The Celestian castle’s banquet hall was a masterpiece of blue and silver, every inch glittering like it had been carved out of a cloud. The ceilings soared high overhead, painted with constellations and swirling galaxies.
The windows caught the afternoon sun, scattering flecks of light across the polished marble floors and onto the long, pale table set for their small but royal party.
Elysia had never quite gotten used to the Celestian way of dining—quiet, asured, everything arranged in perfect symtry.
The staff seed to glide silently, their faces always serene, hands so steady that not a single drop of soup ever sloshed from a bowl.
Compared to the joyous, ssy chaos of als in the demon castle, it felt like eating in a temple.
But Kaelith, at a grand total of one year old, had not received the ssage that she was ant to be quiet and dignified.
She was sitting between Elysia and Malvoria in her own gilded high chair, her little boots swinging, her mouth covered in a mixture of sweet berry sauce and buttered bread.
She was humming, perhaps to herself, or perhaps to the silver goblet she kept tapping against her plate.
Every few seconds she’d shout, "Mama!" or "Cake!" or just make a sound of pure joy that echoed against the high ceiling, sending the advisors at the far end of the table into a series of small, polite winces.
Elysia tried not to laugh, tried to set a good example, but it was hopeless. She felt Malvoria squeeze her hand under the table, their fingers brushing in a secret, silent code that said: This is ridiculous, but she’s perfect.
The Celestian Queen sat at the head of the table, her posture impeccable, her pale hands folded neatly on the linen.
For most of the al, she watched Kaelith with a certain stoic forbearance, her expression unmoving as Kaelith enthusiastically licked her spoon, then clapped her hands, sending a tiny splatter of berry sauce onto her sleeve.
"I must say," the Queen intoned at last, after Kaelith had nearly toppled her cup a third ti, "the energy of demon children is... formidable."
Malvoria managed a perfectly straight face, though Elysia could see the mischief in her eyes. "She’s only just begun, Your Majesty. You should see what happens when she has two pieces of cake."
Kaelith, hearing the word "cake," imdiately tried to climb onto the table.
Elysia scooped her up, laughing, and kissed her cheek. "Sit, little star, or we’ll have to take you to the garden."
Kaelith pouted for a mont, but was soon distracted by a silver fork, which she waved like a sword.
For a few monts, the only sound was the clinking of cutlery and Kaelith’s humming.
Elysia was just beginning to relax when the Queen spoke again, her tone deceptively casual: "Tell , Queen Elysia, Queen Malvoria... Have you considered providing Kaelith with a sibling?"
Elysia choked on her sip of water. Malvoria coughed, nearly dropping her knife. Kaelith, oblivious, smacked her fork against her plate.
There was a mont of stunned silence. The Celestian advisors—never ones to show surprise—exchanged looks of alarm.
Even Sarisa, holding Aliyah at the far end of the table, hid a smirk behind her napkin. Lara choked on her bread and snorted loudly, drawing a disapproving glance from the Queen.
Elysia, regaining her composure, wiped her mouth. "That’s... a rather direct question, Your Majesty."
The Queen didn’t blink. "Directness is efficient. It is traditional in Celestian courts for royal heirs to be raised with siblings. It is said to foster both strength and humility."
Malvoria snorted under her breath. "Clearly you haven’t seen Kaelith try to wrestle a pie from the kitchen staff. She has plenty of strength."
Kaelith, sensing herself the topic of conversation, shrieked happily. "Pie!"
Raveth, ever diplomatic, tried to change the subject. "It’s remarkable how quickly Kaelith’s magic is developing, isn’t it?"
But the Queen would not be deterred. She turned her regal gaze on Elysia, and then Malvoria. "And yet, there is wisdom in planning for the future. A strong house needs many pillars."
Elysia, trying not to laugh at the look on Malvoria’s face, replied as evenly as she could,
"Kaelith is more than enough for us right now, Your Majesty. We’re still recovering from her first birthday party. I think we’ll wait... oh, six or seven years before we even consider another."
Kaelith, mishearing, cried, "Seven cakes?"
Lara, grinning, stage-whispered, "You could handle twins, right? Or triplets?"
