the silent blade

Night had fallen — as if the sky had shut every door it ever opened.

Snow poured relentlessly, racing the wind to bury the earth in frost.

In the heart of that white wilderness, Mira fought sleep — fought a slow, creeping death.

She gathered firewood… wet to the core, as if nature itself had turned against her.

Still, she insisted. Her hands trembled. Her breath, pale and fleeting.

But she kept trying—until, finally, the fire sparked.

A small dance of flame in the frozen heart of the forest.

She sat before it, clutching the light as if it were the last warmth left in the world.

Her thoughts drifted, eyes half-closed:

"He couldn't have gone far...

Where did that filthy coward run? Where is he hiding?"

The voice in her head was a quiet kind of breaking.

And then, without knowing why...

She began to sing.

---

In a hushed tone, Mira sang:

*****

I sit alone beneath the forest's sigh,

The wind hums a dirge of those long gone by...

No companion, no direction,

Only my heart aches with the question:

"Where do I go?

And who am I... after all this ruin?"

---

****

I sing a broken ballad,

Born from a heart that holds nothing... but ash.

I search for myself among the trees,

Among faces that no longer exist,

Among echoes that call my name... but never answer.

---

I was once a heroine, unafraid of storms,

Of swords, of traitors hiding along the roads.

But now...

I am the shadow of a woman,

Patching up her shattered heart

With a song no one hears—

Save for the trees...

and the endless night.

Suddenly...

A rustle behind her.

Three wolves — their eyes glowing the color of blood.

They crept toward her… step by step.

Mira didn't scream.

She stared them down, then grabbed a burning stick from the fire.

She raised it.

"Back off!"

But they didn't.

One of them lunged at the horse.

A sharp neigh — startled, the horse bolted between the trees.

But the wolf didn't stop.

Mira screamed, "Noooo!"

She ran after the horse — not just to save it,

but because its survival meant hope survived.

Two wolves chased after her.

She drew her sword —

stabbed one!

A painful howl — the second one staggered back,

but didn't flee.

It growled deeply, bared its fangs.

A silent threat.

Mira gasped,

charged toward it.

"YAAAAAH!!"

The wolf swerved.

She slipped —

fell to the ground.

Snow like knives in her bones.

A beat.

Then the wolf lunged —

its jaws sank into her leg.

A scream tore from her throat —

but she fought back!

With trembling hands,

she drove the blade into it again!

The heavy body shuddered —

and collapsed on top of her.

Mira… covered in blood and snow...

lay still.

Breathing hard.

Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale...

Then she lifted her head:

"The horse!"

She rose,

tore a strip from her dress,

and tied her wound with shaking fingers.

She ran — pain shooting through every step —

but there was no horse.

No wolf.

Nothing.

She fell to her knees, sobbing:

"What kind of cursed luck is thiiiiiiiis!!!"

She limped back to the fire.

Sat down.

And waited.

Maybe the horse would return.

Maybe… it wouldn't.

Morning came.

Her eyes fluttered open.

"Damn it… I fell asleep?!"

She slung her bag over her shoulder.

Took a few steps...

Then collapsed.

From exhaustion. From hunger.

From the cold that showed no mercy.

She lifted her gaze to the sky…

Snow was still falling.

She smiled.

"What a beautiful sight…"

A soft tear fell.

And she drifted back into sleep.

---

Then...

She woke up.

People surrounded her.

She was tied.

Different faces.

Mixed races.

Faded eyes.

Am I dreaming? Where... am I?

A man sat confidently among the group —

while the others, like her, were bound.

He looked at her... with sly amusement.

She leaned her head against the cart wall.

"Please don't let this be a slave caravan..."

Beautiful girls. Strong young men.

All strangely quiet.

"They must be used to this kind of hell."

The cart moved steadily.

Mira whispered,

"Are we in Valdara?!"

The man chuckled darkly.

"Valdara? That's far behind us now, darling...

You're in Arindel."

His laughter...

was a blade.

Mira:

"Listen… Untie me.

I know a man — he can reward you."

The man only laughed louder.

"Do you think we're that stupid?"

Then he kicked her.

She glared at him, eyes blazing:

"Untie me... you filthy rat!"

