Upon their arrival at the capital of Myril, Princess Jhonye and Dylan made their way toward the grand hall. The towering walls of the palace loomed over them, a testament to the power and legacy of the Myrilian dynasty. The hall itself, adorned with black and gold banners, was where the kingdom's most important decisions were made, but today, it was a place of unrest. As the heavy doors swung open, the chaos inside unfolded.
Officials were already engaged in a heated argument. Some had red faces, their voices shrill with anger, while others stood with arms crossed, silent but simmering. Their nervous energy filled the room. King Ry, seated upon his throne, watched the scene with an air of restrained weariness.
King Ry was a towering man, broad-shouldered, and draped in a long robe of deep gold embroidered with black accents, symbolic of the kingdom's ancient ties to the legendary black bird. His crown sat heavy on his brow, not just from its weight but from the burdens he bore as ruler. Once a fierce and respected warrior, Ry's gaze now held a certain hollowness, as the years had passed without a single new talent born within his bloodline. The neighboring nations were growing stronger, and the royal family of Myril could not keep pace. His daughter's rebellion was the last thing he needed, but it was also the most predictable.
One official, his face bloated with indignation, stepped forward the moment Princess Jhonye entered. "Princess Jhonye!" he bellowed, voice sharp enough to cut through the thick air. "You defy His Majesty's wishes! You jeopardize the kingdom with your reckless actions!"
Several other voices joined the rising clamor. "The marriage alliance is vital! Do you not care for the future of Myril? For the people who depend on you?"
But as the noise filled the hall, several of the older officials exchanged quiet glances. These were men who had served through many years and had seen things that the younger generation had not. One of them, his hair silver and face lined with age, whispered to the man beside him, "The signs have been there… The blood-red sky, the unceasing thunder… Something stirs in the air. She may not be as reckless as they think."
Another elder, with shaking hands, nodded gravely. "Let her act as she will. These are strange times indeed."
Princess Jhonye stood silent, her mind racing. The vision she had experienced earlier still flickered in the corners of her thoughts—the beggar girl, the ancient bird, and the golden eyes of the woman who once sat on the throne of Myril. She wasn't the same girl who had fled from the palace, but she wasn't fully transformed either. Uncertainty still gnawed at her, and yet something new had taken root inside her—a faint determination that now reflected in her gaze.
And then, there was the cat. Fareth, who sat lazily by her side, observing everything with cold amusement, his golden eyes tracking every movement within the room. Several of the older officials noticed the cat and felt an unspoken unease. One of them, Old Official Lin, blinked rapidly, his mind racing through the old stories and legends that spoke of such beings. But before anyone could speak aloud, Fareth's voice cut through the tension like a knife.
"I like this girl," he said, his tone soft but carrying an undeniable weight. Every movement in the hall froze as the sound echoed.
King Ry, whose eyes had shifted briefly toward the cat, snapped back to attention. For a moment, he had felt an instinctual recognition, a memory of old tales from his youth. The great black bird. His gaze hardened once more, and with a voice that carried the authority of a ruler who had ruled through difficult times, he turned his attention to his daughter.
"Why defy my will?" he asked, his deep voice reverberating across the hall. The golden-black robes draped over his form made him resemble the mural of the ancient bird that hung above him. His eyes held a strange mix of disappointment and something else—helplessness, perhaps, knowing that his decisions were not born of malice but out of necessity. Without the backing of strong talents, the Myril dynasty would fall behind the surrounding nations, leaving them vulnerable.
Princess Jhonye raised her eyes to meet his, and for the first time, there was a flicker of something deeper—a faint arrogance, the beginnings of a spark she hadn't yet fully embraced. She wasn't entirely sure of herself, not yet, but the vision of the beggar girl's golden eyes lingered in her heart. She wouldn't simply be a flower married off for political gain. She had more to offer, though the full extent of her resolve was still forming.
Just as the tension threatened to spiral, Fareth's voice came once more, like a cold breeze sweeping through the room.
"I'll watch," he said, his eyes half-closed, as if he had already seen how the story would play out. "This one has potential."
Old Official Lin, who had been holding his breath, suddenly felt his legs weaken. He recognized the significance of what was happening—an ancient being, far older than any of them, had taken an interest in the kingdom of Myril once again. This wasn't something that happened often, and it wasn't something to be ignored. The kingdom's future was far more precarious than any of them had realized.
Before Lin could process the full gravity of what this meant, King Ry's brow furrowed deeply as his gaze shifted to the cat sitting by his daughter's feet. His voice, sharper now, demanded an answer.
"Why have you brought a demon beast into the court, Jhonye? Are you mocking the royal family?"
The room fell deathly silent. Jhonye tensed, unsure how to respond, her thoughts still tangled with the vision she had seen. The officials around her bristled, expecting a reprimand or worse, but then, something unexpected happened. Old Official Lin, usually cautious and measured, stepped forward and spoke something in the king's ear.
"Your Majesty," Lin said softly but with surprising authority. "I advise against rash actions. There are forces at play here far older than us." His voice quivered slightly, but his eyes were steady, locking onto the princess. "You may not recognize what you see, but some of us do. We must not act in haste."
The hall held its breath as the king, startled by Lin's boldness, withdrew his gaze from Fareth. The silence stretched, tension coiling like a taut string, before Ry nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. The other old officials, still stunned, remained motionless, but understanding dawned in their eyes.
And at the center of it all, Fareth's eyes gleamed with faint amusement as if the entire scene had played out exactly as he had expected.