In the grand hall of the palace, four kings sat around a round table, silence weighing down the air, while their strained gazes betrayed the anxiety gnawing at their hearts. The flames of the torches flickered against the stone walls, but they failed to melt the coldness of their faces.
The silence was cut by the voice of the King of the Wind, sharp as a blade:— "Will you remain silent? Silence will not bring us a solution!"
He then turned toward the King of Nairon, his voice heavy with accusation:— "How did you not know her truth when she lived under your roof? Where did she come from? What is the nature of her power?"
His words opened the gates to a storm of questions. The other kings pounced with their interrogations:— "Were you covering for her?"— "Or protecting her because she's your son's beloved?"
The King of Nairon slammed his fist on the table and shouted in anger:— "Silence! I will explain now."
His voice trembled as he went on:— "She is nothing more than the daughter of a farmer, born in the palace on the same day as my daughter. I raised her as if she were part of my family. She never showed any power before. She is not my son's lover but his childhood friend. Had I seen danger in her, I would never have kept her in my palace for a single day!"
A tense silence spread, as if his words had momentarily smothered the flames of suspicion. But the King of the Wind did not relent, and pressed further:— "Then how did she subdue the four dragons? And how did she raise that noble blue dragon since childhood without rebellion?"
The King of Nairon lowered his head and said weakly:— "I don't know. I have no explanation. All I know is that Dalirina is kind-hearted, and she cannot possibly be a threat to us."
But words of mercy found no place. The hall erupted with cries of objection:— "There is no room for mercy!"— "Such power cannot be left free!"— "The Kingdom of Shadows will fight to claim her, just as they did in the past!"
The air itself trembled in the hall, fear etched onto every face. The meeting ended with a crushing verdict:Tomorrow at dawn, Dalirina will be executed before the eyes of the entire kingdom.
… … …
The King of Nairon left the hall with heavy steps, his face pale, his heart in turmoil. His eyes concealed a fear greater than any decree. His silence itself felt like a new betrayal of his own soul.
… … …
In the dungeon of the palace, Dalirina still sat stunned by what she had heard, while a spark of relief lit Faero's features, for he realized his father was planning to help them escape. At that moment, the head maid sighed and stepped closer, her footsteps hesitant, before whispering in a trembling voice:— "There is a truth you must know, Dalirina."
Dalirina lifted her head, her eyes widening in shock. The old woman continued softly:— "The Kingdom of Darkness and Shadows was the one that ignited the wars of old. Your grandmother was killed because they wanted her powers for themselves. Two dark kingdoms fought over her, and the land turned to ash. With her fall, the Kingdom of Fairies and countless lineages perished… all because of the blood of Friez."
Dalirina bent forward, her heart boiling in chaos. Her blood was no longer a personal riddle, but a secret capable of shaking entire kingdoms.
Her breath grew shallow, and the old woman added, a tear glimmering in her eyes:— "Everyone believes the Friez bloodline controls only dragons. But the truth is deeper… your blood holds the force of all the elements: fire, water, wind, stone, ice, and plants. The dragons are merely an extension of these powers. We, the Kingdom of the Immortals, are the only ones who know this secret. Our lives are long… the youngest of us lives two centuries. Yet we remained silent, for we are the weakest of the kingdoms."
Dalirina's heartbeat quickened, the ancient blood in her veins suddenly felt as if it were aflame. She realized that what she carried… was not a mere inheritance, but a ticking bomb threatening the entire world.