{Third Person}

Alexander didn’t answer immediately. He waited for a second before speaking.

"I will think about it."

Though he wasn’t promising anything for now, he wasn’t refusing either way. For now, it was enough.

Just then, there was a knock. Before either of them could respond, the door opened, and Jasper entered, followed by a line of servants carrying trays.

The scent of freshly prepared snacks and warm drinks filled the room almost instantly.

They moved smoothly, placing everything neatly on the table before stepping back.

Barron’s attention shifted immediately. "Well, now, this is something I’ve missed," he said, his tone brightening again.

Without waiting, he reached forward and picked up a bun, inspecting it briefly before taking a bite. His expression softened almost instantly.

"Still as good as ever," he said, clearly pleased.

Then, mid-bite, something seemed to occur to him, so he turned toward Alexander.

"I almost forgot," Barron said, swallowing before continuing. "You have a human bride now, don’t you?"

He glanced around the room briefly, as though expecting her to appear. "I don’t see her," he added. "Where is she? And what is she like?"

Alexander turned his head slowly to look at him. "You really are one curious animal," he said flatly. "How many questions are you asking at once?"

Barron only smiled at that, completely unbothered. "Take your time," he said lightly. "You can answer them one after the other."

Alexander rolled his eyes, already regretting engaging with him at all. "Finish eating first," he said, nodding toward the tray.

Barron followed his gaze, then shrugged as if it was a reasonable request. He took another bite of the bun, though the glint in his eyes made it clear that he had not dropped the matter—only postponed it.

For a while, he chewed in silence. Then, as if deciding that the topic could wait, he shifted instead.

"Oh," he said casually, as though it had just occurred to him, "I will be staying here for a few days."

Alexander’s gaze moved to him immediately. Barron met it head-on, the faintest smirk already forming on his lips.

"I hope you don’t mind."

There was a brief pause before Alexander asked, flatly, "And if I do, would it make any difference?"

Barron’s smile widened. He shook his head without hesitation. "You know me."

Then he took another bite of the bun, completely at ease.

Alexander exhaled slowly through his nose, shaking his head just slightly. There was no point in arguing.

Barron had always been like this—decisive in his own way, and entirely unwilling to be turned away once he had made up his mind.

"You can stay," Alexander said at last. "Just as long as you don’t disrupt my peace."

Barron chuckled. "I will be on my best behaviour, Your Highness."

There was just enough mischief in his tone to make that promise questionable.

Time passed easily after that, the tension in the room settling into something more familiar. Barron helped himself freely to the snacks, clearly enjoying them, while Alexander remained quieter but no longer as closed off as before.

Then, inevitably, Barron circled back to the previous topic.

"So," he said, brushing crumbs from his fingers, "about your human bride..."

Alexander didn’t even look at him this time. "What about her?"

Barron leaned slightly toward him, interest renewed. "Where is she? What is she like? How did this even happen?"

This time, Alexander answered. "She is in her quarters."

Barron waited until five seconds had passed. And when he realized that no other answers were coming, his brows lifted in sheer surprise.

"That’s it?"

Alexander shrugged faintly. "That’s it."

Barron stared at him for a second, then leaned back with a disappointed sigh. "It seems like I asked the wrong person."

That earned him a glance.

"Are my responses not good enough?" Alexander asked, his tone cooling slightly.

Barron waved a hand dismissively. "How can they be? You keep giving me short answers. How am I supposed to enjoy this conversation?"

Alexander didn’t respond, so Barron shook his head, clearly unimpressed. "Don’t you know how to gossip anymore?"

Alexander scoffed. "If you are looking for a gossip partner in my residence, you came to the wrong place."

Barron clicked his tongue. "What a waste."

Then, he pushed himself up slightly from his seat, stretching his arms. "Forget it. I will find someone else to ask," he said.

Then, with a hint of amusement returning to his voice, he added, "I’m sure someone here knows how to talk."

---

Meanwhile, on the other side of the residence, Amara sat on the edge of her bed, not even bothering to remove her shoes, as she opened the first envelope with barely contained excitement.

Her heart was beating faster than usual, a warmth spreading through her chest.

The moment something slipped out along with the letter, she paused at the photograph.

Her breath caught as she picked it up. It was a picture of the three of them sitting close together, shoulders touching, all smiling—so natural, so alive, as though nothing had changed.

The familiarity of it hit her all at once, stronger than she expected.

"They actually sent a picture..." she whispered.

Her lips curved into a wide smile, one that carried both joy and something deeper.

Without thinking, she pressed a soft kiss to the photo, then pulled it close, hugging it to herself as she leaned back slightly.

Her eyes stung faintly, a thin layer of tears threatening to form, though she blinked them away quickly. She didn’t want to cry, not when she felt this happy.

After a few seconds, she sat up again, carefully placing the photo beside her before unfolding the letter.

Her eyes moved quickly across the page.

Her friends’ voices came through so clearly in their words that it almost felt like they were sitting right in front of her, talking all at once like they always did.

They wrote about everything—small things, daily routines, little annoyances, funny moments. It was ordinary, and that was exactly what made it special.

Amara found herself smiling without realizing it. Then came the part that made her chest tighten just a little.

They still missed her.

They wrote it more than once, in different ways, as if one time wasn’t enough to express it properly.

Amara’s smile softened. "I miss you too..." she whispered, almost instinctively.

Then, she turned to the next part of the letter, her expression still gentle until her eyes caught the two familiar names.

Torin and Lila.

Her smile faded slightly, though not completely.