CHAPTER FORTY NINE
DANIEL'S POV
For the first time in many years…
I felt truly happy.
Not because of power.
Not because of wealth.
Not because of the throne waiting for me.
But because fate had finally stopped separating me from Tanya.
The woman I loved.
The mother of my unborn child.
Every time I held her in my arms, it still felt unreal.
After everything we suffered…
After the hatred, the curses, the sacrifices, and the lies—
We finally belonged to each other openly.
And yet…
Deep inside me, confusion still remained.
Too many secrets had been revealed within a short time.
The covenant.
The Snake Pack.
My true origins.
The Queen of Witches being my biological mother.
Everything still felt like a dream I had not fully awakened from.
Even now, I still struggled to call her "Mother."
Instead, I continued calling her "Your Majesty" or "Queen."
Not because I hated her.
No.
But because for thirty-five years of my life, another woman held that place inside my heart.
Queen Eleanor.
The woman who raised me with unconditional love.
The woman I buried with my own hands.
The Queen understood my struggle.
She never forced me.
Sometimes I caught sadness in her eyes whenever I called her "Queen," but she always smiled softly and pretended not to notice.
Perhaps deep inside, she understood that motherhood was not built by blood alone.
One evening, after spending time with Tanya beneath the sacred baobab tree, I finally approached the Queen inside her private chambers.
She was standing beside the sacred mirror when I entered.
"You wished to see me?" she asked softly.
I nodded slowly.
"Yes… Queen."
A small silence followed.
Then I took a deep breath.
"I want permission to return to my kingdom."
Her eyes lifted toward me carefully.
"To see your father?"
"Yes."
My voice became heavier.
"He deserves to know the truth before the welcoming ceremony and coronation."
The Queen remained silent for several seconds.
Then finally, she nodded slowly.
"You are right."
Her expression softened slightly.
"King Adrian may not be your biological father…"
She paused briefly.
"But he raised you as his own son."
I lowered my gaze quietly.
"He loves you deeply. He deserves honesty before the world changes around him."
I nodded thankfully.
"Thank you."
The Queen walked closer and placed her hand gently on my shoulder.
"Whatever happens after this…"
Her voice softened emotionally.
"Never doubt that you are loved by both worlds."
Something about those words tightened painfully inside my chest.
For the first time—
I realized how difficult this situation truly was.
I belonged to two lives.
Two families.
Two destinies.
And somehow…
I had to protect both.
---
The next morning, I left the covenant quietly.
Tanya stood beside me before my departure, her hands resting protectively over her stomach.
Our child.
Every time I looked at her now, my heart softened instantly.
"Come back quickly," she whispered softly.
I smiled and kissed her forehead gently.
"I will."
Then I lowered myself slightly and touched her stomach carefully.
"And behave yourself while I'm gone, little one."
Tanya laughed softly for the first time in days.
God…
I loved hearing that sound.
After one final kiss, I mounted my horse and began my journey back to the kingdom.
---
Hours later, the familiar palace finally appeared before my eyes.
The massive golden gates.
The royal banners dancing beneath the wind.
The kingdom where I was raised.
Home.
The guards immediately lowered their heads respectfully when they saw me.
"Welcome back, Your Highness."
I nodded silently before walking straight into the palace.
But this time…
Everything felt different.
As if I was seeing the palace through different eyes.
Servants smiled warmly at me.
Soldiers bowed respectfully.
The same people who watched me grow from childhood.
And suddenly—
A painful question entered my mind.
Would they still look at me the same way if they knew the truth?
I pushed the thought away immediately.
There were more important things to focus on.
I went directly toward the throne room.
The moment my father saw me, relief crossed his face instantly.
"Daniel," he said warmly. "You finally returned."
But before he could continue, I spoke quietly.
"I need to speak with you privately."
Immediately, his expression changed slightly.
He noticed the seriousness in my voice.
Without asking questions, he dismissed everyone from the throne room.
Soon—
Only the two of us remained.
Silence filled the room heavily.
For several moments, I did not know where to begin.
Then finally—
I told him everything.
The covenant.
The witches.
Tanya.
The Snake Pack.
The sacred mirror.
The exchanged babies.
My biological parents.
Everything.
The more I spoke—
The paler my father's face became.
At some point, he completely stopped speaking.
He simply stared at me silently as if struggling to breathe.
When I finally finished—
The throne room became painfully quiet.
"No…" he whispered eventually.
His voice sounded broken.
"This cannot be true."
I lowered my eyes painfully.
"I wish it wasn't."
The King stood slowly from his throne and turned away from me.
His shoulders looked heavier than I had ever seen before.
For the first time in my life—
The man who always appeared strong looked fragile.
"I loved your mother," he whispered painfully.
"She would never betray me."
I remained silent.
Because honestly—
I understood his pain.
Fate had deceived all of us.
Finally, after a long silence, my father spoke again.
"We will do a private paternity test."
I nodded quietly.
That was the only way he would fully accept reality.
---
Several days later, the results arrived.
Only the King and I were present inside his private chambers.
The royal physician handed him the sealed results before leaving silently.
My father stared at the document for a very long time before finally opening it.
The moment his eyes scanned the results—
Something inside him broke.
I saw it immediately.
His hands trembled slightly.
Pain filled his eyes.
And suddenly—
I could no longer control myself.
I walked toward him quickly and pulled him into a tight embrace.
Tears burned my eyes instantly.
Because no matter what fate revealed—
This man was still my father.
The man who taught me how to fight.
How to lead.
How to survive.
The man who stayed beside me after my mother died.
The man who loved me for thirty-five years without hesitation.
"I'm sorry…" I whispered brokenly.
My father remained frozen at first.
Then slowly—
His arms wrapped around me tightly.
And for several seconds—
Both of us simply stood there silently.
Like a father afraid of losing his son.
And a son afraid of losing his father.
Finally, the King pulled away slightly and looked directly into my eyes.
His own eyes were red.
"Listen to me carefully, Daniel."
His voice trembled slightly but remained firm.
"Nothing changes."
I froze.
"You are still my son."
Fresh tears filled my eyes instantly.
The King placed his hand firmly on my shoulder.
"I raised you."
His voice hardened emotionally.
"I watched your first steps."
"I taught you how to hold a sword."
"I celebrated your victories."
"And I buried your mother with you beside me."
He shook his head slowly.
"No blood test can erase thirty-five years of love."
My chest tightened painfully.
"You are still my heir."
His voice echoed firmly through the chamber.
"And no matter what the world says…"
A small broken smile appeared on his face.
"You will always be Prince Daniel Adrian of this kingdom."
At that moment—
For the first time since discovering the truth—
I finally felt whole again.
END OF CHAPTER FORTY NINE