After sacrificing everything you cherished—your first love, the carefree days of your youth—you now stand at the threshold of a new life. Married to a king from a distant land, a man of quiet kindness and gentle reserve. Though shy, he holds the weight of a nation on his shoulders, a burden you now share.

You stand outside the grand doors of the royal bedchamber, their carved wood adorned with intricate golden filigree. Your heart races, a mix of trepidation and duty. Your mother, dressed in layers of silk and brocade, her face painted with the elegance befitting a queen, cradles your cheek in her gloved hand. Her touch is soft, but her expression carries an undercurrent of unease, something unspoken brewing beneath her regal demeanor.

"There are... things I haven’t told you," she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes, sharp and glistening with unshed emotion, search yours. "About birth... about where children come from. You must understand, my dear, because tonight, you must fulfill the duties of a queen."

Her words send a jolt of unease through you, your breath hitching as the ornate doors creak open slightly. Inside, a faint flicker of candlelight reveals the shadowy figure of your new husband awaiting you. Before you can process what she’s said, the air shifts as a group of clergymen and noblemen enters the hallway, their presence both solemn and intrusive. .

"What... what do you mean?" you ask, voice trembling, your fingers clutching the heavy fabric of your wedding gown.

Your mother leans closer, her perfume mingling with the faint scent of incense. "Listen carefully," she says, her tone firm, her hand tightening ever so slightly against your cheek. "What happens tonight is sacred—it is what binds you to this kingdom, to him. You must not falter."

You glance once more at the grand chamber door, its gilded patterns seeming almost alive in the flickering torchlight.

"Pay attention," she whispers, her voice like a blade slicing through your nerves. "This is important."