After a long day filled with innovation, conversations, and new ideas, the private rooms slowly began to fill.

  The daytime noise faded little by little, giving way to the silence of the night, broken only by intimate murmurs, soft footsteps, and the creaking of the old wooden floors.

  Night fell over Cautares, wrapping the place in a warm and expectant calm.

  The King and Queen’s Room

  Isadora was already lying on the bed. She softly hummed a melody while carefully applying her new ointment to her arms and face.

  The texture was smooth and cool, and it left behind a delicate scent that slowly spread through the room. Rowan did not fail to notice it.

  The king settled beside her, watching her with curiosity before speaking.

  —You seem quite lively… —he commented with a slight smile—. It looks like coming to the frontier was worth it.

  Isadora nodded with enthusiasm, still rubbing the ointment into her skin.

  —Yes! This place is amazing. Here I can feel safe and calm… I can speak freely without feeling watched.

  Rowan let out a small laugh as he adjusted himself under the sheets.

  —You never fully got used to the life of a queen, did you? —he said gently.

  Isadora sighed, resting her back against the headboard.

  —It’s not that I dislike it… —she replied—. The hard part is dealing with unpleasant people, full of masks and fake smiles. At the castle, my only real friend is Elara… but here, with the heroines and everyone else, I feel comfortable and at ease. Their humility and honesty allow me to lower my guard.

  —I believe you —Rowan admitted, his tone turning more serious—. There is still much to reform in the kingdom. Conflicts with the nobles have not stopped… If you ever have a problem with any of them, tell me immediately.

  Isadora looked at him with gratitude.

  —Thank you, my love… I still don’t understand why you chose me.

  Rowan did not answer with words. He leaned toward her, wrapped his arms around her, and gently hugged her before kissing her forehead.

  The gesture made Isadora blush deeply.

  —I chose you because I did —he said with firm conviction.

  Isadora laughed softly, still blushing, before remembering something important.

  —Ah! By the way… —she added, growing animated again—. While you were in the city with Laret and Garbard for work, I was talking with the girls… Kael gave me an incredible gift!

  Rowan raised an eyebrow, surprised.

  —Little Kael? Really?

  —Yes! —she replied—. He made this ointment to moisturize and hydrate dry skin. And it has a wonderful scent. Everyone was shocked when he brought it.

  —He really made it himself?

  —Yes, yes. It was amazing. He used very strange materials and used magic to extract something from the plants… something he called “essential oil.”

  Rowan slowly shook his head, clearly impressed.

  —That child is astonishing. Althea has grown very fond of him, as have Lysandra and Ronan… It saddens me that they can spend so little time together. I wish they could grow up side by side.

  Isadora nodded, but her expression became more serious.

  —About you leaving… have you already made a decision?

  Rowan stayed silent for a moment before answering.

  —Yes. Tomorrow I will depart. There are many unresolved matters in Taratios. I wanted to use this break so you could stay here, under the excuse that… —he cleared his throat lightly— you would be recovering from your skin dryness problem. Yes, that.

  Isadora watched him closely.

  —That decision feels rushed… what happened?

  Rowan sat up slightly, resting on one elbow.

  —As you said, you are more comfortable and at ease here. I brought you to Cautares because there were conflicts among the nobles, and I know this is the safest place for you and Althea.

  I fear the nobles more than the beasts of the Indomitable Forest.

  It will only be another year and a half… I will visit from time to time. It is just until the problem is resolved. I already spoke with Lord Garbard, and he had no objections.

  Isadora took a deep breath.

  —Althea and I will adapt to that time, without a doubt… but I… —she paused, pressing her lips together—. All right, I’ll say it.

  She looked at him directly, her eyes shining.

  —My life belongs to Althea… and after her, it belongs to you. I care about nothing else but the two of you. If something were to happen to you, I… I don’t know if I could go on.

  Her voice trembled slightly. Isadora spoke in broken phrases, releasing the weight of separation and of a life that forced her away from her king.

  Rowan did not let her continue. He leaned toward her and kissed her warmly on the lips, holding her in a firm embrace.

  —This stays between us —he said quietly—, but to me, you are just as important. My daughter and you are my priority, and no one will ever change that.

  Isadora looked at him intensely, fully aware that their time apart would be long.

  —Then let us make this night so long… that we won’t have to miss each other until we meet again.

  And so, inside that room, there were no kings.

  Only two lovers, joining their hearts to remain strong in the face of adversity.

  The Dancing Heroine and the Shadow’s Room

  At the same time, Liora was already lying on her bed.

  Like the queen, she was applying a bit of the ointment to her arms and legs, enjoying the cool sensation it left on her skin. Her breathing was slow and relaxed, and the fatigue of the day was gradually fading away.

  She did not notice when the window of the room was already closed.

