The atmosphere shifted the moment Leora's footsteps faded down the corridor. Seraphine, ever the instigator, leaned forward with a devilish grin, her elbows resting on the table.
"Well, now that the fun police has left…" she began, trailing off for dramatic effect.
"Oh no," Riley groaned, immediately sensing trouble. "Seraphine, whatever you're about to say, the answer is no."
"I haven't even said anything yet!" Seraphine protested, feigning innocence.
"That grin says it all," Lydia chimed in, sipping her drink with an amused smirk.
Ignoring the protests, Seraphine straightened up and clapped her hands together. "Okay, listen up, losers! Since poker turned into a disaster—"
"Because you lost," Aurelia cut in.
"—we're playing something better," Seraphine continued, undeterred. "Truth or dare!"
The room fell silent for a moment, everyone exchanging glances.
"No," Riley said firmly.
"Yes," Seraphine countered, her grin widening.
Aeliana raised a hand hesitantly. "I feel like this might end poorly."
"Oh, it absolutely will," I said, leaning back in my chair with a chuckle. "But that's kind of the point."
"Ciara!" Aeliana gave me a betrayed look.
"What?" I said innocently. "I'm just here for the entertainment."
Despite some initial resistance, Seraphine's relentless enthusiasm eventually won everyone over. Chairs were rearranged into a loose circle, and Seraphine appointed herself the master of ceremonies.
"All right!" she declared, spinning an empty bottle she'd pulled from who knows where. "Let's get started!"
The bottle spun wildly, landing on Aurelia.
"Truth or dare?" Seraphine asked, her tone gleefully predatory.
Aurelia hesitated, clearly weighing her options. "Dare."
"Excellent choice," Seraphine said, rubbing her hands together like an evil mastermind. "I dare you to serenade Lydia. Right here, right now."
Aurelia's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," Seraphine replied, her grin almost too wide for her face.
Lydia burst out laughing. "Oh, this I have to see."
Grumbling under her breath, Aurelia reluctantly got to her feet.
She cleared her throat dramatically and launched into an off-key rendition of some sappy love ballad, complete with exaggerated gestures. Lydia laughed so hard she nearly fell out of her chair, while the rest of us clapped along mockingly.
As the game continued, the dares grew more ridiculous, and the truths became increasingly invasive.
The bottle spun and landed on me.
"Truth or dare, Ciara?" Seraphine asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Dare," I said confidently.
"I dare you to recite a love poem to Aeliana," Seraphine said, waggling her eyebrows.
Aeliana turned bright red. "Seraphine!"
"What? It's romantic!"
I smirked, leaning closer to Aeliana. "Roses are red, violets are blue—"
"Don't you dare," Aeliana warned, her face still flushed.
"Your cooking's amazing, and so are you," I finished, my tone overly dramatic.
The room erupted in laughter, and Aeliana buried her face in her hands. "I'm never forgiving you for this."
The bottle spun again, this time landing on Riley.
"Truth or dare?" Seraphine asked.
Riley sighed, clearly regretting every decision that led her to this moment. "Truth."
"Boring," Seraphine muttered. "Fine. If you could trade Seraphine for any other sibling, would you?"
"Hey!" Seraphine protested.
Riley pretended to think about it, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "You know, there was this really nice kid in the village a few years ago. Quiet, polite, didn't cause constant chaos—"
"I hate you," Seraphine interrupted, crossing her arms.
"Love you too," Riley said with a grin.
By the time the bottle landed on Aeliana, the room was filled with laughter and empty threats of revenge.
"Truth or dare?" Seraphine asked, leaning forward eagerly.
"Truth," Aeliana said, clearly hoping to avoid anything too humiliating.
Seraphine's eyes sparkled with wicked glee. "Okay, here's one for you: Would you cheat on Ciara if you could get one year of Leora's food wherever you want?"
The room went dead silent, everyone's attention snapping to Aeliana.
Aeliana blinked, completely caught off guard. "What kind of question is that?!"
"It's a legitimate question!" Seraphine said defensively.
"No, it's not!" Aeliana shot back, her face turning red.
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow, pretending to look offended. "Well, Aeliana? I'm waiting."
Aeliana glared at me, clearly flustered. "Of course not! That's ridiculous!"
"Are you sure?" Seraphine teased, grinning like a cat who'd just caught a mouse.
"Yes, I'm sure!" Aeliana huffed, crossing her arms. "What kind of person do you think I am?"
