Eliana stared into space, gently rocking baby Hansel in her arms.
"Mommy?" Hanara's voice chimed. Eliana blinked and looked up.
"Yes, Hana?" she said softly.
Hanara beamed. "Mommy, look at this!"
She cast a small blue flame in her palm, fluid and shimmering like water. With a flick of her wrist, the flame stretched and danced, trailing behind her hand like a glowing ribbon. She spun and twirled, her laughter light as the fire followed her in elegant arcs.
Eliana watched in awe, her eyes tracing both the flame and her daughter's grace. A smile touched her lips.
Hansel sat up, his little hands clapping.
"Ha-ba!" he squealed, giggling.
Hanara struck a final pose, stretching one hand high and leaning into the movement. The flame soared upward, then dissolved into the air in a gentle fade. She turned to them, cheeks flushed with pride.
"Did you see? I made it myself!" she said, breathless.
Eliana laughed and drew her close. "It was beautiful, my darling. You controlled your flames so elegantly. Did you have fun dancing?"
"Of course!" Hanara grinned, throwing her arms around both her mother and Hansel. Eliana smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Hansel reached his little hands toward Hanara.
"Ha-ba!" he called. Hanara beamed and scooped him up, spinning him once before setting him gently on his feet. Eliana watched them, her eyes warm.
"Let's dance together!" Hanara said, holding Hansel's hand and tugging him gently forward. He tottered beside her, one foot at a time, still learning to balance.
"Be careful with your baby brother, Hanara," Eliana chuckled. Hanara laughed and bent down toward him, hands tucked behind her back.
"Are you ready?" she whispered. Hansel giggled and clapped.
"Hmmm!"
With a smile, Hanara summoned a ribbon of blue flame into her hand and swept it gracefully to the side. She stepped back, spun low, then raised her arm in a swirl of light above her head. The flames shimmered in Hansel's spring-green eyes.
Hanara leaned back to meet his gaze with a grin, then twirled again, spinning both her body and the fire around her like a dance. Hansel clapped cheerfully and tried to step forward. Hanara saw his tiny steps and slowly came to a stop, sending the last of her flames soaring upward before scooping him into her arms. She spun around with him once more, laughter ringing from them both. Eliana chuckled warmly.
"Hanara Enya Fintan-Solares," she said with a soft smile, "be gentle with your baby brother."
Hanara giggled and slowed to a stop, placing Hansel carefully on his feet and holding his hand.
"Yes, Mother Queen Eliana," she said with an exaggerated bow. Eliana reached her arms toward them. Hanara glanced down to make sure Hansel wasn't dizzy. He giggled, and she released his hand. Hansel trotted toward Eliana with small claps, laughter still bubbling from him.
"Come here, my baby girl," Eliana said to Hanara. Hanara smiled at her and ran to hug her.
"Can we walk by the lake later, Mother?" Hanara asked. Eliana smiled at her and held her tightly.
Elise, the maid, hurried into the garden, pressing a hand to her chest as she lowered her gaze. Hanara sensed the weight of the news. She grasped Hansel's hand tightly and sank to the ground beside him.
"Your Majesty," Elise said, her voice steady despite the urgency, "Knights from the Dragon Empire have arrived. They request an audience."
Eliana's smile vanished, her eyes narrowing into a cold glare as she fixed Elise with a piercing look. "Who leads them?"
"Tait Einsen Lesingbard, the Second Prince of the Dragon Empire," Elise answered softly.
A faint, knowing smirk flickered on Eliana's lips, but her gaze remained on her children, whose carefree laughter now seemed to veil a sharper resolve. Hanara toyed nervously with Hansel's fingers.
What are they plotting now? Would the command of a mere Second Prince truly threaten the clan? Eliana's mind churned with suspicion and caution.
Far beyond the walls of the Phoenix Clan's palace, a spring meadow thrived—serene and untouched—quietly defying the shadow of war inching closer.
In a world where winter has slipped into the shadows, the meadow stands reborn in radiant spring. Sunlight spills across the grass, turning every blade into a shard of emerald light. A warm breeze glides through like a silent conductor, coaxing waves of green into a soft, swaying dance. It is a place where renewal hums in the air, where beauty doesn't shout but whispers—fleeting, fragile, and alive. Here, the world feels briefly weightless, as if time itself pauses to breathe.
"Uncle, I thought Phoenixes are just birds that stay in their own nest... They wouldn't be a threat to us, Dragons..." Zilant Lesingbard, a 9-year-old boy, asked. The commander, Tait, smiled at him and patted his head.
"I am just following orders... I cannot disobey the Emperor..."
"But he's your father... Shouldn't you reason with him?"
"The world isn't as kind as we'd like, Zilant. He may be my father, but he's still the Emperor. When he gives an order, even I must obey."
"But Uncle… they're just kids like me. Why take them away?" Zilant frowned. Tait paused, bending down, and smiled.
"You have a good heart like your mother... I'm glad to have you as my nephew..." Tait praised. Zilant sighed in frustration, fiddling with his fingers, tapping his foot.
"Uncle... Why are the phoenix's flames so strong compared to the dragon's breath?"
"I'm not sure... Phoenixes can be explosive if they choose to do so... They can wipe out a whole army... Yet, they can also heal. Their healing power is what your grandpa is aiming for to begin with… There was a rumor that someone in the Phoenix Clan had finally been born with the healing power," Tait explained. Zilant looked up and kept walking with Tait, his small hands clenched. He didn't understand why a fire that could heal had to be stolen with blood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🪶 🔥 Princess, Don't Waver ❄️ 🐉 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~