He leaned in, whispered against her ear:

"I'm Koray."

His laughter exploded into the silence—

"HAAAAAAAHAHAAAAA!"

They tried to sell her.

Once.

Twice.

A third time.

The auctioneer shouted:

"Strong girl! Smart! Rare!"

But whenever a woman approached, Mira's stare melted the confidence from her bones.

And when any man reached out to inspect her, her words lashed like whips:

"Doesn't your mother feel shame — watching her son buy a woman?!"

Koray was fuming.

"Sell her? She's cursed the whole market! No one wants her!"

Someone laughed:

"Keep her for yourself…"

And still — even for free,

no one took her.

Her hair was wild.

Her glare, venomous.

And her attitude?

Worse than a swordsman in a killing field.

They failed to sell her,

despite their desperate efforts.

She was rejected by the market — like a stone unworthy of the crown.

No one dared touch her.

No one dared buy what her burning eyes scorched with contempt.

Koray, dragging her by her chains, worn down and furious, muttered:

"If the market couldn't break her...

The palace will."

---

They moved in silence

until they reached a massive gate —

banners above it bearing no crest.

Snow fell.

The wind howled

like a warning of what waited behind those walls.

An iron gate, heavy with silence,

was opened by an old maid.

She never looked Mira in the eye.

She only whispered:

"He's waiting."

Mira snapped,

"Who?"

Koray answered —

his voice couldn't quite hide the fear in it:

"The Fifth Prince."

Mira's feet froze for a moment.

But she didn't let it show.

She stepped into a long corridor —

its walls carved of black stone,

its floor cold, as if cursed by the footsteps of those who never returned.

Mira glanced at Koray.

Her eyes burned with fury.

And that look said everything:

"Just pray… I don't walk back out."

Koray laughed —

a cruel, mercyless laugh.

With mockery dripping from his voice, he said:

"You won't see daylight again… you troublesome little cat."

At the far end of the courtyard,

standing on a small stone bridge above a frozen river —

its breath misting through the cold —

was a young man who looked like no one born of palaces.

Still as a statue.

Sharp as a drawn blade.

The only thing alive in him... was his gaze —

eyes like embers,

burning in silence without offering warmth.

The Fifth Prince.

Koray bowed — overdone, exaggerated.

"My lord… I've brought you a slave like no other.

She isn't beautiful. Pale-faced. But… fierce.

Like a wildcat that refuses to be tamed."

The prince turned slowly,

his eyes measuring the moment, not the men.

He spoke — voice quiet, but colder than snow:

"What's wrong with her? Did you torture her?"

Koray replied quickly:

"No, my lord. I found her like this.

Her clothes torn, soaked in blood.

Her feet torn by chains.

Her hands, still bound.

But she… doesn't break."

The prince gave him a sharp glance:

"I have no need for slaves. Take her away."

Koray panicked —

his voice now a twisted blend of pleading and bait:

"But she's different, my lord!"

The prince pressed his lips, annoyed:

"What is it with you? Why insist?

Can she fly?

Is she a witch?!"

Suddenly, Mira smiled.

As if he'd cracked a joke at a funeral.

Her eyes laughed — not her lips.

Koray exploded.

He kicked her leg hard —

she dropped to her knees.

He barked at her:

"Show some respect! You're in the presence of a prince!"

Mira lifted her head slowly.

A glare like sharpened glass.

Defiance loud enough to shake thrones.

Then she said, as if announcing herself in a battlefield:

"I can cook.

I can swim.

And I can spill blood."

The prince blinked —

his gaze locked on hers.

He asked, with icy calm:

"Are you... insolent?"

Mira smiled — a maddening, confident smile:

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

He studied her for a moment —

not just looking at her,

but as if trying to read her.

Then, he pulled a small pouch from his pocket

and tossed it toward Koray.

"Fifty silver coins.

And if she causes trouble…

I'll cut off your head."

Koray caught the bag like it was the deal of a lifetime —

and vanished quickly.

The prince gave a light whistle.

A young maid rushed in.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

He said simply:

"Take her. Clean her up.

Give her fresh clothes."

