The evening air hung quiet over the imperial palace, the echoes of a long dinner with the royal family fading into the grand stone corridors. After years of waiting, Lucien could barely contain the restless energy surging through his chest. Cassian was sitting right beside him, alive, real, and within reach. Every passing minute spent away from home felt like a wasteful delay.
"We are going to the West," Lucien said, his voice firm and decisive.
Cassian looked up from his cup, blinking in mild surprise.
"Tonight?"
"Tonight."
Lucien was already on his feet. He extended his open hand toward Cassian, his gaze locked onto his partner's eyes.
"I do not want to waste another single day. Let us go."
Cassian let out a soft, breathy laugh, shaking his head gently.
"You really have not changed at all."
"And I am not planning to change," Lucien replied, taking Cassian's fingers as he reached up. Lucien leaned down slightly, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the back of Cassian's hand.
Within minutes, Lucien had summoned one of the Imperial Court's chief mages into the private courtyard.
"Teleportation," Lucien ordered.
The mage looked between the two noble figures, bowing his head slightly. "To the Arden estate, Your Grace?"
"Yes."
The mage hesitated, glancing at the vast distance between the capital and the western territory.
"Your Grace, long-distance teleportation of this scale requires—"
"I know what it requires," Lucien cut him off smoothly, pulling a brilliant blue mana crystal from his inner coat pocket and placing it into the mage's palm. "Just do it."
"Understood, Your Grace," the mage murmured, taking the crystal and initiating the complex incantation.
A bright circle of blue and white light flared beneath their feet, humming with raw magic. Instinctively, Cassian reached out and gripped Lucien's arm tightly.
The world twisted violently.
For one dizzying second, Cassian felt as though his entire essence was being stretched through a narrow thread of pure light.
Then—
*WHOOM!*
The pressure snapped, and solid ground returned beneath their boots. They were standing in the grand cobblestone courtyard of the Arden estate.
Lucien did not even wait for the glowing runes on the ground to fade completely. He took Cassian by the wrist and moved swiftly toward the colossal double doors of the main manor.
Cassian stumbled slightly, trying to keep pace with Lucien's hurried strides. "Lucien, slow down!"
Lucien glanced back over his shoulder, his eyes bright.
"I have waited fifteen years, Cassian. I am not slowing down now."
Lucien pushed the heavy oak doors open.
And Elias was the first person in the grand foyer to see them enter. The elderly butler froze mid-step, the silver tray in his hands trembling slightly. His eyes widened, locking onto Cassian's face, and for several seconds, absolute silence held the room still.
Then, Elias's shaky hand flew to his mouth.
"Your... Your Highness..."
His voice cracked completely.
Cassian stepped forward, offering a gentle, warm smile.
"Hello, Elias."
That was all the old man needed to hear. Tears immediately filled Elias's eyes and spilled down his weathered cheeks. He rushed forward, dropping into a deep, trembling bow before Cassian could move to stop him.
"You are really here..." Elias wept, his shoulders shaking with uncontained emotion. "You are really, truly here..."
Cassian's chest tightened with affection and sorrow. He quickly leaned down, reaching out to support the old man's arms.
"Oh, Elias, please stand."
Elias looked up through his tears, his hands gripping Cassian's fingers tightly.
"I waited fifteen long years to hear those words again, Your Highness. After you left us in such pain, I could not sleep, wondering where you were and how you were surviving with a broken heart."
Elias wiped his face, his voice thick with emotion.
"I feared you would never return to us. I feared you would live out your life in another land, carrying a wounded spirit because of the misunderstandings and lies that led you to leave. But to see you standing right in front of me again... I could never ask for anything more."
Cassian's expression softened into deep empathy.
"I am so sorry you had to wait so long, Elias."
The sound of Elias's emotional voice echoed up the grand spiraling staircase. Within seconds, heavy footsteps thundered from the upper corridors.
Doors snapped open across the floor above. Servants hurried down the side passages, and one by one, members of the Arden household flooded into the front hall. Within minutes, the entire household had gathered around the entrance.
Cassian stood at the center of the gathering, temporarily stunned into silence. There were so many new faces—all of them representing lives that had moved forward while he was gone.
Then, his gaze settled on a figure standing near the grand doorway.
