Nadir let out a soft, dramatic baby yawn, his heavy eyelids finally winning the battle as he buried his face straight into the silk of Damar’s robe.
"Goodnight, Dada... Goodnight, Sister Lyra..."
"Goodnight, Prince," Lyra murmured, her erald eyes softening just a fraction as she watched his tail go completely limp in his sleep.
Noah walked back into the room, his dark wolf ears twitching as he looked at the sleeping toddler, then at the groaning rman, and finally at the snoring tiger on the floor.
He let out a dry, breathy laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"One day down," Noah whispered, his voice cracking with sheer relief as he slumped onto the nearest empty cushion. "One more to go. May the gods have rcy on our souls if the twins wake up early tomorrow."
And unfortunately for them, Kaito and Marina did wake up early. And the disaster began all over again.
Day 2: 3:00 PM – The Breakdown of Civilization
When the heavy courtyard doors finally swung open forty-eight hours later, the silence inside the Sovereign Wing was deafening.
I stepped into the room, stripping off my heavy winter cloak and handing my mapping tools to a waiting guard. The air didn’t sll like fresh mint or warm honey-broth anymore.
It slled faintly of charred bison at, damp silk, and total, unmitigated defeat.
I walked down the steps into the lower lounge, and the sight that t my eyes was so magnificent I had to physically clamp a hand over my mouth to keep from roaring with laughter.
The four most powerful beastn of the West Way territory were completely decimated.
Noah was face-down on a massive pile of black bear pelts, his broad bare shoulders rising and falling in a deep, exhausted sleep.
One-year-old Kaelen was fast asleep directly on top of his head, his fuzzy black wolf ears twitching in sync with his father’s deep snores.
Fenric was slumped against the base of a stone pillar, his magnificent red-and-gold hair completely disheveled.
He was covered in bright pink flower garlands, and his massive, golden-striped tail was currently being used as a full-length blanket by five-year-olds Raiden and Phina, who were curled up against his flank like small, content cubs.
Thalor was sitting on the edge of the walnut table, his regal purple hair completely unbraided and wild, looking thoroughly traumatized.
His expensive silk robes were heavily stained with blue paint and dried river-slush. He was thodically rocking a sleeping Sora in his arms, his golden tiger slits completely bloodshot as he stared into the crackling fire.
The only one who looked remotely pristine was Damar, though his silver tail was tightly wrapped around the legs of three separate chairs to form a makeshift security periter.
Nadir was curled up in his lap, clutching his ragged stuffed toy, while Lyra sat cross-legged at his feet, quietly reading her trade ledger.
The second my boots clicked against the stone floor, the four male heads snapped up instantly.
Noah’s wolf ears perked up, his eyes widening with a level of desperation I hadn’t seen since the great tribal war.
Fenric practically scrambled to his feet, knocking a few flower petals loose, while Thalor looked at as if I were the Dragon God itself descending from the heavens.
"Arinya," Thalor breathed, his voice a desperate, cracking whisper. "The rman twins... They have no concept of structural boundaries. They lived in the ventilation shafts for fourteen hours."
"The black pup tried to eat the structural support beam in the kitchen sector," Noah rumbled, his deep voice thick with exhaustion as he carefully lifted Kaelen off his head. "Taruna had to bribe him with an entire leg of smoked venison."
"I had to wrestle the triplets three tis just to make them wash their hands feets," Fenric grumbled, though his hand remained protectively over Phina’s head as she stirred in her sleep. "They are completely feral without you, Ari. Their coordination is far too advanced for their age. They operated like an elite raiding party."
I walked into the center of the room, looking at my four completely ridiculous, powerful, utterly defeated husbands. The fierce, proud smirk on my face was impossible to hide.
"Mummy," Lyra stated calmly from Damar’s side, her erald eyes tracking my approach with her usual perfect, logical neatness. "The household experienced a standard operational variance during your absence. The dadas lack your specific logistical authority. It was an extre hassle."
"I can see that, General Lyra," I laughed softly, kneeling down to plant a soft, warm kiss on her forehead, which she accepted with a subtle, hidden wiggle of her silver tail against the rug.
I looked up at Noah, Fenric, Thalor, and Damar, my heart completely full as the two one-year-old twins imdiately woke up, letting out happy, bubbly giggles as they began crawling toward my legs like little projectiles on fire.
"Well, boys," I smirked, scooping Sora and Kaelen up into my arms and leaning back against Noah’s solid, warm chest. "The Queen is back. Who’s ready to tell exactly how the playground treaty was violated this ti?"
Noah laughed, Fenric groaned, and Damar let out a low, content purr, glad to have back.
"Oh, and this Saturday, we’re having spring cleaning."
"But it’s not spring yet, mummy." Lyra said, tilting her head and I tittered.
"Exactly. But with the amount of chaos I ca back to find, this palace needs a little bit of spring." I said and we all laughed.
"Spring cleaning in the dead of winter," Damar murmured, his smooth voice rolling out like velvet as he finally uncoiled his silver tail from the chair legs, letting it glide languidly over the rugs toward my ankles. "An architectural and seasonal contradiction, Ari. Yet, entirely necessary given the state of Thalor’s wardrobe."
"My wardrobe is a tragedy of dostic warfare!" Thalor protested, though his hold on a sleep-blinking Sora remained fiercely protective as he stood up from the table.
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