The afternoon settled gently over the palace. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, warming the chamber. Outside, guards changed shifts and steel rang from the training grounds, but inside, everything felt still.
Camille slept peacefully against Selene's shoulder, wrapped snugly in a soft blanket. One tiny hand rested beneath her chin, her slow, even breaths warming Selene's neck.
Selene swayed gently where she stood beside the window, humming under her breath.
The melody wasn't one she remembered learning. It simply... came. Orion watched her from across the room. He had been watching for longer than he realized. The sunlight caught in her chestnut hair, softening its usual richness into strands of bronze. Her posture was straighter now than it had been in weeks, her movements mo