Sora.
The High Elf who had become his mate and led the Elfeheimer faction during his absence stood tall and elegant. Next to him was a nineteen-year-old youth with black spun hair and fine features.
Cassian's heart gave a sudden, heavy thud.
'That must be Aurelian. He looks just like an elven reflection of me. He has grown into such a handsome, tall young man... he is even taller than I am.'
Aurelian looked directly at Cassian. For a quiet moment, their eyes locked. But unlike the emotional warmth of the servants, there was no joy in the young man's expression—only a quiet, wounded distance.
Cassian understood instantly. He could not blame the boy. To Aurelian, Cassian was not the loving father who had watched him grow; he was a parent who had disappeared without a word.
Aurelian lowered his gaze, turned silently on his heel, and walked out of the hall toward the garden doors.
Sora released a soft sigh, looking at Cassian with gentle eyes.
"I am sorry, Cassian."
Cassian shook his head quickly.
"Do not apologize, Sora."
"I will go speak with him first," Sora murmured, leaning in to press a gentle kiss against Cassian's cheek.
"Then I will return to welcome you properly."
Cassian nodded gratefully. As Sora walked after their son, Cassian felt a slight relief—at the very least, Sora did not hold cold anger toward him.
Before Cassian could process the rest of the room—
"Father?"
The shaky, tearful voice called out from the mid-landing of the staircase.
Cassian looked up to see Elysia standing on the steps, her hands clutching the railing, tears already shining in her eyes. Beside her was her twin sister, Elise. Both teenage girls bore undeniable traits of Cassian's own lineage.
Nearby stood Fransia and Zelda, watching the scene unfold with warm expressions.
"Father!"
Elise and Elysia did not wait another second. They sprinted down the remaining stone steps together. Before Cassian could even brace himself, both girls threw their arms around his waist and chest, their combined weight nearly sending him backward.
"Wait—" Cassian gasped softly as the twins buried their faces into his traveling coat, holding onto him with desperate strength.
Cassian stared down at them in stunned silence. They were nearly grown women now, yet they clung to him as if they had been holding their breath for fifteen years.
A tight knot formed in Cassian's throat. Slowly, tenderly, he wrapped his arms around both of them, bringing them close against his chest.
"Oh..." Cassian breathed, looking helplessly toward Lucien over the girls' shoulders. He let out a breathless, emotional laugh.
"Well... I guess I am home?"
Lucien stepped closer, his smile warm and steady.
"Of course you are home." He reached out, his long fingers gently brushing a tear from Cassian's cheek before he leaned in to press a firm, loving kiss against his temple.
"What are you so unsure about? Welcome home, my Prince."
Cassian smiled through the heavy atmosphere of the room, melting into genuine warmth.
Yet, at the edge of the hall, the shadow remained.
Standing near a massive stone pillar was Tristan Arden, positioned just beside his mother, Ruby Thompson. Ruby stood frozen in complete shock, her face pale. She had spent these years convincing herself that Cassian was gone forever, never to return. But she utterly underestimated the situation.
'In the end... should I have ensured his body was destroyed so he could never come back?' Ruby thought bitterly, her mind spinning as she kept to the dark corner.
Tristan did not move. He simply watched. He looked at his father, Lucien—a man who had always been distant, strict, and cold throughout Tristan's childhood. Yet right now, Lucien was looking at Cassian with an expression of total devotion and raw tenderness. Tristan had never seen his father look at Ruby like that. Not even once.
In the meantime.
Tristan watched his half-sisters cling to Cassian. He watched Cassian hold them without an ounce of hesitation and something deep inside Tristan twisted painfully. He looked down at his own trembling hands, his mind racing.
'The twins are so lucky... they are loved by both of their parents. Unlike me.'
'The other father is finally here,' Tristan thought, a sudden wave of fear washing over him.
'The man my father has loved for fifteen years has come back. What happens to me now? What happens to my mother? Will they cast us out now that he has returned?'
All these years, Tristan had lived on rumors and warnings. Ruby had drilled into his head that Cassian hated their family, that the Prince would view Tristan as an unwanted reminder of Lucien's past, and the maids had always emphasized that Lucien did not care about him, he only tolerated Tristan out of duty as a father.
