The palace hummed steadily a few days later, wards thrumming in their usual pulse, though inside the Emperor's private suite the atmosphere was softened to a cocoon of quiet. Orfeo Rayner Lyon, the newest prince, slept in his crib like he owned it, fists clenched tight, pale green eyes shut against the world.
Gabriel sat on the couch, a blanket pulled over his legs, exhaustion still hanging at the edges of his frame but not dimming the sharpness of his gaze. His hand rested loosely on the crib's edge, one finger brushing absently against the baby's tiny fist.
The wards stirred. Alexandra swept in first, Rowena perched comfortably on her hip, green eyes gleaming with a victory she hadn't even voiced yet. Behind her trailed Irina, both hands cradling the swell of her stomach, her expression caught somewhere between awe and outright terror at the thought of childbirth.
Gabriel arched a brow the moment he saw them. "Come to gloat?"
