Elara's eyes flicked up from the floating tome, following the dance of sunlight across the room, though she didn't speak. Her fingers absently traced the air above the page, turning letters into faint glimmers as runes hovered, untethered, in the space around her. The quiet suited her. She liked watching Anna—safe, breathing, peaceful—without intruding. Each soft rise and fall of her sister's chest was a reassurance she couldn't put into words.
Talia leaned back against the wall, polishing the dagger with careful strokes, the rhythmic scrape a steady counterpoint to the distant hum of the palace. Her gaze kept drifting to Anna, softening each time the princess moved or sighed. For all the teasing she gave, she hated seeing Anna confined like this, even if it was necessary. The dagger in her hands felt lighter, almost ceremonial, as if she was grounding herself in this calm.
Selene remained at the desk, pen hovering over parchment, though the words had long since stopped making sense. Her eyes kept straying to Anna, every shift, every small flutter of lids, demanding a mother's scrutiny. She was quiet, controlled—but inside, a storm of worry churned. She felt the tension of the palace walls, the hidden wards humming slightly stronger than usual, echoing the unease that tightened her chest.
For a while, none of them spoke. Time stretched comfortably thin, filled with soft breathing, the occasional flip of a page, and the faint scrape of metal. Outside, the gardens whispered in the afternoon breeze, carrying petals along the stone paths. Inside, the room held its fragile peace. All three watched and waited, each wrapped in their own quiet, each feeling the unspoken weight of the extraordinary within their smallest sister.
Talia's hand froze mid-polish, the dagger resting lightly against her knee. Her eyes flicked toward Anna, and for a moment, the princess's face seemed impossibly still—then, very slowly, a small, serene smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Talia blinked, barely breathing, as warmth pooled in her chest. It was subtle, fragile, but unmistakable: a smile born not of comfort or ease, but of something deeper, something unseen and untouchable. She felt the quiet hum in the room shift, as if the air itself had noticed, leaning in closer to the moment.
"Elara…" she murmured softly, almost to herself, voice catching on the last syllable. "Look… Anna's… she's smiling."
Elara's eyes followed hers, narrowing as she took in the delicate curve of her sister's lips, the faint rise and fall of her chest. "She… she really is," she whispered back, voice quiet, reverent. "Even asleep… she's… happy."
Selene, still at the desk, caught the exchange with the corner of her eye. Her pen paused mid-stroke, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. That small, fleeting expression of peace on Anna's face was worth every day of worry.
Elara's gaze softened as she studied Anna, the quiet rhythm of her sister's breathing filling the room. Her voice, barely above a whisper, broke the silence.
"Talia… what do you think she's dreaming of?"
Talia's hands stilled, dagger forgotten for the moment, as she tilted her head to watch Anna's sleeping form. She hesitated, as though speaking the thought aloud might somehow shatter it.
"I… I don't know," she admitted softly, voice tinged with awe. "But… whatever it is, it's making her… peaceful. Really peaceful. Like she's… exactly where she's supposed to be."
Elara nodded slowly, her own eyes lingering on Anna's face. "I've never seen her like this," she murmured. "Not since Grandma was still around."
Talia nodded, her eyes softening as she continued to watch Anna. "Yeah… it's like she's finally… unburdened. Like for once, nothing's pressing down on her."
Selene's hand hovered over her pen for a moment before she set it down completely, rising from the desk to move a few steps closer to the bed. Her voice was quiet, steady, yet carried the weight of all the worry she'd been holding in.
"She's stronger than we ever gave her credit for," Selene said, almost to herself. "And yet… even the strongest need a moment like this. A moment where they can just… be."
Elara exchanged a glance with Talia, both silently agreeing that, for now, that moment was everything. The room remained wrapped in calm, the rare, fragile peace of a princess finally allowed to rest.
Selene's hand froze mid-step, her eyes widening, the color draining from her face. She stared at Anna, voice caught in her throat. "No… that can't—"
Elara and Talia turned toward Selene, sensing the subtle shift in her posture and the tightening of her jaw.
"Mother…?" Elara asked softly, her voice cautious.
Both Elara and Talia followed her gaze, their own breaths catching. Anna remained asleep, peaceful as ever, but now one small hand hovered above her, fingers outstretched as though reaching for something unseen. The movement was deliberate, yet gentle, almost reverent, and it pulsed with a strange, quiet energy that made the room feel impossibly still.