  Nor did she notice someone’s presence until she heard the soft sound of boots being carefully removed, as if the intruder wanted to go unnoticed after a long day of work.

  —Ah, Lucían! —Liora exclaimed, startled—. At least say something when you arrive… you always scare me.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Lucían lifted his gaze, surprised by her reaction.

  —Sorry —he replied quietly—. I had to patrol all the streets and alleys of Cautares while the king visited the city.

  Liora watched him closely, noticing the fatigue in his posture.

  —It seems it was quite difficult…

  —It was —he admitted—. And tell me… these past days, how has Ronan been?

  Liora smiled immediately.

  —Very happy. That invention Kael made has kept him very entertained.

  Lucían frowned slightly.

  —That object they call a ball?

  —Yes, that one! —she replied cheerfully—. Ronan runs all day through the garden kicking it. Then he plays with the girls and, above all, tries to impress Kael.

  —Kael? —Lucían repeated, surprised.

  —I suppose that seeing him so focused and disciplined makes him want to imitate him —she explained—. He tries to copy his daily habits. He follows him during training, tries to do the same exercises, and when he cannot, he asks him how to do them. Any doubt he has… he asks Kael.

  Lucían lowered his gaze, thoughtful.

  —That is strange… he has always been very withdrawn.

  —Well, Kael inspires him to improve, to be someone better —Liora said softly—. This afternoon, Ronan told me something…

  Adopting a more childish voice, she recalled his words.

  —Mom, with the training I do with Kael, will I be as strong as dad?

  Lucían raised his head, clearly moved.

  —That… that makes me very happy.

  He lay down beside her, and for the first time that night, his face relaxed. A faint smile appeared without him realizing it.

  —Aaaaah, I saw it! —Liora suddenly shouted.

  Lucían blinked, confused.

  —What? What are you talking about? You are imagining things…

  —No, no, no —she insisted—. I saw it… you smiled.

  Liora moved closer affectionately, kissing him on the cheek for a long moment before curling up at his side.

  Lucían sighed, letting out a part of himself he rarely showed.

  —I’m sorry for not being very expressive… —he murmured—. It wasn’t until I joined the group of heroes that I could feel human again… and not just an assassin.

  Liora rested her head on his chest.

  —That is in the past. Now you are a family man, someone who watches over the well-being of the kingdom.

  Lucían nodded slowly.

  —Tomorrow I will have to return to Taratios with the king —he said—. He needs my protection from the shadows.

  I wanted to ask you something… would you like to stay here? The queen will leave together with Freya in a little over a year. I think this place will do you and Ronan good.

  Liora looked up at him, her gaze playful.

  —If you promise to come in through that window on several occasions while we rest here… I will accept your proposal.

  Lucían let out a small smile.

  —Of course. As long as I live, I will always watch over you from the shadows.

  —Oh, you are starting again with your assassin lines —she teased him.

  —Sorry… —he replied, pretending guilt.

  Liora did not give him time to react.

  Quickly and affectionately, she climbed on top of him and kissed him intensely.

  —Then tonight —she whispered—, let us say goodbye properly.

  And so, the wandering bard dancer joined in a single song with the assassin who protected her from the shadows.

  The Sungley Lords’ Room

  Caria was lying on the bed, delicately applying her new skin ointment.

  Her hands slowly moved along her arms and neck, enjoying the cool sensation the cream left behind. Her skin became soft and smooth, and a wide smile remained drawn on her face. The happiness she felt was so evident that it seemed to overflow.

  Laret finished putting on his pajamas and, seeing her like that, could not help but watch her with curiosity.

  —It seems you had a good day… —he commented.

  —Yes! —Caria replied enthusiastically—. Look at this ointment, it smells quite nice and leaves the skin very soft.

  Laret approached, observed it more closely, and inhaled the scent with interest.

  —Did Redda buy this ointment for you in the city? —he asked—. Maybe we could buy more to give it to the maids.

  Caria shook her head, amused.

  —That won’t be necessary. All the maids already have a jar of this cream.

  —Really? —Laret was surprised—. Then we should contact the producer to see if we can make some kind of agreement.

  —I already contacted him —she replied casually—. He will deliver a new batch as soon as we run out… and I must admit something: as soon as he handed me this jar, I gave him a kiss with all my passion.

  ..

  ….

  …

  Laret froze completely.

  —Wait… what? WHAT?!?!

  Caria looked at him with complete calm.

  —Yes. The producer of the ointment got a little angry about the kiss, but he will have to deal with it.

  —Wait! How?! What?! —Laret opened his eyes wide—. Caria, could you explain this properly, please?!

  Caria could not hold it anymore and burst into laughter.

