The consort's chambers were quiet in the afternoon light.
Soft curtains swayed gently in the breeze drifting through the open window, and the faint scent of herbs lingered in the air. Stara lay on the bed, perfectly still, her hands resting over her stomach as Lila worked carefully beside her.
One by one, the midwife inserted thin acupuncture needles into Stara's knees. Her movements were precise, practiced. But her mind seemed elsewhere.
Stara noticed.
"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.
Lila didn't answer immediately. Instead, she turned her head toward the doorway.
"Aisha?"
"Yes, teacher," a young voice responded.
"I forgot the bottle of clove oil in the infirmary," Lila said. "Go fetch it for me."
"Right away."
Aisha hurried out. The door closed behind her and silence settled over the room again.
Then Lila spoke.
"Can I tell you a story?"
Stara blinked in mild surprise.
"A story? Sure."
Lila continued working as she began.
"A very long time ago," she said softly, "it is said that mystical creatures were the first inhabitants of this land. They lived here for centuries, though humans could not see them."
Her fingers adjusted another needle.
"When humans arrived, they had no idea they were sharing the land with invisible beings. To them, this place was paradise."
Stara listened quietly.
"But when humans began building permanent homes," Lila continued, "the creatures realized the humans were here to stay and they hated it. So, they brought forth a calamity. Cattle died. Crops withered. Rivers and wells dried up. People began to die."
Stara frowned slightly.
"This continued for years," Lila said. "Until one day, the village elder received a vision of a place deep in the forest."
She inserted another needle carefully.
"The next morning, he and his two sons set out to find it. And they did. For the first time in nearly a thousand years, the creatures revealed themselves. They offered the elder man peace," Lila said. "But only under two conditions."
Stara raised an eyebrow.
"The first was a riddle," Lila explained. "And the elder man solved it. The second condition was a blood sacrifice."
Stara's expression shifted.
"They promised the elder man he would become the first ruler of the land," Lila continued. "They promised that his bloodline would rule for centuries, blessed with wealth and power."
She looked down at Stara.
"But in return, every first wife of the men in his bloodline would be sacrificed."
Stara snorted softly. "That's absurd. Did he accept?"
"Sadly," Lila said quietly, "he did. And from there, a kingdom was born."
The room fell silent.
"That elder man became the first king," Lila said. "His sons ruled after him. And the tradition continued."
Stara let out a small laugh.
"I don't recommend telling stories like that to a pregnant woman, Lila," she said lightly. "It's distasteful."
But Lila didn't laugh.
"My grandfather heard that story from his grandfather," she said quietly. "And his grandfather heard it from his. At first, I thought it was just a legend. But the more I thought about it… the more it began to make sense."
Lila's voice lowered to a whisper.
"You are in grave danger."
Stara blinked. "What?"
"That kingdom in the story," Lila said softly, "is what we now call Natron. And the bloodline of that elder man… is the royal family."
The words settled heavily in the room.
"You are about to become Bazi's first wife," Lila said. She looked directly into Stara's eyes. "And that means you have been marked for death."
Stara stared at her in shock.
"But that's not all," Lila continued.
From inside her robe, she pulled out a small pouch. Gold coins spilled slightly through the opening.
"This was given to me by the queen," she said.
Stara's heart pounded.
"For a task I am meant to carry out."
Lila's gaze softened.
"You are not the only one in danger." She glanced down at Stara's stomach. "Your baby is too."
Stara instinctively wrapped both hands over her belly.
"Why?" she whispered. "What did my baby do?"
"Because you have been marked for death," Lila said gently. "Your child is considered cursed. It is not meant to live."
Stara's eyes widened.
"I was ordered to kill the baby when it is born."
"No!" Stara cried.
Lila raised her hands quickly.
"I am a midwife," she said firmly. "I have been one for thirty years."
Her voice was full of quiet conviction.
"I do not kill babies. I welcome them into the world. That is my life's work."
She clenched the pouch tightly.
"If I follow the queen's order… then everything I have done for thirty years means nothing. I would be a monster."
Stara's voice trembled.
"Lila…"
"Being marked for death means there is no escape," Lila continued. "Wherever you go, the curse will follow."
She looked at Stara sadly.
"I cannot save you. But the child inside you can be saved."
Stara felt the words like a knife. She looked up.
Lila leaned closer.
"I have spent three days thinking of a way." She lowered her voice. "In the fifth village, a woman recently gave birth to a stillborn boy."
Stara listened intently.
"The loss shattered her mind. She refuses to accept that he is dead. She believes he will wake." Lila took a deep breath. "Aisha and I have obtained the baby."
Stara's heart pounded faster.
"When your child is born," Lila whispered, "we will send your baby to that grieving family."
"And the royal family?"
"We will show them the dead one."
Stara's mind spun.
"Lila… you could be killed for this."
"I know." Lila's eyes filled with sorrow. "But I am willing to risk everything. I am sorry I cannot save you."
Stara swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry this is your fate."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Stara asked quietly,
"All royal births are witnessed by the queen and the queen mother." She looked directly at Lila. "How do you plan to deceive what they can see with their own eyes?"
Lila exhaled heavily.
"That is where I am stuck."
She rubbed her temples.
"I told the queen your due date is in four weeks." Her voice grew tense. "If only you could go into labor tonight… we might succeed."
She looked helplessly at Stara.
"But the baby is not ready."
Stara took a deep breath. "Unless we force it."
Lila blinked. "Yes… but how?"
Stara closed her eyes for a moment.
Then she opened them again, determination shining in them.
"Lila," she said calmly, "I need you and Aisha nearby tonight. With the dead baby. Leave the rest to me."
"Do you have a plan?" Lila asked.
Stara rested her hands on her stomach.
"We have to save my baby," she said quietly. "No matter what."
Lila nodded.
"Yes, my lady."
She stood quickly.
"I will prepare everything."
She hurried out of the chamber.
***