Birth of a beautiful girl

17th December 1764....

In the fire kingdom, a child's cry sounded in the king's palace. The daughter-in-law of the king had given birth to her third baby. Third girl. The child was beautiful with big, round, black eyes and hair as golden as the sun itself. But for some reason her parents did not seem happy. Her father at first was really happy upon seeing the child. But as soon as she was cleaned and he took her in his arms, his smile vanished. His wife, who had been looking at her husband's face, asked, "What's wrong, my lord?"

The husband looked at his worried wife and shook his head with a smile, "Nothing my queen. You should sleep now. We will talk after you wake up." He held the child in his arms as his wife was cleaned and drifted off to sleep. After a few hours when she woke up, the wife saw her two daughters leaning over the crib of her newly born daughter.

She said weakly, "Beth, Julia. Don't hurt her."

Beth and Julia, seeing that their mother was awake, ran towards her, "Mom, she's so beautiful. Her hair is so pretty." Beth exclaimed.

Julia also chimed in, "Yeah it's so pretty golden. And her eyes, they're like nothing we have seen before."

The mother said, "Your hairs are pretty too. Yours are also golden." then she suddenly realised what her daughters had been saying. Coupled with her husband's worried face, her heart began to sink. She asked, "Eyes? What do you girls mean?"

Beth said, "Mom they're pitch black. Like a starless night. Isn't it ironic? Her hair is like the sun, and eyes like night."

She rambled on, but her mother had not heard anything after the first sentence, "Black eyes? Were they sure that they were not just dark red?" she asked the girls, "Girls are you sure? They are black? Not red?" The girl's looked puzzled. But before they could answer, their father entered the room. The girls ran to him. "Dad, she is so pretty! Can we hold her?" Their father fondled the girls and said, "I need to talk to your mother. Go play."

As the girls left, the wife asked, "Is it true? Her eyes are black?"

The husband nodded his head.

The wife tried to get up, "Joseph are you sure? They're not just dark red?"

Joseph: "Natalia, you need to calm down. Don't try to get up. Your body is still weak."

Natalia: "But...."

Joseph: "Listen to me. Yes, her eyes are black. I would never mistake dark red eyes. You remember my father, don't you?"

Natalia: "Oh my god! Your father. What will happen when he comes to know?"

Joseph: "Nothing will happen. I will talk to him."

Natalia: "But what does black eyes mean?"

Joseph: "I don't know. Maybe dad knows, but I doubt it."

Natalia: "Bring her to me." As she held the baby, tears glistened in Natalia's eyes, "She is so pretty."

Joseph: "Yeah she is."

Natalia: "We should name her."

Joseph: "Not yet." He assured his wife as shock began to fill her eyes, "She is our daughter. And no one will take her away. I promise."