As I sprint down the hallway, my heart races in synchrony with my pounding footsteps when yet another shrill scream erupts from the girls’ room. An electrifying wave of adrenaline shoots through me, driving me to round the corner and barrel toward their door. With little regard, I plunge through it, nearly colliding with Phaedra. “Girls! Are you okay? What on earth is happening?” Panic tinges my voice as I sweep my gaze across the chaotic scene before me. The room is a jumble of scattered items and a toppled chair, but a tangible threat remains conspicuously absent. “We’re fine!” Sabrina exclaims, her response coming far too quickly. “We were…um, just playing.” “Playing?” I echo, my incredulity palpable. This is a rare occasion; these girls hardly ever fight. “No way. I distinctly heard screaming.” “Right, uh…Sabrina was being mean,” Phaedra adds, her eyes darting sideways at her sister, a tacit signal that turns Sabrina’s face pale. “Oh. Right.” Sabrina backtracks hastily. “I was being mean, but everything is fine now! Can you check if Papa’s home? I’m starving!” They begin to prod me—yes, physically push me—toward the door. I recoil, raising my hand defiantly. “Nuh-uh. What is really going on? You two have been acting weird since the festival.” Just then, a loud chattering emanates from beneath the bed, and my eyes widen in shock. “What the fu—heck is that?” I barely curb my expletive, yet the bizarre sound nonetheless sends my mind spiraling. “What? I didn’t hear anything,” the girls reply in unison, their expressions innocent, albeit far too innocent. I shift my glare to Sabrina. “Don’t treat me like I’m foolish. What was that noise?” Their fingers point accusatorily toward Sabrina’s bed. “It’s under there.” “It? What are you talking about?” I demand, kneeling to peer beneath the bed, as curiosity mingles with dread. Suddenly, two glowing eyes meet mine. “Tell me that’s not a cat or a squirrel!” My heart races at the thought. I am dreadfully allergic to cat dander. Do squirrels’ eyes glow? I have no clue, but whatever it is appears far too big to be a rat. What if it’s a possum? Or even a raccoon? “It’s a ferret!” Sabrina finally admits, her voice tinged with pride. I turn my head slowly, skepticism written all over my face. “A ferret? Where in the world did you find a ferret? And how did you sneak it into the palace without anyone noticing?” The crushing reality of my potential failure as a guardian dawns on me. Sebastian is going to be furious. “We found him—or her; we’re not really sure—sleeping on a pile of pine needles by the festival’s fence line,” Phaedra explains, her eyes shimmering with a mixture of excitement and guilt. “You took it?” My voice climbs an octave in disbelief. “It was shivering!” Phaedra protests, defending their actions. “He would’ve died if we hadn’t saved him. He’s just a baby!” “How do you know that? It can’t tell you how old it is,” I say, my patience waning. In an instant, both girls burst into tears, their faces awash with distress. What am I supposed to do with that? “He’s so small!” Sabrina cries, desperation in her voice. “We love him! Please don’t tell Papa!” “Not tell your papa? Are you kidding me? I have to tell him!” I can already envision Sebastian’s explosive wrath, which is only amplified by the fact that he expressly forbade us from going to that festival in the first place. “And are you aware of how many diseases this rodent could carry?” More tears fall, and I sink down to my haunches, torn between my instinct to protect the girls and knowing that this situation is about to explode. Right on cue, the door swings open, and in strides Sebastian, his icy blue eyes scanning the room before they soften at the sight of his daughters. “I heard crying. Que s’est-il passé? What happened?” His large hands frame their faces, gently wiping away their tears. The girls, momentarily dumbstruck, look at me in a mixture of hope and dismay. Great. Just what I needed. “The girls brought home… a pet from the festival,” I confess, bracing for the fallout. “A pet?” he echoes, his brow arching in disbelief. “What sort of… pet are we discussing?” The displeasure laces his voice, and I can hardly blame him, even if I wish to shield the girls' hearts. “Come see for yourself,” I concede. “He’s under Sabrina’s bed, and in my defense, I’m only just discovering this now.” “And how did they manage to bring a pet into the palace unnoticed?” he questions, incredulity etched across his features. “Your guess is as good as mine.” “You obviously overlooked something.” “Obviously,” I retort, equal parts sarcastic and defensive. He rolls his eyes at me, and for a fleeting moment, I can’t help but smirk, charmed by his exasperation. “I put him in my backpack,” Phaedra states matter-of-factly, shrugging. Sebastian crouches down beside me, peering beneath the bed. “What in the fu—udge is that?” “Exactly my reaction. Almost chose the same exact word, too.” “I’m not amused.” I raise my eyebrows incredulously. “And you think I am?” “I don’t know. Perhaps you are. You look like you’re smiling.” “It’s just my way of coping,” I retort, a touch defensively. “The girls smuggled an animal into the palace, and the poor thing is petrified under the bed. It’s not a joke; it’s just absurd!” “Absurd? It’s certainly that. What is it?” “A ferret.” The three of us answer in unison, our voices mingling. “Girls, we need to let it go.” “NO!” they cry, the anguish in their voices resonating like a banshee wail. Tears spring instantly to their eyes once