Five years had passed since the birth of the young princess Nazar.
Now, she had become a true princess in every sense of the word—beautiful, serene, and noble in character.
She walked through the halls of House Flarghos Palace with a grace that resembled the breeze of spring, speaking softly and carrying in her gaze a pride that could not be marred.
Everyone whispered in admiration:
"Look at her… Nazar, the Flame Flower… and heir to the throne."
But she was not alone in the spotlight.
Always by her side stood Prince Fayro, her half-brother, the quiet boy with glowing eyes and chestnut hair tinged with fire.
Among everyone, Nazar was the closest to his heart.
It was no surprise that stories were told about a shared future between Nazar and Fayro,
and that it was said the Kingdom of Niron would be ruled by hands of fire and faces of light.
Everyone dreamed of their tale and imagined a happy ending born of their closeness and breathtaking beauty.
But...
No one forgot that girl...
The one who bore no royal title, nor wore a crown upon her brow.
Her name: Dalrina.
A maid? Yes.
But no one in the palace truly treated her as one.
She entered halls and left chambers as if the walls themselves knew her steps.
Her hair, white tinged with gold, flowed lightly over her shoulders. Her eyes, icy blue like raw glacier.
Her skin was pale as snow, and her cheeks blushed with the color of spring.
Dalrina was not calm like Nazar, but rather cheerful, impulsive, laughing from the heart, and making others laugh with her.
She was the close friend of the two royals—especially Nazar—and even the king himself saw her as a second daughter, treating her fairly like one of his own, as if to make up for her orphaned state.
No one knew much about Dalrina, except that her mother had died giving birth to her, and that she had been raised among the servants from infancy.
In the palace's back garden, the three—Fayro, Nazar, and Dalrina—played together.
But the eyes that watched them were not always innocent.
"Look at them," whispered one of the court ladies.
"How dare that girl play with the princes?"
But no one answered.
Everyone knew Dalrina was not like the other maids...
And no one had the courage to stop her.
One day, as the sunlight filtered through the leaves, Dalrina sat on the grass with the two royals, laughing loudly, juice dripping down her nose.
Fayro looked at her and laughed, then reached out to gently wipe her nose.
Nazar, from the other side, smiled… but quickly turned her face away, her smile vanishing in the shadow of quiet jealousy.
Then Fayro suddenly stood up and said:
"I'm late for sword training—my instructor will be furious!"
Nazar ran after him, saying:
"And I have lessons on proper etiquette… boring as always."
The three laughed together, then left, and Dalrina remained alone in the garden.
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