The chill in the room still carried the echo of Astria's question. Len lowered his gaze, as if searching for words within himself. He tilted his face slightly, infusing his voice with softness.
"I... I just didn't like being alone," he whispered. "I wanted to play, and that's why I came here." Astria watched him with weary eyes. "Then go, Len. There are others in the palace."
"Find someone else to play with; I just need some peace." Those words filled Len with a restless energy. Without a moment's delay, he reached out with both small hands and cupped Astria's face firmly.
The pressure of his fingers was palpable against her skin. "I want to play with you!" he insisted, his voice carrying an unbreakable stubbornness. That gesture finally exhausted Astria's patience.
She let out a long, heavy breath. Slowly, she removed his hands from her face and rose from the bed without a word. The rustle of her royal attire sounded sharp in the surrounding silence.
"Get down," Astria said, her voice carrying an undeniable command. Len silently climbed down from the bed, the same innocent question still written on his face. Astria stepped forward.
She took his hand and led him to the door of the royal chamber. She stood him out in the cold corridor. Astria remained within the threshold, gripping both heavy halves of the door.
"Go from here... find someone else to play with. My head is throbbing," she said in a cold, flat tone. Before Len could utter a word, the door slammed shut with a resounding 'thud.'
Len stood there like a statue. His gaze was anchored to the closed door. He just stared at the shut entrance, trying to understand what had suddenly happened and why Astria had put him out.
He had no realization of what had just occurred with him. Len's gaze remained anchored to the closed door for a moment longer. He took a steady breath and turned his small steps toward the corridors.
Navigating through the long, silent passages, he reached the staircase and descended rapidly like a nimble shadow, entering the grand hall. In a corner of the hall, a few maidservants were busy.
Len walked straight toward them and tugged gently at the clean fabric of one maid's attire. As soon as she felt the movement, she turned around and looked down. Her eyes met Len's directly.
"Young Master," the maid asked, bowing slightly, "Do you require something?" Len nodded silently. "I want something to eat," his voice carried a soft resonance. "Of course, I shall bring it."
"But what would you like to have?" Len blinked, and a strange shimmer flickered in his golden eyes. Looking at her with pure innocence, he said, "I want something sweet."
The maid looked at him again, waiting for a more specific answer. "But what kind of sweet, Master? Any particular dish?" Len repeated himself, his expression unchanging. "I just want something sweet."
Faced with such an innocent and endearingly beautiful face, the maid found herself without further questions. She simply stood there, staring at him. Another maid standing nearby had been watching Len.
The one speaking nudged her friend lightly with her elbow. The second maid, who seemed caught in the spell of Len's eyes, abruptly looked away. "Shall I bring your sweets here?" the first maid asked.
Len nodded once more and headed toward the massive imperial sofa in the center of the hall. He climbed onto it with agility and, enjoying the softness of the velvet cushions, laid right down.
The two maids shared a glance before heading toward the kitchens, while Len's eyes began searching the ceiling carvings for a new game to play. Only silence reigned within the chamber now.
Astria lay in the center of the vast bed, her arms spread wide. The expansive hem of her royal attire and its silken layers were scattered across the mattress like the petals of a wilting flower.
She was alone in that expanse, yet the air in the room still seemed to hold the warmth of the small boy's presence. Astria took a very long, deep breath. As she closed her eyelids.
Len's round, innocent face emerged behind the darkness—the same shimmer in his golden eyes and that same unbreakable stubbornness. A very faint, almost invisible smile crept to the corners of her lips.
"You have troubled me so much, Len..." she whispered in a low voice, as if sharing a secret with herself. The bitterness heard at the door was gone, replaced by a strange sense of peace.
A moment later, she shifted onto her side. The rustle of the silk sheets echoed through the quiet room. She pulled her arms in and fell silent, as if that smile too had vanished.
She said nothing more, but behind her closed eyes, that same innocent face she had just pushed away continued to linger. In the silence of the hall, the faint clinking of silver vessels echoed.
Len lay on the velvet cushions of the sofa, waiting for his sweet treat. Within moments, the two maidservants appeared through the corridors, carrying a small, intricately carved table.
A variety of small bowls and plates sat atop the table, glistening in the afternoon light, filled with sweets made of honey, cream, and nuts. They carefully brought the table close to Len.
"Young Master, I have brought your sweet dishes," the first maid said with a gentle bow. Seeing so many colorful and fragrant treats, a shimmer flickered in Len's eyes.
A look of deep satisfaction washed over his face. "Okay," he said in his low voice. The maid skillfully arranged all the dishes on the table. "If you need anything else, please let us know."
"We are standing right here," she said with a smile and stepped back a few paces with her companion. Len picked up a small plate with his tiny hands.
He lifted a piece of his favorite sweet, but instead of bringing it to his mouth, he extended his hand toward the maid. His golden eyes were filled with expectation. "You both eat too," he said.
Caught off guard by Len's unexpected generosity, both maids flinched slightly. A wave of nervousness crossed their faces. "No... no, Master. Please eat. We already had breakfast this morning."
Len's extended hand froze in the air. The spark on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a shadow of melancholy. Without a word, he set the plate back down on the table.
He picked up one dish and began to eat silently. Once he finished the last bite, he wiped his lips with a handkerchief. "You can take the remaining things away," he said.
He gestured toward the table. Then he lifted his gaze toward the two of them. "Can I get something to play with here?" The first maid nodded immediately.
"Certainly, Master. There are many things for you in the palace. What would you like to play?" Len sank into deep thought for a few moments, searching his mind.
He was looking for a game that wouldn't require much movement. "Is there something I can play while sitting in one place?" he asked in a low voice.