I ended up playing hide and seek with Valaine and Tritetia until about midday, although Valaine seemed unwilling to let me and Tritetia be alone again. Even when it was her time to seek, she would pout and complain until Tritetia agreed to seek instead. I found her bratty behaviour annoying but did my best to simply play along.

  “Cyran!” Galen’s voice rang across the garden and I quickly popped out of my hiding spot. “It’s time to come back in.”

  “Okay!” I beamed, ignoring Valaine’s annoyed groan as I sprinted toward the head maid. If she was calling for me, it meant that the conversation was finished and a decision either made or mostly decided on. I forced my expression to remain bright and eager as I reached Galene, tilting my head up at her with innocent curiosity.

  “Are we gonna eat now?” I asked, grinning widely as if food was the only thing on my mind.

  Galene chuckled, nodding slightly. “Yes, a light lunch has been prepared. They are waiting for you in the drawing room.”

  “Yay!” I beamed eagerly, running into the palace. I had already memorized the layout of the first floor of the palace and I threw open the doors to the drawing room. A light spread had been set out, and I ran straight to my mother, giving her a tight hug, pressing my face into her side. She chuckled softly, running her fingers through my hair in a way that was both familiar and grounding. I inhaled deeply, letting the scent of her calm the flickering tension inside me before pulling away.

  "Did you have fun?" she asked, amusement laced in her voice as she smoothed out the wrinkles in my shirt.

  “Uh-huh! We played hide and seek all morning, but Valaine kept changing the rules,” I pouted, making sure to sound just irritated enough to be believable. My mother chuckled again, shaking her head as she gestured for me to sit beside her.

  I did, swinging my legs as I eyed the food on the table, pretending to be excited while I carefully took in the room. Caspian and Isadora were sitting the same as before on the couch across from us, their posture relaxed as Isadora chuckled softly at my behavior. I glanced back up at my mother, noticing that she seemed calm; whatever conversation she had with them, she had already made up her mind. But from the way Isadora was watching me, I knew that nothing had been fully decided.

  I hummed, reaching for a piece of bread and slathering it with butter, making a show of enjoying my first bite. The room was quiet despite the fact no one was eating but I knew better than to say anything about it. I chewed slowly, savoring the rich flavor as I played along, letting them see the image of a child who wasn’t concerned about the tension in the air.

  As I reached for another piece, Isadora exhaled softly, leaning forward slightly, her silver eyes meeting mine. “Cyran, can I ask you something?”

  “Uh huh,” I nodded, this time choosing to spread one of the jellies. Even in my first life, I was always a fan of fruit, but fruit was rare in Polec due to the cold. The Marquess occasionally got his hands on some, but he usually saved it for when he had one of his co-conspirators visiting from central Naera. Isadora waited until I finished spreading the fruit, a smile on her face as I settled next to my mother.

  “Well, you know I spoke to my ma and pa yesterday about having you and your mother live here,” Isadora started, her voice carefully measured, as if gauging my reaction. I simply nodded, keeping my expression neutral despite the careful wording of her statement. “And… well, honestly they don’t like the idea.”

  “They don’t?”

  “No. My parents have a lot of worries and every decision they make has to be in the interest of everyone, not just two people. Since we don’t know what you are or what magic you may have, they are worried about letting you live in the palace.” Isadora explained and I tilted my head, pretending to be confused. It was actually a smart decision on the part of the Emperor and Empress; there were already rumors and talk about the two people Isadora had brought up from Polec and without a good reason, it could start a trend of people attempting to pity their way into the palace.

  I was more surprised that Isadora was being honest with me about it and I chanced another glance at my mother. This time she caught me and merely smiled, planting a kiss in my head as she motioned for me to listen to the crown princess. I turned my attention back to Isadora, who was sharing a look with Caspian.

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  “But I told you I would keep you and your mother safe, and I intend to keep that promise,” Isadora affirmed and I finished off my bread as she continued. “So I’d like to adopt you as my son.”

  I stiffened, caught completely off guard despite myself. Adopted?

  “You… would be my ma?” I asked quietly, letting genuine surprise seep into my voice. I turned to look at my mother, expecting to see hesitation or uncertainty on her face, but she remained as calm as ever. The realization hit me then—she had already agreed. Whatever reservations she may have had, whatever fear or uncertainty, she had already made her choice before I even stepped into this room.

