THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION

26

A thin thread of dawn was woven into the clouds, connecting them with the horizon with wide stitches. The sky gradually brightened. The white-pink curly crowns of the apple trees, which were still covered by a thick shadow, barely fluttered under the cool morning wind, and the first golden-orange rays were already approaching the borders of the castle garden.

Liramel awoke long before dawn. She still had time to see the floating moon and a scattering of fading constellations, and even caught a star sparkling halfway across the sky with her eyes.

Kneeling before the open window, Liramel placed her hands on the sill and bowed her head in prayer. The ancient apple orchard was fragrant, enveloping the castle with a tart honey aroma, and under the windows, loud cat weddings were noisy, depriving them of sleep. These days in the Kingdom, bad weather was a rare guest, and nothing overshadowed the birth of a new life. Only once every few years, the Singing Winds Trails, which had fallen f