Talia's eyes widened. "What… is she—reaching for?"
Elara shook her head slowly, unease threading through her whispered words. "I… I don't know. But it feels… like it's pulling from inside her… from deep inside."
Selene's breath caught in her throat, a shiver running down her spine as the air around Anna seemed to thrum with quiet intensity. The faint shimmer she had sensed earlier now pulsed stronger, a visible aura curling outward from her daughter, soft at first, then gaining substance. Light rippled across the room in gentle waves, bending around the furniture, brushing against the walls as though the very air recognized the shift.
Selene's eyes widened, heart hammering in her chest. This… this is it, she thought, her voice barely a whisper. The seal… it's finally breaking.
Talia and Elara leaned closer, their eyes reflecting the faint glow that emanated from Anna's outstretched hand. Each pulse of energy seemed alive, searching, reaching—a slow, deliberate awakening that sent a thrill of awe and fear threading through the room.
Selene stepped nearer, hand trembling at her side, watching as the aura swirled, the shimmer of raw, unbridled power flickering along Anna's skin like sunlight through leaves. "Anna…" she whispered, voice thick with emotion, ""please come back to me. Don't let it be like last time…"
The three of them stood frozen, captivated and terrified, as the small, deliberate movements of Anna's hand stirred waves of energy, heralding the beginning of something long contained and now, at last, awakening.
Selene's voice cracked sharply through the charged air. "Guards! Go—fetch the Emperor! Now! "
The words barely left her lips when Anna's aura flared brighter, tendrils of shimmering light spiraling outward like liquid starlight. The air vibrated faintly, carrying a low hum that thrummed in the bones of everyone in the room.
Anna remained asleep, yet the glow seemed to answer some silent call, radiating from her chest and hands, expanding slowly at first, then with growing insistence. It was beautiful and terrifying all at once—an almost tangible pulse of energy that filled the room, curling around furniture, brushing the walls, and tugging at the shadows in the corners.
Talia stepped back instinctively, eyes wide. "It's… it's everywhere…" she whispered, voice barely audible.
Elara's hands flexed, as though she wanted to do something but didn't dare. "She's… she's waking," she murmured, awe and fear mingling in her tone.
Selene's gaze never left her daughter, and she shouted again, urgency cutting through her panic. "NOW! GET THE EMPEROR, IMMEDIATELY!"
The glow intensified, brightening like a pulse of the sun condensed into their chamber, and the room itself seemed to hold its breath as Anna's small, outstretched hand traced invisible lines through the air, each motion sending waves of light and warmth spiraling outward, marking the beginning of a force long restrained and finally, at last, rising.
The brilliance grew rapidly, a cascade of light that spilled over the edges of the bed, filling the room with a radiance so intense it cast sharp, flickering shadows across walls and furniture. The glow pulsed in sync with Anna's steady breathing, each surge of energy almost tangible, pressing against the air itself.
Talia and Elara shielded their eyes instinctively, while Selene took a half-step back, heart hammering in her chest. "Anna!" she cried, reaching forward—but the light was overwhelming, impossibly bright, and even her voice was swallowed by its intensity.
Then—suddenly—a sharp, brilliant flash burst from the center of the glow. It was blinding, a heartbeat of pure, white brilliance that seemed to stretch time itself.
And just as abruptly as it had flared, the light vanished.
Silence reclaimed the room. The air still thrummed faintly, warm and charged, but the blinding radiance was gone.
Anna's chest heaved, her small hand trembling midair. Then she gasped sharply, eyes snapping open, pupils wide with wonder and recognition.
Anna blinked rapidly, still adjusting to the dimmed light of the room. Her voice was small, shaky, but curious. "What… what happened?" she asked, glancing around at her mother and sisters, the shimmer of energy still faintly lingering around her.
Selene rushed to her side, gently gripping her shoulders. "You… you've just experienced a surge, Anna. Your power—it awakened… in a way it hasn't before," she said, voice taut with awe and concern.
Anna frowned, still catching her breath, then pressed a hand to her chest. "I… I had the strangest dream. There was… a room. And… an egg. I think it was inside me… and it… it felt like it knew me." Her words stumbled over themselves as she tried to describe the vivid, unearthly sensation.
Elara and Talia exchanged wide-eyed glances, the faint glow around Anna still pulsing gently. "Inside you?" Talia echoed softly, her voice a mixture of wonder and disbelief.