  I turned back to Isadora, my mind racing despite the careful mask of wide-eyed innocence I maintained. Adoption was a far greater claim than I expected. I had assumed they would offer some sort of protection, perhaps make my mother an official servant of the palace with me as her ward, or even grant us low nobility status to keep us under their watch. But this?

  “In title only, Cyran. Your mother would be appointed as your lead caretaker, so you would still see her constantly and she would only answer to me and Galene,” Isadora explained, her voice gentle but firm. “But by making you my son, I would be the one responsible for what you become, as well as the one ensuring you and your mother remain safe. It frees my parents from responsibility, which makes it easier for them to agree to you staying.”

  ‘Of course it’s political.’ I thought to myself, pretending to think about what she said. They all had their suspicions that I was a Draconid, but since only my eyes had changed, there was still no way to be certain until more of my draconic traits manifested. The Empress and Emperor were basically making their own child a scapegoat in case I turned out to be more dangerous, but they could still react with prejudice if their “precious grandson” was harmed while living in the palace. It was so calculated it made me sick.

  “So… I would be a prince?”

  “Yes Cyran, you would become a prince,” Isadora smiled, but there was something thoughtful in her expression, as if she had expected the question. “When you come of age, or when Caspian and I have a child of our own, we would grant you a noble title worthy of a former prince. That way, you would have power of your own, lands of your own–enough to protect your mother without needing anyone else’s permission, no matter what you are.”

  I frowned, pretending to be deep in thought as I absorbed her words. A prince now, a grand duke later. It was an airtight plan, one that ensured I wouldn’t be an obstacle to Isadora and Caspian’s future children, but also one that gave me a secure position. It made sense why my mother had agreed; even if she technically remained a commoner, it gave me power and protection, two things she could not provide on her own. And of course they expected me to think like a child; to a boy who just wanted to protect his mother, this was a golden ticket. The backing of the entire imperial family, with a promise of my own power and status in the future.

  Before I could answer, the doors flew open and we all turned to see Valaine burst into the room, her auburn hair wild and her expression scrunched up in a dramatic pout. Tritetia followed behind her, clearly trying to keep up as Valaine stomped forward, hands on her hips.

  “I don’t want a nephew who’s older than me!” she declared, puffing out her cheeks as she pointed directly at me. I blinked, startled by her intrusion. “I want a baby nephew. A baby!”

  The tension that had built in the room shattered like glass. My mother let out a startled chuckle, quickly covering her mouth while Isadora sighed heavily, rubbing her temples as if she had already expected this reaction. Caspian merely leaned back on the couch, watching the scene unfold with barely concealed amusement.

  “Valaine,” Isadora began patiently, “If you’ve made another eavesdropping room–”

  “But it’s not fair!” Valaine cut her off, stomping her foot for emphasis. “If you adopt him, that makes him my nephew, and I don’t wanna have a nephew who’s older! That’s weird!”

  I barely stopped myself from laughing as Valaine continued, clearly not caring about anything other than how my adoption would shift the family dynamics. Instead, I shifted my gaze to Tritetia, who was glancing at my mother and I noticed the slight shift in color in her eyes. I hadn’t noticed it the day before, but her eyes seemed to glaze over when she stared at someone and I couldn’t help but wonder if it had to do with her abilities as a seer.

  “It’s not up to you, Valaine,” Isadora’s voice drew my attention back to the conversation and I glanced at the two sisters. “I made a pinkie promise. If Cyran agrees, I can’t break it.”

  “But it's not fair! Even Tritetia knows that! Right?” Valaine turned to her fellow princess for support and I was surprised to notice she was staring at me, the strange film gone from her eyes. Tritetia nodded slightly before dropping her gaze, and Valaine cheered. “See! She agrees!”

  But I knew that movement had not been for Valaine’s silly antics. I took a deep breath, turning to look at the couple across from me. Isadora was still dealing with Valaine, no longer watching me as she tried to placate her sister. Caspian, on the other hand, had an unreadable expression, though I didn’t miss the way his fingers tapped idly against the armrest of the couch. My mother remained quiet beside me, her warm presence steady and unwavering.

  I stood up from the couch, finally getting Valaine to quiet down as everyone shifted their attention to me. I closed my eyes, mentally preparing myself for what I was about to accept, before giving the biggest smile I could. I only had one choice and Triteia had confirmed it.

  “I’d love to be a prince!”