The morning sun bled through the ornate windows of the Virellia palace, painting the
luxury guest suite in hues of gold and amber. The air smelled of blooming jasmine
and the crisp, clean scent of a world finally at peace. On a bed of silk and down, the
ten-year-old Snowman lay wide awake. His azure eyes tracked the dust motes dancing
in the light; he hadn't slept a wink, his mind spinning from the realization that he was
no longer a lonely creature of the ice, but a prince of an empire.
The silent morning was shattered by the rhythmic thud-thud-thud of heavy boots in
the hallway. The footsteps stopped at his door, followed by a sharp knock.
"Second Prince! It's your big brother, the First Prince!" a voice called out.
Beside the first voice, a more energetic one chimed in. "Hey, Prince! It's me, Ryuki!
Are you up? We've got to eat that delicious soup my mother and Aunt Tara made
yesterday. My stomach is louder than a thunderclap!"
Snowman scrambled out of bed, a small smile forming. "Yes! Please, come in, Big
Brother!"
The door swung open. Ryuki bounced in with a casual wave, taking a seat on the edge
of the bed as if he'd lived there his whole life. Behind him stood Leo, the Lion-Kin. Leo
looked slightly more haggard than yesterday, his mane a bit tangled.
"Sorry we didn't meet properly yesterday," Leo grumbled, leaning against the
doorframe. "Because of this idiot Ryuki and one of his 'shortcuts,' I spent the last
twenty-four hours stuck in a cave dungeon. I only just managed to claw my way out."
Ryuki cackled, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey, it was an honest mistake! But look
at the bright side—you survived the 'Mouth of Death' and came out looking... well,
mostly alive!"
Leo gave Ryuki a glance that could have melted stone, then turned his gaze toward
Snowman. The silver-haired boy stood and gave a deep, respectful bow. "It is an
honor to meet you, Big Brother Leo."
Leo's expression softened into a genuine smile. "I feel the same, little brother. But sit.
Before we eat, I need to clear two things up. First... you should know the truth of my
blood. I am not related to our father by birth. My mother, Faeloria, was married to the
former Emperor—a traitor and a coward."
Leo's voice grew serious, echoing with the weight of history. "My biological father had
betrayed us all, aligning with enemy empires and raising 100,000 soldiers to crush my
mother and me. The lords of Virellia were circling like vultures, waiting for us to fall so
they could steal the throne. We were drowning in the 'noise' of war."
Leo stared out the window. "Then, a carriage arrived. It belonged to Empress Yui of
Terragorn. Reports from the border said that a 7-foot monster sat inside. Without even
stepping out, without even moving his body, he snapped his fingers. An entire army of
bandits and traitors simply... ceased to exist. Only blood and the smell of ozone
remained."
"My mother, Faeloria, heard this and laughed," Leo continued, a touch of humor
returning to his voice. "She said, 'I want that Monster for myself.' We searched for him
for hours. Finally, a report came from a sacred shrine—a giant was 'breaking thedignity' of the temple. I rushed there, thinking he was attacking, only to find him...
taking a bath."
Ryuki interrupted, grinning. "And then Sora told the Master there was top-tier beer in
the meeting room! That's the only reason he agreed to talk!"
"Exactly," Leo nodded. "In that room, my mother gave him a choice: accept her as his
wife, kill the traitorous Emperor, and shut the mouths of the greedy Lords. Father
didn't want to do it—he's too lazy to breathe most days—but he was more terrified of
the 'Boss Ladies' than he was of an army. He walked into the throne room, snapped
his fingers again, and made every Lord in the building rub their noses on the floor in
pure, bone-shaking terror."
"Within half a day," Ryuki added, "Master, Sora, and Leo came back from the front
lines. Sora was carrying the former Emperor's head, and Master was just frustrated
because he wanted to get back to his nap. And that's how he made the enemy
general, Sparta, his third student! That is the story of your fifth mother and your
family, Snowman."
Leo stepped forward, his eyes bright. "We are an insane family, Snowman. Even this
idiot Ryuki—technically, he's not our brother because Father hasn't oficially accepted
Aunt Kaori as a wife yet."
"Hey! Don't tell him that part!" Ryuki pouted.
Snowman sat in stunned silence, his head reeling. "And... What was the second thing,
Big Brother Leo?"
In a flash of speed, both Leo and Ryuki reached out, grabbing Snowman's cheeks and
squeezing them playfully.
"The second thing," they said in unison, "is that you are way too formal and way too
cute, little brother! Stop bowing and let's go eat!