My sister, Seraphina, and I were married into the Phoenix Clan at the same time, and by a twist of fate, we also conceived at the same time. Seraphina gave birth to a pure-blood, golden-feathered phoenix. The First Prince, Valerius, whom she married, was immediately proclaimed the next ruler of the Phoenix Clan. But I… I birthed a patchy-feathered chick, cursed as an ill omen. My husband, the Second Prince Kaelen, was implicated, tortured, and died. It was only after my death that I learned the truth: that chick was clearly *hers*! It was all a sinister plot orchestrated by her and the First Prince. Their goal? To conceal the First Prince’s true lineage and usurp the Phoenix throne. Then, I opened my eyes again. I was back. Back to the time before I gave birth, with Seraphina arriving, laden with tonics, to ‘visit’ me… “Ever since I got pregnant, I’ve had to sleep in the room by the Sacred Emberwood. Otherwise, I just can’t fall asleep. Sometimes, colorful birds and magpies gather around me, chirping incessantly. It must be this little one in my belly acting up,” Seraphina simpered, feigning annoyance, stroking her belly and droning on about all the “unusual occurrences” around her since she became pregnant. Watching Seraphina, I knew. I had been reborn. A mongrel egg, nested by the Sacred Emberwood? Surrounded by magpies? What a sick joke. But I wasn’t about to expose her lies right then and there. She’d been weaving this web of deceit since the start of her pregnancy; I wouldn’t unravel it with just a few words. I offered a small smile. “All these strange phenomena around you, Seraphina, could it be you’re carrying a tiny phoenix?” At my words, Seraphina’s face lit up with a beaming smile. But all I could feel was the venomous malice festering behind that smile. Seraphina and I were both legitimate daughters of the Azure Avian Kin, yet I was unloved by my father, Lord Alaric, and scorned by my mother, Lorelei. Mother blamed me for not being a son, for her losing Father’s favor, pouring all her affection onto Seraphina instead. Growing up, only Seraphina would occasionally check on me. She was the only one I felt close to. We married into the Phoenix Clan together. She wed Valerius, the gentle and refined First Prince, while I married Kaelen, the brave and formidable Second Prince. And we both became pregnant at the same time. So, when she came to visit me, bearing tonics, and then invited me to Silverwood Manor for a change of scenery, I suspected nothing. But little did I know, it was the beginning of my nightmare. In my past life, only after my own agonizing death did I discover the horrific truth: my husband’s and my tragic end was all Seraphina’s and the First Prince’s doing. Valerius was the result of Queen Regina’s illicit affair, a mongrel born of infidelity. Naturally, the egg Seraphina carried was also a mongrel egg. King Theron was aging, desperate to see a pure-blood Phoenix egg hatch before his death. He decreed that all newly laid eggs be brought to the Royal Palace for incubation. Valerius, terrified his true lineage would be exposed, knew discovery meant certain death. And if Valerius died, Seraphina would not only lose her esteemed status as First Princess but also be banished back to the Azure Avian Kin. No matter what, Seraphina’s offspring *had* to be a pure-blood egg. That’s when Seraphina and Valerius set their sights on me. They conspired with Queen Regina. While I was exhausted from labor, they drugged me, then swapped my pure-blood golden Phoenix egg for theirs. Had I not overheard it myself after my death, I would never have believed my own sister, the one I grew up with, capable of such betrayal! To cover their monstrous secret, after swapping my egg, they slandered me, claiming I’d birthed an ominous commonfowl egg, and threw me into the dungeons. My husband, Kaelen, used his military merits to free me, only to have King Theron question *his* lineage. He was tortured to death. But Seraphina wasn’t done with me. She deliberately sought me out, sneering, “You truly are a jinx, just as Mother always said! At home, you caused Mother to lose favor. Married, you brought about your husband’s torture and death. What good are you alive? You might as well just die!” After her cruel words, she summoned the guards and had me thrown into the Demon Lands, where I was dismembered and brutally murdered. Now, seeing Seraphina’s smug, triumphant smile, I forcefully suppressed the tidal wave of hatred surging within me. This time, I swore, I would protect my child. And they would pay!