The girl approached Mira,

placed a gentle hand on her shoulder,

and helped her up.

She led her…

to a warm bath

that did not wash away the fire in her chest.

Mira bathed…

and little by little, the warmth crept into her frozen limbs —

as if the water was trying to erase the road she'd walked.

But it failed.

The maid — her name was Hind —

gave her clean garments:

a simple cotton robe,

and a dark shawl draped across her shoulders.

Mira looked at herself in the mirror.

Then smiled bitterly.

"Of all the things I imagined…

becoming a slave was not one of them."

She sighed:

"What miserable luck have I stumbled into?"

Hind's voice came softly from behind her:

"Are you ready now?

I'll take you to my master —

so you can learn your duties here."

Mira nodded silently.

She hid the ache

behind a pale face

trained not to show weakness.

She followed Hind

through the palace's quiet corridors.

The air was cold...

But not colder

than the hearts

within these walls.

They arrived at Prince Raivan's library.

A wide room,

dimly lit,

heavy with the scent of old books.

Raivan sat, reading in silence.

He didn't look up right away.

But Hind bowed instantly, her voice reverent:

"Your Highness."

Then she glanced at Mira —

a subtle, quiet nudge:

Bow.

But Mira…

Stood still.

Didn't move.

Didn't bow.

Even her breath remained steady.

Raivan looked up at her.

He didn't seem annoyed —

but he watched her

like someone studying a puzzle...

testing its sharp edges.

"Your name? And where are you from?"

he asked —

his voice low, but edged like a blade.

Mira answered calmly:

"My name is Mira… from Ayn al-Jibal."

He paused mid-page.

Lifted a brow.

"Ayn al-Jibal?

That's a long way from here…

What brought you to us?"

She replied, trying to sound practical:

"My father is a merchant…

We were attacked by bandits along the road."

He studied her for a moment.

"Didn't you say you could cook… and spill blood?"

She held his gaze.

"I can do what is asked of me…

My lord."

Between his fingers,

he turned a small square object —

perhaps a stone, or a pendant.

He twisted it without much focus.

But his eyes…

they asked a thousand silent questions.

Then, he said —

softly, yet with a tone that allowed no argument:

> "Serve under Hind.

Cooking. Cleaning."

He waved his hand.

A silent dismissal.

Hind bowed.

"Let's go."

They left the library together,

their footsteps echoing softly over the stone floor —

quieter than the thoughts stirring in Mira's mind.

And so...

The wildcat began her first day in the palace —

not as prey…

but as a watcher,

patiently waiting for her first bite.

Hind instructed her to go to the stables,

to feed the horses and clean the area.

It wasn't a demeaning task —

but it was her first test outside the walls,

away from Raivan's shadow.

Mira stepped into the stable.

The sound of breathing horses,

and hooves shifting on hay,

filled the air.

She ran her hand along one of their necks, whispering:

"Don't be afraid…

I know what it feels like — to wear chains."

She fed them quietly,

brushed their coats,

and spoke to each one

as if she recognized their sorrow.

Suddenly…

Five of the prince's guards entered —

laughing, mocking.

One of them sneered:

"Look! A new slave girl!"

Another chuckled:

"Shall we play a little game with her?"

They surrounded her —

five corners of a cage.

Their eyes cut deeper than blades.

Mira planted her feet.

Her voice was low, but loaded like a drawn arrow:

"I don't recommend getting closer."

One of them stepped forward, snapping his fingers.

"Ooh… she's feisty!"

He reached for her hair…

But before he could touch her —

Mira slammed her boot into his leg.

He screamed,

"Aaargh!"

He grabbed her arm to stop her —

but her other hand moved faster.

She pulled his sword from his belt —

and with one swift slash,

cut his shoulder.

"I said…

don't come any closer."

The fight began.

Swords drawn.

Horses reared and kicked the ground.

The entire stable shook with chaos.

A terrified maid ran toward the palace —

breathless, she screamed:

"The guards… they're fighting with the slave girl!"

---

In the library,

Prince Raivan stood up.

He didn't speak.

He didn't ask.

He ran.

...…

He arrived at the stables.

He saw the blood.

He saw the fire in her eyes.