Malvoria nearly spit out her drink. "Absolutely not. No. I don’t think the castle would survive. Or , for that matter."
The Queen pursed her lips. "It is, of course, your decision. But you may find that ti passes quickly. The people of both realms look to you for stability."
Kaelith took this as permission to stab her fork into a piece of cake, which she then sared on Malvoria’s sleeve, beaming up at her mother as if she’d presented her with a crown.
Malvoria looked at her sleeve, then at Elysia. "See? She’s already more than a handful."
Elysia leaned over, lowering her voice so only Malvoria could hear. "If we had another, I think Kaelith might try to start a coup."
Malvoria grinned. "She’d win, too."
The conversation at the table began to recover its flow, though the Queen kept glancing at them as if waiting for them to change their minds mid-al and announce another pregnancy.
Sarisa rescued them by asking about the magic circle construction, and soon the talk turned to the technical difficulties of linking two castles, to which Lara, still proud, gave a dramatic account of her runic triumphs.
anwhile, Kaelith began a new ga—trying to see how many different foods she could feed to Aliyah before soone noticed. Aliyah, to her credit, seed delighted to sample bits of bread, fruit, and (to Sarisa’s horror) a fingerful of spiced cheese.
"Kaelith, stop, you’re going to get your cousin sick!" Elysia said, half laughing, half exasperated.
Kaelith looked up, solemn and butter-faced. "Aliyah hungry."
Veylira—watching from the end of the table—murmured, "She’s got your negotiating skills, Elysia."
The al continued in a blur of laughter, minor chaos, and the quiet, ever-present scrutiny of Celestian eyes.
When at last dessert arrived a towering confection of spun sugar and golden cake Kaelith, with royal authority, banged her tiny spoon and declared, "More!"
The Queen, for all her cold dignity, actually smiled. "Perhaps she does not need a sibling yet. She is already a force."
Elysia caught Malvoria’s gaze and winked. "We’ll keep it that way for a while."
And as Kaelith attempted to swipe a second piece of cake, and Aliyah babbled happily beside her, Elysia couldn’t help but think that siblings or not the family they had built was already more magical, and more chaotic, than she could ever have dread.
And she wasn’t in a hurry for that to change.
Malvoria caught Elysia’s gaze across the table, her eyes glinting with mischief and exhaustion in equal asure.
Kaelith was now in the process of crumbling a sweet roll into her milk and then slurping the mixture with total delight, oblivious to the looks from the Celestian advisors. Elysia just smiled, brushing a crumb from her daughter’s cheek.
She had to admit, part of her relished the chaos Kaelith brought to these marble halls. Celestian order was impressive, but the silence had always felt lonely.
Watching her daughter light up the room with laughter and crumbs, Elysia realized this was what real power looked like: not perfect control, but joy, connection—family.
The Queen cleared her throat, eyes fixed on Kaelith’s latest culinary experint. "Is she always this..." She hesitated, searching for a diplomatic word. "...spirited?"
Elysia kept her face serious, though laughter threatened. "Only when she’s awake, Your Majesty."
Malvoria added, "She’s actually being well-behaved today. You should see what happens if we run out of dessert."
Kaelith, as if on cue, banged her spoon. "More cake, Mama!"
The Celestian Queen shook her head, lips twitching. "I see. Perhaps she will inspire so change in our halls." She sounded as if she almost ant it.
Elysia leaned in, whispering to Kaelith, "If you can behave a little longer, I’ll tell you a story about the ti your mama and I got lost in the old castle gardens."
Kaelith nodded, face bright and sared with berry sauce, instantly attentive. Elysia pressed a kiss to her hair, then looked at Malvoria, her heart full.
Malvoria’s hand found hers under the table. "No more questions about siblings," she whispered, amused and a little grateful. "At least not until Kaelith is in her teens."
Elysia grinned, squeezing her fingers. "Agreed. And even then... let’s see if we survive the first."
The rest of the al passed in a blur of laughter, teasing, and Kaelith’s endless antics. By the ti dessert was cleared away, Elysia felt the odd, quiet satisfaction of a battle well-fought—not against swords or politics, but for sothing far more precious: a ssy, magical peace.
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