#cineribus

    From there, he'd chipped away at King Malka by simply being around     his daughter, showing that he cared through the small things. Eventually,     he gave in and allowed them to publicly marry. A few months after that,     Anhura was pregnant.

    Time flashed by for Adakias, an entire year of sleepless nights, laughter,     and love, all passing before his eyes. He had a son, a darling child named     Aegon, with his father's hair and his mother's skin. Restlessness began to     replace the peace that had settled in Adakias's chest over the months, an     itch he knew far too well. Curiosity, wanderlust, and maybe, just maybe,     home sickness. So Adakias convinced Anhura to come with him to see     Pallis. Just a short visit. They'll be gone for a week, tops. She said yes,     and they were gone, a letter warning his brother of their arrival far ahead     of them.

    A few days after the letter was delivered, a carriage arrived, its dull grays     still bright against the darker buildings that surrounded it. Thankfully there     was no grand entrance, no huge crowd waiting for them. Just a few of the     citizens that had stopped to stare. Admittedly, he was a bit disappointed     that a servant was there to show them inside the castle, rather than his     brother. They were brought through the castle, Anhura at his arm, gently     cooing at their son.

    They were brought to a drawing room, and a smile pulled at his lips. He     used to love this corner of the castle. The doors were pushed in, and there     was Pallis, sitting behind a desk with a girl, Adakias managing to catch a     few words of one of his favorite childhood stories. Holy the Sea and the     Divided Terrine. He beamed, feeling a nervous excitement twist in his gut.     This might not be so bad.   }