Queen Isadora looked at Serena with a gentle smile, but there was a strange glint in her eyes. Serena looked almost as beautiful as the moon itself.
"Brother Maximus has such a beautiful child," the queen said softly. "Such a gentle appearance… so innocent. How I wish I had a daughter like you. But it seems the Moon Goddess has finally listened to my prayers and sent you to me. Brother Maximus surely wouldn't mind if I called his daughter mine. I have always wished for a daughter of my own."
Serena looked toward her father. She hoped to see some reaction, but Lord Maximus did not say a single word. He didn't even look at the queen. He just sat there quietly, as if the queen's presence meant nothing.
But Queen Isadora did not seem to care. She kept smiling as if everything was perfectly fine.
