The shock was heavier than the screams…The soldiers froze in their places, the kings exchanged uneasy glances, and the sorcerers stepped back, as if facing a miracle defying their reason.Four legendary dragons—the mightiest ever to soar the skies of the continent—were bowing before a servant girl!
The Queen of the Water Kingdom raised her hand with difficulty, her voice hoarse:— "This… this cannot be… Freyz blood? Impossible… they were wiped out centuries ago…"Then her cry rose above the roar of fire and smoke:— "Seize her! Do not let her escape!"
Her command echoed through the square, and the armies turned to their rulers, waiting for orders. But the other kings all roared in unison:— "Catch her now!"
The soldiers surged like a flood, swords drawn and spears aimed at Dalirina.Elenor roared, flames swelling at the brink of eruption, but Dalirina stretched out her trembling hand to stop her:— "No… don't do it, Elenor!"
Prince Vairo rushed before her, sword raised, deflecting the strikes of the soldiers pressing in around them:— "You will not lay a hand on her!"
As for the King of Nairon, he stood motionless, his face steeped in turmoil, his eyes fixed on Dalirina.His heart cried out: "No… not her… she is like my own daughter…"Yet he remained silent, unwilling to raise his hand to stop what was unfolding.
In a moment thick with blood and chaos, the armies closed in from every side.They seized Prince Vairo and stripped him of his weapon.The dragons tried to resist, but Dalirina commanded them to stop, and—astonishingly—they obeyed.Chains were clamped onto her wrists, shackling her, and she was dragged away with the prince into the dark dungeons beneath the palace.
… … …
In the cold gloom, Vairo sat beside her, his breath ragged from the battle.Dalirina kept her head bowed, lost in a thousand questions about her fate and her identity, feeling the heavy pull of ancient blood in her veins, as though history itself whispered within her.
Suddenly, the cell door creaked open, and the head maid entered, carrying a simple tray of food. She set it down before Dalirina, then lowered herself onto the ground beside the bars.Her voice quivered as she spoke:— "It is time I told you the truth… Dalirina."
Dalirina lifted her eyes in shock as the old woman went on:— "Your grandmother… she was the fairy who betrayed the kingdoms. She was branded a traitor because she belonged to the Freyz bloodline. Your mother was her only daughter. She survived the flames and the massacres, and longed to live in simplicity… as an ordinary maid within this palace."
Dalirina's features froze, tears sliding down her cheeks unnoticed, as the weight of her roots pressed upon her.But the old woman's eyes glistened with her own tears as she continued:— "I… was your grandmother's friend. From the Kingdom of the Immortals. And so, I swore to your mother I would protect you, no matter what. I raised you as though you were my own child."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a fearful whisper:— "The king has just told me… to help you escape tonight— you, the prince… and Elenor. No one must know."
Dalirina gasped in disbelief, while Vairo gripped her hand firmly and said with resolve:— "Then… this is not the end."