Crowned by Fate

Chapter Two – Ethan and Ellais

The twins were as inseparable as they were different.

To outsiders, Ethan and Ellais looked like mirror images, same mop of dark hair, the same bright green eyes that seemed to hold a thousand questions, same mischievous smiles that could melt even the sternest teacher’s heart. But Amara knew better. To her, they were night and day, two halves of a whole, born together yet carrying unique sparks that set them apart.

It was Saturday morning, and the Collins apartment buzzed with the kind of chaos that had become routine. Cartoons blared softly from the television in the living room, but the twins were nowhere near it. Instead, they were sprawled across the floor, surrounded by a chaotic sprawl of Lego bricks, action figures, and pieces of paper covered with scribbles.

“Ethan, that’s not how you build a spaceship,” Ellais said matter-of-factly, his brow furrowed as he carefully balanced another block on top of his creation.

“Yes, it is!” Ethan shot back, his voice rising with playful defiance. He shoved another piece into place, his “spaceship” leaning dangerously to one side.

“Spaceships don’t have rules. They can look however I want.”

Ellais sighed, the sound far too dramatic for a seven-year-old. “If it doesn’t have balance, it won’t fly.”

Ethan grinned. “Mine’s flying to Jupiter anyway. Yours can stay stuck on Earth.”

Before Ellais could retort, Amara walked in, carrying a tray with juice boxes and a bowl of cut-up fruit. She paused at the sight of her sons: one meticulously aligning his Lego pieces like an engineer in training, the other smashing his together with the glee of an adventurer.

She couldn’t help but smile. This was them, Ethan, bold and restless, and Ellais, thoughtful and meticulous.

“Snack break,” she announced.

Both boys scrambled to their feet, racing to the table. Ethan, of course, tried to grab two juice boxes at once until Amara swatted his hand lightly.

“One each, mister,” she scolded gently.

Ellais giggled at his brother’s failed attempt. “Told you Mom sees everything.”

Amara ruffled his hair. “That’s right. Don’t forget it.”

They settled at the table, sipping their juice. Ethan dangled his legs restlessly off the chair, while Ellais sat upright, carefully peeling the skin off an apple slice with his teeth before eating it.

“Mom,” Ethan began suddenly, “when we grow up, can we go to space?”

Amara chuckled. “Space? That’s a big dream.”

“Yeah! I’m gonna be the first Collins on Mars,” Ethan declared, puffing his chest.

“Correction,” Ellais said smoothly. “We’re going. You can’t go without me.”

“But you don’t even like heights!” Ethan teased, kicking lightly at his brother’s shin.

Ellais frowned. “That doesn’t mean I won’t like space. And anyway, you’d get lost without me.”

Amara leaned back in her chair, watching them. They were arguing, yes, but their voices carried a rhythm she had grown used to like a song with alternating verses, each boy filling in the gaps the other left. They challenged each other constantly, but underneath it was a bond so strong it made her chest ache.

Later that afternoon, Amara took them to the park. The autumn air was crisp, and golden leaves were scattered across the grass like confetti. Children shouted and laughed around them, while parents chatted on benches.

Ethan darted toward the jungle gym like a bullet. “Race you, Ellais!”

“No fair, you started first!” Ellais called, chasing after him.

Amara sat on the bench, her eyes never leaving them. Ethan climbed like he was born for the sky, fearless as he swung from one bar to the next. Ellais hesitated at the bottom, calculating his moves, then followed more cautiously. Together, they made it to the top, Ethan throwing his arms wide like a victorious hero while Ellais sat cross-legged, studying the view as though memorizing every detail.

“Be careful!” Amara called.

“We are!” they chorused back, their voices floating on the breeze.

A mother sitting nearby leaned closer to Amara. “Twins?”

Amara nodded, smiling softly.

“They’re adorable,” the woman said. “They look exactly alike.”

Amara’s smile deepened, but inside, she thought: They’re not alike at all. Ethan was fire, Ellais was water. Ethan leaped first, Ellais calculated later. Ethan could charm anyone, and Ellais could outthink anyone. And both were hers. Entirely hers.

When they returned home, the boys collapsed on the couch, chattering about their adventures. Ethan dramatized every detail, “And then I jumped across the bar like this!” while Ellais quietly corrected him, “You only jumped halfway, Ethan. You didn’t even land properly.”

Amara cooked dinner while listening to their banter, her heart swelling. These were the moments that mattered. The world outside might see them as just two rambunctious boys, but she saw their potential glowing like fireflies in the dark.

After dinner, as part of their nightly ritual, she tucked them into bed. The room was painted a pale blue, decorated with glow-in-the-dark stars they had begged her to stick on the ceiling. Each boy had his own bed, but more often than not, they ended up crammed together by morning.

Ethan yawned dramatically. “Mom, if we went to space, would you come with us?”

“Of course,” she said softly, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead.

“What if it’s dangerous?” Ellais asked, his voice smaller than usual.

Amara kissed his cheek. “Then I’d still be there. Always.”

They closed their eyes, comforted by her promise.

Standing in the doorway, Amara watched them for a long moment. In the stillness, their faces relaxed, the mischievous grins replaced by innocence. They looked so much like each other. So much like… someone else.

Her chest tightened. She didn’t know who he was, the donor was. She’d never wanted to know. But sometimes, like now, she wondered what traits came from him. Their eyes? Their cleverness? The way Ethan seemed to command a room already, or the way Ellais could silence it with thought?

She shook the thought away. It didn’t matter. They were hers. Her choice, her boys, her family.

She didn’t know that the blood they carried would soon draw them into a world she had fought so hard to avoid. A world of palaces, crowns, secrets, and power.

For tonight, they were only Ethan and Ellais, mischievous, intelligent, and the center of her world.

And she would fight anyone, anyone who tried to take them away.