Alle Kapitel von Mate In The Shadows : Kapitel 61 – Kapitel 70

By afternoon, only a handful of visiting delegations remained within the palace. The laughter that had filled its halls the night before had faded into quieter conversations as servants dismantled the last traces of the ceremony. Camille finally slept upstairs under Elira’s supervision and most remaining guests prepared for departure. Winter light stretched across the older wings, leaving the ancient corridors wrapped in a silence that somehow felt heavier than before.Fenrir had drifted toward the oldest library without announcing it. Orion found him there.The room smelled faintly of cedarwood and old paper. For a while neither of them spoke. Snow drifted slowly outside while distant palace sounds echoed softly through stone walls worn smooth by generations long gone. Then Fenrir said quietly: “We spent years believing the old foundations were dead ruins.” Orion remained still beside the shelves. “Most people still do.” Fenrir’s gaze shifted toward the dark mountains beyond the city

By the time they returned from the older sections beneath the palace, night had already settled across the kingdom. Snow drifted steadily beyond the windows of the royal chambers while firelight flickered softly against stone walls warmed by winter hearths. Dinner had come and gone. The dishes had been cleared away. The palace itself seemed quieter than usual, as though the discovery beneath its foundations had somehow encouraged even the corridors to lower their voices. Camille slept peacefully nearby in her crib, wrapped securely beneath a blanket she had spent most of the evening attempting to escape from. Selene sat near the fire with a cup of tea cradled between her hands. Across from her, Orion reviewed a stack of reports with the stubborn determination of someone convinced paperwork would eventually surrender if glared at long enough. For several minutes neither spoke. Though the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Eventually Selene glanced toward him. "Do you think it means somethin

A little over a week later, winter settled more deeply over the kingdom. Snow covered rooftops in soft white layers. Frost decorated palace windows each morning. The northern winds still arrived sharp enough to remind everyone exactly where they lived, though the palace itself remained warm beneath roaring fireplaces and thick stone walls. Five months had passed. Five months since Camille's arrival. Five months since an impossibly small child had somehow managed to reorganize the lives of everyone around her. Selene discovered this fact at dawn. At first she thought she was dreaming. Voices drifted softly through the room. Someons talking. Whispering.She opened one eye. Then blinked. Then stared. Orion sat cross-legged on the floor near the fireplace. Camille sat propped carefully against several pillows in front of him. They appeared to be having a conversation. A very serious conversation. Unfortunately only one of them spoke a recognizable language. "Ba." Orion nodded.."I

The palace remained quiet for all of thirty minutes. Then Orion returned. Fresh winter air followed him into the royal chambers as he stepped through the door, brushing a few lingering snowflakes from his shoulders. He had spent the morning checking the training grounds and speaking with the guards along the outer walls. Nothing urgent. Just another ordinary day.The fire still burned steadily in the hearth. Selene slept peacefully beneath the blankets. And Camille was awake now. The five-month-old laid beside her mother, entirely occupied with a lock of chestnut hair she had somehow claimed as her own. Orion stepped into the chambers and stopped. Orion watched the scene for a moment. Then chuckled softly. Camille looked up immediately at the familiar sound. Her eyes brightened. The hair remained firmly in her grasp. "That doesn't belong to you," he informed her. Camille ignored him. Orion crouched beside them. Selene didn't stir. The sight alone softened something inside him. Mothe

Morning drifted onward almost unnoticed. One pot of tea became another. Breakfast slowly surrendered to conversation, and conversation settled into the comfortable rhythm only old friends ever seemed capable of creating. For once, nobody appeared eager to leave.The conversation continued long after breakfast should have ended. Nobody seemed particularly concerned about that fact. At some point additional tea was served. Then more food. Then somehow another story. Selene lost track of exactly when morning began drifting toward afternoon. Not that she minded. For once, nobody seemed in a hurry to be anywhere else. Even Theron. Which was perhaps the greatest miracle of all. "You left out the fishing incident." Orion immediately looked toward Quilan. "You were not there." "I heard about it." "Everyone heard about it," Aldric said."Because somebody told everyone." Aldric looked innocent. Nobody believed him. Evangeline leaned forward. "There was a fishing incident?" Orion sighed. The r