And then he roared ....

a voice that shook the very walls:

"ENOUGHHHHH!"

Everyone froze.

Mira was breathing heavily,

her chest rising and falling — sharp, labored.

Two guards were wounded.

And she...

was still standing.

Injured — but unbent.

The prince snapped:

"What is going on here?!"

One of the guards stammered,

"We were just joking… she stole my sword and attacked!"

Mira's voice came like a whip,

dripping with rage:

"It wasn't a joke.

They were toying with me like I was some doll!"

Silence fell.

Raivan stepped closer.

He studied her for a long moment.

Then spoke — cold and cutting:

"You… go to Hind. Now."

"And you... disgraceful.

Five men — against a woman?!"

He turned to them, eyes blazing.

Gestured sharply:

"Follow me."

They obeyed,

but their eyes…

burned with anger and humiliation as they passed her.

Mira stood motionless.

Unblinking.

Unshaken.

She let them go.

But from the hallway, she still heard his voice — sharp as a blade:

"Five men… on a single woman?

Who do you think you are?!"

One tried to explain:

"My lord, it was just a bit of fun… we didn't know she was so… fierce."

Raivan closed his eyes.

Took a deep breath.

Then said ....

low, calm, terrifying:

"If it happens again…

you'll have no one to blame but yourselves."

---

Elsewhere…

Hind came running, breathless.

"What did you do?!"

Mira replied quietly —

but her voice bled with steel and pain:

"Would you rather I stayed silent?"

Hind tried to calm her:

"They were just teasing…

If you'd stayed quiet, none of this would've happened."

Mira turned toward her.

Her gaze…

Hind couldn't hold it.

"Really?

You call harassment a joke?"

Silence.

Then Mira spoke again,

as if speaking to the sky itself:

"Damn it…

When does this nightmare end?"

.....

Hind whispered softly,

"Let's go… I'll tend your wounds."

Mira sat on a chair in the kitchen.

The cut on her shoulder still throbbed with pain .....

but the true ache was elsewhere.

As if Hind's voice still echoed in her mind:

"If you had stayed quiet, none of this would've happened…"

Quiet?

Who asks for quiet from a burning heart?

Who demands silence from a wildcat

taught by the forest how to survive?

She closed her eyes,

breathing hard, then whispered to herself:

"I am Mira...

I am no one's shadow.

But I will be the nightmare...

for anyone who tries to snuff me out."

Two hours had passed since the stable fight.

Prince Raivan was preparing to leave for a hunt with his guards.

Hind was busy in the kitchen.

Mira stood nearby, kneading dough,

her mind drowning in wounds not yet healed.

Suddenly…

a girl appeared, hair impeccably styled,

a beautiful face, but cunning as a fox's.

Her steps confident, lips curled into a smile —

but her eyes dripped pure venom.

She stopped at the doorway, her voice soft yet poisonous:

"You… the new one."

Mira raised her head, said nothing.

But the silence was heavier than words.

The girl continued mockingly:

> "Your first day was quite eventful…

Do you really think causing trouble will catch the prince's attention?"

She laughed lightly, took a step forward,

and suddenly grabbed Mira's hair harshly.

"Be quiet… do you understand?"

But Mira was no cat to be held by the tail and dropped.

She raised her hand, seized the girl's wrist firmly,

and twisted it swiftly.

"Aaaah!"

The girl screamed, her hand bending under Mira's grip.

Hind rushed in between pots and spoons, pleading:

"Stop! Please… this is not proper!"

Mira spoke calmly, still holding the girl's hand:

"Then tell her not to cross the line with me."

She finally released the wrist.

The girl took two steps back, eyes glowing with rage.

Whispering through clenched teeth:

> "One day…

You'll see yourself kneeling before me, begging for mercy."

Mira smiled coldly, dripping with sarcasm:

"How can you be so sure?

Have you forgotten?

When the cat is hungry…

it eats the snake."

The girl stared at her a moment,

then stormed out of the kitchen,

leaving behind a poison that thickened in the air.

.....

Hind approached Mira, eyes filled with worry:

"It's alright, Mira…

But please, be calm.

Or else… they'll send you back to Koray."

