After a night filled with strange feelings and quiet tears, morning came anyway.
The sky outside the palace windows had barely lightened when Ezra opened his eyes.
For a moment, he didn't move.
He just listened.
Lior was still asleep beside him, breathing slow and even. The color had returned to his cheeks. The faint crease between his brows from yesterday's exhaustion was gone.
'He looks better,' Ezra thought, relief washing over him again. 'Thank Aurethys.'
Carefully, he slipped out of bed and began preparing for the joint meeting.
The Sunward Sentinels. The Ember Guard. The Dawnward Bloom.
All in one field.
It would be tense.
He dressed quietly, adjusting the clasps of his uniform with practiced hands. Before leaving, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Lior's head.
No witnesses.
Just him.
And his little boy.
Lior stirred faintly but didn't wake.
'We'll talk after the meeting,' Ezra thought. 'I'll make sure I give him the biggest hug.'
