Time:
Morning
Age: Elira – 6 years, Kael – 3
years
The change came without announcement.
Elira realized it the moment she stepped outside
her chamber.
Two guards stood at the corridor entrance.
They did not block her path, but they watched
closely as she passed. Their presence was calm, official—impossible to
question.
"This is new," Elira whispered.
Kael nodded. "A soft restriction."
They were escorted to the study hall, but
instead of turning toward the familiar room, the attendant paused.
"The Second Princess will attend lessons here
today," he said, gesturing to a smaller chamber.
"And the young prince?" Kael asked.
The attendant hesitated. "The boy has been
summoned separately."
Elira froze. "Why?"
"To assess his development," the attendant
replied carefully.
Kael squeezed her hand once before letting go.
"I'll be fine."
She watched him disappear down a different
corridor.
For the first time, they were separated.
Kael was led into a quiet room where three men
waited—an instructor, a court official, and a silent recorder.
No one smiled.
"Child," the instructor said, "solve this."
He placed wooden tiles on the table—simple
shapes, arranged incorrectly.
Kael studied them.
Not too fast, he reminded himself.
He moved one piece, then another, deliberately
hesitating before finishing.
"Why did you pause?" the official asked.
"I wanted to be sure," Kael replied.
The recorder's brush paused, then continued.
Elira's lesson ended early.
She was told to return to her chambers
immediately.
On the way back, she heard whispers—no longer
curious, but cautious.
"…too aware for his age…"
"…the girl keeps her head down…"
"…they're watching both now…"
When Kael finally returned, his expression was
calm, but his shoulders were tense.
"They asked questions," Elira said.
"They watched how I answered," Kael replied.
She hugged him tightly. "Are we in trouble?"
"Not yet," Kael said. "But the line has been
drawn."
"What line?"
He looked at her seriously. "What we are
allowed to be."
That night, Elira lay awake longer than usual.
The palace had not punished them.
It had done something worse.
It had begun to separate, measure, and limit.
And Elira understood now—
From this moment on, every step they took
would be counted.