The little family immediately prepared for the short visit.
While Eli was preparing for herself, Leon took Little Han to dress him for their sudden excursion.
Eli had prepared the infant clothing set to be used by Little Han.
It was an ensemble of the softest short sleeve onesie, a pair of cute mittens and baby socks. It was all made with a breathable material, since it was currently summer.
Little Han happily wiggled his tiny hands and feet as he let his Daddy dress him up expertly. To finish off his look, Leon let him wear a fluffy baby bonnet with a golden furry ball on top.
"Now you're ready! Let's just wait for your mum." Leon smiled as he felt satisfied with his work. Seeing his little son all fluffy and cute.
"Wooo!" Little Han cooed, feeling cheery and excited.
Not long after, Eli was all dressed up. She couldn't wear the usual outdoor clothes appropriate for this age because she was currently nursing.
Noble women at this time do not really engage in breastfeeding but utilize a wet nurse instead. She found that there were virtually no selections of outdoor nursing dresses to buy.
Fortunately, she was already Grandpa Andi's family, so it was easier for her to customize her dress and make the Forgeworn seamstress create it. It was a flowy long sleeve dress with a clip on extra layer on the bust area, making breastfeeding more convenient and discreet.
After delegating some errands and reminders to the remaining bunch, Eli, Leon and Little Han proceeded to the teleportation array and went on their very first family excursion!
What welcomed Eli's vision was a brightly lit glass garden chamber, it was tall and wide, massively housing a secluded garden of flowery plants, orchids and trees.
The teleportation array that they appeared into was located in the south end of the chamber. Eli saw a large wisteria tree at the center of the chamber, abundantly showcasing its lavender to light pink blooms.
A few strides beside the large Wisteria tree was a white gazebo, where the Emperor and Queen Tehila sat, waiting for them patiently. The table in front of them was filled with a wide variety of breakfast dishes.
As soon as the trio appeared, their eyes immediately lit up and stood from where they were sitting.
If not for Leon immediately gesturing for them to stop, they would have not minded their royal and elder status and ran like excited grandparents upon seeing them.
"Ah, Eli, my Little Han! I missed you so much~~~" Queen Tehila immediately gave Eli a hug.
"Ohhh my little boy was already this big! My, my, how cute could you be!!!"
Emperor Valentin immediately praised Little Han with a silly voice, luckily there were only the five of them around. If not, it would be the Empire's hot topic that Emperor Valentin became a grandson slave.
Meanwhile, Leon was completely ignored.
However, he didn't mind. He generously let the old couple carry Little Han in their arms and play with them for a while.
"Ohh, sit down and eat first!" Queen Tehila reminded. She sat beside Eli and unceremoniously put a lot of nourishing food on her plate.
"Here eat this, you are currently nursing Little Han without any helpers. It must be tough on you to do this."
Unlike Queen Tehila who raised Leon in the palace with the help of the servants, Eli was taking care of Little Han on her own. Thus, Queen Tehila was worried that the young and first time mother Eli would have a hard time doing all those things while Leon was out.
"Thank you, Your Highness. Grandma Brygid had given me an attendant, she helped me with the rest of the chores, while Leon also helped me a lot whenever he gets home." Eli was deeply touched with Queen Tehila's care.
She wondered, if her mum was around, would she act like this too? Suddenly she felt a longing feeling in her heart. "Mum, could you see me up there? Am I doing well?"
The two women continued to engage in motherly conversation while Leon looked after Emperor Valentin and Little Han playing some baby games.
Emperor Valentin's aged face was wrinkled with happy smiles as Little Han interacted with them. Soon Queen Tehila joined him.
Little Han would expertly charm his grandparents with his coos, blinks and winks. From time to time he would also smile with his baby gums showing adorably.
Seeing the old couple happy, the two let them be for a little while. This was because they wouldn't want to spoil their mood too suddenly. Thus, they proceeded to eat breakfast silently.
It didn't take long for Little Han to get tired. As soon as the old couple saw him yawn, they dotingly placed him warmly on the crystal shell cradle to sleep.
Leon also stood up and created a sound barrier around Little Han so that he wouldn't be disturbed by the adults talking.
After taking the breakfast, the old couple then turned serious and asked as if seeing through Eli and Leon's distress, "Now, tell us what's the matter."
True enough, the Emperor and the Second Queen were not only ridden with the passing of time but also with wisdom. They knew that the young couple just suffered a problem that prompted them to come here so suddenly.
As to what the problem was that, they prayed that it would not affect Little Han.
They really hoped that their son would succeed in wooing young Eli, but seeing that they were here, they observed the two's interaction discreetly.
Eli kept a calm and unperturbed demeanor while Leon still gave her extra attention. Seeing that it was the case, the two concluded, they must have failed to work the relationship out.
'Ohh, our poor son!'
They casted a sympathetic expression towards Leon, who was left twitching in bafflement.
Clearly this old couple misunderstood! We're not going separate ways!
Letting out a helpless sigh, Leon took the initiative to explain things. Before they went out, Eli asked for his help to open up the peculiar happening to his parents.
Eli didn't want to act intrusively to the Emperor and Queen despite their warm acceptance.
She found it right that Leon would be the one to open up these things, while she would open her mouth only at the right moment.
Leon explained Eli's ominous dreams as well as the things that came up thereafter. Although excluding the fact on the open paths. They just masked them as Eli's desire to pray for them out of worry.
Eli gracefully interjected in between, adding critical points to their explanation. The two worked in perfect sync, not giving the old couple the feeling that they rehearsed and were nervous.
After the explanation, the old couple stayed silent for a while. Their faces were ridden with grave expressions.
"What do you think of this matter, Father, Mother?" Leon asked with a serious face.
"I agree with Eli, we must not ignore this premonition." Queen Tehila had fear on her face that it became pale. She still steeled herself to mouth these words.
What she feared was not really the fact that she would be in danger, but on what Eli saw right after - Leon and Valentin's fate after her death!
For these two people, she would not ignore any warning signs, no matter how baseless and ridiculous it was.
She loved them so much. She wanted them to be safe and out of danger at all times.
"Do whatever you need to do, Eli." She looked sincerely, straight in Eli's eyes, holding her hands gently.
Emperor Valentin also nodded that she trusted her future daughter in law too.
"But, what if I can't trigger the priest's blessings? It was only our theory and it might not even work.." Eli replied in worry. She was actually shocked that the two calmly accepted their suggestions.
"It's fine.. Even if it would not trigger a priest blessing, it was still a sincere prayer coming from you! Besides, if it really won't, then I could always say that I won't proceed with them to the temple!" Queen Tehila smiled and immediately eased Eli's worries.
Emperor Valentin also seconded, "We are deeply touched by your good will, so the matter of it triggering a priest's blessing would only be an icing on top!"
The old couple genuinely felt that way.
In their society, offering prayers was almost non-existent. Well wishes offered to the members of the Imperial Family were only as shallow as a ceremonious greeting. Thus, for a person to pray on their behalf was definitely a treasured and sincere thing.
Leon gave Eli an encouraging look.
"Alright, I hope you don't really mind." Eli stretched out her hands shyly and let the old couple place one of their hands on top of them.
She looked up to the heavens with sincere and pleading eyes.
As she looked to the heavens, she remembered a certain queen in the scripture, whom the Great One used to save a group of people.
The part of the scripture went like this.
"...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?[1]"
Who knows whether she came to Prasinos for such a time like this too?
She decided to just follow the Great One's lead and uttered her sincere prayers.
"Oh Great One, Author of our Destinies.
Let not our fate be destroyed by the enemies.
For these people whom I love and cared,
With holy protection may their safety be declared.