{Third Person}
"So, Father is planning the banquet himself," Zarek said calmly. "Interesting."
The servant lowered his head, not daring to speak further.
Zarek’s fingers tapped lightly against the armrest as his thoughts moved elsewhere, toward the plan already taking shape.
Slowly, a cold smile appeared on his face. "It changes nothing," he said at last.
The servant looked up slightly.
Zarek’s eyes hardened. "Nothing will stop from achieving what I want."
His voice remained calm, but there was sothing chilling beneath it now.
"The banquet will still happen," he continued quietly. "And Alexander and his little human bride will still drink what is prepared for them."
The room seed colder after that.
The servant imdiately lowered his head again. "Yes, Your Highness."
Zarek waved him away dismissively. As soon as the man left, Zarek leaned back fully into his seat and stared ahead in silence.
---
anwhile, in another part of the palace, Rowan had just finished changing after training when one of his servants inford him of the sa news.
"A birthday banquet?" Rowan repeated in surprise.
The servant nodded quickly.
"Yes, Your Highness. His Majesty has already begun preparations."
Rowan frowned faintly as he picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from his neck.
"That part is not surprising," he admitted. "Father has always cared too much about Alexander."
Then he paused, and his brows slowly drew together. "...Wait."
He turned fully toward the servant. "And His Highness agreed?"
The servant hesitated. "It seems... he did not reject it, Your Highness."
That genuinely surprised Rowan. Knowing Alexander, he should have refused imdiately because he hated public gatherings, attention, and things like the court officials staring at him all night.
None of those was things Alexander tolerated well anymore.
Rowan lowered the towel slowly, clearly puzzled. "That’s strange," he muttered.
For a brief mont, he stood there quietly, his thoughts turning over the situation. Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Well," he said lightly, "this should be interesting."
And sohow, he already had a feeling the banquet would beco far more than just a birthday celebration.
═════ ❄✦❄ ═════
Back in the Human Kingdom, the late afternoon sun poured warmly through the windows of a small café tucked near a library district.
Laughter drifted from one corner booth where Hazel, Rachel, and Davina sat crowded together, a set of opened letters spread across the table between them.
Rachel pressed the photograph Amara had sent against her chest dramatically.
"I still miss her," she complained. "The place feels emptier without her."
"And quieter," Davina added imdiately. "Nobody is here to stop the two of you from gossiping endlessly anymore."
"That is because Amara was the responsible one in this friendship," Hazel said with a snort.
The three of them burst into laughter again.
Hazel picked up Amara’s letter once more and reread a section before sighing deeply.
"You know," she said thoughtfully, "this Alpha Prince doesn’t sound nearly as terrifying as Lila made him out to be."
The others nodded in agreent.
"Exactly," Rachel chid in. "Lila talks as though he’s so monster waiting to bite people."
"But he helped Amara exchange letters with us," Davina pointed out. "That alone says enough."
"And not just once," Hazel added quickly. "Consistently."
The three exchanged aningful looks. Then Rachel leaned forward with narrowed eyes.
"I think he likes her."
Instantly, the others gasped dramatically.
"You think so too?" Davina asked.
"There’s no way a man like that would bother himself otherwise," Hazel said.
"And Amara did say he personally made sure the letters got to her after breakfast," Rachel added. "That is suspiciously considerate."
The teasing began imdiately after that.
Davina quickly grabbed paper and a pen. "No," she declared with determination. "We are asking her directly."
Hazel and Rachel moved closer at once. Together, the three of them began writing one long reply instead of separate letters this ti.
Their words quickly shifted from updates and gossip into shaless teasing.
Has the Alpha Prince made any romantic moves yet?
Did he look at you in a special way?
Has he held your hand?
You’d better tell us everything.
By the ti they finished, the three of them were laughing so hard that nearby custors had begun glancing their way.
Rachel wiped tears from the corner of her eyes.
"Poor Amara," she said between laughs. "She is going to die of embarrassnt reading this."
"And we will enjoy every second of it," Hazel replied smugly.
---
At almost the sa ti, across another part of the city, Torin finally returned ho.
The exhaustion on his face was difficult to miss the mont he stepped through the front door.
His mother looked up imdiately from where she was arranging dishes on the dining table.
"You’re back," she said softly. "You look tired."
Torin forced a small smile as he loosened the collar of his shirt slightly. "Work was stressful today."
His mother frowned with concern and walked closer, instinctively straightening part of his sleeve the way mothers often did without thinking.
"You should rest more," she murmured.
Torin only nodded faintly.
Dinner was served not long after, and soon, the three of them, he, his mother, and his father, sat around the modest dining table together.
For a while, only the sound of utensils filled the room. Then his father finally spoke it.
"How are things with Lila?"
Torin looked up briefly. "We are doing alright."
"And the Caldwell family?" his mother asked quickly. "Have they invited us over yet?"
Torin paused slightly before answering. "Not yet."
Both of his parents exchanged looks imdiately.
Torin noticed it and quickly added in a calm tone, "There won’t be any engagent party for now, either. Lila thinks it’s better to wait until the rumours surrounding us settle down."
The disappointnt on his mother’s face was instant. Even his father’s expression darkened slightly.
Torin quickly continued, trying to ease the mood.
"But Mr. Caldwell has already stepped in regarding the rumours," he said. "People have stopped talking as much."
But his words did little to improve the atmosphere.
His mother set down her utensils quietly. "Torin, you need to encourage Lila to let both families et properly," she said carefully.
His father nodded in agreent. "At least an introductory dinner," he added. "That is the normal thing to do."
Torin lowered his gaze briefly. "I know."
His mother sighed softly. "If things continue like this, people will start talking again."
Torin rubbed lightly at his temple before replying, "I will think about it."
His mother imdiately looked like she wanted to say more. But before she could speak, his father gently placed a hand over hers beneath the table—a silent signal.
She pressed her lips together and finally stayed quiet.
After that, the dinner continued in near silence. And sohow, the atmosphere felt heavier than before.
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