Mira lifted her gaze, bitterness dripping from her words:

"I'd rather stay in Koray's hell…

Than this smiling hell that stabs you in the back."

Hind said nothing…

but her eyes welled up with sorrow —

as if she had seen hundreds of girls before Mira,

swallowed by silence…

or broken in the shadows.

Finally, she whispered:

"You'll get used to it…

Just ignore everything…

Everything."

But inside Mira, another voice whispered back:

"Getting used to this… is the first step to death."

---

Prince Raivan returned at midnight.

The clatter of hooves announced his arrival

before he even dismounted.

The snow hadn't fully melted,

but the earth was soft…

as if bleeding something unseen.

He led his men, their laughter ringing through the cold air,

carrying on their shoulders a large stag,

and bundles of small rabbits.

He opened the palace door, entered with steady steps,

removed his glove, wiped his brow, and said —

quiet but clear:

"Take good care of the rabbits…

As for the stag, prepare it for the roast."

Hind ran, her heart pounding:

"Mira, follow me quickly."

Mira followed silently,

but her eyes fixed on the stag.

It was more than just a hunt…

There was masculine pride in it,

a display of strength.

The stag lay stretched out,

like a hero fallen in a battle he never chose.

One of the guards began skinning it,

laughing, cutting, joking:

"Delicious! Tonight will be a feast, friends!"

Meanwhile, the maids placed the small rabbits in wooden cages —

trembling…

as if they understood their fate.

...

Mira stood apart,

watching the scene unfold…

then whispered to herself:

"Life is beautiful…

even when it falls."

Hind approached,

placing a gentle hand on her arm:

"Come on, the prince hates to be kept waiting."

Mira replied in a low voice:

"Neither do I…

but there are those who enjoy slaughtering slowly."

---

When the stag was prepared,

Hind asked:

"Can you roast it?"

Mira:

"Yes, of course."

At that moment, Raivan stood at a distance,

watching her from behind the pillars of the balcony.

His hand rested on his sword,

his eyes gleaming with a question yet unspoken.

Mira sat in the corner of the small garden,

feeding and stroking the rabbits…

like stolen moments from an incomplete childhood.

Hind's voice broke the silence:

"Mira, take these dishes to the prince's chamber."

She rose, wiped her hands,

and carried the heavy tray.

The aroma of roasting meat filled the air…

while the scent of tension preceded her steps.

---

Upon entering, Julie was there,

calm in a frightening way,

carefully preparing the prince's attire

as if painting a picture of the "perfect servant."

Mira muttered under her breath:

"The cunning know how to stay silent…

just like a snake."

.....

Prince Raivan sat at the table.

He lifted his gaze, then spoke quietly without looking at Julie:

"Leave…

I want to speak with the new servant."

Julie left,

but her eyes pierced Mira's chest like a spear—

a look full of promise for revenge.

Mira placed the dishes down, standing silently.

Raivan watched her, then said:

"The first time, you said the guards harassed you…

and now you're fighting with Julie?

What's going on this time?"

Mira answered without hesitation:

"What Julie told you isn't a fight…

She welcomed me in her own way,

and I responded in mine."

He stared at her for a long moment:

"I heard you grabbed her hair and threw her to the ground."

Mira chuckled softly, her gaze sharp:

"I wish I had."

The prince's brows tightened:

"So you're saying she's lying."

"I'm saying nothing, my lord.

But if you want to believe your servant, that's your choice.

As for me… I have the right to defend myself."

"Do you mean she's trying to get my attention?"

"Perhaps…

But I never sought anyone's attention.

I only… defended my dignity."

Raivan was silent for a moment,

then said:

"Avoid trouble with her.

I don't want to hear about you two again."

Mira replied coldly:

"As you wish."

She turned to leave,

but he said suddenly:

"I didn't tell you to go."

She stopped…

stood still until he finished his meal.

Then he looked at her:

"Take these dishes… they're full now."

Mira returned to the kitchen.

Julie stood at the door,

while Hind looked at her nervously.

Mira tied her hair back, then said:

"You know, Hind?

Some girls are very skilled at weaving lies…

I admire their stupidity."

Hind asked:

"What do you mean?"

Julie retorted:

"I'm not lying! I was only warning you…

Who do you think you are?"

Mira smiled sarcastically:

"Keep me in my foolishness,

and don't awaken the sleeping smart girl."

Julie stormed out angrily,

and once the door shut, Mira slammed her hand on the table:

"Damn it! How can she be this malicious?!"

Hind said:

"Don't be angry…

The prince may be strict, but he's not unjust.

Just try to avoid Julie — she's cunning."

Mira's eyes sparkled sharply:

"If she's cunning… I'll be cunning-er."

Hind sighed:

"Ah, Mira…

I thought I was strong,

but I couldn't endure…

Julie has done a lot to me."

Curious, Mira asked:

"What did she do to you?"

Hind whispered:

"Forget the past…

She's the daughter of a man who served the prince for years,

and died recommending her.

She became his spoiled favorite…

and no one dares to approach her."

She fell silent, then said:

"Let's go to sleep…

Tomorrow is a new morning…

and a new war."

---

Mira couldn't sleep that night.

The palace was painfully silent,

and the cold crept like hidden fingers, touching her bones.

She tossed in her bed as if thorns had grown within it,

then rose…

and sat by her door.

A dense silence filled the air,

then…

a sorrowful melody slipped like a whisper from the heavens.

It was a stringed instrument's lament…

a moan unlike anything but the strings of her own heart.

She lifted her eyes,

tracking the source of the sound…

coming from Prince Raivan's chamber.

She approached and sat silently on the floor,

leaning her back against the wall…

listening.

He played as if he was crying with a muted voice.

She whispered to herself:

"I never knew that this ruthless man…

had a soul that plays pain."

When he finished, she quietly stood,

turned to leave,

but a cold voice froze her feet:

"Are you eavesdropping?"

She turned slowly…

and there stood Prince Raivan,

half his body in shadow,

his gaze piercing through her.

She bowed as princesses do, and said:

"I couldn't sleep… I heard the music.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

He said softly:

"Return to your bed."

"Yes… my lord."

She left with quiet steps,

while he, for the first time in days…

lay down and slept.

A new morning…

and the beginning of another heartbeat.

Hind woke Mira from incomplete dreams:

"Come on, we have work."

Mira stretched a little and said:

"Alright… breakfast for the prince, right?"

She prepared the food,

carried it to his room,

placed it silently on the table,

and left… without a word.

---

After a week

*****

The palace drowned in a cold monotony…

until the day a breeze stirred something in the air.

A man rode his white horse,

his face radiant,

his long hair flowing like golden threads.

His laugh was clear,

as if he didn't know the meaning of sorrow…

but Mira, from afar, felt his laughter hid a broken tune.

She said in surprise:

"Who is that?"

Hind replied, looking at him admiringly:

"He is the third prince…

the queen's son."

Mira asked:

"Isn't Raivan the queen's son too?"

Hind smiled sadly:

"No, Raivan… is the son of a servant woman.

And his mother… suffered greatly under the queen's cruelty.

She was treated like an unseen shadow.

And the prince… was deprived of his title, his throne,

as if he were a mistake not to be mentioned."

Mira sighed and said:

"So… he doesn't just carry the sword,

he carries a past full of thorns."

Mira and Hind continued carefully preparing the dishes,

then took them to the prince's hall,

where the third prince, Azrik, was sitting, telling jokes,

and a faint smile played on Raivan's rarely silent face.

They quietly placed the dishes and withdrew as they should.

But after hours, everything changed.

.....

Prince Raivan returned to the palace,

exhausted, his features darkened with gloom…

Juli rushed to assist him, but he motioned her away.

Outside, Juli stood near a guard,

her voice low as she asked:

"What happened?"

The guard whispered, glancing toward the closed door:

"Another dispute among the princes…

No one understands it… and no one dares to approach."

---

At that moment… his voice echoed from inside the room:

"What happened to the dinner?!"

Everyone was startled.

The guard dashed to the servants' quarters, pounding on the door:

"The prince is angry, prepare the dinner immediately!"

A state of alert spread.

Mira and Hind hurried to prepare the food,

and when they entered the prince's room,

he sat there like a mountain ready to erupt.

