The children's squabbling continued, seemingly unaffected by the heavy silence that had descended over the adults at the table. Their conversation cast a pall over the room.
"If Uncle Demon Prince isn't to be called Uncle Third Prince, then what should he be called?" Simon pressed, his tone dripping with frustration and tamed anger.
Benedict, usually the quiet one, sat up straighter. After a long pause, he answered with a strange certainty, "He is to be referred to as Uncle A."
The room fell utterly silent. The adults exchanged uneasy glances, their faces stiff with unease, while the children remained oblivious to the growing tension.
"What the actual freak is 'A'?" Simon asked, scowling in disbelief.
"Nobody knows," Benedict declared, his wide eyes filled with earnestness. He pushed a stray curl of red hair from his face. "But Uncle himself told me, and I believe him."
