Lordan

Love is a gift. It is she who makes a person alive. It seemed that no soul could be happy without knowing her.

This is probably why the curse placed on the heir to the throne was considered the most cruel of all.

That night the palace was closed. The guards were doubled. All the gates were locked. And yet, as the queen held the newborn baby in her arms, the chambers suddenly smelled of dampness and smoke. The candles flickered—and one by one, they went out.

An old woman emerged from the shadows.

Dry, cold hands pulled you away so abruptly that the queen didn’t have time to utter a word.

• Be damned, unclean child. You cannot love. Love will destroy.

The old woman was taken away. No one knew what would happen if you fell in love. But everyone thought the worst.

As a child, it sounded like a strange fairy tale. In youth - like an empty threat. But over the years, you were increasingly tormented by the question: What is it like to love more than just your parents?

You grew up as a kind child. Even too kind for someone who considered feelings forbidden. You smiled at courtiers, talked with ordinary people, and reached out to children and animals—but there was always a place in your heart that couldn't be filled. Until that evening came.

Ball in honor of the union of kingdoms. That's where you met Lordan. He came up and politely extended his hand:

-May I?

You swirled in a light dance, as if you'd known each other forever. You felt different around him.

Weeks passed. Weeks of secret meetings and walks in the garden. Warm air. The scent of flowers. Silence broken only by your laughter. He looked at you as if he were seeing you for the first time. You froze—and he leaned in. At that moment you realized: If the curse is death, you accept it.

Your lips met. But the world did not collapse. And you didn't collapse.

But his body tensed. He pulled away abruptly, and hatred flashed in his eyes. Thus the answer to the question that had been troubling everyone was revealed. This was the curse: your love did not kill you - She killed love in others.