The morning continued as if nothing had changed.
After Theo's burst of laughter in the garden, the house slowly returned to its usual rhythm.
Sylis carried the little boy in her arms as they walked toward the house, while he protested loudly, gripping his wooden spoon like the weapon of a victorious hero.
"I won!" Theo declared proudly.
Sylis smiled gently.
"You only ran away."
He thought for a moment before replying with absolute confidence.
"Same thing."
Behind them, Mira shook her head with a faint smile before returning to the kitchen.
The garden slowly grew quiet again.
Leaves rustled softly in the breeze, and from the direction of the stable came the light sound of a horse stamping against the ground.
From the workshop came the faint sound of wood being carved… and then it disappeared.
Life continued.
As if it insisted on continuing.
As if the day itself refused to acknowledge the quiet tension hanging over the house.
---
Inside the villa, Ronald moved to the veranda where he usually spent the late morning.
A newspaper rested in his hands, yet he had not turned the page for several minutes.
From time to time, his eyes drifted toward the garden.
Toward Thorn.
The old man was not someone who asked many questions.
But he had lived long enough to recognize the look of a man thinking far more than he should.
---
Meanwhile, Theo had found himself a new mission.
He sat on the floor beside Sylis, carefully arranging the small wooden toys Thorn had made for him over the years.
A horse.
A tiny knight.
And a slightly crooked wooden bird… that looked more like a duck than an actual bird.
Each toy carried a story Theo invented in the moment.
He lifted the wooden horse.
"This is the king."
Sylis picked up the small knight.
"And this?"
Theo thought with great seriousness.
"…The king's best friend."
Sylis smiled softly.
Children had a strange ability to turn the simplest things into entire worlds.
And for a moment…
She almost forgot.
Almost.
Then she noticed something beside the toys.
A small decorated box.
Theo had opened it with excitement that morning, and half of what was inside was still there.
Delicate sweets, carefully wrapped.
Theo suddenly lifted another piece.
"This is from the nice man."
Sylis looked at him.
"Which man?"
The child smiled proudly as he placed the candy in his mouth.
"The man who sent it to me."
Then he added with the simple certainty of a child,
"His name is King Morven."
Sylis paused.
Children did not know how to lie.
But they also did not always understand the things they said.
"Did you see him?" she asked quietly.
Theo shook his head.
"No."
Then he pointed at the small box.
"But they said he sent it."
He looked at the candy again, his eyes shining.
Then he said with sincere conviction,
"He's a good man."
He reached out and took one of the pale pink candies, lifting it toward Sylis.
"Mama, taste it."
Sylis opened her mouth and carefully accepted it from him.
Theo's eyes sparkled with excitement as he added,
"It's delicious, right? Theo will share it with the best mother in the world."
Sylis laughed softly.
"But it's a gift from King Morven."
Theo still seemed determined to share it, barely paying attention to her words.
"Theo, this gift is for you, my dear."
"Then I'll share it with you as a reward," he said happily, opening his arms, "because you played with me a lot and didn't go to work."
Sylis did not answer.
Instead, she pulled him into a warm embrace.
Theo loved his mother's hugs, so he wrapped his small arms around her as well, staying still as he enjoyed her warmth, laughing happily.
Sylis felt a quiet sense of relief.
For once, she finally had the time to make up for the moments she had not been there for her child.
But something in her chest stirred slowly.
The king.
The palace invitation.
And now…
These sweets.
---
Outside, Thorn returned from the workshop and walked slowly along the stone path through the garden.
His steps were calm.
His thoughts were not.
The palace invitation.
The royal physician.
And the reason he still did not understand.
Why now?
And why him?
None of it was clear yet.
And Thorn did not like riddles he could not measure with his own hands.
---
The sun slowly climbed higher in the sky.
Time was passing.
But not fast enough.
And as midday approached, that strange silence began to settle over the place again.
It was not the quiet of an ordinary day.
It was the silence of people waiting for something they could not stop.
Something that would come…
Whether they were ready for it or not.
---
Thorn lifted his gaze from the garden.
Through the sunlight filtering between the leaves, his eyes met those of his father sitting on the veranda.
Ronald was watching him.
But the moment their eyes met, a faint smile appeared on the old man's face.
Thorn hesitated for a moment, then walked toward the veranda and climbed the few stone steps leading up to it.
He stopped in front of his father and said in a half-teasing tone,
"You looked lost in thought… but you smiled when you saw me."
He leaned slightly forward.
"Did you think I was your wife? Or am I imagining things?"
Another smile appeared on Thorn's face as he looked at his father.
Ronald, however, did not return it so easily.
He raised an eyebrow in mild confusion.
"Only half of your answer is correct."
Then he stared at his son for a moment.
"What do you mean? And why are you laughing, you little brat?"
Thorn's smile widened.
"It's true. I was thinking about matters concerning my wife."
He paused briefly before adding with dramatic calm,
"But I wouldn't mistake a rose… for a dead tree."
Silence fell for a moment.
Then Ronald suddenly shouted,
"What did you say?!"
He waved the newspaper angrily.
"Take that back, you ungrateful child!"
But that only made Thorn laugh even harder.
Then he calmly pointed at the paper.
"Father… look at the newspaper in your hands."
Ronald glanced down.
His eyes widened slightly.
Thorn said with exaggerated drama,
"Yes."
Then he added slowly,
"It's upside down, Father."
Ronald froze.
"I… I…"
Then he quickly defended himself,
"Yes! I was… I was training my ability to read upside down!"
Thorn burst out laughing again.
And it seemed Ronald was truly beginning to lose his patience.
But after a moment…
The playful atmosphere faded.
Thorn looked at his father seriously this time.
"And what about you, Father? What's on your mind?"
Ronald's expression changed.
Quietly, he folded the newspaper and placed it carefully on the table.
Then he crossed his arms and looked directly into his son's eyes.
"You."
A flash of surprise crossed Thorn's face.
But he said nothing.
Ronald continued calmly,
"You are what worries me, my son."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"It is not like you to keep things that trouble you to yourself."
His gaze remained steady.
"But I see you thinking too much these days."
Then he spoke more gently.
"Don't exhaust yourself."
"If something is troubling you… just talk about it."
He paused one last time before adding,
"Stop keeping everything inside."