In Catherine's secluded chambers, an atmosphere of calm and serenity reigned. Political intrigues and malicious rumors from the outside world had nothing to do with this place.
The twins grew up in a cocoon of maternal love and care, like little pearls. Their everyday life was filled with warmth, smiles, and ringing laughter. With each passing day, they became more and more active. Their eyes sparkled with curiosity and a thirst for discovery.
They turned one year old. A whole year had passed since the fateful assembly that became the final straw for Catherine. The woman had completely lost faith in her husband. Only Cassia and the newborns witnessed her bitter tears on that ill-fated day.
In that year, Adam never once appeared to see the children. His absence spoke louder than any words — he unquestioningly believed all the rumors, without even bothering to clarify the situation. Catherine's heart was shattered.
From that moment on, she completely withdrew from high society, devoting herself entirely to her children. Resentment and anger toward her husband turned into absolute indifference. Their relationship became an empty formality.
Only the tender age of the two little twins held her back from a complete break and the decision to leave the capital.
Fortunately, Cassia was always nearby. Like a silent confessor, she could listen to her mistress and share her sorrows. Her presence and support became another saving anchor for Catherine.
With her help, the children grew up in love and care. Their entire little world revolved around these two women.
It was no surprise that the second word they learned after a timid "mama" was the playful "Cassi."
This small fact moved the young maid to tears, her heart melting with love.
Then came their first steps. Gray and Grace clumsily tried to catch the mischievous tail of the cat-girl. Their enthusiasm constantly led to new bumps and bruises.
At last, Catherine made use of her position and frequently called upon the services of the on-duty healer. He became the most frequent guest in her palace, second only to Cassia.
One day, the exhausted healer, worn down by endless summons, decided to take a desperate step. He expressed his dissatisfaction and insistently asked Catherine to purchase a soft carpet. He was deeply concerned about the lack of a salary increase, which, in his opinion, did not correspond to the frequency of his calls.
This request infuriated Catherine. Her husband had not appeared for over a year, and now even his subordinates were refusing to perform their own duties.
She was not a weak woman, you see? She was a powerful practitioner, and her patience was not limitless.
Like a volcano that had long restrained its fury, she erupted, releasing the full might of her aura.
A wave of pressure flooded the surroundings, forcing even the sturdiest walls to tremble.
"If not for such requests, then why does the royal family even keep a healer under its care?!" — her voice thundered through the air, expressing all the indignation she had long suppressed.
Alarmed by the sudden surge of aura, Adam Starlight was forced to hasten to the palace of his third wife.
Ironically, this was his first visit to Catherine since their wedding night.
Deep down, he agreed with the healer, believing that the work of a royal physician should not be reduced to solving such trivial problems. However, in such a situation, the governor did not dare voice his grievances aloud.
Noticing Catherine's piercing gaze fixed upon him, he immediately assured her that he would quickly resolve all matters, and then hastily took his leave.
Yes, he ran away. He did not want to talk to his third wife when she was in a bad mood. Catherine did not try to stop him either.
An hour later, he sat upon his own throne, under Cassia's contemptuous gaze. He had just sent his subordinate to fetch carpets and ordered them delivered to the chambers of his third wife. He also commanded the healer to unquestioningly carry out all of her instructions.
'Does this idiot really think he can just provoke the strongest person in the Province of Light?' — Adam snorted inwardly.
He sat on the throne for a long time without uttering a word, pondering his own relationship with Catherine.
She was a beautiful woman: intelligent, extraordinarily lovely, and very gentle. It seemed that Adam's ancestors must have lived the lives of ascetics for him to receive the love of such a woman. And he understood this truth perfectly well.
But he had his own reasons for ignoring her. Every time he was alone with her, he experienced a whole storm of negative emotions: inferiority, guilt, disgust, and even fear.
His state at that moment could not be called normal, yet he could do nothing about it. It was beyond his control.
This inner struggle exhausted him, making him feel even more guilty and seek solace in the arms of other wives and concubines. Gods, it came to the point where he eagerly welcomed paperwork. Anything, just so he wouldn't have to think about Catherine.
Although Cassia's insolent behavior greatly irritated him, it was justified. Adam did not dare reprimand her. After all, this maid was the only person who could tell him what was happening in the estate of his third wife.
