From his seat, Rafael's earlier amusement cooled into something more measured. He kept his gaze on the polished edge of the table, the kind of stillness that came from knowing the Emperor was in the room and not looking for commentary. Irina shifted her letters into a neat stack; she clearly had no intention of reading.
Gabriel leaned back in his chair, arms folding loosely, the posture a deliberate echo of Damian's calm. "And if I tell you I still want to wait?"
Before Damian could answer, Alexandra chimed in with the enthusiasm and lack of self-preservation of a middle child. "Gabriel, you promised to do it after you give birth."
The air in the study thinned. Irina froze, eyes darting to Rafael, who did not look up from the table. Rafael's jaw ticked once. Whether from surprise or the effort of keeping himself from laughing was hard to tell.
