"Stop dreaming, dear sister, you will never have the throne. Enjoying yourself in your little corner should be the greatest gratitude you ought to show for the mercy of the Empire."
Darcina didn't turn back. With a cool expression, she led the way away from the gathering that had started to form.
For a moment, gloom battled it out with the joy she had been carrying with restraint throughout the morning. Then she calmed down, and spoke while leading the way to the chairs:
"That was my father's thirteenth child. As evolvers, the higher we climb, the more we step into a unique realm that makes procreation difficult, and at some point, virtually impossible, unless we reach a point of being capable of miracles."
Calmly, without any fluctuation in her voice, the princess went on:
