The castle woke slowly, quieter than usual, its walls no longer echoing with the thunder of armies and constant motion. With the troops now stationed in Emberreach and the sprawling new barracks, the once crowded halls had become a haven of peace. For the first time in weeks, Rhiannan and her mates, along with her sentinels, siblings, and all their mates, had the castle to themselves.
They gathered for breakfast in the sunlit hall, a soft breeze floating through the open windows. Platters of fresh bread, smoked meats, eggs cooked in every style, fruits sliced to perfection, and sparkling juice lined the long table. Laughter flowed easily between them all. But there were a few missing from the mix.
"Where are Mo and Mela?" Kaleb asked, quirking a brow.
Azarion smirked, buttering a roll. "If I had to guess, somewhere sinning loudly with their new mate."
Everyone chuckled knowingly. No one needed to hear the details to know exactly what was going down.
Just as Rhiannan reached for a goblet of strawberry juice, a strange light rippled across the ceiling.
"What the fuck!" Liam started, standing.
Everyone followed his gaze, rushing to the courtyard windows.
The sky above shimmered with magic as two massive dragons soared through the air. Their scales sparkled like starlight, one an iridescent violet, the other a glowing gold. Riding on their backs was a very familiar face.
"Gailia!" Rhiannan gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
The dragons landed with a graceful whoosh of wind, shifting midair. Gailia's twins, Fenix and Draven, shifted from their powerful dragon forms into their fae selves, glowing and proud, as Gailia cradled two small, cooing bundles in her arms.
Faenet absolutely detonated with excitement.
đź’¬ @floralwitchbaby: "TWIN DRAGON BABIES?? I'M SOBBING"
đź’¬ @dracogirl888: "Someone tell Gailia to drop the baby names NOW"
đź’¬ @mooncrowqueen: "Those babies already have more followers than me, I swear to the stars"
Rhiannan raced down the steps of the castle and scooped one of the babies gently into her arms.
"By the gods, look at you," she whispered, cooing and kissing their soft, scaled cheeks. "You are absolutely perfect."
Everyone took turns snuggling the little dragons, enchanted by their presence. The babies were warm, sweet smelling, and already trying to nip playfully at fingers with the tiniest of fangs.
Rhiannan introduced Gailia to her three magical nannies, Kaelith, Sereth, and Boom Boom, who immediately stepped forward, beaming with joy.
"We'll guard them with our lives," Kaelith said reverently.
"They'll be fed, protected, and spoiled with strategic bedtime stories," Boom Boom added with a wink.
Gailia sighed in relief and handed the twins over to the nannies, who glowed with pride as they walked the babies off to the nursery wing.
"Now," Draven said, clapping his hands together. "Someone pass me a mimosa and at least five pancakes. I haven't had a proper breakfast in months."
They all laughed, the joy of the moment wrapping around them like a warm blanket. The chaos could wait. For now, it was all love, laughter, and dragon baby cuddles.
The morning sun filtered through the high stained glass windows of the castle dining hall, casting colorful rainbows across the long wooden table piled high with food. Pancakes stacked like towers, eggs in every style imaginable, sizzling strips of bacon, mountains of fruit, cinnamon pastries, and fresh squeezed juices. The room smelled like sugar, spice, and home.
Rhiannan, glowing with maternal divinity and the smugness of a bitch who just conquered a kingdom, was seated at the head of the table. Her bump stretched the soft fabric of her gown and she rubbed it idly while sipping juice.
Fenix and Draven flanked Gailia, who was bouncing one of the baby dragon girls on her knee while the other slept cradled in Draven's tattooed arms. Gailia was positively glowing and looked well rested for a woman who had just carried dragon twins. Magic had its perks.
"Alright, someone tell us what the fuck happened while we were nesting," Draven said, arching a brow.
Kaleb wiped syrup off his chin and grinned. "Only built the largest, most advanced barracks in the history of the realms. Half a million troops housed, trained, and fed."
Arwen added, "It's so luxurious even the pixies are jealous. Elisha designed a whole new village too, Emberreach."
Elisha beamed, smug. "It has a market, 132 homes, a river, a forest, and even a magical plumbing system."
"Hot water in every home," Azarion said, sipping his spiced tea. "You're welcome."
Gailia laughed. "So basically, I missed the apocalypse and the renaissance."
"Pretty much," Veena said. "And the Trial of Valor starts next week."
"Kaleb and I are setting it up," Arwen said between bites. "It'll be broadcast on FaeNet. Applicants fight to earn command ranks."
Liam leaned back in his chair, swirling his drink. "And I've collected a small army of craftsmen, blacksmiths, witches, and other misfits."
"Including your creepy ass ex," Rhiannan muttered. Liam smirked, not denying it.
Sable chuckled darkly. "The barracks staff are all unhinged in the best way. Jora threatened to sear a guy's eyebrows off for asking for ketchup."
"Honestly, fair," Barrick muttered, chewing on a pastry.
"How's Sasha holding up?" Gailia asked.
"Like a champ. She's organizing all the new recruits. We had to build a second barracks wing," Rhiannan replied, rubbing her bump. "Which reminds me, when the fuck did we become a damn empire?"
"About the time your faenet went viral and everyone on the planet of Andopeer decided you were the savior of the gods," Nyxar said, dryly.
Torvax snorted. "Someone carved her face into a mountainside."
Everyone burst into laughter as Rhiannan groaned and hid her face in her hands. "I just wanted to sleep and maybe bang my mates, not be a living statue."
Mo and Mela still hadn't shown up. Veena raised a brow and smirked. "Wonder what our favorite new throuple is up to."
"Probably testing the structural integrity of the new guest suites," Caelira added, sipping her coffee with a sly grin.
Rhiannan giggled. "I mean, I did say get comfortable."
The table erupted in more laughter and teasing as the morning sun rose higher and the castle buzzed softly with the energy of a home rebuilt, fortified, and ready for whatever the hell came next.
War was coming.
But they had pancakes and sarcasm.
So they'd be fine.