Lucas woke slowly.
It was the kind of waking that felt reluctant, like surfacing from a warm tide he didn't want to leave. The light filtering through the curtains painted soft patterns over the bed, and somewhere nearby, the city was already alive. But here, in the stillness of Serathine's guest suite, time felt suspended.
He didn't open his eyes right away. He could hear Trevor's voice low and controlled, with that faint curl of amusement that meant he was either charming someone or annoying them on purpose.
"…Tell him if he names the child after you, I'll exile you both."
'Ah, he's talking with Dax. Then he is set on annoying the king before coffee.'
He buried his face deeper into the impossibly soft pillow, letting the muffled rhythm of Trevor's voice drift through the quiet. He couldn't catch every word, but he didn't need to. The tone said enough: amusement, a trace of affection, and that smug calm that came after Trevor won an argument no one else knew they were having.