  —Hahahahaha —she laughed—. Kael made this ointment, you jealous man. <3 <3 (>*3*)>

  At that moment, Caria leaned toward him and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips.

  Laret, completely flushed, took a moment to come back to his senses.

  —Hey! —he exclaimed—. You should have started with that! But don’t joke like that… you almost scared me to death.

  With a mischievous look, Caria replied:

  —Well yes… a kiss. <3 <3 (>*3*)>

  —So you are telling me that Kael made this special skin ointment… —Laret said, still processing it.

  —Yes, yes —she nodded—. The queen had problems with dryness, and Kael addressed the issue immediately. With Jacki’s help, he created this excellent ointment… and well, he also used his magic.

  Laret raised an eyebrow.

  —His magic…?

  —But under supervision —she quickly clarified—. This time, Freya watched him the whole time so the incident would not happen again.

  Laret sighed, with a mix of pride and concern.

  —Kael learns far too fast… so fast that I feel I won’t be able to teach him anything.

  —It seems I won’t either —Caria admitted—. But in the end, it is the other way around. He teaches us many things… always cheerful, eager to know and understand more.

  I still wonder who he inherited that desire to study and learn so easily from.

  They both fell silent for a moment, looking at each other, because they knew he had not inherited that from either of them.

  —What matters —Caria continued— is that he grows up healthy and happy. That is our priority. Besides, he is very mature and patient. He has cared for and guided Ronan, Lysandra, and Althea with great responsibility. Those three children love him very much.

  —Well… —Laret replied—, at least that gives me hope that my little one could be a good older brother.

  He said it with a humorous and sarcastic tone.

  Caria then looked at him with a seductive and deep expression.

  —Oh… are you trying to give Kael a little brother or sister?

  —No! I just… —Laret stepped back a bit—. Hey, don’t push it, don’t tease me… because then I won’t hold back.

  Caria smiled to the side.

  —So the white-haired boy is quite rough… —she whispered—. Come here, I’ll teach you a lesson. <3 <3 (>*3*)>

  And so, the lords of House Sungley joined in a rush of love and passion, fully surrendering to their deep affection.

  Kael lay awake, his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling in the dim light.

  Kael’s thoughts:

  Is this for real…?! I have to sleep with these kids and on top of that find out that there is intimacy in three rooms at the same time?!?!

  // -- They are couples, idiot, there has to be intimacy… besides, I just told you about the plans for tomorrow. It is obvious they need to release tension. Or would you not jump on your partner if you knew you would not see them for months? -- //

  Kael’s thoughts:

  But it’s unfair! And I’m still stuck in the body of a child…!

  Ooooh, but just wait until I’m old enough… because I’ll go partying for whole weeks to enjoy the youth I didn’t get to enjoy in my other life. I said it!

  // -- Hahaha, you didn’t even have time for that in your other life, haha -- //

  Kael’s thoughts:

  Shut up… this won’t stay like this. They won’t leave without paying the price for enjoying life and condemning me to sleep while taking care of their children…

  .

  .

  .

  .

  .

  The Next Morning

  The preparations were ready.

  Rowan, accompanied by Lucían and several soldiers, was saying goodbye to everyone at the Sungley house. The atmosphere was solemn, yet filled with restrained affection.

  When Rowan approached Kael and noticed his tired face and heavy eyes, he could not help but ask.

  —What happened, little Kael? —he said with curiosity—. You look like you didn’t sleep well.

  Kael let out an exaggerated yawn before answering.

  —Well… no. I don’t know which room it was, but one of them would not stop making noise for hours.

  The bed kept creaking and creaking! It sounded like they were fighting!

  An absolute silence took over the main room.

  Everyone looked at each other, expectant, trying to guess who could be responsible.

  The three guilty couples exchanged accusatory looks, each trying to blame the other two.

  Those expressions did not go unnoticed by the nearby guardians and maids.

  —Pfff… hahahahaha —Ken mocked—. The young master has such sharp hearing.

  —My young master —Tana intervened, holding back her laughter—, sometimes there are wind currents that move furniture and objects… hahahahaha.

  The three couples, completely red-faced and embarrassed, tried to act normal.

  In that way, they quickly finished the farewell ceremony.

  Thus, the king and the assassin of the shadows departed from the city of Cautares.

  There were many things to fix.

  The kingdom needed a firm hand to rule, but it also required that the children —unaware of their parents’ conflicts— grow up in a calm and happy way.

  A season of introspection was approaching, of difficult decisions and of new challenges and improvements.

  …

  …

  …

  …

  …

  Freya crossed her arms, glaring at the guilty ones.

  —Ohhh… so you shameless ones had fun last night —she said with a dangerous smile—. Of course! With those red faces, you are shouting it at those of us who must wait for our partners.

  You are so inconsiderate! Come here! Where do you think you’re going?!

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