He looked at them, voice stern:

"Do I have to remind you about dinner?

Can't you do your job properly?!"

Hind immediately dropped to her knees:

"Forgive us, my prince."

But Mira… she remained standing.

Her eyes calm, yet a fire burned inside.

Raivan slammed his fist on the table:

"I don't want to eat anymore!"

He said it decisively.

Hind rushed to take away the food, but Mira stopped her:

"Leave it."

Hind whispered:

"Mira… shhh! Let's go!"

Mira said:

"No, dear… leave the dishes and leave."

Hind froze, then glanced at Raivan who gestured for her to leave.

She exited… leaving Mira alone with him.

He approached her, voice low but heavy with anger:

"How do you expect me to ease my fury?

Do you think that if your blood is spilled… I will calm down?

Or do you think you're trying to seduce me?!"

Mira lifted her eyes to him...

An innocent gaze, yet refusing to break.

"Not everything can be solved that way, my lord.

If you sleep hungry, no one will care.

And if you rage and break something...

You alone will suffer.

How about you dine...

While I sing for you?

Or... tell you a story to ease your anger?"

Raifan remained silent, but his tone stayed sharp:

"I said leave... take the food."

She took a step forward, then knelt...

Bowed her head as if issuing a quiet challenge:

"Kill me if you wish,

But I will not leave until you finish your dinner."

The prince sighed, then returned to his seat, looking up at her:

"From whom did you inherit this stubbornness?"

Mira, in a low voice, like the whisper of the night:

"From the womb of darkness, strength is born, my lord...

And time will make hearts of stone."

He studied her long... then said, lifting his first bite:

"Very well...

I will eat my dinner.

But you will tell me...

From which injustice was this strength in your eyes born?"

The prince Raifan ate his meal,

While Mira remained on her knees,

Waiting with rare patience...

A look in her eyes that said:

"I do not fear you... but I respect you."

He raised his head to her, and finally spoke:

"You said you are from Ayn al-Jibal, and that your father was a merchant...

But the strength in your voice does not resemble merchant girls.

Tell me... where did you really come from?"

She looked at him calmly, then said:

"My father... was a merchant.

And his wife, my stepmother, was a cruel woman.

She hated me from the moment I opened my eyes to the world."

She paused, then continued in a low voice:

"I was kidnapped...

By men who laughed softly... but their eyes were full of betrayal.

I thought they would kill me, but they saved me... one of them

Was kind... I stayed in his home,

Among his simple, poor family."

She sighed, as if the memory of that man was choking her:

"He wanted to take me to Valdara...

He said we had contacts there, and that I would be safe...

But the snowstorm was stronger than everything.

He had to leave to fix the cart...

And then they came."

A deep silence...

"Bandits...

They killed the man... and crushed the cart.

I saw him...

I saw him lying on the ground,

Marked on his chest... a red cross."

Her eyes glistened... but she did not cry.

"I killed three of them...

Only one remained...

The one whose eyes betrayed everything.

I will never forget his face...

Ever."

Raifan slowly put down his plate,

As if every bite he swallowed had turned into a sword inside him.

He said with a cautious voice:

"The + mark... they are the Silios gang."

Mira lifted her head:

"Continue, my lord."

"Even the ruler fears them...

They have hands everywhere.

Killing them is no picnic...

Nor is surviving their gaze."

He asked her quietly:

"Do you think you can face them?"

She answered without hesitation:

"I don't care if they are demons,

I don't want them all...

I want only one."

He looked at her for a long moment... then murmured:

"A foolish idea.

Pull it out of your head.

You won't break them alone."

But she fell silent, and for the first time, her eyes avoided his.

She was thinking...

"This is the first thread..."

He sensed her mumbling to herself, and said sharply:

"Silent again.

I told you... forget it."

She replied with an unyielding tone:

"I will think...

But I doubt I am the type to forget."

She stood up.

"If you have finished your dinner,

I will take the dishes."

Raifan remained silent... said nothing.

But he looked at her with a gaze that did not want her to leave.

"Very well...

Leave."

Mira turned, carrying the dishes,

Her heart repeating:

"The first thread... and I will keep searching,

No matter how much everyone tries to stop me."

