Shin could feel the whirlwind of emotions within Laverna. Relief that justice had been served, that they were finally recognized by the Royal Monarchy.
Their efforts, their suffering, had not been in vain. But alongside that joy was caution.
The royal family was powerful—dangerous. Queen Mariam could cast spells without uttering a word.
That alone posed a threat. Shin made a mental note to discover how she did it, whether it was innate talent or something more.
They turned to Laverna and nodded, silently giving her the spotlight. Queen Mariam stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight, warm hug.
The embrace radiated maternal energy—gentle, firm, and deeply comforting, like someone who had seen the world yet never lost her softness.
"It's okay to cry," she whispered, gently patting Laverna's back. "But if you'd rather, we can save the tears for later. Just us ladies."
The air shifted. It felt lighter, less burdened, but stronger somehow, anchored in something real. Shared scars. Earned respect.
A quiet, unspoken understanding—they had all faced storms and survived. A new bond had begun to form, the beginning of something different.
When the Queen cupped Laverna's cheeks, Shin's eyes widened. He felt the sudden shift in Laverna—danger, panic, suppressed fear.
Queen Mariam giggled, clearly savoring the moment. She was the kind of woman who did as she pleased—affectionate and unfiltered, with the whimsical charm of a fairy godmother who never quite grew up. She cupped Laverna's cheeks, puffing them gently like a hamster's.
It was silly, affectionate, and completely disarming. Shin, the Guild Master, and even the King laughed.
It was the Queen's unique way of saying, You're one of us now. Her presence was like that of a loving aunt who'd pinch your cheeks no matter how elegant your dress or serious your expression.
The Queen, of course, had no idea. How could she? She hadn't lost her childhood or anything dear to her. Laverna could only pretend.
"𝘕𝘰 𝘯𝘰 𝘯𝘰. 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘬𝘺, 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦."
But Laverna froze.
Panic bloomed in her chest like a sudden storm. The Queen's hands on her face triggered memories—flashes of agony, cold stone, blood, and steel. She bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. Her fangs threatened to extend, her eyes wide and wild. Her instincts screamed to pull away—or worse, to strike.
Calm down, she told herself. Just breathe.
She blinked once, then again. Slowly, deliberately, she forced her body to relax. From the outside, it looked like a sweet, heartfelt moment between a noblewoman and a girl finding her place.
No one noticed the chaos inside her. And that was okay.
The Queen didn't understand. She couldn't.
And Laverna didn't want her to. There was a strange comfort in that.
Let her remain untouched by the darkness.
Shin offered silent support through their bond, a nonverbal reassurance to endure it for now. He understood the royal family was trying to get close in their own way—by being themselves, not by acting like royalty.
Nearby, Shin embraced the warmth with open arms. It had been so long since he'd felt anything like this. Not since the Temple.
These people reminded him of his parents. Not by appearance, but by presence. Their humor, their open hearts, the way they made everyone feel like they belonged.
Through their bond, Laverna could feel Shin's emotions, an outpouring of genuine joy and peace. He'd found a piece of something he thought he'd lost. Family.
The Guild Master suddenly clapped his hands, breaking the emotional silence with a burst of enthusiasm.
"𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛! 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬... 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘭𝘥-𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘭 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦!"
His laughter boomed through the room. Queen Mariam groaned dramatically, still massaging Laverna's cheeks.
"𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘦," she muttered, releasing Laverna and crossing her arms as she walked over. "𝘌𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘦 will be the death of you."
The Guild Master flexed with a grin. "𝘚𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳, I train daily! A strong body equals a strong mind."
Shin laughed quietly, reminded of his mother and uncle's banter, with his father somewhere in the middle shaking his head. The Queen rolled her eyes while the Guild Master stuck his tongue out like a mischievous child.
The King finally intervened. "Alright, alright. Enough. We all remember what happened the last time you two bickered—it almost escalated into a full-blown war."
His voice carried calm authority. The room stilled. Shin smirked to himself. Even here, the King acted like a father mediating squabbles between spirited siblings.
Shin made his way over to Laverna. "Looks like you're part of the family now."
She met his eyes, glossy with unshed tears. He felt her emotions through the Crest—overwhelmed, conflicted, touched. But he still asked gently, "Are you okay?"
She needed to hear it. Needed to know it wasn't just the bond that made him care. He chose to. Willingly.
In the background, the others kept chattering and laughing. It all blurred in her mind as memories of her own siblings surfaced. Arguments, games, petty squabbles. She'd always been the mediator, the one to smooth over fights. Those days felt like they belonged to another life.
She pulled herself back to the present. Shin stood close, watching her carefully. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked softly. Even though he could sense her emotions through the Crest, he wanted her to know he cared beyond that. He wanted her to feel safe, even in moments that didn't make sense.
She gave a small nod. "I just need a minute outside before diving into the crowd. I'm sorry, my head's... all over."
He nodded, accepting the excuse without pressing. Of course, he knew she was lying. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. But he let it go, offering silent support. She was grateful for that. Grateful he didn't force her to explain when she wasn't ready.
As she stepped out, she glanced back.
The Queen and Guild Master were kneeling now, being chastised by the King like children. The image was absurd, yet oddly comforting. Amid chaos, there was love. A strange, messy, chaotic kind of love. And maybe, just maybe, that was okay.
They were an odd pair by most standards, but good people nonetheless. When Laverna nodded, he gently patted her head, silently calming her. He was grateful no one in the room noticed what she was truly feeling.
As Laverna excused herself and stepped onto the balcony, Shin watched her go.
"Where's the young lady Laverna?" the King asked.
Shin pointed toward the balcony. "Don't worry. She's new to all of this. She just needs a moment."
King Richard nodded. Queen Mariam made a move to follow, but the King stopped her with a glance. The Guild Master added, "Sister, it's best to tend to the people for now. We don't want our important guests waiting."
He gently tugged the Queen and whispered something in her ear. Realizing Shin and Laverna needed a bit of space, she smiled and nodded.
"Ohhhh! Okay! Seems we need to do our royal duties."
The Guild Master flashed Shin an "OK" sign to keep the Queen from intruding. The King winked at her, prompting a blush.
"Shall we, my Queen?"
"Yes, my love."
The Guild Master exited first, giving instructions for someone to wait for Shin and Laverna and guide them to the ballroom. King Richard and Queen Mariam followed, dignified and composed.
The Guild Master nodded to Shin, who bowed in return as the door gently closed behind them.