Chapter 2: Chapter 2: A Strange “Prescription”

In many versions of Sleeping Beauty, the story begins with the princess's birth, where twelve witches are invited to bless her. However, in other versions, the tale starts earlier.

At the very beginning, the King and Queen long for a child but remain childless—a scene Rhine now finds himself witnessing.

If he truly is within the story of Sleeping Beauty, it makes sense that the King and Queen, as the heroine’s parents, are pivotal figures—true "Children of Destiny."

Rhine knew full well that, despite the despair weighing heavily on the King and Queen now, their predicament wasn’t without a solution.

After all, their story was destined to lead to the birth of a princess—the future protagonist, Sleeping Beauty herself!

At this realization, Rhine felt a mix of shock and excitement.

"I’ve arrived so early in the timeline? Before the story has even begun!"

Suppressing his astonishment, Rhine bowed slightly and said with confidence:

“Your Majesties, there is no need for despair. I have a way to fulfill your wish.”

Hearing Rhine’s promise, the King trembled and immediately sat up straighter. He wasn’t sure if this young mage was making empty boasts or truly had a plan.

The Queen, who had been silent until now, looked at Rhine with a mix of disbelief and cautious hope.

Over the years, the strain of being childless had caused her relationship with the King to grow distant, leading to neglect and coldness. She had always suspected that the fault didn’t lie with her, but she couldn’t voice such thoughts.

After seeing twelve powerful witches fail, the Queen had all but given up on the idea of ever having a child.

Thus, when Rhine was summoned, she had harbored no expectations. Yet, the confidence and composure of this impossibly young mage rekindled a glimmer of hope within her.

Perhaps this child could truly work a miracle?

“Your Majesty, allow me to cast a healing spell for you both,” Rhine offered.

He raised his hand lightly and began chanting. A soft, pure white light blossomed from his palm, bathing both the King and Queen in its warm, soothing glow.

This was the healing magic Rhine had gained after fulfilling the wishes of over a thousand people for restored health.

As the warm light enveloped their bodies, the King and Queen felt a profound sense of comfort, as if years had been lifted from their shoulders. Old wounds and hidden ailments seemed to vanish in an instant. ℟ᴀƝօＢÊş

The rumors were true! Despite his youthful appearance, this young mage possessed extraordinary abilities!

Both the King and Queen marveled silently at the experience.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

When the light faded, the King leaned forward eagerly and asked, “Master Rhine, is it done?”

“Not yet, Your Majesty,” Rhine replied. “To complete the treatment, a medicinal remedy is required.”

Rhine requested paper and ink and began writing down a prescription.

“Your Majesty, follow this prescription as I’ve outlined, and soon, you and the Queen will be blessed with a child.”

After finishing, Rhine paused, a worried look crossing his face.

“However, there is one ingredient that is exceedingly rare. I’m unsure if it can be found within your kingdom.”

The King gestured for an attendant to bring him the prescription, chuckling as he glanced over it. Rare ingredients? That was no concern for him. He was the ruler of an entire kingdom! No herb was too rare for him to acquire.

“These are all common items…”

The King scanned the list until his eyes fell on the final ingredient. His expression froze.

“What is the meaning of this last item?” he asked sharply.

Ingredient: "A blessing spoken in human language by an aquatic creature."

Usage: "Have a fish or frog from the water give a verbal blessing to the Queen, wishing her a child."

The King’s face darkened immediately. Even in this fantastical world, animals that could speak human language only existed in legends. At least, the King himself had never encountered one.

Suppressing his frustration, the King set the prescription down and asked, “Master Rhine, could you tell me where one might find such a talking fish?”

Rhine remained composed and replied steadily, “Let us leave it to destiny. Destiny will guide us all.”

As a traveler from outside this world, Rhine held a unique advantage over any other mage—he knew how fate and the future would unfold.

In this fairytale world, he was the ultimate prophet.

From what Rhine remembered, in the opening of Sleeping Beauty, it was the Queen’s encounter with a talking fish—or in some versions, a frog—that led to her receiving the blessing necessary to conceive a child.

Thus, as long as events proceeded naturally, the King and Queen were destined to find the blessing and have their child. All Rhine needed to do was nudge things along and fulfill their wish in the process.

Of course, the old King had no way of knowing the thoughts swirling in the young mage’s mind. To him, Rhine’s words sounded like vague, meaningless mysticism.

The King’s expression darkened, and his already clouded gaze grew heavier.

“So, there’s no hope after all,” he sighed deeply.

As someone who had ruled a kingdom for decades, the King was familiar with this kind of evasive response. When mages and learned sages deemed a task impossible, they often proposed absurdly difficult conditions or unattainable materials to give everyone an easy way out.

The young mage before the King seemed to have concluded that the task was simply too difficult.

Even the twelve most powerful witches had failed, so it made sense that the little mage would lack confidence in the efficacy of his treatment. The inclusion of an unattainable ingredient at the end of the prescription was likely his way of managing expectations—ensuring that, even if the treatment failed, he wouldn’t be held responsible.

The old King sighed. So be it. Asking a fledgling mage to solve what had stumped twelve great witches had indeed been a stretch.

The weary monarch waved his hand dismissively.

“Very well, O Sage of the Forest. Thank you for providing the prescription. I will reward you with gold and silver.”

After all, Rhine had at least made an effort, providing a prescription and using healing magic to improve their health. That alone deserved compensation.

Rhine bowed in gratitude, then turned to leave.

“Wait, Master Mage!”

As Rhine was about to step through the palace doors, the Queen’s voice called out behind him.

“Please, tell me—will our child be a boy or a girl? What will they be like?”

The King glanced at his wife’s excited expression, amused but refraining from pointing out the futility of her question.

To the King’s surprise, the hooded young mage paused, turned back, and with a graceful bow, spread his arms. In a tone of unwavering certainty, as if declaring a truth written in the stars, Rhine said:

“Your child will be a beautiful and intelligent little princess.

“She will carry a legendary destiny, stepping onto the stage of fate and becoming the heroine of an extraordinary tale!”

Three months passed after Rhine’s departure from the palace.

During this time, the King had fully abandoned any hope of having a child. He had come to terms with the reality that, even if he took another wife, his advanced age meant he was unlikely to father an heir.

He resigned himself to the fact that his vast kingdom would inevitably fall into his brother’s hands.

Despite his skepticism, the King dutifully followed the prescription and took the prescribed remedies. Although he didn’t truly believe the treatment would work, he clung to the faint hope of a miracle.

To his astonishment, the medicines seemed to have a real effect!

The King noticed his body growing stronger by the day. He felt more energetic, more spirited, as if his health was gradually being restored.

Even so, the Queen showed no signs of pregnancy.

Unlike the resigned King, the Queen continued to dwell on Rhine’s parting words.

The young mage’s confident declaration echoed in her thoughts, both in waking hours and in her dreams.

“He spoke so decisively,” she mused.

“He even said clearly that I would have a beautiful, adorable little princess.”

“Is he a prophet or a seer?”

“He must be! I’ve heard that many mages possess the ability to foresee the future.”

“If I can just gain the fish’s blessing, I’ll have my child!”

“Perhaps I should… go to the river myself, to seek the opportunity for a blessing?”