245

245
Dravina POV
Two Years Later
The war with Marzena and Roarke felt like it belonged to another lifetime.
These days, the only battles Malrik and I fought were over who got stuck with diaper duty or who could coax the loudest giggles from the twins.
Our babies were turning one, and the house hummed with energy as we prepared for their birthday celebration.
The last year had been a blur busy, blessed, exhausting. Wrapped in our own little bubble, we’d shifted into a life where sleepless nights, tiny milestones, and quiet joy replaced war councils and blood-soaked fields. In the process, we’d drifted from the people who had once stood at our sides.
This party wasn’t just for the twins. It was a reunion a chance to gather everyone who mattered, to laugh, to remember, to feel like a family again.
So much had changed.
Cassian, once haunted and restless, had found his fated mate in Indira, Uncle Tavrix’s daughter. They were bonded now, inseparable, and expecting their first child. I could already picture the little one and couldn’t wait to meet them when the time came. Cassian had softened, grown comfortable in his own skin, and it showed. I was genuinely happy for him.
Quillan the eternal wildfire had surprised us all by settling down. After a year of clashing and reconciling, he finally married Solene. Their love was fiery, messy, achingly real, but they’d carved out a rhythm that worked.
And the biggest shock? Ysolde and my uncle Drethos.
Even now, the thought of it made me smile. With Marzena gone, the fog that had clouded him for years lifted. He could finally see clearly and what he saw was the woman who’d stood quietly beside him all along.
Ysolde had survived her own shadows, and somehow, their scars meshed together. Their bond grew slowly at first, then quickened into something undeniable. Solid. Real. The kind of love that didn’t need to announce itself, but carried weight in every quiet glance and shared silence.
Then there was Tavrix.
These days, he practically lived under our roof but not only for the twins.
It was Dashira.
No one expected it, yet it made perfect sense. She’d always sought strength not just in titles, but in presence and found it in Tavrix. Together, they struck a balance that steadied them both.
Looking at all of it everything that had shifted, everything we’d endured I felt a sense of quiet wholeness.
We hadn’t just survived the storm. We’d grown through it.
Even Vladan had found his peace with Twila, Quillan’s sister.
Twila was a joy. Sharp, clever, effortless to be around, and unexpectedly tender in the moments it mattered most. She’d become my unofficial partner in Luna duties, and truthfully, I couldn’t imagine managing without her anymore. We handled everything from strategy to ceremonies, but always found room to laugh in between. She wasn’t just a helping hand she’d become my best friend.
I still kept in touch with Andariel since the war, more than I ever thought we would, but Twila had become my constant.
With so much to juggle between Ashflow and Silverlight, Malrik and I had been stretched thin. But lately, the burden eased, thanks to Drethos and Ysolde stepping into leadership roles at Ashflow. They now reported directly to Malrik, giving us space to focus on our own pack.
At first, my uncle had resisted he’d never been subtle about dodging responsibility. It had taken serious persuasion to get him to agree. Even then, Tavrix and Dashira often carried much of the weight when they were around managing politics, smoothing tensions, keeping everything running.
Some people are born leaders. Some grow into it. And some like my uncle aren’t built for it at all.
And that was okay. Because for the first time in years, he was showing up where it mattered.
“Are the quarters ready for our guests? They’ll be staying two nights,” I asked Twila as we moved through the hall, both of us juggling last-minute details.
“All set,” she replied with a grin. “I can’t wait to see Solene and Quillan it feels like forever.”
“I know,” I said, smiling back. “I’m just as excited to see my uncles and cousins. It really has been too long.”
We were all anticipating someone. This gathering wasn’t just a birthday it was a reunion of everything we’d fought to protect.
Family. Love. Peace.
I slipped into my bedroom while Twila hurried off to check the food arrangements. Just as I turned toward the mirror, Malrik walked in.
Seraphina our little princess was perched in his arms, giggling as her tiny fists tugged at his shirt. Behind them, Lucian toddled on determined little feet, following his father’s shadow.
Malrik’s gaze swept over me, and a smirk tugged at his lips. “Still dressing to impress? You do know it’s their big day, not ours.”
I spun with a mock glare. “We have to look good together. And for the record, Seraphina isn’t stealing your heart from me.”
He laughed that deep, unguarded laugh that still melted something inside me after all these years. Stepping close, he kissed me softly and whispered, “No one could ever steal my heart from you.”
I leaned into him, smiling. I already knew that but hearing it never got old.
The rest of the morning passed in a rush of finishing touches balloons, food, and tiny crowns for our tiny royals.
The house echoed with laughter, the kind that comes from something deeper than happiness. It was the sound of healing.
And soon, the people we loved most would walk through that door.
We were ready.