Chapter 29: Whispers in the Wind

In the cold silence of dawn, Lily walked through the marketplace of her village, her face hidden beneath a long shawl. Years had passed, but the ache in her chest hadn't faded. She had given up everything—her crown, her child, her name—just to survive.

But now, the winds of change had started whispering again.

A merchant spoke in hushed tones near a stall.

"Did you hear? Queen Raelynn was overthrown. The new queen, Alina, rules with the hero king, Elric."

Lily froze.

Alina.

Her daughter.

Her heart raced as she stepped away, unnoticed, the words echoing louder than the street noise.

—

In the capital, Alina trained with a sword in the garden arena, sweat glistening on her brow. She had become sharper, fiercer. She had to. Raelynn may have vanished, but her shadow lingered.

Elric watched her from the steps, pride in his eyes. "You're stronger than any queen I've ever known," he said softly.

Alina smiled, lowering her blade. "That's because I wasn't raised in love. I was raised in fear."

He stepped closer. "And yet, you've chosen love."

She looked up at him. "Because of you."

Their moment was interrupted by a messenger.

"My king, a border scout sent urgent word—Raelynn was seen near the Eastern border. She's recruiting mercenaries."

Elric's face hardened. "So it begins."

—

Raelynn, now dressed in rugged armor and cloaked in rage, addressed a dozen exiled warriors in a forest outpost.

"They stripped me of my crown. They left me to rot. But I offer you more than gold—I offer revenge."

The men cheered.

Varek stepped beside her. "Are you sure? This is war."

Raelynn's voice was ice. "Let them feel what I felt when they turned on me. Let the girl see what it means to steal another woman's child."

—

Back in the village, Lily packed her bag with trembling hands. She had no army, no plan—only a mother's heart and a name long erased from history.

She stepped out of the hut, gazing toward the distant palace towers.

"I'm coming, Alina," she whispered. "Not as a queen. Not as a ghost. But as your mother."