as their basket slowly filled. They were nearly done—just one tomato left in their area. Ariana reached out and gently plucked the final one. Unbeknownst to her, the man had been watching. His face carried a quiet look of surprise. He had noticed the way she used her other hand to support the tomatoes while plucking, the gentle care she took to avoid damaging them..it was clear. This was not her first time. Ariana finally stood, noticing the full basket of tomatoes she and Leah had plucked. A slow, satisfied smile spread across her lips. "Wow... I’ve really been so productive," she said softly to herself. She looked up just as the man bowed again. She calmly curtsied in return. "It was a great pleasure meeting you, my Queen—and thank you for taking your time to pluck the tomatoes." Ariana smiled warmly. Leah then spoke gently, "Queen Ariana, would you like to check on the chickens now?" Ariana nodded calmly, and Leah returned the gesture as they turned and began walking. Ariana’s eyes wandered over the people still working. Her gaze moved from one to another until it finally locked on a young lady who had been staring at her in admiration. The lady immediately bowed. Ariana smiled and raised her hand, giving the woman a gentle wave. The lady’s eyes widened as she waved back, her smile glowing with joy. Ariana couldn’t help but smile wider at her expression. She noticed the way the others looked at the young woman with awe—as if something magical had just happened. The lady looked as though her greatest wish had just been granted by a wishing star. Leah and Ariana continued walking, and soon they stopped in front of another gate. Just as it opened... Leah spoke gently. "There are only ten chickens in here. I didn’t want to take you to the others—the ones in larger numbers—as the smell might be quite unpleasant for you." Ariana nodded in understanding. Leah continued, "These ten chickens are well trained and currently undergoing further training." Ariana noticed they were inside a small wooden house. The place was well-arranged, and she couldn’t help but wonder why there were only ten chickens kept here. Outside the wooden house, there was a clean water area and a section where corn had been poured. She smiled. It almost felt like these chickens had a proper schedule—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even curfew for going indoors. The idea made her lips curl upward in amusement. She turned to Leah and asked. "Why are these chickens separated from the others?" The question made a small smile appear on Leah’s lips. This Queen is truly observant. It showed how calculated and aware Ariana was of her surroundings. "They are separated and trained because they’ll be the ones chosen for next week’s meals," Leah explained. "They’re brought here to be fed properly, given extra care, and made sure they’re well-nourished. It’s not that the other chickens aren’t fed well they are but these ones are being given special attention for preparation." Ariana nodded slowly. So these were the chickens she would be eating next week. Her gaze swept through the coop—until her body suddenly stilled. One particular chicken sat there with its head resting, as though it had no care in the world—or maybe, as if it knew its fate was sealed. But that wasn’t what shocked her. It was the chicken. The exact one she had seen during her escape that day. The one that had stared at her with those strange eyes. And just as if to confirm her thoughts, the chicken slowly turned—and its gaze locked with hers. "BAAAACOOOP!"