Taking her son in her arms, Lady Seraphina felt as if all the sacrifices and dangers she faced were nothing but dreams. Seeing the cute face of her babe, she felt giddy with happiness.
Jara, seeing Lady Seraphina smiling, was also happy and said, "Your Majesty, Congratulations. You have given birth to a prince.".
Hearing this, Lady Seraphina calmed down. With a frown forming on her face, she addressed Jara, "Jara, now I am no more Empress of the Empire. You can drop the honorifics. Also, the dangers haven't been eliminated. Rather, the real threats will begin now. All the gods, demons, emperors, and everyone with authority will be searching for him and us. To kill him before he grows will be their only goal."
"Your Majesty, are you really sure he is the one in the prophecy?" Jara asked.
"I was not sure, but after seeing him, feeling warmth blooming in the hearts, hope rising in the midst of despair. I am sure he is the one. The one whom the universe prophesied," Lady Seraphina replied.
"Your Majesty, these can be just your feelings of motherhood and my feelings of love and reverence towards the Prince. How can we be sure that it's him?" Jara counter-questioned.
Lady Seraphina smiled calmly and said, "We will see in the future. But my feelings can't be wrong. My child is the prophesized to become ruler of the cosmos"
"Also, we need to look for a place to hide and bide our time. We need to protect him till he grows enough to protect himself." Lady Seraphina remarked.
"Your Majesty, we have to hide on this planet, as we don't have any means now for planetary travel along with the baby. The good news is, due to the teleportation portal being destroyed mid-transfer due to the crystal stone, they will not be able to find us by tracking the space coordinates. Using a random teleportation scroll, while being dangerous, proved to be advantageous for us. We were teleported to a planet in a very remote corner of the universe. The energy in the air is very thin and weak. I estimate the natives don't have any people stronger than us among them. And, no one can find us here for at least a century or two." Jara commented on the situation.
"Jara, you underestimate them. I am sure we will have them at our back in two decades maximum, if not before." Lady Seraphina cautioned.
While the two of them were conversing with each other, the mother bear and her cub which were watching the spectacle came near them. Both mother and child gazed at the baby with eyes filled with wonder and inexplicable reverence. Seeing them,"Thank you for granting us permission to stay here," Lady Seraphina stated. "We will remain here for a day or two before our departure."
Mother Bear, discerning the feebleness of Seraphina due to giving birth from her voice, went back to her place and rummaged through her stuff, then took out some wild honey she had stored for her feeding her cub. She brought the honey on a leaf and offered it to Seraphina.
Seraphina, being hungry, took the honey and drank it. Then, said to Jara, "Jara, thank these two by giving them the Bloodline enhancement pills. They have helped us, so we must reciprocate in kind."
Jara chuckled kindly and took out the pills from her space ring.
"Here, take these pills once we have left this place. It will be beneficial for you and your child" Jara told the Mother Bear while giving two crimson colored pills. Holding the pills, the mother and child bear felt strange excitement in their blood. They bowed in thanks and returned to their corner of the cave.
"Your Majesty, have some food, you must be hungry to drink honey directly" Jara giggled quietly at mother bear for giving some wild honey. Then she helped Seraphina sit straight with support of the wall, while taking out some eatables from the space ring.
"Thanks Jara, and also you don't need to refer to me as Majesty, as I said, I am not Empress anymore. Also, never treat someone's kindness with enmity or hold those who are kind to us in contempt due to them being weak" Seraphina remarked seeing Jara making fun of mother bear.
"Yes, I will remember that. I will then call you Milady." Jara answered respectfully.
For the next two days, Lady Seraphina and Jara stayed in the cavern and recovered from their injuries and exhaustion.
"Milady, let's leave and look for a place to stay in a nearby town/city. This place is not suitable for staying for a longer duration. If not for leaving the palace in a hurry, I could have been well-prepared and you would have not suffered from this" Jara commented.
"Okay, let's go. Also, let's thank the mother and child bear for their hospitality" Seraphina replied.
Jara, knowing Lady Seraphina's kind nature, followed her in the direction of the bears.
"We are leaving. Thank you for your hospitality. Also, after you eat those pills, you will be stronger than other beasts in the forest. I hope that after you are stronger, you will still help those in need if you see them." Seraphina instructed them.
Saying these instructions, Seraphina and Jara left. Mother bear took her cub in her hands and bowed at their backs, understanding that meeting them was her and her cub's fortune.
After walking a slight distance away from the cavern, Lady Seraphina and Jara took flight into the clear skies.
"Milady, have you thought of a name for the Prince?" Jara asked with curiosity.
"Yes, I had thought of his name before he was born," Seraphina replied calmly.
She leaned down, took a kiss at his forehead, caressing his silver hair and lightly poking his cheeks to incite laughter from him, she whispered in his ears.
"You will be Soren."
"I want you to fly free, but I know the dreams of our people rest heavily on your shoulders. My Soren—my steadfast one. Be the strength that survives the winter and the quiet light that guides us through the dawn."
"Soren, Soren Aurelian, what a nice name, Milady," Jara commented happily.
"No, Jara, he will not take that family name nor mine. He will forge his own. I want him to remain anonymous for as long as he can; also, I want him to be free from any past bindings. Before he was born, he already had to face dangers. He has to be strong to survive the future and carry the hopes of others."
Seraphina declared with solemnity, "So, he will forge his own path, grow his own power to become the strongest. He will be Soren Valerius. The one who remains steadfast in the face of difficulties, the one who is strong to carry the burden of hopes, who is brave, who will prevail in impossible situations".
Jara offered a bow of ancient grace, her voice steady yet soft. "Soren Valerius, My Prince—long has the world waited to greet you. Welcome at last."