"A smart one?" Aurelia offered, clearly enjoying the chaos.
"You're all terrible," Aeliana muttered, though she couldn't quite hide the smile tugging at her lips.
The game continued, but the lingering amusement from Seraphine's question hung in the air. Aeliana gave me a sheepish look, and I leaned over to whisper, "Good answer."
"Don't you start," she whispered back, though her tone was light.
The laughter in the room showed no signs of dying down. After Seraphine's outrageous question to Aeliana, everyone was clearly riding a wave of chaotic joy.
The teasing, side comments, and occasional jabs flew back and forth like a verbal tennis match. Even Aeliana, who had been red-faced for most of the evening, was laughing now, her earlier embarrassment seemingly forgotten.
Seraphine leaned back in her chair, her grin practically splitting her face. "You know, Aeliana, you should've seen your face when I asked that. Priceless. I might commission a painting to immortalize it."
"Don't you dare," Aeliana said, narrowing her eyes.
"I'm serious," Seraphine replied, placing a hand over her heart dramatically. "I'll even hang it in the dining hall."
"Seraphine, I swear," Aeliana began, but I squeezed her hand gently, giving her a reassuring smile.
"It's not worth it, love," I said. "Besides, I'd pay to see that painting too."
Aeliana shot me a look of mock betrayal. "Et tu, Ciara?"
"Always," I replied with a grin, kissing her hand for good measure.
The game eventually fizzled out as everyone grew tired of spinning the bottle. Lydia stretched her arms overhead, yawning loudly. "As much fun as this has been, I think I'm ready to call it a night."
"Same," Riley added. "Some of us have kingdoms to manage tomorrow."
"You mean Lydia has a kingdom to manage, and you're just tagging along for the ride," Seraphine teased.
Riley smirked. "Exactly."
The group began to disperse, with Aurelia offering to escort Lydia and Riley back to their quarters. Seraphine stayed behind, clearly not ready to let the night end just yet.
"So," she said, plopping down on the couch beside Aeliana and me, "you two are disgustingly cute, you know that?"
"Thanks," I said, smirking. "We try."
"I wasn't complimenting you," Seraphine shot back, though her tone was light.
Aeliana shook her head, clearly amused. "What do you want, Seraphine?"
"Oh, nothing much," Seraphine replied innocently. "Just wondering when you're planning to make me an aunt."
"SERAPHINE!" Aeliana practically shrieked, her face turning crimson again.
I burst out laughing, unable to help myself. "Wow, you really have no filter, do you?"
"Why should I?" Seraphine replied, grinning. "Life's too short to hold back."
"Maybe try holding back just a little," Aeliana muttered, hiding her face in her hands.
Eventually, even Seraphine began to wind down. She waved us off with a casual "Goodnight, lovebirds," before disappearing down the hall.
The quiet that followed was a stark contrast to the chaos of the evening. I glanced over at Aeliana, who was still sitting on the couch, her hands resting in her lap.
She looked beautiful, the soft glow of the room's candles casting a warm light on her face.
"You okay?" I asked, scooting closer to her.
She nodded, her lips curving into a small smile. "Yeah. It was… chaotic, but fun."
"Seraphine has that effect," I said, chuckling.
Aeliana leaned her head against my shoulder, letting out a content sigh. "I'm glad we came, though. It's nice to see your family like this."
"They're not always this insane," I said, though even I didn't fully believe it.
"You don't have to lie to me," she teased, her smile widening.
I laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Fair enough. But they mean well, even if they show it in strange ways."
"I know," she said softly, her eyes meeting mine.
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. The warmth of the room, the distant sounds of the castle settling for the night—it all felt peaceful in a way that was rare but welcome.
Finally, I broke the silence. "Ready to head back?"
Aeliana looked at me, her eyes shining with a mixture of happiness and exhaustion. "Yeah, I think so."
I stood, offering her my hand. She took it without hesitation, her fingers intertwining with mine.
As we walked toward the main hall, I couldn't help but glance back at the now-empty room where so much laughter had filled the air.
This was the kind of chaos I didn't mind chaos that came with love, with family, and with the people who made life worth living.
When we reached the main entrance, I paused, turning to face Aeliana. "Let's go home, babe," I said, my voice soft but full of affection.
She smiled, her fingers squeezing mine. "Lead the way."
With a small, glowing smile, I pulled her close, and with a flash of magic, we disappeared into the night.