______
Lucina
I slowly opened my eyes, the world wavering like light reflected on water. Shapes bled into one another, sound arriving before clarity. The air smelled faintly of iron and incense, and there was a familiar, comforting darkness pressed close to my side—steady, warm, alive.
"Is it really you… Hakan?"
My voice came out thinner than I expected, barely more than breath. I lifted my hand with effort, every movement heavy, as though my body no longer belonged to me.
A strong hand closed around mine at once, grounding me. His grip was firm, unmistakable.
"That's right. It's me, Lucina."
Relief flooded through me so suddenly that my vision blurred again. I swayed, dizziness pulling at me, but Hakan's presence anchored me, his warmth keeping me upright. Only then did I notice another figure standing near us—a man clad in gleaming white and gold armor. My Eminence. His usually composed face was strained, his eyes moving between Hakan and me as though afraid either of us might vanish if he looked away.
Hakan spoke first, his voice low. "How are you feeling?"
Then his tone shifted, darkened. "There's something you need to know."
My Eminence frowned, confusion and exhaustion written plainly across his features. "I… I don't know what happened."
I drew in a shallow breath, fragments of memory stirring like shadows under water. "To be honest," I said quietly, "it's a miracle that I'm even alive."
My fingers drifted instinctively to the jewel at my neck. The necklace. The one he had given me. "I think I was saved… by this. By the necklace, Your Eminence."
The memory sharpened. I could feel it again—the suffocating black magic closing in on me, crushing, cold. "After Marissa smothered me with her darkness," I whispered, "a warm light spread from this necklace. It wrapped around me… and pulled me back."
The blue crystal glimmered faintly, as if responding to my words.
Hakan's expression hardened. "But I can't feel any holy power coming from Lucina anymore."
His jaw tightened. "That means Marissa likely stole it from her. She's gained far more abilities than I anticipated."
A hollow ache spread through my chest. The loss wasn't just power—it was a part of me.
Hakan continued, his voice rougher now. "What concerns me most is the pain Lucina must have endured after losing her holy power."
My Eminence's face drained of color. "From what I've heard… carrying a Draconian child already puts immense strain on a woman's body."
"Oh…"
The weight of everything crashed down on me at once—the stolen magic, the war, the child growing inside me. My breath trembled. Guilt seeped into every corner of my heart.
This is all my fault.
My Eminence straightened, his worry turning outward, toward the larger danger. "Do you truly believe a war against the shifters will end so easily?" he demanded, desperation edging his voice. Images of our burning capital flickered through my mind.
"What will you do if Lucina gives birth before the war ends?"
His gaze sharpened. "The shifters would find it far easier to invade a weakened kingdom."
My arms wrapped instinctively around my belly, fear tightening my grip.
"…which would place both Lucina and your child in grave danger."
---
My gaze dropped to the blood staining my dress. My hand trembled as it rested protectively over my stomach.
"And we're both fine…" I whispered, clinging to the words, to the hope that Hakan would confirm them.
"Huh?"
Hakan had sunk to his knees before me. His broad shoulders looked bowed beneath invisible weight, his eyes dark with self-blame. "This happened because I was too greedy," he said. The armor he wore seemed heavier than steel, as though it were crushing him from within.
I forced a faint smile, though pain throbbed through my body. "It's okay, Hakan. I knew you would come to save me."
My Eminence stepped closer. His voice trembled. "Don't you remember, Lucina?"
My smile faltered. I searched my mind—and found nothing. A terrifying emptiness where terror and agony should have been. Only the memory of light remained.
"By the time we arrived," he continued, his voice breaking, "Marissa had already taken your child… and left."
The world stopped.
"No… that's not possible…"
Cold dread wrapped around my heart, stealing my breath. My eyes flew open, vision whitening at the edges. I pressed my hands to my temples. "W-why don't I remember anything?"
"I assume the pain was too severe," my Eminence said quietly, anguish etched into every word, "for you to remember."
The truth struck like a blade. I turned to Hakan, tears filling my eyes. "You're lying… right?"
He couldn't look at me. His fist clenched, trembling.
"Tell me you're lying…"
My voice shattered. "There's no way… my baby is gone…"
Hakan said nothing.
"AH—!"
The sound tore out of me, raw and broken. My body collapsed forward as grief swallowed everything. Tears streamed unchecked as I crumpled, clutching the place where my child had been, the pain burning so fiercely it felt like my soul was being torn apart.
Between sobs, I whispered the word that echoed endlessly in my heart—
"WHY…?"
---
I stared down at the blood staining my dress, the deep crimson spreading like a cruel stain of truth I wasn't ready to face. My hand rested instinctively over my belly—over the place that should have been warm, alive—but instead felt terrifyingly hollow.
"And we're both fine…"
The words slipped from my lips like a fragile prayer, brittle and desperate. I waited. I needed Hakan to say it aloud, to make it real.
"Huh?"
