Months slipped by, and the palace adjusted. Or rather, the palace tried to adjust.
Gabriel was calm. Too calm. Where his earlier pregnancies had been marked by flashes of sly moods sharpened by hormones, this time he seemed almost serene. He worked when he pleased, rested when he chose, and carried twins with the same elegance he wore to council sessions. His brown eyes stayed cool, unshaken, as though nothing in the empire could touch him.
Alexandra sat across from him in the sitting room, arms folded, her green eyes sharp with unease. Rowena, now fourteen, sprawled comfortably beside her, chin propped in her hand, watching her uncle with open curiosity.
"Part of me wants to applaud you," Alexandra said at last. "The other part thinks you're absolutely terrifying."
