Chapter 455: The Child

Thelma Zane’s POV I had never cared much for the affairs of past generations, especially those involving relatives so distant from me. The secrets, the scandals, the betrayals—all of it belonged to an era I had no part in. It wasn’t my place to judge the actions of men and women long gone, nor did I feel any real connection to them. But now, the consequences of their choices had rippled through time and landed squarely at my feet. For a king, having lovers outside of marriage was nothing unusual. It was practically expected in some circles. But my parents had been different. Their love had been unwavering, a rarity among rulers. That was why I found it difficult to understand what my great-grandfather had been thinking when he made such a reckless decision. He had allowed a powerful family—one even older than the Oromalivira Family—to carry royal blood. Did he not foresee the danger? Did he not understand how ambition could grow like a seed, nurtured by time and patience? A