Anna blinked again, the remnants of the dream and the light still thrumming inside her chest, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty settling over her. "I… I can't wait to meet him," she whispered, almost to herself.
Elara's eyes flicked downward, following the faint shimmer of movement across Anna's lap. Her breath caught in her throat, and her hand went to her mouth as her words stumbled out in a whisper, almost in disbelief.
"W-what… is that…?" she stuttered, eyes wide.
All three—Selene, Talia, and Elara—shifted their gazes toward Anna's lap. There, curled softly amid the folds of her robes, was a small creature. Its scales gleamed a deep purplish-black, faint veins of iridescent light tracing across its wings and along its spine. The tiny wings folded neatly against its back, and its long, delicate tail twitched occasionally as it breathed in soft, even rhythms.
Anna's eyes softened as she looked down at the creature, a gentle smile spreading across her face. Her fingers brushed lightly over its scaled head, careful not to disturb it.
"Alistar," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper, filled with awe and warmth. "It's really you…"
The small lizard-like dragon stirred slightly, lifting its head just enough to glance up at her with bright, intelligent blue and gold eyes. Anna's smile widened, and for a moment, the room was utterly still, the only sound the soft, even breathing of a dragon finally awake in her arms.
Talia and Elara exchanged a glance, disbelief and wonder mingling on their faces. Selene's hand went instinctively to her chest, heart hammering as she studied the creature that had been hidden, waiting, within her daughter all along.
Anna's voice softened further, almost reverent. "I… I can't believe you're here. I've been waiting so long to meet you."
Alistar shifted slightly, curling closer into her lap, wings flicking gently as if acknowledging her words. The room seemed to hum faintly with the quiet resonance of something ancient and alive.
Alistar stirred, stretching luxuriously across Anna's lap. His tiny wings unfurled with a soft, whispering rustle, catching the light and scattering faint iridescent sparks across her robes. He arched his back, spine rippling beneath the glimmering scales, and shook his wings once, sending a subtle, vibrating hum through the air.
Anna laughed softly, a sound of pure wonder, as she let him finish his stretch. Alistar then settled back onto his haunches, wings folding neatly against his sides. His bright, intelligent eyes met hers, fixed and unblinking, as though studying her just as she had been studying him.
"You… you're really here," Anna whispered, her fingers hovering just above his head, uncertain whether to touch or simply marvel. Alistar tilted his small head, a faint flicker of recognition in his gaze, and the room seemed to pulse gently with a quiet, shared understanding between dragon and girl.
The heavy thrum of boots echoed down the corridor before the door burst open. Valerius strode in, his cloak flaring behind him, face taut with a mix of authority and barely contained panic. His eyes swept the room in a single, sharp glance, taking in the faint shimmer still lingering in the air—and then he froze.
Anna sat upright, her gaze locked on a small, winged creature perched on her lap. Purple-black scales glimmered faintly in the soft light, wings tucked neatly against its sides, eyes wide and intelligent.
"By the gods…" Valerius whispered, voice hushed but charged with disbelief. He stepped closer, hands rising slightly, unsure whether to reach or simply observe. "Anna… what… what is that?"
Anna's lips curved into a small, amazed smile, her fingers brushing lightly over the creature's back. "It's Alistar," she murmured softly, eyes sparkling. "It's really him."
Valerius's eyes widened, every muscle in his body taut with disbelief. He took a careful step closer, glancing from Anna to Alistar and back again, heart hammering in his chest. Relief surged through him in an almost physical wave—Anna was unharmed. She was safe. She was awake. She was smiling.
"Anna…" he breathed, voice thick, unsteady despite his effort to command it, "you're… you're all right. You didn't… nothing happened to you?"
Anna shook her head, her smile steady, warm, filled with awe. "I'm fine, Father. Look… he's here. He's real. Alistar is real."
Valerius exhaled, a long, shuddering release of tension. His hands fell to his sides, knuckles whitening briefly as the enormity of the moment pressed down on him. He crouched slightly, closing some of the distance to Anna, eyes softening as he took in her wonder, the small dragon resting calmly in her lap.
Anna's fingers brushed lightly along Alistar's scales, her eyes sparkling as she nodded. "I'm okay, Father. Really. It was… incredible."
Valerius's chest loosened, the tight coil of fear and dread easing slightly. His gaze lingered on her, burning with a mixture of protective instinct and quiet awe. "Thank the gods," he murmured, voice heavy with relief. "Thank the gods you're safe."