Adeya stood by the window, watching Thiasus disappear into the palace corridors with Milan trailing behind him. Her chest felt heavy, torn between relief that he was alive and fear for what was to come. The words of Suzina echoed in her mind—days of sleepless nights are near. She knew better than to doubt them.
  Her eyes drifted to the corner of the chamber where Rhia lay in her cradle, her tiny face serene and unmoving. Adeya’s heart clenched. The sigil of rising. Eight days. I don’t have much time.
  The room felt suffocating, and she couldn’t stay still. Wrapping her shawl around her shoulders, she moved to the cradle, gently brushing Rhia’s dark curls with trembling fingers. “I’ll wake you, my sweet girl,” she whispered. “Mama promise.”
  Her moment of resolve was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. Before she could respond, the door creaked open, and Queen sanya stepped in with Samizdat, her expression guarded.
  “I thought you’d need this,” the queen said, holding out a steaming cup of herbal tea. Adeya accepted it with a grateful nod, her gaze dropping to the floor.
  “Thank you, Queen Mother,” Adeya murmured, her voice soft.
  “Good morning my princess” Samizdat greeted for Adeya to nod.
  “Please arrange a bath for Rhia and I” Adeya said smiling at samizdat.
  Queen Sanya hesitated, then placed a hand on Adeya’s shoulder. “I know the king was harsh last night, but you must understand his anger stems from fear. Thiasus is his only son. And Rhia…” Her voice trailed off, her lips pressing into a thin line.
  “She’s everything to him, too, she’s his granddaughter,” Adeya finished the sentence, her voice breaking slightly. She looked up at the queen, her eyes pleading. “I will save them. Both of them, and I need you to trust me.”
  Queen Sanya’s gaze softened, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she gently touched Adeya’s bandaged palm, as if acknowledging the cost of her promise.
  “I’ll keep the king from acting rashly,” the queen said after a moment. “But you need to act quickly. The southern royals are here, and if they sense weakness in our family, they’ll exploit it. If they see Thiasus weak, the manderian power will be moved to the south, that will be a disgrace to our family.”
  Adeya nodded, gripping the cup tightly. “I’ll do what needs to be done. But first…” She glanced at Rhia’s cradle. “I need to draw the sigil of rising, only that can wake Rhia up.”
  Queen Sanya frowned. “The sigil of rising? That’s ancient magic, Adeya. Are you sure—”
  “I don’t have a choice,” Adeya cut in. “Thiasus’ life is tethered to her now. If I don’t wake her, I will lose both of them.”
  The queen sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Just do whatever it takes to save them Adeya, I need to leave, it’s Gwen introduction party” she said then left.
  Adeya sigh biting her lower lips, she watch her daughter then went to stand close to her crib. 
  “Sigil of rising” she whispered sighing tiredly.
  “My princess, the bath is ready” she said for Adeya to nod.
  “Thank you Sam, please bring in breakfast” she said for samizdat to nod.
 “More like lunch my princess” she said for Adeya to gasp.
 “Ahh” she looked outside an the sun is almost in the middle. Samizdat chuckled then bow and leave.
 “The king must be very upset” she sighed.
  Immediately Adeya loosed her palm then carried her dagger, hoping to do the ritual before samizdat comes back.
  “Sigil of rising” she whispered and that moment, she began to draw a circle and on her wounded palm, as it bleeds, she began to read incantation in ancient Thi’an. Immediately she open her daughter clothes and placed her hands on her little chest then continued the incantation.
  As she read the incantation, Rhia baby voice cried out making Adeya gasped.
  “I did it” she said carrying her daughter who kept crying.
  “My princess, you are bleeding” Samizdat drop the trail of food and rushed towards Adeya.
  “It’s ok Sam, I’m fine. Rhia is awake” she said excited as she carried her daughter to bath.
  At the throne hall, the family of the southern royals sat facing Thiasus and Gwen.
  “ you all are welcome to the north” king Thanium greeted for king Gondola and his son Prince Granium to stand up and bow to him.
 “The honor is ours your majesty” they both said.
