Dania pushed back her dark green locks behind her ears and pursed her lips in concentration. Which brick was it?

  Her eyes scanned the chipped and worn wall carefully until they locked onto a small, unassuming stone. She brushed her hand over the surface and pressed.

  Click.

  The wall shuddered, revealing a dark and narrow passage. She scrambled inside, pulling the brick wall shut just as voices began to filter in through the stone walls, echoing down the long corridor. Dania froze. She held her breath, her lungs screamed for air, but she remained still.

  After a moment, the world fell to a silence so deep that it felt as if time itself had come to a standstill. The whispers of the wind faded to a hush, and only the echoes of dripping water from the tunnel walls remained.

  Her fingertips grazed the rough, damp walls of the tunnel. With a deep breath, she slowly rose to her feet and began walking down the dim corridor. Her eyes glowed in the darkness, a bright, burning gold.

  Thoughts and emotions drowned out the silence, but only one thought kept resurfacing: Why?

  She had tried with all her heart to be the perfect daughter, the perfect princess, the perfect prophetess. Yet, when she thought she had found the missing piece, her perfect puzzle was shattered by a crushing reality.

  Dania was a mistake. The illegitimate daughter of King Chandler, ruler of the country of Galerian. He was known as a kind and just monarch. The affair between her mother and him shocked the entire kingdom, especially his wife, Queen Abigail.

  With a heart broken and betrayed, she stopped attending the galas thrown in her honor and the sights of the Queen and King together were few and far between. Despite his many sincere and heartfelt apologies, she never fully recovered.

  Dania's mother was a noblewoman, the daughter of the Garnett family. After giving birth, she left Dania with King Chandler, insisting that he should care for his child. Her parents apologized profusely on her behalf and were forgiven, but their daughter had run away, leaving no trace.

  King Chandler claimed that as a man of morals, it was his duty to care for the child she left, since it was a consequence of his mistake. But Dania learned that being cared for was far different than being loved for. His wife understood his reasoning, but she couldn't look at the child without feeling a sense of betrayal. She was kind to Dania, but never remained with her for more than a few minutes.

  A few years later, Queen Abigail had a child, a boy. Both King Chandler and Queen Abigail were delighted to see their baby boy. But doctors quickly realized that she was pregnant with twins. She went through a painful labor, but her second son was born. She held her second son, weary but filled with immense joy.

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  But as she looked at him, she quickly realized that the boy was turning blue. She screamed, panicking, as the boy lay stiffly in her arms, the color slowly fading from his face. The doctors quickly returned and attempted to help the child breathe.

  But it was too late; he was past the point of no return.

  As she watched her son slowly leave the world, grief filled her mind. All the pain accumulated over the years began to wash over her. Tears stained her face, but she made no effort to wipe them away. She simply sobbed, her body shaking with each exhale.

  King Chandler tried his best to comfort her, but she pushed him away. When her sobs had finally ceased, part of her had washed away with the tears. Her eyes, that had once twinkled an unsung song of joy, had been replaced with a distant, apathetic gaze.

  King Chandler had put her living son, Michael, in her arms, but it was useless. She held him like a foreign object, not able to see him as her son.

  When she finally spoke, it was in a raw, but cold voice, "Is this another one of Ms. Garnett's children?"

  King Chandler was taken aback but quickly regained his composure. "No, no, it’s your son."

  But she simply shook her head and handed the baby back to him, her eyes filled with distrust and paranoia.

  The next day, when King Chandler entered her room, he found her climbing up the windowsill.

  His face paled as he slowly approached her, "Dear, don’t do this. I’m sorry. I need you," he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.

  She turned her head, her face streaked with tears, "You know why I lost that child, it’s payment for what you did. I’m sure the goddess would have let him live if you hadn’t sinned," she rasped.

  He hung his head. "That might be true, but please don't do this."

  She looked at him and took a deep breath, "This is the only way I can be with my son again," and jumped.

  King Chandler ran to the windowsill and saw her lying on the ground. Everything inside him shattered, and tears began to fall as he climbed up to the windowsill. If she was going to see her son, he was coming too.

  At that moment, the maid entered the room, with little Michael crying.

  "King Chandler? The baby wants you to hold him," she said, as she looked at the room, trying to figure out the situation she had walked into.

  He turned slowly and gazed at the child. The little boy was whimpering, shifting uncomfortably. He walked towards the child and picked him up, and Michael began to coo softly. King Chandler held the boy closer. If Queen Abigail were in heaven, taking care of the other child, he would stay here and take care of the other child for her.

  "King Chandler, do you want me to leave him with you?" the maid questioned. He raised his head, a cold gaze fixed upon her, and she shuddered.

  "Leave," he said with a growl.

  King Chandler took care of the child with great tenderness and love. But he had changed in more ways than little Michael would ever know. The only amount of happiness and love he had was all given to Michael. There was none for anyone else but bitterness. But his hatred was strongest toward the stain of the Royal family, Dania. The girl whose very existence he blamed for his wife’s death.