The carriage stood waiting in the courtyard, Zaliyah stood by the door, his fingers moving with grace as he fixed a bright yellow silk ribbon onto his daughter's head. The vibrant color stood out starkly against her silver white hair.
"Stop squirming" Zaliyah murmured, though his eyes softened as he tucked a stray lock behind her pointed elf ear.
"It's itchy, Dada," the girl pouted, her blue eyes darting toward the carriage door.
"Beauty is often itchy," Zaliyah replied, giving the ribbon one final tug before guiding her inside.
Inside the carriage, the air was warm, smelling of Iruna's floral perfume.
Zaliyah settled onto the velvet bench close to Harun, who sat with his back straight.
Sylaris, however, didn't wait for an invitation. She leaped across the small space, landing on Iruna's lap.
Sylaris leaned in, sniffing Iruna's neck before twirling a lock of the girl's brown hair around her finger. A mischievous smile spread across her face.
"Auntie Iruna... why do you smell like Thalassa?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Harun let out a strangled cough of embarrassment, looking out the window at the passing snowdrifts.
Zaliyah's eyes widened, and a collective sigh of mortification echoed through the carriage.
Iruna's face went from pale to a deep crimson. She instinctively pulled her collar higher, covering her face with her hands. "I... I..."
"It's Auntie Thalassa to you, Sylaris," Zaliyah scolded, he reached out and lightly smacked his daughter's chubby fingers away from Iruna's hair. He was truly reaching the end of his rope with the child's lack of a filter.
Sylaris rolled her eyes, her lower lip trembling in a dramatic show of sorrow. "Harun... Daddy just hit me and I didn't even do nothing wrong! Daddy hates me . Even Auntie Iruna hates me now, she doesn't play with me like before, she's always around Thalassa, she chooses Thalassa over me , no one cares about me "
Harun, unable to resist the "damsel in distress" act, extended his arms. "Shhh... come here, little one." He scooped the child from Iruna's lap, settling her against his chest. "She chooses her over me too sometimes, Sylaris. Don't cry. I don't hate you and you know how much I care about you."
Iruna's head plopped down against the carriage wall, her embarrassment doubling. Zaliyah watched the display with an annoyed expression.
"Everyone can tell she's faking it, Harun. You are rewarding her for being a menace."
The carriage bumped over hidden rocks and deep heaps of snow until the silhouette of the amusement park appeared on the horizon.
It was a strange, beautiful place, a sprawling complex where the jagged, gothic architecture of the Demon Realm met the colorful, whimsical influences of the Human Realm. Glass domes housed carousels that glowed with violet fire, and iron-wrought gates were twisted into the shapes of beasts.
Zaliyah stepped out, He looked down at his daughter. "Do you like it?"
Sylaris looked at the towering rides and the bright lights. She crossed her arms over her blue furs. "NO."
Harun blinked, surprised. "Why? It's a kingdom of toys and games."
"There are a lot of kids here," Sylaris answered with a look of disgust.
Zaliyah rolled his eyes. "You are a kid, Sylaris."
"No," she corrected, her chin tilting up. "I'm a warrior. Xulthas says I'm a warrior. Even Thalassa calls me a fierce warrior."
Iruna giggled, "Right, right. Our little monster is a warrior. But even warriors need to play."
Zaliyah took the child's hand, and their adventure began. It was a day of fierce competition. The first stop was the bowling alley, where the pins were made of enchanted bone. They all took turns, but Harun with his steady soldier's hand emerged the victor.
Sylaris began to pout, her face turning red, Harun quickly "re-calculated" the points and crowned her the winner.
"You are spoiling her a little too much, Harun," Zaliyah complained, watching Sylaris brag to a group of passing toddlers. "She needs to learn the bitterness of defeat." Zaliyah added.
Next was archery. This was Zaliyah's domain. Because of his elven heritage, the bow felt like an extension of his own arm. He drew the string back, his eyes narrowing, and hit the bullseye three times in a row without breaking a sweat. Sylaris came in a respectable second, her small arrows thudding into the inner rings, while the twins finished in last place.
Sylaris was smug, her chest puffed out, but Zaliyah refused to let her win this time. Even when Iruna and Harun whispered for him to "miss" just once, Zaliyah stood his ground.
