Both Elias and Sara nodded vigorously, their earlier boredom instantly forgotten in the warmth of her presence. "We are fine, Mother!" Elias exclaimed, still clinging to her.
"But you and Aunt Siara are always so busy with training, and Grandma is always with estate work," Sara added, a hint of complaint returning to her voice. "And where is Grandpa? We are so bored, Mother!"
Seraphina laughed, a sound like wind chimes, and pulled them even closer. "Oh, my children! So you are bored, are you?" She kissed the top of Elias's head, then Sara's. "You know, we have to continue our training, my darlings, so that we don't become rusty. The protection of the Crown Estate and its people relies on us always being at our best. Estate work is also very important, that's why Grandma is so busy, ensuring everything runs smoothly, from our farms to our arcane supplies. And your Grandpa," she paused, a slight, knowing smile playing on her lips, "is gone somewhere for important work, a little adventure perhaps, but he'll be back with stories, I promise."
She squeezed them gently. "But my training and your Aunt Siara's training are complete for the day. So, what do you say? We will play together!"
"Really?!" both children chorused, their grey eyes widening with delight. Their mood instantly lightened, their previous solemnity replaced by unbridled excitement.
Then Sara, ever the curious one, tilted her head. "Mother, can I ask you a question?"
Seraphina smiled, indulging her daughter's thoughtful nature. "Yes, my dear Sara. Anything."
"Which one of us is older?" Sara asked, her gaze flicking between her brother and her mother, as if expecting a definitive, undeniable answer this time.
Seraphina blinked, then a soft, knowing laugh bubbled up from her throat, a rich, warm sound that filled the library. She adjusted her hold on them, her eyes sparkling with amusement and a touch of melancholy. "You know, Sara, it's a very special story for both of you. You both don't have a father like everyone have." She paused, her voice softening, a memory clouding her eyes for a fleeting moment. "You both were born through a very unique and ancient technique of the Crown family. It's a method where a child is born as a perfect copy of the mother, without any other contribution. It's why only my blood, my essence, was used in that technique, nothing else."
She looked at them, her gaze filled with immense love. "And because of this, you were both born with my pure blood and my essence, and you were born at the exact same moment. There is no one older. You both are equal, my little twin stars." Her voice was soft, somehow tinged with a delicate sadness that a five-year-old might not fully grasp but could sense.
Sara, though still curious, picked up on the unexpected detail. "Why didn't we have a father?" she asked, her voice small.
A fleeting shadow crossed Seraphina's beautiful face, and her soft grey eyes hardened almost imperceptibly, a flash of ancient pain or revulsion there for a split second before she smoothed her expression. "Because, my sweet Sara," she said, her voice dropping to a low, almost fierce whisper, "I hate the touch of any man."
Elias, who had been nestled tightly against her, seemed to sense the shift in her tone and, with the instinctual caution of a child, backed away just a tiny bit, his lower lip trembling slightly.
Seraphina caught the movement immediately, her heart clenching. Her arms tightened around him, pulling him back into an unbreakable hug, her voice instantly softening, laced with overwhelming reassurance. "Oh, my precious baby boy, of course not you!" she murmured, pressing a kiss to his dark hair. "Never you. The only man allowed to touch me, to truly be close to me, is you, my Elias. You and only you." She held him close, as if to physically shield him from the implications of her words.
Then, she enveloped Sara in the same fierce, protective embrace, pulling both children against her, holding them as if they are the most precious things in all the worlds
"You both are my children, my world," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion."I love you with all my heart, more than any words can say. You are everything to me."
Elias, still a little thoughtful, finally looked up, his grey eyes mirroring a deep concern. "Mother," he said, touching her cheek with a small, gentle hand. "You look sad. Are you feeling sad? Do you need anything...?" He trailed off, remembering a term he'd overheard.
Seraphina straightened, a proud, almost defiant glint entering her eyes. She gave a brave, reassuring smile. "That's fine, my boy. Mother can handle it. Always." She ruffled his hair playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
But Elias, with the earnest conviction only a child can possess, seemed to take her words to heart. His small face hardened with determination. "It's okay, Mother," he said with newfound confidence, pushing himself up slightly. "You can tell me. I will do anything for you. When I grow up, I will marry you and take care of you. I won't let anyone make you sad again."
Listening to him, Seraphina's heart was deeply touched. A pure, radiant smile blossomed on her face, chasing away any lingering shadows. It was a smile filled with pure joy and overwhelming love. "Oh, my boy," she whispered, her eyes glistening. "My sweet Elias, already growing up so fast!" She hugged him again, an extra squeeze for his profound declaration.
Sara, not to be outdone and a little jealous of her brother's grand promise, tugged on Seraphina's sleeve. "What about me, Elias?" she demanded, her pout returning.
Elias, ever the diplomat, looked at his sister with a playful smile. "Hmm," he pondered, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "If you call me 'big brother' properly, then I will marry you!"
Listening to his words, Sara's face instantly brightened, her eyes gleaming with delight. "Really?!" she gasped, her previous shyness forgotten.
"Yes," Elias confirmed, nodding sagely. "Now, call it."
Sara looked at him, then at her mother, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but the word caught in her throat, only a tiny, shy whisper escaping. She giggled, suddenly overcome with shyness at the prospect of fulfilling her end of the bargain.
Just then, a clear, melodious female voice, equally as graceful as Seraphina's but with a hint more playful mischief, rang out from the library's main entrance. "And what about me, Elias?"
The children turned to see a woman standing gracefully at the threshold. It was Siara Crown, Elias and Sara's aunt and Seraphina's elder sister. She entered the room with effortless poise, her beauty a striking match to Seraphina's, though perhaps a touch more vivacious, her black hair styled in an elegant braid that cascaded over one shoulder, her grey eyes dancing with amusement. She wore a practical yet stylish tunic and trousers, suggesting a recent intense training session.
Siara moved with fluid grace towards them, her gaze fixed on her nephew, a teasing smile on her lips. She knelt beside Seraphina, her eyes twinkling. "Will you marry me, Elias?" she asked again, her voice full of mock seriousness.
Without a moment's hesitation, Elias's chest puffed out even further, his confidence completely restored. "Of course, Aunt Siara!" he declared, looking utterly delighted at the expansion of his future marital duties. "I will marry you, and I will take care of you too!"
Siara chuckled, exchanging an amused glance with Seraphina. "Oh, my sweet, chivalrous nephew," she said, gently patting his head. "But now you're going to marry three women – your mother, your sister, and your aunt! Can you truly handle all of us, Elias?" She raised an eyebrow, a picture of mock doubt.
Elias, undaunted, stood firm, his small hands on his hips. "Of course I will!" he announced with absolute conviction, his grey eyes shining with the grand plans of a five-year-old protector. "I'll be the best husband ever!"
As everyone chuckled at Elias's unwavering confidence, no one present noticed the subtle, almost instantaneous shift in his soft grey pupils. For a brief, flickering moment, as he declared his unwavering commitment, they turned a startling, ethereal white, a color that seemed to hum with an ancient, nascent power, before returning to their familiar grey. It was perhaps, a hint of the future that lay ahead for Crown family.