The prophecy of a blind heiress

The prophecy comes to life

As the royal couple, king Darra and queen Leah welcomed their newborn child into the world, a collective gasp echoed through the grand halls of the palace, adorned with intricate tapestries and flickering candles. The room once electric with anticipation, now hummed with a mix of disappointment, curiosity, and a hint of fear. For generations, the kingdom of Arie had eagerly awaited the arrival of a male heir, a future king to secure the throne and continue the royal lineage but all had been in vain.

The queen's labor had been long and arduous, shrouded in an air of anxiety that only intensified as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the palace. The scent of lavender and rose petals wafted through the air, mingling with the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread from the castle kitchens.

And now, as the midwife, a wise and aged woman named Kate, held up the swaddled infant, a hush fell over the assembly. The baby's tiny face scrunched up, her eyes squeezed shut as if refusing to acknowledge the world's expectations. A faint hum of whispers began to circulate among the courtiers and nobles, their faces etched with concern, their eyes darting towards the king and queen.

King Darra's face, strong and resolute, searched for reassurance from Kate, who offered a gentle smile. "A healthy child , your majesties,' she said, 'a beautiful daughter, born with the mark of the crescent moon on her right shoulder.' Immediately, the news spread like wildfire through the palace, whispers began to circulate, echoing off the stone walls. 'A girl?' they murmured. 'Is she the one of the prophecy? What of the future? Will she be able to lead us to greatness or will she be the one to shatter the very foundations of our kingdom?'

The king back to his chamber with the queen could not stop but worry about the future of their kingdom. "Can she be really the one to take us down?' the king wondered. 'But she is our child, your majesty, we can't get rid of her just because of such prophesies. ' the queen said. ' The heavens have blessed us with a child after such a long period, so are we gonna get rid of it just because it is a girl?' the queen sobbed .

As the days passed, the royal couple's joy and wonder at their daughter's arrival began to give way to concern. They noticed that she did not respond to visual stimuli, did not track moving objects and didn't seem to focus on their faces. At first, they attributed it to her young age, but as the weeks turned into months, their unease grew.

Queen Leah , devoted to her daughter, spent hours with her trying to engage her in play to no avail. She began to suspect that something was amiss but couldn't quite put her finger on it. King Darra, meanwhile threw himself into his duties, avoiding the subject altogether.

It wasn't until their daughter's second name-day, when Kate, the midwife, approached them with a somber expression, that the truth began to dawn on them. "Your Majesties,' Kate said, her voice barely above a whisper, ' I fear our princess may be.....blind."

The room seemed to spin around them as the weight of her words settled in. King Darra's face turned ashen, while Queen Leah felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. "What do you mean?' King Darra demanded, his voice shaking. 'She's just .....delayed, that's all."

Kate's expression was sympathetic, but firm. "I have seen it before, your majesty. The signs are clear, our princess may never see the world around her."

The royal couple's world was shattered. They thought of the prophecy, of the kingdom's future, and of their daughter's fate. They knew they had to keep her condition a secret, to protect her from those who would seek to use it against her..... and against them.

Unfortunately, the news of the princess's blindness spread through the palace, whispers of discontent began to circulate among the nobles and courtiers . King Darra's uncle, Duke Leoswood, a man with reputation f or ruthlessness and ambition, saw an opportunity to further his own claims to the throne.

"This is a sign from the heavens, 'Duke Leoswood declared, his voice dripping with malice. 'a blind princess cannot rule, and a king who cannot produce a worthy heir is unfit to reign."

King Darra , determined to protect his daughter and his throne, stood firm against the growing opposition. ' My daughter's blindness does not define her worth,' he declared. 'She will make a great queen, with or without sight ." "And the prophecy, are saying that you are choosing a curse over your own people?' thundered the Duke. 'Everyone knows the prophecy and we can see with our own eyes that, it is her. We must get rid of the curse, your majesty."

Despite the king's bravado, the seeds of doubt had been sown. The courtiers and nobles began to whisper among themselves, wondering if the king's love for his daughter had clouded his judgment.

Queen Leah, seeing the growing unease , knew she had to act. She summoned the wisest scholars and most skilled healers in the land, hoping to find a solution to their daughter's blindness. But as days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, it became clear that the little princess' condition was irreversible.

The royal couple's love for their daughter only grew stronger but the pressure from outside forces continued to build. Duke Leos wood's schemes and plots thickened, threatening to destroy everything they held dear.