more. “Please, Papa! We want to keep him!” Sabrina hastily wipes her nose with her arm. “He has no home. We adopted him!” “Exactly! He was shivering when we found him!” Phaedra pleads, her voice cracking. “Please don’t make us put him back out in the cold! He’ll die!” “Oh, Phaedra.” Sebastian curses softly in Latin, running a hand across his forehead, his expression torn between frustration and empathy. Sensing a glimmer of opportunity, she forges ahead. “We’ll take good care of him. We promise, don’t we?” “Yes!” Sabrina agrees fervently. “We love him already!” Oh, lord. This is laying it on thick. Sebastian doesn’t stand a chance against their combined charm. “We’ll walk him, clean his mess, and read to him! We read that ferrets are super smart and make wonderful pets!” “Phaedra…” Sebastian trails off, already losing his composure. “Please, Papa. Pretty please.” The two girls wrap their arms around him, their sweet green eyes glistening with unshed tears. “We want a pet. We spend so much time in this palace away from everyone else.” That’s the emotional blow that seals the deal. With a resigned groan, he mutters another curse in Latin. “Fine. But I swear, girls, if I see it, smell it, or if it causes any destruction or mess, it will be gone. And he has to see a vet immediately to ensure he’s safe and healthy for the palace. We cannot risk Bellamy or the growing babies’ safety.” “Yes, Papa,” they chime in unison with solemn consensus. But their secret high-five betrays their barely contained excitement. Sebastian rises from his crouched position, extending a hand toward me. “If you thought I was harsh with you last night, you haven’t seen anything yet.” I stifle a smirk, though it stubbornly pulls at my lips. “I’ll attempt to be remorseful, but we both know that's a lost cause.” As we step out of the girls’ room, in an instant, Sebastian has me pinned against the wall, his hands tangled in my hair, his hard form pressing against mine while his mouth is tantalizingly close. “What have I just agreed to?” I can’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. “A ferret.” “A ferret. A goddamn rodent now residing in my palace.” “Technically…” I add, trying to inject some logic into the chaos, “they’re mustelids, not rodents. And the girls are right; they can be smart and make delightful pets. It’ll be cute.” “Cute?” he groans, disbelief lacing his tone. “How did you miss that?” “Seriously good question. They somehow tucked the sleeping thing into their backpack, and I conked out on the ride home. Althea didn’t catch it either.” “Marvelous.” He exhales a weary sigh. “Everything is totally messed up.” I lean slightly into him, feeling his increasing tension. “Care to share your burdens with me, Your Majesty? Or not, since you seem to prefer keeping things to yourself.” His lips find the curve of my neck, and the weight of his presence envelops me. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you when you’re already dealing with so much.” “And if I had done something like that to you?” He groans as my fingers tease against him, a subtle squeeze to remind him of the stakes. “Fine. I’m sorry I didn’t keep you in the loop. You’re correct; it wasn’t respectful, and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. I’ve never had to be so… transparent with Nora; this is a fresh territory for me. On that note, have you heard about the missing tiara? Althea mentioned something about it, along with some other pieces our mother swears she had no involvement with.” I feel a shiver of trepidation sweep through me. “Do you believe her?” His hands tighten around me, a fury brewing within the depths of his blue gaze. “I don’t know. What would be the purpose of her deceit? She lost both her husband and child that night and has grieved profoundly since. She’s never truly been the same.” She also didn’t attend our wedding, having silently disapproved of me. I feel the sting of rejection at not being accepted by the family I yearned for, rooted in prejudice against my American background, or my lack of nobility. I overheard Sebastian once fervently tell her she was never to speak of me that way again, but those words still cut deep, leaving scars. “Is her silence guilt for her misdeeds or sorrow for her losses?” “Both are potential truths. We’ll need to confront her soon. But for now…” He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small box, placing it gently in my palm. “I want you to have these. A little something from today.” “Sebastian!” I exclaim, taken aback. His soft laughter dances through the air. “No arguments. They’ll look stunning on you. What good are these jewels if I can’t adorn the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on? You are my queen, and I want to shower you with such gifts.” He pops the lid open, revealing two massive—no, monstrous—diamond studs glimmering within. “I can’t.” “You can. Consider it your Valentine’s Day gift.” “Valentine’s Day?” I snort, astonished. “That…” My voice trails off as the realization settles in. “Was yesterday. I forgot, too, until Rowan reminded me.” “Oh. Sorry, I didn’t get you anything.” His grin expands. “I’ll happily accept your body again later, and we’ll call it even. Your hair will likely cover the earrings most days, but I might request you wear it up when it’s just us, so I can admire them in your ears. I’d have rare gemstones turned into art simply for you.” He smirks, humor dancing in his voice. “That was, of course, before your daughters smuggled a bloody ferret into the