 “My daughter didn’t want crowd that’s why no one is here except me and my family for the introduction party.” King Thanium said for the southern royals to nod smiling.
  “Then it’s more of an introduction lunch than party your majesty” king Gondola said for King Thanium to nod.
  “As you wish my friend” he said for the man to nod.
  “So you accept to love and cherish my daughter Prince Granium? She’s the only princess of the north and the sunshine of Mandre as a whole, she is not just an ordinary citizen of Mandre or an ordinary child of Thi’an. Do you promise to cherish her, protect her and put her first on all you do.” King Thanium said for Prince Ganium to look at Gwen then Thiasus before he smile.
  “Yes your majesty, as long as she will also respect my decisions as her husband” he said for Thiasus to scoff.
  “Do you accept his condition Gwenia?” King Thanium asked for Gwen to look at her father then mother.
  “As a wife and future Queen of the south, shouldn’t my opinion be considered too? She asked before she looked at Granium and his father.
  “You are right sunshine of Mandre.” King Gondola said for Prince Granium to nod.
  “Yes, your opinion matters” he said for Gwen to nod.
  “As long as my opinion will matters and be considered, as long as I won’t just be seen as a wife but a queen and be regarded then it’s yes for me” she added for Granium to scoff.
  “Do you agree to my sister request or you can’t handle it?” Thiasus asked for king Gondola to smile.
  “Of course he will accept, she’s such an intelligent woman. The south will be proud and lucky to have her” he said for king thanium to nod.
  “Then please let’s have our lunch then we proceed to setting a date for the wedding” king Thanium said and everyone began to eat.
  Outside in the palace garden, Venthra and her mother Bertha, sat down. Venthra was feeding her son while Bertha break but for them to eat.
 “I heard Thiasus came back last night with the forbidden bride” Bertha said for Venthra to nod.
 “I heard that too mother.” She said for Bertha to nod.
 “After the introduction party, I’m sure he will come check on his son” she added for Venthra to smile.
 “I hope so too” she said smiling.
 “I will force the king to set Thiasus wedding date immediately after Gwen, so that you both can be married” she said for Venthra to sigh.
 “ mother, Thiasus is calm on the outside but he’s a dragon, a fierce dragon on the inside” she said for Bertha to nod.
 “It doesn’t matter, he won’t risk the throne for anything” she said for Venthra to smile hoping it worked.
 At western Ghia, it took Saline and its men to travel over night to reach the west due to how fast they were. They stopped at an inn in the outskirts of north and west to take a rest. At the northern Ghia palace, Nessa sat close to Melissa, her eyes was all on Elias as she was wondering why his resemblance with the king is top notch. Nella eyes was on her as she wonder why she’s here but Freida isn’t.
 As they kept eating, the king broke the silence.
 “Where’s Freida Nessa?” He ask for Nessa to sigh.
 “He travelled your majesty, queen mother is it true what my brother was accused of?” She ask for Melissa to look at Nella.
 “Only him can approve that and help us save Adeya. I’m sure you will help save Adeya if you had the chance” she said for Nessa to look at Nella.
 “Of course as long as my brother will be save too” she said then sigh looking away.
 “Do you know who paid him to do the evil act?” Elias asked bluntly for king Diatus to stop him.
 “Enough, everyone keep eating” he said for Nessa to shake her head.
 “He didn’t say, but it’s sure someone from the palace who hates Adeya so much and also dispersed our presence in the palace” she said for Melissa to scoff.
 “I see” she said and immediately Nella stood up.
 “Can I leave my king, I’m not feeling too good and I need to check on Hertha” she said for king Diatus to nod and she left immediately.
 “Father, will you banish my mother if she’s found guilty?” Hectare asked for Melissa to scoff.
 “Do you think she’s guilty?” She asked for Hectare to sadly bow his head.
 “She’s my mother, Queen mother no matter what” he said standing up to leave.
 “If she’s found guilty, she will be banished from not just Ghia but whole of Thi’an and that means death” king Diatus coldly said for Hectare to frown…..