Chapter 1: The Tradition of Blue Eye

The village of Velmora was tucked quietly between two ranges of fog-laced hills, surrounded by fields that whispered secrets to the wind. It was a place where the sun rose in soft hues of lavender and where time moved slowly, as if guarded by something ancient and unseen. In Velmora, stories were passed not in books, but in gazes—particularly, in blue-eyed gazes.

For centuries, the people of Velmora believed in a sacred tradition: Every blue-eyed prince born into the royal family must marry a blue-eyed girl born in the village. It wasn’t just custom—it was prophecy. A seer long ago claimed that the purity of the royal line and the harmony of the land depended on the union of two blue-eyed souls. No one questioned it. Not even the crown.

And so, when King Alaric and Queen Evelyne were gifted with their first child—Prince Kevin—on a winter morning, his piercing blue eyes were celebrated not only as a blessing but as destiny. The king’s closest friend, Lord Cyrus, had also just become a father. Believing the stars had aligned for both families, the two men pledged that Kevin would marry Cyrus’s daughter, Elara, who was due within the week.

The whole village rejoiced. Gifts were offered. A monument was even built in the royal garden honoring the unborn couple, “The Future of Velmora.”

But destiny had its own plans.

Elara was born healthy and beautiful, but her eyes were a warm hazel—not the blue that marked prophecy. At first, Lord Cyrus thought it would change. But months passed. Then years. Her eyes remained the same: no trace of blue.

The Queen tried to console him, “What matters is her heart, not her eyes.”

But King Alaric wasn’t so forgiving. The promise made was not just between two families—it was made before the village, before the spirits of Velmora.

And then, quietly, unnoticed by most, another girl was born. She came from the low cottages by the orchard, daughter of Elias, a loyal stableman. Her name was Suzi. Her family had no status, no name written in the records of the royals. But the moment she opened her eyes, Elias froze. They were the most brilliant shade of blue he’d ever seen—deeper than twilight, clearer than crystal.

He had heard the prophecy, of course. Who hadn’t? But never had he imagined that the child of a worker could be the key to Velmora’s future.

The Queen found out a few weeks later—she visited the orchards in disguise, as she sometimes did when she longed to escape the palace. That’s when she saw Suzi, sleeping peacefully under an olive tree. Those unmistakable eyes glinted in the shade.

She knew.

But she also remembered the promise.

“Remove her from sight,” she whispered coldly to Elias. “We will provide for her. But she must never speak of her eyes.”

Black lenses were made for Suzi—thin, perfectly fitted to cover the truth. At the same time, blue lenses were gifted secretly to Elara. The switch was silent, buried beneath velvet lies and the rustling of royal robes.

From then on, the girl born of the palace was seen as the destined bride. And the girl born of the stables... forgotten.

But eyes remember.

And so do hearts.

And deep in the stillness of Velmora, beneath its quiet hills and misty skies, the truth waited.

For the prince would grow.

And so would love.

And secrets never stay hidden forever.

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