"She has to know that her dad is still the master of the bow," he said firmly.
Then came the beast riding. Each of them chose a beast, Zaliyah a sleek silver stag, Sylaris a fluffy, six-legged snow cat. The race began with Harun in a commanding lead. However, the moment Harun noticed Sylaris falling behind, he slowed his pace, pretending his animal was tired.
Iruna followed suit, matching Sylaris's slow crawl. Zaliyah rolled his eyes at their blatant favoritism, but eventually, he slowed down too, unwilling to be the only one at the finish line.
Sylaris emerged victorious, and she was insufferable about it . She jumped around in the snow, shouting, "The Great Warrior Sylaris defeats the elders!" while Harun clapped and cheered as if she had just conquered a territory.
The trouble started when Iruna mentioned leaving. Sylaris grabbed the reins of her snow cat, refusing to let go. "I want to take it home! I want it!"
"No," Zaliyah said firmly. "We do not have room for a six-legged cat in the nursery."
Sylaris threw a tantrum that shook the nearby trees, screaming and kicking at the snow. Iruna and Harun immediately began to persuade Zaliyah.
"Oh, Your Highness, it's just one animal... we can build a cage!"
"No," Zaliyah repeated, standing his ground like a stone wall. "The answer is no."
To distract her from the cat, Iruna suggested a painting. They found a prestigious painter near the center of the park, a man who nearly tripped over his easel when he saw the quality of their furs. He knew instantly they were loaded with gold coins.
They posed together, a strange, beautiful family. But Sylaris was a nightmare.
First, she insisted on holding a sword that was twice her size. When Zaliyah took it away, she spent the second pose sticking her tongue out at the painter.
On the third attempt, she tried to use her magic to make Zaliyah's hair float in front of his face.
"Sylaris! Sit still or we are leaving right now!" Zaliyah yelled.
She finally settled, posing with a look of boredom. When the painter finished, he handed the canvas to Zaliyah with a trembling hand.
"Do you like it, My Lord?"
Zaliyah looked at the brushwork and sighed. "Xulthas would have done better. The shading on the hair is amateur."
Harun peered over his shoulder. "You don't like it, Your Highness? I think it captures your eyes well."
The painter broke out in a cold sweat, fearing he was about to be asked for a refund or worse. But before Zaliyah could respond, Sylaris snatched the painting from his hands.
"Why do I look like a fat brat?" she demanded, pointing at her painted likeness.
"Because you are a fat brat," Zaliyah replied smoothly.
"No! I am a warrior! I'm a warrior like Harun and Xulthas, and warriors aren't fat!"
"It's no one's fault that you're fat, Sylaris," Zaliyah said, hiding a smirk.
Sylaris turned to Iruna with massive, watery puppy eyes. "Auntie... do I look fat?"
Iruna immediately pinched the child's cheeks. "Of course not, sweety. You aren't fat at all. You're perfect."
Sylaris turned back to Zaliyah, triumphant. "You hear that, Dada? Aunt said I'm a warrior. I'm the warrior who saved your life from the snow monsters yesterday!"
Zaliyah rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. Harun just smiled, picking the "warrior" up and placing her back on his shoulders as they walked toward the boutique.
The boutique was the very same one where Zaliyah had done his shopping years ago while pregnant. He had become their most valued regular. As they entered, the assistant bowed low. "Welcome back, My Lady."
Sylaris looked up, confused. "My Lady?"
Zaliyah gave her a scornful look that signaled her to shut her mouth immediately. He didn't need a five year-old explaining the complexities of his gender or status to the staff.
The assistant smiled awkwardly, looking at the child. "And this little one is...?"
"She is the Young Mistress Sylaris," Iruna replied quickly.
"She is my daughter," Zaliyah added, his voice full of pride.
The assistant's face lit up. She's so pretty, so soft on the eyes! She looks just like you, My Lady." She turned to Sylaris. "Welcome, Young Mistress. Wait, I've got something for you!"
The woman rushed to the back and returned with a handful of glowing sweets, sugar-coated treats that hummed with a tiny bit of magic.
"She doesn't eat those-" Zaliyah started, but it was too late.
Sylaris had already snatched the sweets and gobbled them down in one go. A second later, she let out a loud burp that echoed through the high-end shop. She wiped her mouth and offered a giant, sticky smile.
