"Hey, Eira, there—I'm fine! One question at a time, dear princess," Queen Barbara said with an eye roll, her tone light but affectionate.
Eira puffed her cheeks in mock annoyance, clearly unsatisfied with her mother's nonchalant response. Noticing her daughter's expression, the queen immediately softened and pulled her in.
"Hey, my darling, I missed you so much. I couldn't wait another second to see you. Especially after hearing the news about your engagement to the crown prince of Tenebria… I still can't believe they're about to take you away from me," Queen Barbara said dramatically, tears glistening but not falling.
Eira's expression faltered. The weight of her choices began to settle on her shoulders. She wasn't just leaving the palace. She was parting from the people who meant everything to her: her father—her unwavering hero. Queen Barbara, who always doted on her. Lady Calantha, strict but deeply loving. Her two brothers—one playful, the other composed. She was about to leave this circle of warmth and head into the unknown.
A deep sadness crept into her chest. For a fleeting moment, she considered taking it all back. Maybe it wasn't too late. But no—there was no turning back. She had made her choice. And it was the only path left.
Sensing the heaviness in the air, Lady Calantha decided to intervene.
"Can't believe you both suddenly forgot me," she said dryly, a teasing glint in her eye.
Queen Barbara smiled sheepishly. "Oh, Lady Calantha, you are here. Blame Eira for monopolizing all the attention. Forgive this old queen's manners—I feel like I'm aging every day."
Lady Calantha rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she walked closer, joining their hug.
Just then, they felt a new presence wrap around them. A large chest pressed into their backs, and a familiar warmth enclosed them. A head dipped into the crook of Eira's neck.
"Balti," Lady Calantha whispered, immediately recognizing her husband.
"Mn… My dear wife," King Baltimore said with playful cheer. "What a glorious evening. I feel like the happiest man on earth. My troubled heart feels at peace."
"Father," Eira whispered, turning to embrace him fully.
"Mm. My Ava, have you been well?" the king asked.
"Yes, father. And you?"
"Ah, what can I say? I've always been me," he replied with a wink.
"Hubby," Queen Barbara said warmly.
"My queen," Baltimore replied, his eyes full of genuine affection as he looked at the three women before him.
Then, feigning a pout, he added, "Why do I feel like my wives have been leaving me out lately?"
The two queens blinked at each other, surprised by the sudden accusation.
"What are you talking about, dear?" Calantha asked.
"Yes, what did we do?" Queen Barbara echoed.
"My wives have both been away for months—one went off to tour the cities and other kingdoms, the other went to recuperate. Meanwhile, this old man was left here with our adorable daughter and our ever-charming, ever-troublesome princes."
Queen Barbara stifled a laugh while Lady Calantha raised a brow.
"I missed you both terribly," Baltimore continued dramatically. "I sent letters—countless ones! But one of you only sent word through a personal guard. The other told me to stop writing or she wouldn't come back home. Is that fair, daughter?"
Eira shook her head pitifully, trying not to laugh.
Queen Barbara couldn't help but grin, and Lady Calantha rolled her eyes again.
"Oh my, Calantha—I didn't know you were this heartless," Queen Barbara teased.
"Mn. And I didn't think my dear wife would resort to sending messages through a guard rather than responding herself," Lady Calantha replied, pretending to contemplate.
Queen Barbara smirked. "At least I didn't threaten never to return."
That left Calantha briefly speechless.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" Barbara teased, clearly enjoying her upper hand.
Lady Calantha narrowed her eyes. "You…"
But instead of firing back with words, she grinned mischievously, a plan forming in her mind.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I can't believe what happens when your favorite melon cookies stop showing up," she said with a sly tone.
That struck a nerve.
Queen Barbara's face paled. Melon cookies were her favorite—soft, lightly sweet, and nearly impossible to prepare just right. Calantha, the only one who knew the perfect recipe, always kept them stocked—even when she was away.
"Y-You wouldn't," Queen Barbara stammered.
"Oh, wouldn't I?" Calantha said, raising an eyebrow.
Queen Barbara instantly clung to Eira like a child. "Eira! Convince her, please!"
Eira giggled uncontrollably, caught in the loving absurdity of her family.
The king wrapped his arms around all three women once again. "Ah, how lucky am I? To be surrounded by my queens and my jewel."
Barbara, still clinging to Eira, pouted. "Don't let her take my cookies, Eira."
"You see what happens when you bluff, my queen?" Calantha said with a satisfied smirk.
"You are wicked," Barbara grumbled.
Eira took a deep breath and closed her eyes, savoring this moment. Surrounded by warmth, laughter, and love, it was a memory she would carry wherever she went.
Yet, beneath the joy, there was an unspoken truth: she would soon leave. Not for marriage—but for the contest. A challenge not only of skill and wit, but of endurance and purpose.
She didn't know what awaited her in Tenebria. But for now, she let herself bask in the love of her family, in a glorious evening that would live forever in her heart.
--
Back in Tenebria, the sun dipped low over the black spires of the capital. In the shadows of the looming palace, whispers moved like smoke.
"Have you heard?" one guard muttered to another. "The human princess is entering the contest."
"They say she rides like a storm and speaks like the sun," said another. "But she's still human."
"Doesn't matter. The king favors her."
"Then may the gods help the others."
---
Across the darkening sky, a messenger raven streaked toward Kingdom Vartalos, the homeland of Duke Kiros, bearing the news of the royal contest. In hidden chambers, across distant lands, the word spread.
The selection of the future queen had begun.
And in the shadows, not everyone wanted the same winner.