Search for the Queen

The next morning, the royal court was summoned.

The King sat upon his throne, listening as the astrologers spoke of stars, prophecies, and a girl yet to be born—or perhaps already living somewhere beyond their reach. His expression remained unchanged, though his patience wore thin.

“You expect me to believe,” he said at last, his voice calm but edged with skepticism, “that the fate of my kingdom depends on a child we have never seen… from a land we do not know?”

The court remained silent.

“Yes,” the Head Astrologer replied without hesitation.

The King leaned back, exhaling sharply.

“And you want me to send my people across the seas chasing a story written in the sky?”

Before the astrologer could respond—

The Queen spoke.

“My lord,” she said gently, yet with quiet authority, “every great decision in this kingdom was once uncertain. Every dam we built, every field we cultivated—we trusted in what we could not guarantee.”

The King looked at her, his gaze softening slightly.

“This is different.”

“Is it?” she asked.

She stepped forward, her eyes steady.

“Our people are suffering. We have tried everything within our power… and still, the land weakens. If there is even a chance—no matter how small—that this prophecy is true… can we afford to ignore it?”

The King did not answer immediately.

Because deep down—

He knew she was right.

The Queen turned to the astrologers.

“If this child is to be brought into our kingdom,” she said, her voice now strategic, decisive, “it will not be through force.”

The court listened carefully.

“We will form a bond… one that cannot be broken.”

“A marriage alliance,” one minister realized.

She nodded.

“Yes. The girl—when she is born—must be promised to our future king. Not as a captive… but as our queen.”

The room stirred with tension.

“This alliance must be established long before her birth is known to others,” she continued. “We will send our finest travelers, along with the Head Astrologer himself. They will follow the path written in the stars, find the distant kingdom, and form a pact—one built on trust, wealth, and honor.”

“And if others discover her?” the King asked quietly.

The Queen’s expression turned serious.

“Then they will try to take her.”

A silence followed.

“This mission,” she said firmly, “must remain a secret between the two kingdoms. No one else must know… not until the time comes.”

The King studied her for a long moment.

Then, slowly—

He nodded.

“Prepare the expedition.”

That night, as the kingdom slept under a restless sky, preparations began.

Ships were readied.

Supplies gathered.