As he stared into the flickering flames of the torch, he unconsciously drummed his fingers rhythmically and repeatedly on the table. The faint sound of his tapping, though weak, was nerve-wracking. Would his land burn in these flames? Everything depended on tonight. Suddenly, a voice was heard from behind: "Your Majesty, what is your opinion on raising taxes?

He stood up in anger and slammed his hands on the oak table. The tremor of the table silenced the ministers. Tyroth shouted, "The kingdom is on the verge of collapse, and you want me to decide on taxes? If my child isn't born tonight, you savages will tear each other apart to seize this throne."

The doorman suddenly entered and said, "Your Majesty, the court physician requests an audience." Tyroth nodded in agreement. The physician entered, looking disheveled, and breathlessly said, "Your Majesty, if my tongue doesn’t fail me, I must say that to save your child's life, the mother's belly needs to be cut open. Otherwise, both will be lost."

Tyroth's face turned red with anger. He roared loudly, "Did you come here for this nonsense? Her life means nothing to me. Save the child. Do whatever it takes, or I’ll have your head and your family's hung on the walls of Soladis. Now go and do what needs to be done!"

Tyroth walked away from the table and toward the window. The full moon illuminated the Thrynd River. Soladis sat atop a hill overlooking the city. The view from there was stunning, but he didn't see this beautiful night.

He stroked his white beard. He had to save the thousand-year Nourthan dynasty before his death, especially now that the Adinians threatened the kingdom from both the east and west. The smallest mistake could lead to the fall of Tyrothy.

At that moment, his young nephew, the Prime Minister, approached him and calmly said, "Uncle, don't you think it would be better if you didn't show your feelings toward that woman in front of the others?" In private, he always called him "Uncle." He continued, "You know news spreads quickly. After all, she is your wife, and there are rumors among the people."

Tyroth spoke with difficulty, "After the death of my son, my last son, the only favor I did for her was keeping her alive. If she doesn’t die during childbirth, I’ll kill her myself after the child is born."

The Prime Minister confidently replied, "Uncle, those rumors are just gossip. No one knows what the truth is."

Tyroth, indifferent, answered, "Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter. Only the child matters. This child must live. Send the child with Valedran to Arvakel Castle. This secret will remain between the three of us. If this child dies too, even my own life will no longer have any value."

The Prime Minister hesitated for a moment and then said, "Uncle, the nobles are demanding a marriage alliance tonight. Have you given this any thought?"

Tyroth sighed, "If the child is a boy, we can delay the matter of marriage. But if it's a girl..." His face hardened for a moment. "She must marry your son, Soev. Tyroth must stay in the family! I made that promise to your mother."

The Prime Minister kissed his hand out of respect and said, "It would be an honor for me and my family, Your Majesty."

Tyroth turned his gaze to the ministers and saw their whispers. With a gesture, he summoned the Prime Minister to the table. At that moment, the High Priest said with concern, "Your Majesty, a red comet has appeared in the sky tonight. According to the sacred texts of the temple, this is not a good omen."

Tyroth, with a heavy voice, said, "Why didn’t this cursed star appear before the death of the crown prince? When those damned Adinians sent me my son's severed head, where was this star? They had shaved his long golden hair, gouged out his eyes, and cut out his tongue. That night, where was your star?"

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Everyone fell silent. Tyroth continued, "When my second son was poisoned and died in my arms on his wedding day, where was the star? When my third son threw himself from the highest point of Soladis into the valley below, where was that star? And my last son, who was stabbed a hundred times in the streets of my own realm... Now your star means nothing to me. If this child is born, I will protect them with all my might, even if I have to fight fate itself."

The sound of the doorman requesting the physician's entry broke the silence. Tyroth, with trembling hands, gave permission. The physician entered, his clothes covered in blood, and his face sorrowful. He bowed and said, "Great Tyroth, I bring you the good news that your child has been born healthy. Unfortunately, Queen Syanna has left us forever."

The Prime Minister handed the court physician a golden coin. The physician bowed again and continued, "Your child is a girl with goddess-like, very light hair and emerald eyes, just like her late mother. The princess has a faint birthmark around her right eye, extending to her cheek. Before passing, the Queen requested that we name her Hinnya, if it pleases you, Great Tyroth."

