Chapter 3

Caught between a demon uprising ahead, Queen Regina's threats behind, and my imminent labor, my options were dwindling fast.

My maids and guards all hesitated.

Queen Regina beckoned her attendants, intending to force me into the Sacred Emberwood Treehouse prepared at the manor.

My guards stepped forward to block them. While unsure whether to retreat or advance, these were seasoned veterans from the battlefield, loyal only to Kaelen and me.

But then, a fiery aura pulsed violently from my abdomen, growing even larger and more intense. I screamed, wracked with searing pain.

My agonizing scream startled my maids and guards. They quickly surrounded me and hurried me into the manor.

Behind me, Queen Regina murmured gleefully, "Born amidst fierce flames, it must be a phoenix! And conveniently, the manor has a Sacred Emberwood Treehouse. Take her there to await the birth!"

Seraphina's eyes darted around. She subtly cast a spell to induce her own labor, then shrieked "Ah!" herself, her face contorted in "pain," claiming she was also going into labor.

"What do we do? There's only one Sacred Emberwood Treehouse in the manor!" Valerius fretted, holding her, feigning distress.

Giving birth to a commonfowl egg didn't require a Sacred Emberwood! They were clearly trying to use this as an excuse to swap my child!

Cold sweat plastered my skin as searing pain threatened to overwhelm my sanity. I could only order my maids to surround me entirely with screens, ensuring no contact with Seraphina and preventing Queen Regina from bringing anyone inside.

With my guards positioned outside the screens, a flicker of calm returned to me.

I desperately poured my magic into the egg, urging my precious hatchling to hold on, to wait until its father arrived before coming into the world!

But before I could even catch my breath, Queen Regina's shrill voice pierced through the screens. "What impropriety is this, allowing guards inside? Get out, all of you! Standing guard outside is perfectly adequate!"

My guards stood firm, refusing to yield.

Seraphina, however, declared she was afraid of so many people in the room.

Soon after, sounds of a struggle erupted from beyond the screens.

I bit down hard on my lip, a thin trickle of blood escaping the corner of my mouth.

My voice, though strained by pain, was sharp with fury. "What are you doing to my guards?!"

Queen Regina swept past the screens, her smile sickeningly sweet. "Your sister is also giving birth in here! How can we have so many crude men around?"

Then her tone shifted, becoming deceptively reassuring. "Kaelen isn't here, and this is an emergency. I'll just have Valerius perform the protective ritual for both you and your sister."

It happened just like this in my previous life. Queen Regina claimed Valerius would perform the ritual from behind the screen. I was in such agony, practically delirious, that I didn't think twice. Desperate to protect my child, I agreed.

Not long after, they cast a spell on me, and I blacked out.

When I woke, all I had was a patchy-feathered commonfowl egg.

But during my labor, I'd been engulfed in furious flames—a clear sign of a phoenix's birth! How could it possibly have been a commonfowl egg?

Queen Regina, however, declared I was hallucinating, that I refused to accept my ominous birth, and had gone mad.

King Theron, in a rage, had me thrown into the dungeons.

Recalling the horrors of my past life, I knew that if Valerius performed that ritual, I'd be utterly at their mercy!

"Not even through a screen! I refuse to be touched by any other man! I've already alerted my husband; I will wait for *him*!"

The room fell silent for a moment, save for my uncontrollable groans of agony.

Queen Regina immediately snapped, "Why are you being so unreasonable? At a critical moment like this, you care about such trivialities? If you fail to deliver this child, it will be a grave sin!"

Valerius, from behind the screen, said, "Sister-in-law, I won't be able to see you. Just let me perform the protective ritual for you."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the hem of the First Prince's robe slip past the screen, about to enter the room.

Panic seized me. I reached out, desperate to grab a maid's hand.

But already, furious flames were spreading around me, pushing everyone else back.

Queen Regina barked for all "unnecessary personnel" to leave.

My maids, by now, had clearly caught on. They stubbornly refused to budge.

"Get out, you useless wenches!" Queen Regina shrieked, ordering her guards to drag my maids out and beat them mercilessly.

Valerius, along with another person, stepped past the screens and entered.

That person held a box. Clearly, Seraphina had already "given birth" to her commonfowl egg, and they were just waiting to swap it for mine!

As the two of them drew closer, I felt a chilling despair seep into my bones, even as furious flames scorched my body. My hope was rapidly turning to ash.

Was I truly fated to fall into their wicked hands once more, even after being granted a second chance?

"Stop!"

Just as Valerius and his accomplice closed in, a calm, powerful voice rang out from outside the room.

The faces of those in the room froze. Before they could even react, Kaelen burst through the door.

My husband had come back for me!