His Dark Moon, Her Sacrifice

A sharp, shrill middle-aged woman's voice suddenly cut through the quiet of the secluded private courtyard. "What kind of woman can't even bear children? Drink this medicinal tonic, and I guarantee you'll conceive a boy this time!" Behind her stood several sturdy housekeepers, each holding a cup of dark, steaming herbal tonic as they watched Ismerie with unyielding determination. Ismerie looked at her domineering mother-in-law, a faint sense of helplessness rising in her pale amber eyes. Over the past two years, she had been forced to drink countless unlabeled tonics. More than once, conflicting ingredients had nearly poisoned her, yet her belly remained entirely unchanged. She could not let them control her any longer. Ismerie sighed softly. "Mother, my natal destiny chart shows the House of Heirs is empty by birth. No amount of rare medicine will ever change that. Even prayers at the cathedral will not alter what the stars have written." "Nonsense! The Thornecroft line will never end without an heir!" Lady Thornecroft flew into a rage on the spot. "This tonic was blessed by the priest at the cathedral on the city outskirts! You will drink it, whether you wish to or not!" At her signal, the housekeepers stepped forward to restrain her. Ismerie's brows drew together. Instinctively, she lifted her hands into the stance used to cast a destiny chart, ready to calculate whether she could escape this ordeal. A low, cold voice rang out from the doorway, cutting through the chaos. "Stand down." At the sound of that familiar voice, a flicker of light sparkled in Ismerie's eyes. A man strode through the manor entrance wearing a sharply tailored military-style coat. His features were striking and refined. It was Leontis Thornecroft, her husband of five years and heir to the Thornecroft family. He had been abroad overseeing a major military partnership. They had not seen each other in six months. Ismerie's lips curved into an involuntary smile, bright with long-suppressed joy. "Leontis? You're back? I thought you weren't due to land until tomorrow." The moment he saw her, the hardness in his expression melted away. Crossing the room in quick strides, he pulled her firmly into his arms. "I miss you too much. I cleared my schedule and flew back overnight." His gaze fell into her hands, still held in the gesture used to cast a chart. His expression darkened at once. "How many times have I told you? Stop casting charts to pry into fate. If you drain your life force and hurt yourself... I wouldn't know how to go on." Reading the stars and prying into destiny steadily consumed one's life force and shortened one's lifespan. That was why Leontis had always forbidden her from using her gift. Warmth flooded Ismerie's heart. She leaned into him, savoring the long-missed comfort of his embrace. "It is nothing serious. I was only checking a short-term alignment. It won't harm me." She had once been the personal protégé of the country's most renowned astrological seer. At sixteen, using nothing but destiny charts, she had pinpointed the site for a major national infrastructure project, an achievement that shook high society. Leading figures in the field had publicly declared that she would become the next Chief Astrological Advisor. But because someone had once saved her life, she had willingly given up that brilliant future to marry Leontis. Her destiny chart carried extraordinary fortune for everyone around her. The Thornecroft family, once fading from prominence, had regained the favor of the nation's most powerful figures through her blessings. With the family's support and the fortune her destiny brought him, Leontis had risen swiftly through the military and political ranks, becoming one of the country's most trusted leaders. Yet fate always demanded balance. To preserve her own life, she had been born into an empty House of Heirs. She would never bear a child. Lady Thornecroft's sharp voice shattered the warmth between them. "If she refuses the tonic, then take another wife... two, if necessary, to continue the family line." Before she could finish, Leontis snatched the cup from a housekeeper's hands and hurled it onto the marble floor. The cup shattered with a loud crash. His voice was icy. "Mother, never speak of this again. When I married Ismerie, I swore I would never take another woman. If we cannot have children of our own, we will adopt from within the family. This discussion ends here." Lady Thornecroft gasped, trembling as she pointed accusingly at Ismerie. "You... you wicked fortune-teller! What spell have you cast over my son?" A sharp ache pierced Ismerie's chest, and her fingers curled tightly into her palms. Ignoring his furious mother entirely, Leontis took Ismerie's hand. "Come upstairs with me. We won't stay here." Ismerie lowered her gaze to their joined hands. The fear lingering in her heart slowly melted away, replaced by a faint blush on her cheeks. "Leontis... meeting you was the greatest blessing of my life." He lowered his head and brushed a gentle kiss against her lips. "Come with me to the military base on the outskirts. I rushed back just to see you, but there's still a mountain of work waiting for me." Ismerie's heart softened completely. She could not bring herself to refuse him. At the military base on the outskirts of the city, hand in hand, they stepped into the main hall. A woman in a soft mint-green dress was walking toward them. Ismerie frowned in confusion. "Why is a civilian woman inside a restricted military base?" Leontis glanced at her briefly before looking away. "She's the widow of a fallen comrade. Her name is Aveline Briarholt. I promised my friend that I would look after her." The word "widow" immediately softened Ismerie's heart, filling her with sympathy. She studied Aveline for a moment before speaking gently, "My condolences for your loss... but allow me to offer my congratulations as well." Aveline stopped in her tracks, bewildered. "Congratulations? For what, Mrs. Thornecroft?" "Your husband was taken from you far too soon," Ismerie replied softly. "But Heaven has left you a child to remember him by. Fate has not been entirely cruel." Leontis' pupils contracted violently. His entire body stiffened. Aveline also froze, the color draining from her face. A heartbeat later, she forced a gentle smile. "I've heard so much about you... that the Colonel's wife can read the stars, see the past and future, and reveal what destiny has in store. Would you... be willing to cast a chart for the child I'm carrying?" Leontis' expression darkened immediately. "My wife no longer casts charts for anyone. Don't ask her this." Ismerie gently touched his arm. "It's all right. Let me do this one small kindness." She took three bronze astro-coins from her pocket and tossed them lightly onto the table. Three crisp clicks echoed through the hall. The full alignment instantly revealed itself. The moment Ismerie saw the pattern, all the color drained from her face. She slowly lifted her eyes to Leontis. Heartbreak and disbelief filled her gaze. "The stars never lie," she paused, her voice barely above a whisper. "This child... is yours," she continued.