Rael was sitting on his small, carved bed. He looked tiny amidst the silk hangings and stuffed toys. Beside him sat an elderly woman with a weathered face that was currently etched with deep-seated worry.
The boy was unnervingly quiet. He wasn't playing. He wasn't moving. He was just staring at a spot on the floor, his small shoulders hunched.
The nanny saw them and scrambled to her feet, bowing quickly. "Your Majesties, " The relief on her face was palpable, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Thank the gods you've returned."
The sound of the nanny's voice caused Rael's head to snap up. His eyes, red-rimmed and swollen from days of weeping, lifted until they found Eris.
For a heartbeat, the room was still. Then, Rael's face transformed. The dull mask of shock shattered into a thousand pieces of raw, childhood longing.
"MAMA!"
He scrambled off the bed, his small boots thudding against the rugs as he ran toward her, his arms reaching up desperately.