Zaliyah buried his face in his hands, his face burning red with embarrassment.
Iruna, Harun, and the assistant all burst into laughter.
The shopping began in earnest. Zaliyah bought every silk and fur Sylaris pointed her finger at. Iruna, feeling generous, bought a mountain of new clothes for Harun despite his protests that he "already had a uniform." She also selected fine garments for Thalassa and a new set of silks for Zaliyah.
By the time they reached the carriage for the return trip, the sun had vanished. Sylaris was a dead weight in Zaliyah's arms, her mouth slightly open as she drifted into a deep sleep.
"She snores like a wild animal," Zaliyah whispered, though his hand was gentle as he tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears.
"She snores like a five-year-old girl, Your Highness," Iruna corrected with a soft smile.
Zaliyah sighed, leaning his head against the carriage wall. "I often wonder if Sylaris can mind control. I think she practiced her mind control on Thalassa and Iruna, then she perfected it on you, Harun."
Iruna laughed, while Harun just sighed, looking at the sleeping child.
"Harun just likes children a lot, Your Highness," Iruna said. "Plus, Sylaris is really cute. Who can say no to her?"
Harun cleared his throat, "I care a lot about Sylaris because she's your daughter, Your Highness. That is all."
Zaliyah looked at the two of them, the girl who had given her blood to save his child, and the man who had stood by him in every shadow.
"Thank you," Zaliyah said, his voice filled with emotion. "Thank you for always staying by my side. I don't know where we would be without you both."
The carriage eventually halted in front of the castle. Under the pale moonlight, Xulthas and Thalassa were already waiting. Thalassa was holding a fur cloak, while Xulthas stood in his light undergarments, covered only by a dark outer robe that hung loosely around his chiseled frame.
6
Thalassa's face lit up the moment her eyes fell on Iruna. Harun stepped forward, grabbing the sleeping Sylaris from Zaliyah. The child groaned in her sleep, her small fists clenching. "Dada... No... I want it... I want to go home with it..."
Thalassa chuckled, "You're still tormenting the child even in her sleep? How cruel of you, Zaliyah."
"Sleep well, Your Highness," Harun said with a bow, carrying the dreaming girl into the warmth of the castle.
Thalassa walked closer to Iruna, wrapping the cloak around her shoulders. "You must feel so cold," she murmured, her voice dropping into that low, possessive tone. She pressed her lips against Iruna's. "I missed you so much, my darling. I feared madness would claim me in this quiet castle."
"We had so much fun," Iruna spoke, looking up at her girlfriend. "I wish you were with us."
"Right, right," Thalassa whispered, her arms sliding around Iruna's waist. "Goodnight, Your Highness," Iruna called out over her shoulder as Thalassa began to lead her away, burying kisses along Iruna's jaw and neck.
Zaliyah watched them go with a smile on his lips. Then, he turned his focus to the man remaining.
Xulthas stood like a statue in the snow. Zaliyah looked at his light clothing and frowned.
"Aren't you cold commander?"
"I was born here, Zaliyah. The cold is a part of me," the Warlock replied, his eyes tracing the line of Zaliyah's throat. "How was your day? Did the amusement park live up to the child's impossible standards?"
Zaliyah stepped closer, the scent of flowers clinging to him. "It was exhausting. Sylaris is a warrior, as you say, but she fights with her lungs and her stubbornness." He looked up at Xulthas, his violet eyes locked into Xulthas green irises. "I spent the whole day tending to her needs. I'm quite drained."
Xulthas's gaze darkened, his hand reaching out to touch the silver hair falling over Zaliyah's shoulder. "Is that so? And who is here to tend to your needs, I wonder?"
Zaliyah stepped into the Warlock's space, his voice a soft purr. "I don't know. I suppose I am just a tired traveler in need of a place to rest."
"You have a bed," Xulthas murmured,
"But the walk to the chambers feels extremely long tonight," Zaliyah replied, a flirtatious tilt to his head. "I think I would like to be carried."
With no hesitation, Xulthas swept Zaliyah up, his arms locking under Zaliyah's knees and back. He held him like a bride, his grip firm and unyielding.
Zaliyah's fine silks rustled against the Warlock's robe as Xulthas turned toward the castle, his eyes fixed on the man in his arms as if he would never let him go.