Reincarnated as the Betrothed: Bride of the Shadow Queen

As zephir heard commotion behind him, he made everyone wait outside anezka's chamber. He quietly inspected her wound, cleaned it, and treated it. Taking some dried leaves in his hands, he crushed them, opened anezka's mouth, and made her take the medicinal herbs.

After treating her, he called for the king, queen, and selmor. Once everyone entered, Serena rushed towards her daughter, caressing her forehead and checking her temperature. Meanwhile, Mikael and selmor hurried over to zephir to inquire about anezka's health.

Sensing their urgency, zephir began explaining, "Your Majesty, selmor, you know she has been bitten by nathaira. Once someone is bitten by that snake, it means they will live like a corpse, going into a coma." As Mikael and Serena heard zephir's words, a wave of grief washed over them. Serena began to cry uncontrollably, while Mikael sank to the floor, holding his head in his hands as he cried silently.

Whereas Selmor couldn't grasp the situation, shaking his head in disbelief, he said, "No, no, that's not possible! How can akari leave without finishing her wish? I don't believe this!" Hearing him, Serena raised her voice, "anezka is not akari."

Selmor looked into Serena's eyes, his own rimmed with red as he replied, "You're right; anezka is not akari, but anezka is the last wish of akari." The intensity with which Selmor spoke made Serena shiver as he continued, "I will search for the cure to nathaira's poison." With that, he stormed out of anezka's chamber.

...

Eight years later (20 Years old Anezka) 

Anezka is sleeping peacefully in her chamber while Rhea is cleaning her face. It is Rhea's daily chore to care for Anezka, changing her clothes and feeding her, even though Anezka is in a coma.

Anezka does not move at all, but Rhea has sometimes noticed that Anezka appears to be dreaming peacefully, while at other times she looks as if she is experiencing endless nightmares. Whenever Rhea believes Anezka is having a nightmare, the white wolf sits beside her on the bed, gently caressing Anezka's face with its snout.

Serena did not take any action against the wolf since it has never attacked anyone. Additionally, the wolf is a royal pet belonging to one of Serena's ancestors, whom she despises.

...

In the meeting hall of the Kingdom of Gaelen's palace

Queen Serena and King Mikael were sitting on their thrones discussing royal matters when they heard the door of the meeting hall open. Selmor entered and stood at the center of the hall, facing Serena and Mikael.

He announced, "I've found the cure for Nathaira's poison." Hearing this, both Serena and Mikael felt a surge of happiness and descended from their thrones, rushing toward Selmor. They asked him, "How? How is that possible? Thank you, Selmor, thank you so much!" They continued to express their gratitude, but Selmor had lines of tension etched on his forehead.

He replied, "But it comes at a price—a huge price." Serena shook her head and said, "Don't think about money or wealth. I would give my entire kingdom for you to treat my child." Selmor sighed and spoke with a heavy voice, "The price is your daughter, Your Majesty."

Hearing him, Serena and Mikael looked confused and asked in unison, "What do you mean, Selmor?" Selmor took a deep breath before he began to explain. "After I found out that Anezka was in a coma, I tried to find a cure everywhere. For five years, I read every book and visited every kingdom in the cosmos of Aislinn in search of a solution, but I couldn't find one. Eventually, I stopped my search. However, last year, I decided to pursue one last option: visiting Evrin Dimitri in Werifesteria. Yes, I visited the Kingdom of Corbin and explained everything to Evrin, but he was unwilling to help. He said he didn't want to assist another Akari only to see his kingdom destroyed again. Despite my persistent efforts to persuade him, he still refused to help. But yesterday, one of the messengers from the Kingdom of Corbin handed me this letter, which has the official seal of Queen Azara." With that, he handed the letter to Serena.

Serena took the letter in her hands, shaking slightly as she opened it. Before she could read the contents, Selmor continued, "I've already read it. This letter states that the cure for Nathaira's poison is crushed black tulips, combined with a few drops of the Kingdom of Corbin's sacred ender and a few drops of our sacred imber. However, the black tulip only grows in the personal yard of Queen Azara. If we want Queen Azara's help, it will come at a price—Anezka. Queen Azara requires Anezka as her betrothed bride in exchange for saving Anezka's life."

As Selmor spoke, both the king and queen were devastated. They desperately wanted to see their child alive, but at what cost? "No, she will make my child's life a living hell; I can't do that," Serena said, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face. Mikael held her tightly, both of them shaking with sorrow. Seeing their distress, Selmor intervened. "Your Majesty, I believe you should think rationally. One thing I am sure of is that even if anezka lives in the Kingdom of Corbin under Queen azara's care, I don't think Queen azara will harm her, at least not physically. We both know why Queen azara wants anezka—she wouldn't destroy her own cure. Anezka would be safe there. But if you refuse Queen azara's help, you will have to witness your daughter living like a breathing corpse until she eventually gives up on herself and willingly surrenders her soul to the underworld's devil queen."

Hearing Selmor's wise words, Mikael nodded and said, "Yes, Serena, he is right. Our daughter will be safe there. Seeing our daughter rotting in a closed chamber is the worst thing we can do—to us and to her. She deserves a life, Serena." Upon hearing this, Serena shook her head and sat on the floor, her crown falling beside her. "Why? Why my daughter?" she wailed like a small child, while Selmor and Mikael witnessed this heart-wrenching scene with tears in their eyes.

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"I am bathed in tears of grief and despair."

- By Marie Antoinette