[Silthara Palace — Malika's Residency — Later]
The courtyard of the Malika's residence was filled with soft laughter.
The twins were sprawled across the carpeted floor, squirming against each other in a tangle of tiny hands, soft blankets, and babbling nonsense only they seemed to understand. Prince Zaryan had somehow managed to grab his sister's sleeve, while Princess Nyzara, deeply offended by this injustice, retaliated by grabbing his ear.
Both of them were giggling.
Lyresaph, who had been lying nearby in regal silence, blinked once at the chaos… then leapt directly between them.
The twins gasped in delight.
A moment later, both tiny tyrants had latched onto him...one pulling at his tail, the other squeezing him around the neck with the kind of affection only children and lunatics could manage.
Lyresaph stared into the distance with the exhausted resignation of a creature who had long accepted that this was now his life.
