Upon returning from his long journey, Nashr wasted no time. That very night, in one of the palace’s grandest stone meeting halls, he convened a meeting with Talrakia’s top officials. The room was dimly lit by torches that cast a flickering amber glow upon the ancient wall carvings, creating an atmosphere that was both heavy and majestic. A large map was spread across a stone table, and though wine had been served, no one dared to touch a single chalice.

Nashr sat at the head of the table, radiating an undeniable aura of dominance. He wore practical yet expensive clothing that complemented his tanned skin and piercing amethyst eyes. Rashid, his right hand, stood beside him with flawless composure.

Without any small talk, Nashr opened the meeting. "I have returned. And I have brought a future wife."

The room went dead silent. The officials, all experienced men in formal robes, looked at one another in disbelief. Whispers began to break out, but Nashr’s cold stare silenced them immediately.

"Given her age, the wedding ceremony will be postponed until she reaches fifteen, according to Talrakian custom," Nashr continued, his voice calm yet carrying absolute authority.

This shocked them even more. Their King—Nashr, the "Lion of Talrakia"—who had spent years rejecting marriage offers to focus on his rule, was bringing home a future wife. Moreover, she was no ordinary woman, but a young girl from a different race.

Unspoken questions hung in the air. Everyone was thinking the same thing. Why a child? Why someone who cannot yet provide heirs? If Nashr desired a queen, he could have anyone. Many among them, at Nashr’s age, already had at least two children. To them, choosing a child from a nomadic clan made no sense.

Internal debate flared in the minds of the officials, and some began to mutter under their breath. An elder with a long beard cleared his throat, intending to voice an objection.

However, before he could speak, an invisible wave of dominant energy swept through the room. A faint golden aura radiated from Nashr, making it hard for anyone to breathe. He did not raise his voice or offer a threat, but his mere presence was enough to silence them all.

"This decision," Nashr interrupted, his voice dropping an octave, "is final."

His amethyst eyes flashed as he looked at each official one by one. "Entya is under my protection. She is a part of Talrakia from this moment forward." He paused, and a thin smile appeared on his face. To those who knew him, that smile was a threat. "I will not remain idle if anyone dares to harm her."

The message was clear. There would be no further debate. No more questions. Nashr, the King, had spoken. And in Talrakia, the King’s decree was the absolute law.

The room remained quiet as the officials accepted the news, though a newfound curiosity lingered about the little girl who had managed to shake the foundations of their stone palace.

Sometime later, Nashr was pacing restlessly in his large study, lit only by the dim glow of copper lanterns.

The sound of his heavy footsteps echoed through the quiet room. He had taken off his outer robe, leaving only a dark linen shirt that framed his broad shoulders. Rashid stood silently in the corner; his eyes followed his King’s every movement. It had been a long time since he’d seen Nashr this agitated, as if he were burning up inside.

"Rashid," Nashr said sharply. "Call Elam. I want to see him right now."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Rashid replied without question, leaving immediately.

Nashr stopped by a large window and looked out at the dark desert. His purple eyes were flickering with gold sparks as he thought about the girl. Entya. She was finally here, under the same roof.

Before long, the door opened and Elam, the scholar, walked in. His navy blue robes were a bit messy, showing he had been called in a hurry.

"Your Majesty," Elam greeted with a slight bow. "You called for me?"

"Elam," Nashr turned, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. "My last journey to the northern border—you know I was looking for a solution to our problems."

Elam nodded. "Of course, my Lord. Searching for soil anomalies, hidden water sources... any data we could use to push back the Dead Lands."

"And for weeks, I found nothing," Nashr continued, his voice full of energy. "Dead lands, miasma, dry winds, and despair. But then, something happened."

He glanced at Rashid. "There was a change in the air as I approached the steppes of the Salkha Clan. The air felt humid, and the ground was different."

Elam looked skeptical. "Different how? Geologically?"

"It was alive," Nashr interrupted, his gaze intense. "The earth felt alive, Elam. I knelt down and touched it. The grass that should have been withered this season was a deeper green. Wild plants that were shriveled elsewhere were fresh and healthy."

Elam and Rashid exchanged a look.

"A local fertility anomaly?" Elam asked, searching for a logical explanation. "Perhaps an underground river?"

"No," Nashr answered quickly, he smiled. "The source wasn't under the ground. It was walking on top of it."

The room went quiet. Elam stared at his King, trying to comprehend. Rashid remained expressionless, though his brow twitched.

"A girl," Nashr explained quietly, as if sharing the world's greatest secret. "A healer from the nomad clan. Wherever she is, the land around her responds. I felt it. A pure life force radiates from her, nourishing the earth."

Elam gasped. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, this sounds like a fairy tale."

"I would have thought so too had I not seen it with my own eyes," Nashr countered. "Arash saw a soldier who was about to die from a fatal wound recover in seconds because of her."

Elam didn't know what to say. A human who could influence an ecosystem? Heal fatal wounds? It defied every natural law he had studied.

However, he saw the look in Nashr’s eyes. It was the look of a discoverer who had just found a new object of study. He clearly wasn't making it up. The enthusiasm was so palpable that even Elam began to wonder.

She is not just a solution for Talrakia, Nashr thought to himself.

While he appeared to be a passionate visionary on the outside, deep within his heart, that resonance energy was an irresistible addiction.

She is the answer to a void I didn't even know I had. That resonance... I want it. For myself.

"That girl, Entya, is here now," Nashr said, ending the silence. "She is my future wife."

Even Rashid couldn't hide his surprise this time. Elam just stared, speechless.

They think I'm doing this for the kingdom, Nashr thought, his eyes flashing gold. And indeed, it is. But that is only a small part of the truth.

I will give her a noble reason to stay—saving my land. A reason that will bind her to the fate of Talrakia, to my fate. A beautiful lie that will make her choose to stay, without resistance.

Nashr let his smile widen, radiating both the charm of a ruler and the cunning of a master player. "Tomorrow, Elam. I want you to prepare all the data on the worst parts of the Dead Lands. I'm going to show her the world she can save."

And with that, he had finally found a way to keep her in his world.