His response shattered the fragile hope I was clinging to. When I looked up, Hakan was already kneeling before me. His powerful frame trembled, shoulders bowed as though the weight of the world had crushed him to the floor. The warrior who had never once faltered on the battlefield now looked utterly broken.
"This all happened because I was too greedy," he said, his voice low and raw. "I wanted everything—victory, power, certainty—and because of that…"
I forced my lips into a weak smile, though my chest felt tight and burning. I reached out toward him, my fingers shaking. "It's okay, Hakan. I knew you would come to save me."
Before he could respond, footsteps echoed closer. My Eminence stepped forward, his expression strained, eyes filled with an unmistakable grief.
"Don't you remember, Lucina?"
The smile slipped from my face instantly. I searched my mind, desperate—terrified—to find something. Pain. Fear. Screams. Anything.
But there was nothing.
Only darkness.
Only light.
"By the time we arrived," the Eminence continued, each word falling like a hammer, "Marissa had already taken your child… and left."
The world froze.
"That's… not possible…"
A cold, white-hot shock seized my heart, driving the breath from my lungs. My eyes flew open, vision blurring as panic took hold. I clutched my temples, nails digging into my skin. "W-why… why don't I remember anything…?"
His voice was heavy with sorrow when he answered. "I assume the pain was too severe for you to remember."
The words struck me harder than any blade.
I turned to Hakan, my vision swimming with tears. "You're lying… right?"
My voice broke as I spoke. "Tell me this isn't true."
He clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white. He couldn't look at me.
"Tell me you're lying…" I begged, my chest tightening as the truth closed in. "There's no way… my baby is gone…"
Something tore loose inside me.
"AH—!"
The cry ripped from my throat, raw and unrestrained. My knees gave way and I collapsed onto the cold floor, the fabric of my dress pooling around me as sobs wracked my body. I clutched my stomach, rocking forward, mourning the unbearable emptiness left behind.
"WHY…?"
The question escaped me in a broken whisper, one that echoed endlessly in my heart.
Hakan moved instantly, rushing forward and pulling me into his arms. He held me tightly, desperately, as though afraid I might disappear too.
"It's okay, Lucina," he murmured into my hair, his voice shaking. "Even if the baby is gone… you're still my wife. You're still the Queen of the Tayar Kingdom."
But the comfort shattered as my Eminence spoke again, his expression hardened by grim resolve.
"Marissa has probably already devoured your baby's heart and absorbed its abilities," he said coldly. "If you ever see your baby again… it will likely be Marissa in disguise."
I recoiled violently, pushing against Hakan's chest as horror flooded me. "How could you say that?!" I screamed, fresh tears spilling down my face. "That's our baby you're talking about! We have to find Marissa—right now!"
The Eminence didn't waver.
"You'll have no choice…"
His words cut deeper than any weapon.
"…but to kill it."
Days passed beneath a heavy shroud of grief. The air itself felt suffocating, thick with mourning. Eventually, the Eminence—now addressed once more as the Cardinal—departed in a grand carriage, returning to the temple he had been absent from for far too long.
Hakan and I returned to the Tayar Kingdom.
Restoring order became our greatest challenge.
Within the royal hall, Hakan stood beside me, one arm firm around my shoulders as though anchoring me to the world. The moment we entered, a young woman rushed forward—Titi, my lady-in-waiting. Tears streamed down her face as she embraced me tightly.
"My Lady! I'm so glad you're safe!"
Her warmth was a fragile comfort. As Titi fussed over me, I overheard hushed whispers nearby.
"Where did all those people go?" one woman murmured.
"After His Majesty left… everything felt strange," another replied.
Soon after, Hakan called for a council meeting. The hall grew tense as nobles gathered, their gazes sharp with suspicion and expectation. I watched silently as Hakan took his seat upon the throne, his presence commanding despite the shadows in his eyes.
An elderly noble stepped forward, his voice measured but probing.
"I know why you summoned us," he said. "You wish to explain… why you returned without the Draconian baby Lucina gave birth to."
The room went still.
Hakan met their gazes without hesitation. His voice was steady, final.
"Ahem…"
Then, without preamble or mercy—
"The baby is dead."
I stared down at the blood staining my dress, the dark red standing out mercilessly against the fabric. My hand rested over my belly—over the place that should have held warmth and life, but instead felt terrifyingly hollow.
"And we're both fine…"
The whisper trembled as it left my lips. I didn't know who I was trying to convince—Hakan, myself, or the silence pressing in around us. I waited for him to deny the truth that hung unspoken between us.
"Huh?"
I lifted my gaze slowly. Hakan was looking down at me, his expression fractured, as if something inside him had already broken beyond repair. Then he knelt before me, the heavy armor of the Dragon King clinking softly as it touched the ground.
"This all happened because I was too greedy," he confessed. His voice was low, rough, stripped of all pride. "Because I wanted too much… and failed to protect what mattered most."
Despite the tightness in my chest, I forced a faint smile. I reached toward him, my fingers shaking. "It's okay, Hakan. I knew you would come to save me."
But the man standing beside him—my Eminence—did not soften. His face was grim, his eyes shadowed with sorrow.