Now, he waited for her to speak:
"Cassia, I know I'm very handsome. But could you stop burning holes in me with your stare?"
"As you command, Your Excellency. Did you want something?" — the maid asked politely, bowing her head, yet remaining extremely distant.
"Tell me about the twins. How are they doing?"
"They are doing very well, Your Majesty," Cassia replied just as dryly.
"I want to hear the details," Adam demanded, this time in a more commanding tone.
'I know you're angry. But I'm still the damn ruler! Do you understand?! Show at least a shred of respect, little slave. If not for Catherine, I would have executed you for such insolence!' — he thought to himself, squeezing the armrest of the chair.
Realizing she could no longer remain silent, Cassia finally decided to share fragments of information. Though she hated this man to the core, he was still the nominal father of the twins.
"Well... Gray is growing up smart and composed. He loves building towers out of wooden blocks that my lady personally made. He is always disassembling magical devices and then unsuccessfully trying to put them back together. He…"
"That's enough. I want to hear about my daughter. Tell me about Grace," Adam interrupted her, grimacing with disgust at the mention of the boy.
Watching his behavior, Cassia exerted enormous effort not to spit in this man's face. However, her mood quickly returned to normal when she remembered the two children.
"Grace. She is a very good girl. Lively and carefree, constantly laughing or sleeping with a blissful smile."
"She loves playing with our hair and already speaks quite well. Her favorite games are hide-and-seek and tag.
Oh, just recently her favorite toy — a large plush horse named Bonnie — had a seam come apart on its back. I stitched it myself. Meanwhile, Grace was circling nearby with an anxious face, warning me: 'Cassi, sew gently! As soon as Bonnie says "neigh—hee," throw the needle away!!!'
I barely held back my laughter at that moment. Ahahaha… If the plush Bonnie suddenly said 'Neigh,' I wouldn't just drop the needle… I'd drop dead. Ahahaha," Cassia recounted enthusiastically, but suddenly stopped, realizing her behavior was inappropriate.
Adam hesitated for a moment, seeming lost in thought. Only a few minutes later did he dismiss the maid, still somewhat distracted.
Cassia walked toward the estate, pondering the governor's behavior.
'Could it be that this man is finally getting his head straight? Damn it, I shouldn't lose myself like that when talking about the twins. I still want to become the perfect maid! Perfect! I must not reveal my lady's secrets. But… But… They're so adorable…'
'Well, it's fine. That vain governor can consider this his victory.'
'Unfortunately, he has lost far too much. I will never tell him how pleasant the young master's affection is, or how amusing it is to tease the princess and hide from her in my lady's shadow.'
'He will never know how strongly Grace is attached to her brother, refusing to fall asleep without him nearby.'
'He will never see in little Gray's beautiful eyes all that love and devotion so uncharacteristic of his young age.'
'And how sweetly he falls asleep on my lady's chest, trying to reach for his elder sister…'
'Heh-heh, every time he worries when he doesn't feel that little lump of happiness nearby.'
'Damn it, that irresponsible, good-for-nothing man does not deserve my lady! He may be an excellent ruler, but he is an utterly worthless husband!' — lost in her thoughts, Cassia moved toward the estate.
She herself did not notice how her steps became lighter and more hurried as she approached her Lady's chambers. It was there that a small family bound by love and devotion awaited her.
Meanwhile, subtle yet significant changes occurred within Adam after their conversation. He struggled with himself for a long time, but finally resolved to make his first official visit to the palace of his third wife.
Their meeting was permeated with tension and awkwardness.
Catherine maintained icy silence and did not utter a single word, yet still allowed him to spend time with the children. Who knows what she was thinking?
Although Adam's visit was brief, it became the first step toward small changes. As if trying to fulfill his duty as a father, he began visiting Catherine's estate approximately once a month.
Catherine was confused by his behavior. Though there was no intimacy between them, she wanted to give him a chance. Perhaps he would return to the state he was in when they first met?
Back then, she was very young and even inexperienced, despite her strength. She traveled the world, unburdened by anything, free like the wind.
At that time, she arrived in the Province of Light to familiarize herself with the culture of the most powerful Empire.