Prince Raifan stayed awake...

Staring at the reflection of the rain on his windowpane.

The night's silence was not peace...

But questions slipping like smoke between his thoughts.

.....

"A merchant's daughter?! No...

Noblewomen don't know how to fight…

Nor do they speak with such steadiness and boldness before a man like me."

He turned his face toward the door, as if listening to the sound of her breath behind him.

"What are you hiding from me, Mira?

What land raised you, and what hell made you this strong?"

The candle went out… and Raifan fell asleep,

But the shadows of doubt stayed awake in his heart.

---

The next morning…

The castle awoke to the sound of rain.

The snow began to melt… and the cold bowed before the warmth of the sky.

Hind ran to Mira, her face wet with raindrops and joy:

"It's raining, Mira!

The snow will melt!"

Mira opened the window, inhaled the scent of wet earth.

She smiled, then whispered:

"Rain… always brings good news, doesn't it?"

Hind:

"Yes… yes!"

She laughed happily.

But Mira wasn't quite there…

Her eyes were mysterious, as if looking somewhere else… some other time.

She placed her hand on her chest… the place of the hidden wound.

"Haroun's wife…

Did she know of his death?

His seven children…

Did they sleep while waiting for him?

My God…

Because of me, they are orphaned."

Her gaze sank…

And a tear slid gently, yet heavy as a sin.

Hind:

"What's wrong with you?

Aren't you happy? The rain has come!"

Mira hastened to wipe her tear,

Her voice trembled for a moment, but she resisted:

"Yes…

I am happy."

She closed the window, hiding the sorrow in her chest as if it did not belong to her.

"Let's go…"

But only the sky knew…

That Mira did not cry easily…

And if she did cry, it meant the earth trembled beneath her heart.

A scene near the mountains close to Vildara.

Rylan's anger preceded his steps,

Mounting his horse, his eyes like two burning embers scorching the horizon.

"Haroun… Mira… hold on, I'm coming."

They arrived at the foot of the mountain…

But what greeted them was neither sound nor trace…

Only deadly silence,

An overturned cart,

And a horse… without a body, only a tail and a head.

Blood froze in Rylan's veins.

He dismounted his horse and walked heavily toward the cave…

The scent of death preceded them,

Three corpses, worms nesting between their teeth.

Rylan:

"No… Mira… Haroun… please, be alive…"

He approached a large rock, and beside it was a body tied with ropes,

But his heart refused to believe…

"I can't… I cannot look… it might be him…"

He pointed at one of the men:

"You… check it, now!"

The man dismounted, his hand trembling,

Untied the cloth…

Then stepped back screaming:

"Nooooo!!! Haroun!!!"

Rylan ran, fell to his knees, held the face of the body covered in mud and snow…

"Lies!! Lies!! Say it's not him!!! Say it!!!"

But another man collapsed to the ground, sobbing loudly:

"It is him… oh Lord, it is him… Rylan, have mercy on the dead!!"

Rylan closed his eyes tightly,

Then shouted:

"Return to the cave! Search their clothes, look for any clue leading us to Mira!"

The men ran as if chasing a thread of life…

And among the remains, there was a symbol carved on a worn leather bracelet…

A man from the squad said:

"My lord… if my memory serves me right… these are from the Silus gang.

From the town of… Arindel."

Silence fell over the place…

All that could be heard were Rylan's angry breaths.

He stood up, lifted his head, and his voice pierced the sky:

"Listen to me carefully!!!"

"We are here… because of Mira!

Haroun… was our friend, and a brother to us.

Will you let his blood be wasted in vain?!"

The men shouted:

"Nooooo!!"

"Are you with me?!"

"With you!!"

"Will you fight with me for Haroun… and for Mira?!"

"We are with you until death!!"

Rylan drew his sword from its sheath…

Raised his arm toward the mountains, toward the cloud-covered horizon:

"I'm coming, Mira… please, hold on…"

"I swear… Haroun's blood will not be spilled for nothing."

They charged like a storm…

And the sword of vengeance in Rylan's hand gleamed as if blessed with the blood of friendship and loyalty…