"Don't you remember, Lucina?" he asked quietly.
The smile slipped from my face. I searched my mind desperately, only to find a cold, terrifying void. No screams. No pain. No struggle.
"By the time we arrived," the Eminence continued, his voice laced with grief, "Marissa had already taken your child… and left."
A cold dread seized my heart. My eyes flew open, vision bleaching white as panic tore through me.
"That's… not possible…"
I pressed my hands to my temples, nails digging into my skin as if pain could force the memories back. "W-why… don't I remember anything…?"
His expression softened with pity. "I assume the pain was too severe for you to remember."
The words struck like a physical blow.
I turned to Hakan, tears welling up, my breath coming in short, uneven gasps. "You're lying… right?"
He clenched his fist, knuckles whitening—but said nothing.
"Tell me you're lying…" I begged, my voice breaking as the truth closed in. "There's no way… my baby is gone…"
A ragged cry tore from my chest.
"AH—!"
My legs gave out beneath me. I collapsed, my body racked with sobs as I folded over myself, clutching the unbearable emptiness inside me. Tears soaked the fabric of my dress as I whispered the question that would haunt my soul forever.
"WHY…?"
Hakan surged forward and pulled me into a fierce embrace. His arms wrapped around me tightly, as though he could shield me from the truth itself. He stroked my hair again and again, his voice trembling as he whispered, "It's okay, Lucina. Even if the baby is gone… you're still my wife. You're still the Queen of the Tayar Kingdom."
But then the Eminence spoke again.
"Marissa has probably already devoured your baby's heart and absorbed its abilities," he said, his voice grave. "If you ever see your baby again… it will likely be Marissa in disguise."
I recoiled violently from Hakan's arms, shaking my head, horror flooding every part of me.
"How could you say that?!" I screamed, fresh tears spilling over. "That's our baby you're talking about! We have to find Marissa—right now!"
The Eminence's gaze did not waver.
"You'll have no choice…"
His words fell like a death sentence.
"…but to kill it."
🏰 A Dark Homecoming
A few days later, sorrow hung heavy over the castle like a funeral shroud. The Cardinal departed in a grand carriage, returning to the temple he had been absent from for far too long. Hakan and I returned to the Tayar Kingdom, though it no longer felt like home.
The greatest challenge awaiting us was restoring order.
Inside the royal hall, I barely had time to steady myself before a familiar figure rushed toward me. Titi—my lady-in-waiting—threw her arms around me, tears streaming down her face.
"MY LADY! I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE SAFE!"
Her warmth was fragile comfort. As she fussed over me, I overheard hushed whispers nearby.
"Where did all those people go?"
"After His Majesty left… everything felt strange."
Soon, Hakan called for a council meeting. The air grew thick with tension as the nobles gathered. I stood beside the throne as he took his seat, his presence dark and unyielding.
An elderly noble stepped forward, his stern gaze fixed on us.
"I know why you called this meeting," he said. "You want to explain… why you returned without the Draconian baby Lucina gave birth to."
Hakan did not hesitate.
"Ahem…"
His voice rang through the hall.
"The baby is dead."
The room erupted.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
"How could that happen?!"
"She was kidnapped—how could anyone blame her?!"
Hakan silenced them with a single terrifying look.
"Lucina was kidnapped by dragon slayers and barely made it back with her life," he declared. "We receive daily reports about her. I am telling you now—those reports are fake."
He slammed his hand onto the table.
"I did not call this meeting to explain myself," he said coldly, "but to issue a warning. Do not use this incident to insult Lucina or challenge her position."
His voice rose, commanding absolute authority.
"No matter what anyone says, I acknowledge Lucina as the rightful Queen of the Tayar Kingdom."
He drew a steady breath.
"Gillai's sins will be forgiven from now on. However, Giaret's crimes still stand. There had better not be any misunderstandings."
The meeting ended under a suffocating silence.
As the nobles dispersed, a chilling presence approached me. A woman wearing a tribal mask stood before me—her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"My lady," she said softly, "your body has already reached its limits."
Her words struck deep.
"It is no longer possible for you to give birth to a Draconian child."
L
"That can't be…"
The whisper barely escaped me. My heart plummeted as shame and despair washed over me in a suffocating wave. "Does that mean… I've lost the right to become Queen?"
The shaman bowed her head slightly. "I advise you to discuss that matter with the King."
Titi stepped closer, her hands gently holding mine. "My lady…" she whispered, her voice trembling with concern.
Tears spilled freely now, darkening the fabric of my dress. The weight of everything crashed down on me all at once—the loss of my holy power, the disappearance of my child, the kingdom teetering on the edge of chaos.
A voice screamed inside my head.
IT'S ALL MY FAULT.
I covered my face with my hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
"IF ONLY I HAD PROTECTED MY BABY…!"
The truth was merciless.
My baby was gone.
My power was gone.
My ability to secure the line of succession was gone.
The only thing left was the title of Queen—
and even that felt unbearably fragile.