Tyroth gestured for the Prime Minister to come forward and sign the birth certificate. He then said, "Prepare seven copies of this document and distribute them among the noble houses of Tyrothy."

The High Priest said, "Your Majesty, the birth celebration of this child must be grand, but I have a request. The Red Blossom Sect has sacrificed all the children born under this star tonight. I ask that you delay the announcement of your daughter’s birth for two days to prevent any assassination attempts. Also, banish this sect from Tyrothy so that both the people and the temples of the gods will give you more support."

Tyroth smiled and said, "That is wise, High Priest. We will also raise taxes to increase security, and a portion of it will be allocated to your temples."

He then looked at the attendees and said, "The fact that my daughter was born tonight stays within this gathering. If anyone leaks this information, you will all be sentenced to death. The meeting is adjourned. You may leave."

When everyone left the room, Tyroth summoned the Prime Minister once again and, with a calm but firm voice, said, "Go personally and bring Valedran. Kill all the maids and the physician who witnessed the birth. Announce Queen Syanna's death two days from now. Tonight, the child will be sent to Arvakel."

---

The nurse looked kindly at the newborn and tried to soothe her with feeding. She gently stroked the birthmark on the child's face and caressed her. The baby had calmed down when suddenly she felt the cold friction of an object on her throat. A rough hand covered her mouth, and a deep male voice whispered in her ear, "Shh!"

The nurse raised her head and saw the Prime Minister standing before her. He coldly said, "By the king's order, you, your husband, and your newborn daughter will be sent to serve the princess. You will either comply or die like the rest of the maids. You have no other choice."

The stranger removed his hand from her mouth. The terrified nurse gasped for air. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she still couldn't believe what was happening. All she knew was that she had to remain silent.

The Prime Minister continued, "Your name is Virella, correct? Now, without making a sound, prepare your child and husband for the journey. You don’t need to take anything with you; everything will be provided at your destination. Valedran will escort you."

He gestured to the man standing behind him. Valedran, a man with a cold stare and a long golden beard, stood in his military uniform, cleaning a dagger stained with blood—the blood of the people Virella had seen that night. The dagger that had nearly cut her throat.

---

They put her in a special carriage. Before closing the door, Valedran sternly said, "First, you will feed the princess, then your own child, understand?" Virella responded meekly, "Yes." "Your husband will stay outside with the other men to help." Valedran said this and slammed the door shut. Virella looked at the princess. Her life and that of her loved ones were now bound to this innocent and dear child. A newborn whose arrival had caused so much innocent blood to be shed.

---

On the other side of the world

The fisherman was baiting his line in the dead of night, as the faint light of the moon and the gentle waves danced together. While other fishermen were lost in sweet dreams, he was hard at work. The old man knew that the best fish only came to the shallow waters during these hours of the night. To succeed, one only had to forgo the sweet slumber of night.

After praying and invoking Saren, the goddess of the sea, he prepared all his hooks and then lay down in his small wooden boat, listening to the silence of the night and gazing at the starry sky. Hours passed, and nearly all his hooks had caught fish. The fairly large fish he had caught would certainly make the other villagers envious. Only one hook remained. Perhaps if he waited a bit longer, his fortune would increase. As he gazed at the sky, lost in thought, he suddenly felt his boat begin to shake. At first, he didn’t pay attention, but the shaking grew stronger, and a strange sound reached his ears.

He quickly lifted his head and was met with a bizarre, otherworldly sight: a massive, red mermaid-like creature appeared in the sky, descending toward the surface of the sea, not far from him. Whatever the object was, it was beautiful and radiant. Suddenly, it crashed into the water with a thunderous sound, sending a massive wave towards the old man’s boat. The wave flipped his small wooden boat, and the old man, like a fish slipping from a hook, began flailing under the water.

When he reached the surface, with great effort, he managed to grab onto his wrecked boat. From afar, something strange caught his eye. In a brief and ambiguous moment, he thought he saw the body of a beautiful woman with the lower half of a fish. But before he could think any further, the sound of a baby’s cry drew his attention. He saw a baby, floating on a piece of wood.

This was surely a gift from Saren, the goddess of the waters. The old man believed that Saren had revealed herself to him, if only for a brief moment. Though he had lost all his catch, there was no trace of sorrow on his face. He took the baby boy into his arms. Due to the celestial event, he named the boy Keyhan...