Viya's POV
I was drifting in that hazy space between dreams and waking when my doorbell began ringing incessantly. Groaning, I pulled the covers over my head to muffle the sound.
"Princess, it's almost six o'clock," a deep, familiar voice said close to my ear.
Without thinking, I mumbled, "I don't care what time it is, I'm sleeping..."
Halfway through my sentence, I bolted upright, suddenly wide awake.
This wasn't eight years ago.
Back then, I was notorious for sleeping in, even developing a bit of morning grumpiness. Alarms never worked—Caesar always had to wake me personally.
He would pull me from bed while I was still half-asleep, handing me a toothbrush with toothpaste already applied and a cup of water.
I'd be annoyed, but also slightly intimidated by him, re