We’d just arrived at the manor today, and I wouldn’t go into labor until the third day. There was still time. Without a sound, I crushed the jade pendant Kaelen had given me. It held a wisp of his spiritual essence; crushing it would alert him to my distress. In my previous life, when my labor began, I should have sent for Kaelen. Because as the flames of birth flared around me, I finally knew: I was carrying a golden Phoenix. A golden Phoenix born to an outsider like me required the Phoenix Clan’s divine power for protection, lest the mother’s body be scorched by the egg’s fierce flames. But Seraphina and Queen Regina wouldn’t allow me to send for anyone. They earnestly pleaded, “The Second Prince is at a crucial point, fighting back the Demonkin! We can’t distract him. Just set up a screen, and let the First Prince protect you with his magic.” Kaelen’s mother had been an unremarkable concubine. His current standing was solely built on his hard-won military achievements, earned through countless battles. If my labor forced him to withdraw from the battlefield, it would indeed damage his reputation. So, I foolishly trusted their words and didn’t send for my husband. This meant I was surrounded only by Queen Regina’s maids and midwives. During labor, Queen Regina seized full control, silently swapping out my egg. This life, I wouldn’t let them have their way! With the jade pendant crushed, I ordered my maids to pack our things. I needed to get out of there, back to the Royal Palace, *now*. The palace was my territory. There, I could contact other Phoenix Clan royals who supported Kaelen. Kaelen could arrive by the next day. By then, no matter how Queen Regina tried to interfere, it would be futile. Seraphina saw me packing and instantly panicked. She rushed to block my path. “Little sister, you just arrived! Why the hurry to leave?” I subtly pushed her hand away, smiling. “I just remembered, Kaelen’s mother has a medical consultation today. She hasn’t been well lately, and as her daughter-in-law, it’s my duty to be there for her. It saves Kaelen from worrying about domestic matters while he’s on the battlefield.” Seraphina tried to dissuade me. “Just a day or two won’t hurt! Queen Regina herself is here. Is Kaelen’s mother more important than the Queen?” Queen Regina being here only meant one thing: she was planning to swap my egg! A cold sneer twisted my lips. I signaled my maids to guard me, ignored Seraphina, and headed straight for the carriage. Just then, Queen Regina’s enraged voice bellowed from behind us. “Second Princess, what’s with the sudden rush to leave? Are you perhaps tired of an old mother like me?” I suppressed my rising anxiety, offering a polite smile. “Your Majesty, you’re overthinking things.” Despite her words, I persisted in leaving. Everyone in the Phoenix Clan knew Queen Regina and the Second Prince were at odds. King Theron, due to the Second Prince’s immense military achievements, simply turned a blind eye to it. As my maids helped me, just as I was about to step into the carriage, Valerius rushed up, breathless. He called out loudly, “Sister-in-law, wait! There’s a demon uprising ahead. It’s too dangerous to leave!” My fists clenched. My chest heaved with fury. In my past life, there had been no such “demon uprising.” They actually *instigated* a demon disturbance within the Phoenix Clan’s borders, just to stop me! Despicable! “Ah!” Seraphina shrieked, clamping a hand over her mouth. Her other hand trembled as she pointed at my abdomen. “Blood-fire…” I followed her gaze, and my breath caught in my throat. It was time. I was going into labor! Perhaps my intense emotional upheaval had triggered premature labor. Seeing this, all three of their faces lit up with malicious glee. Queen Regina’s expression instantly softened, becoming sickly sweet. She personally came forward to support me, intending to lead me back to the manor. But I refused. I’d been granted this second chance! How could I possibly let my child fall into their hands again? I *had* to go back. I *had* to wait for Kaelen. “Your Majesty, I cannot give birth in a strange place! I must return to the palace! A mere demon horde is no match for my guards!” I grit my teeth against the pain, gesturing for my maids and guards to protect me. Seraphina and Valerius exchanged a look, then subtly signaled Queen Regina. Queen Regina’s voice turned sharp and menacing. “Don’t listen to the Second Princess! She’s about to give birth. If anything happens on the road, not only will I not spare you, but even King Theron will hold you accountable!”
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!
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