palace.” I erupt into laughter. “Don’t put that on me! Your daughters are crafty and exceptionally clever.” “And I’m utterly helpless about it.” “Being a sucker for your kids isn’t a crime; it’s downright endearing—and may I add, downright sexy.” “Endearing and sexy enough to wear these for me?” His eyes sparkle with mischief as he gestures to the earrings. “Five-carats each! They’re the crown jewels! What if I’m mugged?” “Mugged in the palace?” He gives me an incredulous look. “You never know!” “I’ll take the risk knowing how stunning you look in my country’s gems.” His grin draws closer, lips tantalizing against mine as he leans in for a deep, passionate kiss—a claim of love. My heart races, thumping against my ribcage. “Say yes.” “Like I could ever say no to you,” I whisper, breathless. “Yes.” Another heated kiss spirals forward, teasing me with promises of temptation. “How is your father, by the way?” “Not well,” I confess, sighing as I lean into him. “I’m hoping some of this dark cloud will lift when autumn passes.” His fingers cradle the back of my head, holding me gently as he whispers sweetly into my ear, “I’m so sorry, baby. If I had any magic, I’d use it all to make him better.” My heart swells with an almost painful sense of longing and gratitude as I wrap my arms around his neck. “How did I get so lucky to find you?” “You have no idea, do you? You’ve brought so much to my life. I never believed in love, never thought it was possible for me—a man in my position. Yet, here I am, completely, utterly, and hopelessly in love with you. You love me for who I am, not what I am, and you embrace my children as if they were your own. Bellamy, my queen, you are everything I don’t deserve but will never let go.” Oh, may that always remain true. With his guidance, I carefully slide the earrings into my ears, never losing sight of the enchanting smile that beams from his face. Together, we walk towards dinner, hand in hand, even as he nudges Emily to call a vet to examine our unnamed ferret. “A ferret. Goodness.” I chuckle softly. “But your daughters are absolutely overjoyed.” “They better be,” he murmurs, an edge of warning in his tone. “Otherwise, the rodent will find himself tossed outside at the first opportunity.” “Liar,” I tease, knowing well he’ll never abandon an innocent creature, regardless of its species. “Did you tell her?” Rowan interjects, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as he approaches. “Tell me what?” Sebastian sends Rowan a sharp look before turning back to me. “We’re planning to visit the cottage.” “Oh?” My eyebrows furrow in annoyance at Sebastian. “So much for keeping me in the loop. When are you going, and for how long?” “I intended to discuss it tonight after the children go to bed. We’re thinking of leaving tomorrow, probably just for a day or two.” “And this is something you want to do? Explore the cottage where your sister was taken?” The weight of that thought grips my heart. “I want to go,” he confesses, his eyes locked onto mine, measuring my reaction. Moments pass, and I find myself looking away, feeling an unsettling longing in my chest. Selfishly, I want him by my side; separations have been foreign since I moved into the palace. “We should go,” Rowan concurs, his voice steady. “It’s necessary.” I clear my throat, steadying myself. “You should go. I’ll miss you, and I might sulk, but this is too crucial to overlook.” “Are you sure?” he asks, a hint of disbelief lacing his words. “Absolutely,” I reassure him. “I’ll be home with the children and my father, and I’ll have Emily and Althea alongside me. You must go. However,” I add, narrowing my gaze, “if you ever keep something like this from me again…” “I won’t.” “Good. Because I’ll withhold intimacy and rely on my vibrator instead.” He bursts into laughter while Rowan chokes on his drink, but there’s a seriousness underpinning my jest. I unconsciously touch the slight scar on my neck, an involuntary reminder of past encounters. “How can you be certain this isn't a trap?” He leans in, pressing a gentle kiss on my scar with such tenderness it makes my heart flutter. “We have no reason to suspect foul play,” Rowan states flatly. “But you can’t be sure! You collaborated with Samil for years without discovering his lethal intent,” I counter, voice rising with urgency. “He’s the same one who sabotaged Nora’s helicopter.” Holding my hand, Sebastian gives it a reassuring squeeze. “I knew Samil hated me for years; truth be told, while I didn’t expect his sinister actions that night, I was not entirely surprised. The cottage is abandoned—where those who initially took Desta resided. The press has already reported details, and we’ll have Javier and Messalina intelligence with us as well as local law enforcement.” “Should’ve led with that,” I snort. He smirks, leaning close to me. “True. But you look stunning when you worry about me.” The children burst into the room, halting our conversation as we gather for dinner. The girls chatter excitedly about their new pet, Arthur, while Althea frets over not having noticed the ferret’s arrival either, to which I can only nod in solidarity. Somehow, they manage to persuade Sebastian into buying a cage, bedding, and all the necessities for little Arthur. As we share smiles and laughter over the meal, I can’t shake the nagging worry over what the future holds. With just a furtive glance at Rowan, I know he’s pondering the same thing. What awaits our family, both in the comforts of our palace and within the shadows of the past?