Chapter 6 - The Echo of the Heart
Seraphina’s tiny hand, which had lain cold and limp in Arthur's grasp for two agonizing years, suddenly clamped down with startling force. The grip was so intense that Arthur gasped, his head snapping down to look at his daughter.
Her doll-like, expressionless face was contorting. Her facial muscles twitched, and her small lips began to tremble violently. From the corner of her eye, a single, crystal-clear tear spilled over, tracing a hot path down her cheek before dropping onto the glittering bodice of her dress. It wasn't a tear of terror; it was the tear of a dam bursting, of a massive glacier melting into a rushing river.
Slowly, she tilted her head back to look at her father. Life and focus had returned to her striking blue eyes. Her lips parted, struggling against the forgotten mechanics of speech, until a tiny, choked, but undeniable sound pierced the heavy silence of the empire.
"Papa..."
Just a single word, yet it possessed more destructive, beautiful power than a hurricane. The microphone slipped from Arthur's violently shaking fingers, clattering loudly against the marble. The face of the most powerful man in the room crumpled in shock, disbelief, and finally, overwhelming, unadulterated joy.
May you like
Behind them, a woman in an emerald green gown threw her hands over her mouth, weeping openly. A white-haired grandfather broke down into loud, shaking sobs, rushing forward to pull the little girl into a desperate embrace. The entire ballroom collapsed into a chorus of choked gasps and profound, unrestrained emotion.
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