And now, the legendary Prince was standing only twenty feet away.
Cassian gently patted the twins' backs, helping them stand upright as they wiped their eyes. As the girls stepped aside, Cassian's gaze swept across the hall once more. He looked past the bowing servants and the standing guards until his eyes locked onto the boy near the pillar.
Tristan froze instantly.
Cassian observed the striking silver hair, the bright blue eyes, the rigid tension in the boy's shoulders, and the lonely way he stood apart from everyone else.
Cassian's expression softened completely. Without a word, he began walking straight toward the boy.
Ruby's breath hitched. She instinctively took a step forward out of the shadow to block Cassian from her son, but a sharp, dangerous glare from Lucien pinned her in place.
She flinched and retreated back into the gloom.
Tristan remained rooted to the spot as Cassian stopped directly in front of him.
Slowly, Cassian lowered himself onto one knee, bringing their eyes to the exact same level.
"You must be Tristan," Cassian said, his voice quiet and gentle. "Lucien's boy."
Tristan blinked, his breath catching. "You... you know who I am?"
"Of course I do." Cassian smiled warmly, reaching out to rest a hand gently on Tristan's arm. "Your father told me so much about you."
Tristan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"He did?"
"Quite a lot, actually,"
Cassian replied softly.
"He told me that you are an incredible prodigy with the sword."
Tristan swallowed hard, his gaze darting nervously over Cassian's shoulder toward Lucien, who was watching them from a few steps away. Tristan lowered his voice, looking down.
"My mother told me I should never speak your name. She said... you would not want anything to do with me."
The silence settled heavily between them.
Cassian looked into the young man's anxious eyes, then gently shook his head.
"Your mother was wrong, Tristan. None of what happened fifteen years ago was your fault. Those were matters between adults, and you should never carry the weight of adult mistakes on your shoulders."
Cassian gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"I am very happy to meet you, Tristan. From now on, let us get along as family, alright?"
Tristan's voice faltered.
"Family?"
"Yes, family." Cassian gestured lightly toward the bustling room around them. "I have returned home only to discover that I have far more children than I remembered." He offered a small, lighthearted laugh. "And you are one of them. So of course you are my family."
Tristan stared at him, his chest heaving as he tried to process the words.
"One of... your children?"
"Of course."
The emotional wall Tristan had built around himself for years crumbled in an instant. All his life, he had felt like an outsider in his own home, believing that the returned Prince would despise his very existence. Yet here was Cassian, looking at him with genuine warmth and acceptance.
"My mother... might not allow it."
"Do not worry about that," Cassian said softly. He stood up and pulled Tristan into a warm, firm embrace.
Tristan went rigid for a second—no one had held him with such simple, protective affection in years—before his shoulders finally loosened.
Cassian gently patted the boy's back. "Lucien will protect you, no matter what. He cares for you far more than he shows. And now that I am back, things are going to be very different for all of us."
Tristan could no longer hold back the flood of emotions. And he buried his face against Cassian's shoulder to hug him back, his fingers gripping the back of Cassian's coat tightly.
"Thank you..."
Tristan whispered, his voice trembling. "Thank you so much."
Cassian stroked the boy's silver hair as Tristan released years of doubt and fear in the arms of the father who had finally come home.
Lucien walked up silently, stopping beside them. He looked down at his son, his eyes reflecting a complex mix of guilt, regret, and a silent pledge for the future. Lucien reached out, placing his heavy hand gently on Tristan's head.
"Your father is right, Tristan," Lucien said, his voice unusually soft.
"Stop standing over here by yourself."
Lucien gave Tristan's hair a affectionate mess. "Come and join your family."
Tristan pulled back slightly, and he looked between Cassian and Lucien, a hesitant, genuine smile finally breaking across his face. He nodded quickly.
And as Tristan turned to walk toward his sisters, Lucien placed a quiet hand against the small of Cassian's back. Cassian glanced up at him, meeting his gaze. Lucien did not say anything out loud—he did not need to.
For fifteen painful years, the Arden estate had been defined by Cassian's absence. But tonight, surrounded by his loved ones, the long cold silence was broken at last.
They were back together—imperfect, marked by scars, but whole once more.
Cassian was finally home.
*****