Kael frowned, his arms still crossed as if protecting his dignity from an imminent attack.
"I'm not cute," he said with the firmness of someone who had faced monsters, curses, and three councils of wizards in existential crisis.
Elion turned to Raven with a mischievous gleam in her golden eyes. "Did you hear that? The little king says he's not cute."
Raven raised an eyebrow, pouring herself a glass of black nectar that evaporated in spirals of blue light. "Oh, definitely cute. He has that precocious hero vibe trying to look grumpy. Adorable."
Kael let out a pained sigh, as if the universe conspired solely to test his patience. "You two have centuries of arcane power in your veins, and you use it to tease me?"
"Absolutely," Elion replied without hesitation. "It's what keeps immortality bearable."
"Cute and dramatic," added Raven, with a mischievous smile.