The civil war was in full swing when she visited one of the temples of the patron god, Apollo. At that moment, the young girl felt someone's intense gaze upon her. Turning around, she saw the stately figure of a man whose eyes glowed with warm divine light and looked at her with undisguised admiration.
Those eyes deeply touched her young heart. She realized that her illusion magic, which she usually used to hide her heavenly appearance, had not affected him.
His pleasant appearance and unusual aura immediately intrigued the inexperienced girl — and Adam did not miss this chance.
He turned out to be a man of rare charm: he knew how to listen, how to speak, how to amaze. They spent hours discussing myths, legends, and the mysteries of human nature.
But even then, she was not someone who trusted easily. It took Adam three years to win her heart.
Gradually, she found herself more and more unable to resist his charisma. There was something alluring about him, almost unreal: beauty, intellect, and power, as if he had come from another world.
At that time, the struggle for the throne was underway, but Adam seemed carefree and spent all his time with her. He masterfully manipulated all the politics of the province, forced his brothers to fight for the throne, while he himself gained full support from the church and tacit approval from the senate.
Catherine fondly remembered how he sat by her bedside, whispering sweet nothings while she peacefully drifted into sleep after their first passionate night.
However, that was where her fairy tale ended.
From the day they first shared the marriage bed, Adam changed. His gaze dulled, the spark of love that once drove her mad disappeared. It seemed she had become nothing more than another trophy along his path.
Moreover, Adam himself became different. The former dreamer turned into an ordinary, ambitious senator, interested only in power and influence.
At first, she tried to support him, encourage him, bring back the former warmth, but soon realized — her presence only irritated Adam. He seemed afraid of her, as a reminder of something he himself did not understand. All of this caused her confusion and anxiety.
When she learned of her pregnancy, she decided to focus on the future of the child. Deep down, she hoped that the appearance of an heir would melt the ice in her husband's heart and return their lost happiness.
How naive and foolish of her. Adam was not only unimpressed. She was suspected of adultery, because little Gray was born with black hair.
How painful was that? If she were her former self, she would have simply left the Province of Light. However, now she was not alone. She had children. And she thought of their interests first and foremost.
Catherine no longer dared to dream that her Adam would return, that he would see how his children were growing. How they would first stand on their feet, how they would speak their first words.
All of those precious moments, he had already irrevocably missed.
"It would be nice if he simply appeared from time to time, so that the children wouldn't grow up without a father," she thought bitterly, trying to find at least some positivity in the situation.
Catherine felt torn between the desire to forgive and the fear of being rejected again. She was not even sure that he was truly seeking her forgiveness. Each of his visits left behind more questions than answers.
In this strange mixture of joy and anxiety, two more years flew by. Today, the twins, identical like two drops of water except for the color of their hair, turned three years old.
Grace sat before her mother as Catherine combed and braided her snow-white locks. Not wanting to be left out, Gray enthusiastically massaged the back of his beloved mother.
The little princess enjoyed every touch. She truly liked it when mama "played" with her hair.
"Mama's hands are so nice," the girl thought, turning into a little happy cloud, "not like that silly brother who can only hurt people! I won't let him ride Bonnie anymore!"
Her serious thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
Without waiting for an answer, their monthly visitor, Adam Starlight, entered inside.
The children simultaneously raised their heads to meet their father's gaze.
Without engaging in debate, Adam cleared his throat and spoke in an authoritative tone.
"Glad to see you all ready. It's time to go. The time for your awakening ceremony has come."
He paused for a second, but since no one hurried to stand, he decided to dot all the i's.
"As you already know, three years is an important milestone for young citizens of the Roman Empire. By this age, the formation of the skeletal structure is complete. Children acquire crucial skills: they learn to walk, develop stable reflexes, and possess a basic vocabulary for conscious communication."
Adam paused, carefully studying the faces of the quieted children before continuing:
"All of this creates the necessary foundation for the awakening of the magical core.
The magical core is the basic element for mana circulation, which is subsequently used for the user's development. This core is unique to each person and is hidden deep within your body.
Our great Empire is famous for its laws that ensure the rights of all its citizens. In accordance with the law of universal development, every resident of the Empire has the privilege to once participate in the ritual of awakening the magical core.
This is a great glory and honor for our entire state, not just the Province of Light. It is also the most important stage in every person's life. I hope you understand?"