The afternoon sun had turned the palace gardens into a glowing maze of gold and shadow. Laughter rang off the marble walls—loud, bright, chaotic.
Lara lay sprawled on the grass with Aliyah sitting triumphantly on her stomach, waving a wooden sword she had declared Excaliburn't.
"Victory for the tiny warrior queen!" Aliyah shouted.
Kaelith cheered beside her, wings twitching with excitement. "Down with the demon general!"
Lara groaned dramatically, pretending to die. "I am slain. Tell my mother I went down fighting… against someone who is as small as two apple."
Malvoria's amused voice drifted from her reclining spot under the gazebo. "How noble. Truly, history will sing of your sacrifice." S
"So," she added lazily, "do you think Sarisa's date is going well?"
The words hit Lara like a stray arrow.
She sat up too quickly, almost sending Aliyah tumbling off her stomach. "Date? Oh, that. Probably. She's… she's just walking. With him. It's politics. Not—" She waved a hand vaguely. "Not romantic."
Malvoria's lips curved in a smile so wicked it could've been patented. "Mm-hmm. Just two attractive people alone in the Celestian countryside, holding hands in a carriage built for two. Very bureaucratic."
Lara threw her hands up. "You don't know they're holding hands!"
"I know Vaelen." Malvoria's grin widened. "He's a gentleman, but not dead."
Aliyah tilted her head, blinking at them. "So does that mean Vaelen will really be my new dad?"
Lara froze. Kaelith gasped as if she'd just witnessed the most scandalous plot twist in history.
"Not this again," Lara muttered. "Sweetheart, Vaelen is not your dad."
"But he might be," Aliyah insisted, eyes round. "Grandma said if Mommy marries him, then he'll be."
Kaelith nodded sagely. "That's how marriage works. You kiss and boom—dad."
"Boom," Malvoria echoed with mock solemnity. "Truly, the wisdom of youth."
Lara pressed a hand over her face. "Why am I here?"
"To suffer," Malvoria said sweetly. "And to provide entertainment."
Aliyah tugged on Lara's sleeve. "But if Mommy marries Vaelen, does that mean you have to find someone too?"
Lara blinked. "What? No. Why would I—"
"So you won't be lonely," Kaelith said. "You could marry Aunt Malvoria!"
Malvoria choked on her drink, then recovered instantly. "Tempting, but I like my partners less emotionally repressed andd not my own blood."
"I am not emotionally repressed," Lara said, glaring.
"Of course not," Malvoria said sweetly. "You just express feelings through punching, glaring, and self-sabotage. Very healthy."
Aliyah squinted up at Lara. "Are you jealous?"
Lara made a strangled sound. "No! Why would I be jealous? I'm not jealous. I don't care what Sarisa does."
"Then why are you all red?" Kaelith asked innocently.
"I'm not red. It's the sun."
Malvoria hummed. "The sun doesn't usually set on your ears, dear."
Lara scowled and crossed her arms. "You're all very funny."
"Oh, I know." Malvoria leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "Imagine he kisses her."
Lara's eye twitched.
"Or worse," Malvoria went on, clearly enjoying herself, "imagine he touches her somewhere she's only ever let you touch."
Lara shot to her feet, startling both children. "Why would you say that?!"
Malvoria raised a brow. "Because watching you implode is delightful."
Aliyah tilted her head. "Touch where?"
"Nowhere!" Lara said quickly. "Absolutely nowhere! No touching anywhere!"
Kaelith snorted. "But you just said—"
"Kaelith," Malvoria said smoothly, "how about you and Aliyah help me find cookies? The big ones with chocolate."
"But—"
"No buts," Malvoria interrupted, still smirking at Lara. "We'll give your poor general a chance to cool off before she combusts."
Aliyah looked up at Lara, still clutching her wooden sword. "You're sure you're not jealous?"
Lara forced a grin so stiff it could've been carved from stone. "Of course not. Your mom can do whatever she wants. I'm totally fine. Completely calm. Perfectly reasonable."
Aliyah blinked. "You sound weird when you lie."
Malvoria laughed. "Out of the mouths of babes."
Lara growled low in her throat. "You're enjoying this too much."
"Absolutely." Malvoria stood, brushing grass from her dark gown. "It's payback for the last time you swapped my ceremonial wine for lava fruit juice."
"That was five years ago."
"Some wounds never heal."
Lara rolled her eyes, trying and failing to look unaffected. She glanced toward the palace gates, where distant voices echoed.
Part of her brain, the rational part, told her it didn't matter. Sarisa could handle herself. Vaelen was harmless.
But the other part, the feral, restless, fiercely protective part wanted to punch a wall.
Raveth's words from days ago echoed in her head: When they're married, they'll probably fuck, and maybe even have another kid.
She'd laughed it off then, right before Raveth had wiped the grin off her face, literally with a punch that sent her flying. "You're angry because you care, idiot."
Now, with Malvoria's teasing piling on top, Lara could feel that same ache rising. She hated it. Hated the tightness in her chest, the heat behind her eyes, the twist of something she didn't want to name.
Aliyah poked her leg. "You okay?"
"Fine," Lara said, softer now. She forced herself to smile. "Just thinking about strategy."
"For what?"
"Nothing you need to worry about, little flame." She ruffled Aliyah's hair.
Malvoria caught the motion and smile. "You know," she said, "you'd make a decent queen if you stopped running from your feelings."
"I'm not running," Lara muttered.
"Mm-hmm." Malvoria's grin returned. "You just happen to be sprinting in the opposite direction of your emotions."
Before Lara could reply, footsteps echoed from the marble path. The air seemed to shift.
Sarisa had returned.
She was walking toward them from the garden gate, sunlight catching in her moon-silver hair, the faintest smile curving her lips.
She looked flawless as always but there was a tiredness behind her eyes that made Lara's chest ache.
Aliyah squealed and ran straight into her arms. "Mommy! Did you fall in love?"
Sarisa blinked. "What?"
Kaelith added, "Did he kiss you? Did he say he wants to be our new dad?"
Lara buried her face in her hands.
Malvoria's smirk could've powered a small city. "Children, you are national treasures."
Sarisa's gaze slid past the giggling pair and found Lara. For a heartbeat, the world stilled. The faint amusement in her expression softened into something quieter, heavier. Lara tried to look indifferent but failed the moment their eyes met.
"Welcome back," she managed, voice rougher than intended.
Sarisa's lips curved. "It's good to be back."
Malvoria clapped her hands lightly. "Well, on that note Aliyah, Kaelith, why don't we go get those cookies I promised?"
The children gasped in unison, already halfway to the kitchen.
Malvoria turned as she passed Lara, whispering just loud enough for her to hear: "Try not to explode while I'm gone."
And just like that, they were gone, leaving Lara and Sarisa alone in the garden.