Lucian crossed his arms as three of them stood near the gazebo of his garden.
"I don't think so, Thalor," he said calmly. "I've checked her background. She's purely a fairy. There isn't a single trace of mermaid blood."
Thalor stood beside him, frowning, his expression unusually serious. Auren remained silent on Lucian's other side, observing.
"Then why," Thalor muttered, rubbing his temple, "do I feel like there's something about her? I know instincts aren't absolute, but this—" He exhaled slowly. "It feels familiar. Too familiar."
Lucian didn't answer right away.
"But Thalor," Auren spoke up at last, his tone careful but firm. "You know the one you're bound to was recorded as a pure mermaid. Are you really letting an old rumor cloud your judgment?"
Thalor's jaw tightened.
Auren continued, softer now, "I don't mean to sound harsh. But are you certain this isn't… misplaced?"
Silence followed.
