The Emperor of the Rukuma dynasty was born when Luna embraced the purple sea.

CHANG COUNTRY

The Queen of Chang country just gave birth to a baby girl, and she was named Ophelia. She was born in the year of the monkey. 

Chang country is a country under the Rukuma dynasty. The king of Chang country is accountable to the emperor of Hiang country, who is the head ruler.

It is said that the emperors of the Rukuma dynasty all died at a very young age. It is the people's belief that the gods are angry with them.

THE CONTEST

King Hyman, the future Emperor of the Rukuma dynasty, was born when Luna embraced the purple sea. He needs a wife before he could be the emperor. Hiang is the greatest among the seven countries in the Rukuma dynasty. He is to choose a queen among the maidens from all the seven countries.

The twenty contestants bowed when the Queen Mother entered.

"Have your seats, the Queen mother ordered. The noble ladies sat down.

"You all answer this question, and the winner will be the next queen," she smiled, and the scholar dropped the book on the table. She opened it and read out the question.

"Three women were contesting for one hundred Qin; they were given three bags of rice for three months. The other two ladies finished their rice before three months, but the last woman was able to survive. How?" The Queen mother asked.

The Queen's chamber was quiet for some time, then Ophelia raised her hand. "Okay, my noble lady." The Queen's mother gave her a go-ahead.

"The other woman used it to make rice cake and sold it to buy more rice," Ophelia replied.

"But don't you think that's cheating?" the Queen mother asked Ophelia.

"My lady, is there any rule against it?" Ophelia asked the queen's mother.

"No, noble lady," the queen mother replied.

"Then it's not considered cheating, "Ophelia replied.

Ophelia won the contest and became the queen and future empress of the Rukuma dynasty.

Princess Ophelia bowed when King Hyman entered the room. "Your Majesty," she bowed. 

"Stop the formalities," King Hyman requested.

"You're my lord; I can't be informal with you," princess Ophelia bowed.

"Suite yourself," King Hyman sighed. He never liked the dominating nature of the past emperors. Women are seen as tools to them, but he wants to live and cherish his empress. He was forced to have a concubine and royal consorts because he's an emperor.

Queen Ophelia discovered she's pregnant after a few moons in Hiang country.

"Your majesty," she smiled when the king entered. He heard the news, and he came quickly to be her biggest support.

"I need to go to Chang country to take care of my baby," she requested.

It is the custom that a queen returns to get parents when she's pregnant and returns if she births a male child but never returns if she births a female child.

"You're going to be the empress, and it's the rule for the empress to stay in Hiang country," King Hyman replied happily.

"I'm still a queen, not yet an empress," Queen Ophelia replied.

Queen Ophelia entered the royal palace. She bowed to King Hyman, who only smiled. The palanquin was carried, and they started their journey. They got to the middle of the road and were ambushed. "My lady, get down; I'll take you back to the palace safely," a royal guard said.

"Are you sure I'll get to the palace safely?" Queen Ophelia asked but am arrow interrupted. The arrow entered through her body, and she fell down.

CHANG COUNTRY 

The king of Chang country looked at his daughter's corpse with years in his eyes.

"Omega, you'll go to Hiang," he declared.

"I'm sorry, KingKing, I can't do that," Omega replied bluntly.

"My king, Omega, can't do that; we all know she doesn't have a princess attitude," the queen said.

"I just want her to go," the king shouted. "I can't and I won't," Omega shouted and stormed out of the throne room. She hit her brother, Prince Olga, and pushed him backward. "Olga, get out of my way now," she yelled.

'Omega, do it for Ophelia's sake," Prince Olga pleaded.

"I can't do it, and you know that," Omega calmed down a bit.

"What about going there to find out Ophelia's death?" Prince Olga asked.

"..." 

A king should not have a child that shares a womb with another. Ophelia and Omega were born on the same day. They're twins. The king is to either kill the two children and spare the mother or kill the mother and one child and spare one. 

Omega was the child sacrificed.