The dust from the desert still covered their clothes as Nashr and Entya arrived back at the palace. The massive stone building welcomed them, a sharp contrast to the horrors of the Dead Lands they had just witnessed. Nashr wasted no time. He took Entya to the back of the palace to a large open field where the soldiers usually practiced. By the King's decree, the area had been cleared, leaving only a stretch of sand and a few archery targets standing in the distance.

Nashr turned to her with a confident smirk. "From now on," he said, "I’m your teacher."

For the first time, Entya truly observed Nashr, not as her kidnapper or a powerful king, but as a man. His sun-bronzed skin was perfectly sculpted by the desert heat. His broad shoulders looked sturdy, as if capable of carrying the weight of the world. His maroon, wild hair reached his shoulders and looked surprisingly soft, like a majestic lion’s mane. Gold vertical earrings hung from his ears. And his eyes, which were a bright amethyst color, watched her intensely with a mix of wisdom and determination. He had a natural leader energy that was impossible to ignore.

Nashr held out his hand, and a steady gold light began to flow out, filling the area like warm ripples in water. The light was calming but felt incredibly strong. It soon concentrated and solidified. Before Entya's wide eyes, it formed the silhouette of a lion. The glowing spirit lion walked slowly in front of Nashr, looking every bit like the king of the desert. It stared at Entya with golden eyes, as if offering a greeting.

"This is my power," Nashr explained, his voice calm yet proud. "I can turn it into a shield, or into any weapon I desire." He demonstrated, shaping the golden light into a sharp sword, then back into a swirling vortex of energy dancing in his palm.

He touched his stomach. "The core of my power is centered in the solar plexus, here in the middle of the abdomen." He then pointed at Entya. "Yours will come from wherever your energy feels the strongest. Try to feel it. Where is your center?"

Entya tried to sense the flow. Her energy felt densest in the center of her chest, where her Enki energy raged whenever her quarterly fevers arrived. "Here, in my heart."

Nashr gave a brief smile. "The heart. Figures."

"To control your power, you must first master yourself," he continued. He began teaching Entya breathing techniques and ways to neutralize the mind and body to achieve full awareness. "Feel your breath. Feel your heartbeat. Feel every cell in your body. Then, feel the energy around you. Become still. Just you and your consciousness."

Entya closed her eyes, focusing all her senses. She took a deep breath, feeling the air fill her lungs, and exhaled slowly. She tried repeatedly until, finally, a sense of peace crept over her. She felt her own soul, a gently pulsing core, and then a turquoise-blue light enveloped her, glowing around her body. She was so surprised that she gasped, and the light vanished instantly.

Nashr smiled. "Very good! You felt it, right? Now, try again. Don't let it startle you next time. Let it come to you."

She tried again, staying calmer this time. She let the stillness settle in and allowed the blue-green light to wrap around her. Slowly, the light solidified into a silhouette. Faint at first, then clearer. It was a deer. The spirit deer, with slender antlers and soft eyes, approached slowly and pressed its warm forehead against Entya’s. Warmth flowed through her, bringing peace.

Enki.

"Amazing," Nashr said, looking genuinely impressed. He stepped closer, observing the spirit deer with curiosity. "Once your control improves, you will be able to release energy automatically as I do, Entya."

However, Nashr paused to reflect. He looked at Entya, then at the deer standing gracefully beside her. Why was her energy in the form of a deer?

"Wait... you're from the grasslands, right?" Nashr asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

"Of course," Entya answered, confused. "I was born and raised there."

"Your power represents the forest, not the steppes," Nashr explained, pointing to the deer. "A deer is a creature of the woods, not the open plains or the desert."

Entya went quiet. Her memory went back to Aunt Beihe’s explanation about her mother. Her father was the son of an elder, but her mother had come from outside the clan. "I think my mother might have been from a forest tribe," she whispered. It was a piece of her past she had never really thought about until now.

"Well, we have plenty of time to figure that out," Nashr said, trying to cheer her up. "For now, let’s practice using your power on plants." He pointed to a patch of empty soil in the corner. "We will start there."

Nashr provided everything she needed: seeds, soil, and pots. Entya no longer felt like a pawn in Nashr’s grand plan. Instead, she felt that by training, she would better understand herself and her origins. A new purpose had emerged, something more than a political marriage or an escape. It was a path to self-discovery.

Entya finally had a reason to be excited about the future. Nashr’s words kept playing in her head, especially the idea that her power could actually help the people she cared about back home. Gerel, Aunt Beihe, the villagers, and... Yul. Just thinking his name made her chest feel tight. Deep longing washed over her, and an old wound reopened. She wondered what Yul was doing and if he was okay. Talrakia was starting to feel okay, but it wouldn't ever really feel like home without him.

"Let’s try something else," Nashr said, snapping her out of her thoughts. He took her to a unique structure called a 'greenhouse,' although it wasn't exactly what Entya had imagined. Most of it was built from stone pillars and carvings, with sections of the roof made of thick glass to let in the sun. Inside, the air was cool and humid.

Nashr showed her several dry, withered plants with yellowing leaves. "Try bringing these back to life," he challenged.

Entya gave him a confident smile. She almost wanted to laugh. Did he really think this would be hard for her? This was her thing. She resisted the urge to make a sarcastic comment and decided to just let her work do the talking.

She closed her eyes and focused. The blue-green light was much easier to handle now. She let it flow from her hands into the withered plants. The miracle happened before Nashr’s eyes. Dry leaves turned green, brittle stems hardened, and new buds sprouted rapidly. The dying plants became lush and healthy.

From that day on, the greenhouse basically became Entya’s headquarters. She spent every day there, surrounded by her source of life. The greenhouse transformed. Vines started crawling up the stone walls, thick leaves created a green ceiling under the glass, and bright flowers filled every corner. It smelled like wet earth and fresh blossoms, which was a huge change from the dusty desert air outside. It had become a miniature forest, an oasis in the middle of a stone palace. She even started growing the rare herbs and spices she used to see back in her village so she could use them in the palace meals.

Nashr often hung out by the door, watching Entya lost in her own world. He’d see her running between the plants, laughing whenever a new sprout appeared. Whenever Nashr stepped inside, he felt the resonance of Entya’s energy wrap around him. It felt like a gentle breath of heaven, calming and full of life. It was the only thing that could settle the storm inside him.

However, not everyone was pleased. Rasyid, Nashr’s calculating and grumpy right-hand man, showed up one day looking like he had a massive headache. He gave Nashr a protesting look, as if to say, 'What have you done, Your Majesty?'

"Soon, the entire palace will become her playground, Your Majesty," Rasyid complained, gesturing toward the greenhouse which was practically overflowing with vines. "Since she started training, half the palace has become a spice field! There are new plants growing in every hallway!" The advisor pointed at a row of potted plants that definitely hadn't been there the day before.

Nashr just burst out laughing. He found the whole thing hilarious, especially compared to his usual mountain of boring royal duties. "Let my little queen do as she wishes, Rasyid," Nashr said with a huge grin. "The entire palace is hers to use as she pleases."

Rasyid just shook his head. In a foul mood, he turned to leave. Nashr kept laughing as he looked at the little forest Entya had built inside his palace. To him, it looked like a thriving symbol of hope.