"Love doesn't ask if you're ready. It simply arrives, arms full of blessings."
ELIAS POV
One month. It had been exactly one quiet, strangely peaceful month since the twins' birthday celebration shook the palace with toddler laughter, spilled juice, and Zenith's attempt to scale a decorative column like a young, feral monarch. But today, the palace was too quiet. I sat curled on the deep window seat of our private library, tucking my legs beneath me as I used to as a student in the Academy archives. Afternoon light strained against the velvet curtains I'd drawn tightly closed, turning the vast room into a dim cocoon that felt safe… or at least less overwhelming.
