'Aurethy, why must you punish me all the damn time?'
"Welcome to your new home," Kaelis says as he guides them around the palace, his voice easy, like this was just another normal thing, like there wasn't anything unusual about bringing them here.
They walked for a few minutes.
Long enough for Ezra to feel the weight of the place settle around him again.
Servants passed by.
Some greeted them.
Some glanced.
Polite.
But mostly curious.
It all blurred together.
Ezra answered when he had to, nodded when expected, but his mind wasn't really there.
Then they stopped.
In front of a door.
A very familiar door.
A room that made Ezra's heart fill with dread.
"Wah! It's fancy!" Lior runs into the room as soon as Kaelis opens the door for them, his excitement spilling out without hesitation.
Ezra's hand twitched.
He almost reached out.
Almost stopped him.
But he didn't.
Because to Kaelis and Lior, there was no problem with this room.
Oh, but to Ezra?
