I thought maybe I had already overstayed my welcome. I had fallen asleep in the Empress's arms. I had been carried again by Caelum. I had barely spoken, barely moved, and yet they had done everything for me—held me, fed me, smiled at me like I was something worth watching.
So when I opened my eyes, tucked safely in Caelum's lap again, I tried to sit up. But before I could slide off, Caelum's hand gently pressed to my back, holding me close a moment longer.
"You don't have to leave," Alric said, voice low. "We're not done spoiling you yet." "We have the day free," he added, folding his arms behind his head as he stretched out under the wisteria canopy. "I pushed my council meeting to tomorrow."
Serenya chuckled. "He nearly caused a scandal doing it."
"I'm the Emperor," Alric said, grinning. "I can do what I want."
Serenya rolled her eyes with affection. "He rarely says that. So when he does, we know it's serious."
I glanced between them. "You're really not too busy?"
They both shook their heads. "We want to be with you," Serenya said gently, reaching over to touch my cheek. "We want to know you."
It wasn't the first time someone said they wanted me around. But it was the first time I didn't feel like a burden when they said it. Not a favor. Not an obligation. Just… truth. So I stayed.
I didn't speak much, but I didn't stay silent on purpose either. I let myself sit comfortably in Caelum's lap, his hand resting quietly around my side while we lounged beneath the trees. Alric offered me little bites from a plate between conversations. Serenya watched me with her soft golden eyes, answering each of her husband's playful jabs with a graceful sigh or smile.
It was peaceful. Warmer than the sun. Caelum shifted behind me, his voice gentle near my ear. "Do you want to head back soon? You must be tired."
I thought about it. About my room, and the books on my desk, and the quiet stillness of Caelum's wing. I would've just read. Maybe sat on the balcony. But right now… I was with them.
"I can stay longer," I said softly. "I don't mind."
Caelum kissed the side of my head like that was the only answer he wanted. That was when I heard it. A sound like leaves brushing against stone, like soft claws on warm earth.
It came from behind us, near the entrance to the garden's northern path. And when I turned—I saw her. She walked out of the trees without a sound. A creature of pale silver-white fur, tall and strong and elegant. A panther.
Her fur shimmered in the sun like moonlit water. Her eyes were golden—just like Serenya's—but deeper, more ancient. She moved like wind through silk, and when she stopped near us, it wasn't with hesitation. It was with purpose.
She padded over quietly, each step fluid. When she reached us, she crouched low and rested her paws and head gently against Serenya's belly.
Serenya smiled down at her like greeting an old friend. "Hello, Lisa," she whispered, one hand sliding down to stroke between the panther's ears.
I stared. I didn't even have time to ask.
"She's one of my familiars," Serenya explained before I could form the words. "I made my bond with her before I turned twelve." Lisa's tail swished once. "She's been with me ever since."
I stared harder. "She's… beautiful," I whispered.
Serenya nodded. "And ancient. Older than the Empire."
That made me blink. "Really?"
"She's always been here," Alric added. "She only comes out when she wants to."
"Like a goddess," Caelum said.
Serenya laughed. "Like a cat."
I slowly slid down from Caelum's lap and crouched near the grass. I didn't rush. I didn't reach. Lisa turned her head slightly, watching me.
I held out my hand. She looked at it. Then lowered her muzzle into my palm. Her fur was softer than anything I had touched. Silky, smooth, and warm. It tickled the edges of my fingers.
I didn't pull away. Neither did she. She let me stroke her neck, behind her ears, down her back. Her breathing remained even, slow, calm. I felt something stirin my chest. Something familiar. Something that had no shape. Just a warmth.
"I think I have a connection to animals," I said quietly.
"Maybe you do," Serenya said. "It would make sense."
Lisa leaned into my touch. Her eyes didn't blink. Then—She began to change. Not all at once. Not with light or fire. Just… quietly. Like moonlight being drawn inward. Her shape shifted, her body folding in on itself gently. And where the panther had been—A woman now knelt.
Tall. Graceful. Pale-skinned. Her long hair fell in straight silvery-white strands to her hips. Her golden eyes shone with the same calm I had seen in her other form. Her gown was pale gray with golden trim, simple but elegant.
She looked just like Serenya. Like a mirror. Like a sister. Like a twin shaped by nature. She smiled at me.
"You're gentle," she said in a voice like still water. "You ask for permission without using words."
I looked down, unsure what to say. She touched my cheek with fingers that were warm and soft. "You'll be a good prince."
Lisa didn't talk much after that. She stayed near Serenya, sometimes sitting close enough that their shoulders brushed. The resemblance was uncanny—not just in looks, but in movement. In tone. In stillness. It felt like I had met a living reflection. Two parts of one soul.
I wondered if that was what it meant to be bonded. To have a familiar. To have someone who knew you so well… they could be your echo.
I stayed beside Lisa on the blanket for a while, my hand sometimes brushing hers or resting against her sleeve. She didn't move away. Neither did I. I felt… understood. And safe.
Later, as the sun began to dip toward the west, Caelum stood and stretched, cracking his shoulder gently. He looked at me, his eyes still soft from a long day of watching.
"We should probably head back," he said, but not like a command. Just a suggestion.
Serenya kissed my temple. "You can come any time," she said. "This is your home, too."
Alric picked up a small flower from the edge of the blanket and tucked it into my braid without saying anything.
When I looked at him, he grinned. "Sunflowers in the morning. You'll have to come back and see them."
I nodded. Not because I promised—But because I already knew I would. As Caelum carried me away through the garden paths, I looked over his shoulder one last time.
Lisa was standing at the edge of the trees, watching. And for a moment—Just before we turned the corner—She shifted again.Not back into a panther.But into something else.A shape between forms.Half-light. Half-shadow.
And then she was gone. Just like the wind. I rested my head against Caelum's shoulder as we walked. I didn't speak. But he didn't ask me to. He just held me. And that was enough.