Reign of Obsession

King William Albert Wilson, ruler of the tranquil yet formidable Kingdom of Aquarion, stood at the pinnacle of power. His reign was prosperous, his land renowned for its beauty and strength, and his lineage secured. The king had three wives—Queen Sienna, Lady Aurora, and Lady Sloane—each of them bound to him by politics and tradition.

Sienna, his first wife, held the coveted title of Queen. A year into their union, she bore him a son, the heir to Aquarion's throne. They named him Jade Wilson, and his birth was heralded throughout the kingdom as a symbol of future stability. The people celebrated the continuity of the royal bloodline, unaware of the turbulence that lay ahead.

While Queen Sienna basked in the glow of motherhood, it was Lady Aurora, the king's second wife, who would bring forth a birth unlike any other. After hours of agonizing labor, Aurora gave birth to twins—a boy and a girl. Word of their arrival spread quickly through the palace, filling the halls with joy and celebration. The boy was named Adrian Wilson, the girl Emily Wilson. Both children, with their striking blonde hair and rare, piercing blue eyes, inherited their mother's ethereal beauty.

Yet, as the palace rejoiced, Lady Aurora's heart grew heavy with a secret fear. That night, in the privacy of her chambers, while the twins lay peacefully in their cradles, Aurora could not find solace in sleep. She paced the room, her mind racing toward an old journal that had haunted her family for generations—an ancient book passed down through her bloodline, filled with dark and ominous truths.

"My lady, you must rest," her maid Bell pleaded, watching Aurora's pale face with worry. "You've just given birth. You need to recover."

But Aurora could not be swayed. "There is no time, Bell," she whispered, her voice thick with determination. "I need to find it."

Ignoring her maid's protests, she moved toward the small, dusty library connected to her chamber. Shelves lined with tomes of forgotten knowledge surrounded her, and her fingers trembled as she searched for the cursed book. The Crescent Lineage Journal—an heirloom of foreboding truths. After what felt like an eternity, she found it.

With trembling hands, she opened the journal, flipping through its worn pages until she found what she dreaded most. Her eyes scanned the words, their meaning striking her with the force of a blow.

If a woman of the Crescent bloodline gives birth to twins of both genders, the girl child shall inherit the power of water. Though she will be powerful beyond measure, her life shall be short, destined to perish at the age of 24.

The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet. The room spun as Aurora processed the devastating truth. Her daughter—her beautiful, innocent Emily—was cursed to die before she could fully live. Only hours old, and already, her fate had been sealed.

Aurora's chest tightened as a silent sob tore from her throat. She slammed the book shut and returned it to its hiding place, her heart shattering under the weight of her grief. She stumbled back to the cradle where Emily lay, sleeping peacefully, blissfully unaware of the cruel fate that awaited her. Aurora lifted her tiny daughter into her arms, clutching her close as tears flowed freely down her face.

"I won't let this happen to you," she whispered fiercely, her voice barely audible. "I will save you, Emily. I swear it."

As time passed, the royal family continued to grow. Queen Sienna gave birth to another son, Aiden Wilson, while Lady Sloane bore a daughter, the youngest princess, Elara Wilson. The kingdom of Aquarion thrived, and King William basked in the joy of his ever-expanding family.

But beneath the surface of this happiness, Aurora's secret gnawed at her soul, a shadow that darkened every moment of joy.

One evening, as the king prepared to retire for the night, his private guard entered his chamber with an announcement.

"Your Majesty, Lady Aurora wishes to speak with you," the guard said.

King William, surprised by the unexpected visit, nodded for her to enter. When Aurora stepped into the room, there was a solemnity in her eyes that he hadn't seen before.

"Aurora," he greeted her gently, his voice laced with curiosity. "What brings you here at this hour?"

Without hesitation, Aurora stood before him, her expression unwavering. "Your Majesty, I have a request to make."

William motioned for her to sit beside him on the bed, though there had always been an invisible distance between them—a gap that, despite the passage of time, remained unbridged. Aurora, unlike his other wives, had never allowed him into her heart, and it was this cool indifference that both frustrated and captivated him.

"What is it you seek, Aurora?" he asked, his voice softening.

"I wish to leave the palace," she stated firmly. "I want to take Emily and Adrian to the royal mansion in the forest."

The king's brow furrowed, and his heart sank at the thought of her leaving with their children. "For how long?"

"Until they are ten," she replied, her voice steady. "They will return when they are of age, but until then, I need to keep them away."

William studied her, seeing the silent desperation in her eyes. She offered no explanation, but he sensed that something troubled her deeply. Despite his misgivings, he had always respected Aurora's independence and knew better than to push her for answers.

"Very well," he said after a long pause. "But I have one condition."

Aurora's heart skipped a beat. "What is it?"

"Stay until after my birthday. And on that night…" He hesitated, the vulnerability in his voice betraying his guarded demeanor. "Stay with me. Not as my wife, but… allow me to hold you. Just once more before you go."

Aurora's body tensed at the request, but the softness in his eyes caught her off guard. She had always known him to be a powerful, commanding presence, yet here he was, asking for something so simple—so human.

She nodded stiffly. "I will."

As she rose to leave, William called out to her, his voice barely a whisper. "Aurora…"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Good night," he said softly, watching as she walked away, her figure fading into the shadows of the corridor, her secrets and sorrows left behind.

*

The King's birthday was a grand occasion, celebrated with immense splendor across the kingdom of Aquarion. The entire royal family gathered, their presence commanding the attention of nobles, warriors, and citizens alike. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, but beneath the surface, currents of power and tradition flowed deeper than anyone could see.

King William, dressed in ceremonial royal attire, stood tall and proud as he led his family to the ancestral shrine—a place where the ancient powers of their bloodline resided. A towering monument of carved stone, the Ancestral Power Rock stood as a tribute to generations past, the source of the Wilson family's elemental abilities, particularly the royal gift of controlling water.

One by one, he introduced his children to the stone, a rite of passage that symbolized the awakening of their latent powers.

First, he took his eldest son, Jade, a bright and curious three-year-old, and guided his small hand to touch the cool surface of the ancestral stone. Instantly, Jade's black eyes shifted, glowing with an ethereal blue light. The water from the surrounding fountains and pools shimmered in response, lifting itself into the air, swirling around him as if recognizing its master. A murmur of approval rippled through the gathered crowd.

"Remarkable," William said, his voice filled with pride. "He will be a great warrior one day."

Next, he lifted Adrian, his second son, barely a year old but already showing signs of his strength. As William placed Adrian's tiny hand on the stone, the child's blue eyes deepened to an intense shade of sapphire. The water around them obeyed instantly, rising higher than it had with Jade, twirling in intricate patterns as though it were dancing in Adrian's command. The people watching couldn't hide their awe.

"And him," William announced with a smile, "he will be even greater."

Finally, the king took Aiden, his youngest son, only two months old, and gently held him before the stone. Although the boy was still an infant, the reaction was immediate. The water rose in delicate droplets, surrounding the child like a halo of liquid pearls. The gathering was silent, struck by the innate power each of the king's sons possessed. Aiden's eyes, though still youthful, flickered with a faint glow.

"These three," William declared proudly, his voice strong, "will become the greatest warriors Aquarion has ever seen."

The crowd erupted into cheers, but behind the smiles and applause, Lady Aurora's heart was heavy with fear. She watched the ritual unfold, her tension building beneath her composed exterior. As much as she rejoiced in her sons' gifts, she dreaded the moment when her daughter, Emily, would face her fate.

Emily was different. Emily carried the curse.

Unable to contain her anxiety, Aurora gently pinched Emily's tiny hand, causing the infant to cry out in hunger.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice calm despite the storm in her chest. "I will take her to feed."

The king and his guests barely noticed as Aurora slipped away into one of the ceremonial tents. She felt the weight of the prophecy pressing down on her, a truth she had kept hidden from everyone, even her husband. If anyone knew, especially King William, the balance of their family—and the kingdom—would be forever changed.

As the royal family continued their celebrations, enjoying a grand lunch in the castle's dining hall, Aurora quietly made her way back to the Ancestral Power Rock. Her steps were slow, deliberate, each one a battle against the fear that gripped her heart. She knew what she was about to do was dangerous, but the secret she bore could no longer stay hidden.

Once she reached the stone, she gently cradled Emily's small hands and placed them on the cool surface of the rock.

At first, nothing happened. The air was still. But then, faint bubbles of water began to rise from the ground, swirling gently in the air, just as they had with her brothers. For a brief moment, Aurora let out a breath of relief, believing her daughter's power was ordinary. But then, the air shifted.

The water bubbles that had hovered harmlessly suddenly surged upward, encircling both mother and daughter in a swirling cocoon of liquid. Aurora's heart raced as she watched the water intensify, shimmering with an unnatural energy. Golden light began to emanate from Emily's tiny body, her delicate form glowing like the sun itself. Her eyes, once the familiar shade of blue, darkened into a striking Prussian hue, flecks of gold dancing within them like flames in the depths of the ocean.

Aurora gasped, stumbling backward as the power of the water—stronger than anything she had ever seen—expanded outward. Emily, only a baby, was wielding a force that surpassed all her brothers combined.

"This can't be," Aurora whispered, her voice trembling with shock. She had prayed desperately for the prophecy to be wrong, to be nothing more than an old wives' tale passed down through generations. But now, faced with the undeniable truth, Aurora's worst fears had come to life.

Emily was powerful—far too powerful. And it could only mean one thing: the prophecy would come true. Her daughter, blessed with unimaginable strength, was also cursed to die at the age of 24.

Aurora staggered back, her eyes wide as she watched the water around them fall abruptly to the ground, shattering like fragile glass. The moment of magic had passed, but its implications remained.

Tears welled in Aurora's eyes, though she refused to let them fall. She couldn't afford weakness, not now. She had to be strong for Emily, for the future.

"I will find a way," Aurora whispered, her voice steady with renewed determination. "I will save you, Emily. No matter what it takes."

The curse of her bloodline may have been inescapable, but Aurora was not one to surrender to fate. She would fight for her daughter's life, even if it meant defying the very powers that ruled over them all.