Help! My Moms Are Overpowered Tyrants, and I'm Stuck as Their Baby!-Chapter 91: Secrets in the Dark

I woke suddenly, my throat parched, every breath feeling dry and uncomfortable. For a moment, I lay motionless, staring at the ceiling of my dimly lit chamber. Shadows twisted lazily along the stone walls, forming abstract shapes as the faint glow of moonlight seeped through the heavy curtains.

Sitting up slowly, I rubbed my eyes, shaking away the haze of sleep. I glanced toward the table where I usually kept my water, sighing when I saw the empty pitcher and glass I'd neglected to fill earlier.

Great. Of course, I'd forgotten.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, wincing slightly as my bare feet touched the cold marble floor. I started toward the door, barely awake, fully intending to find some water myself, but before I'd taken more than three steps, a soft, familiar voice startled me awake.

"Your Highness, did you need something?"

My heart leapt into my throat, my pulse racing before recognition finally settled in. I exhaled sharply, annoyed more with myself than with her. Standing in the shadows by the corner were Mara and Elira, their figures partially obscured, eyes glinting faintly in the darkness.

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"You two nearly gave me a heart attack," I murmured, resting a hand against my chest, feeling my heartbeat slowly calm.

"Our apologies," Elira said softly, stepping forward with graceful ease. "We didn't intend to startle you."

As always, her voice was soothing, like silk sliding against my senses. Mara moved silently behind her, pouring a fresh glass of water from a crystal pitcher I hadn't noticed earlier. She offered it to me, and I accepted gratefully, drinking slowly as the cool water soothed my throat and calmed my nerves.

I lowered the glass, taking a slow, steady breath. "Were you both here the entire time?"

Mara inclined her head slightly, her gaze unreadable. "We're always nearby, Your Highness. You know this."

I frowned slightly. Yes, I did. Yet tonight, something felt different. A strange tension lingered in the air, like electricity just before a storm. Mara stood straighter, shoulders tense beneath her dark cloak. Elira's eyes, usually soft and playful, seemed sharper, more guarded.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "Did something happen?"

Elira's lips curled into an easy, reassuring smile, even as a shadow briefly crossed her eyes. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Your Highness. Everything is taken care of."

She said it too quickly, her voice just a fraction too gentle. The words were practiced, meant to soothe, but only deepened my curiosity. For a moment, silence hung between us, thick enough that I could taste the tension.

Then Mara shifted slightly, and I caught a glimpse of something I shouldn't have: a faint, dark splatter along the sleeve of her cloak. My heart skipped slightly, gaze shifting to Elira, noticing for the first time the subtle, reddish smudge against her hand, visible even in the dim moonlight.

My pulse quickened. Blood. They were both stained with blood.

I stared at them, my mouth suddenly dry again, mind racing. A hundred questions formed, dancing just beyond my lips, yet I hesitated. The secrets Mara and Elira carried were not ones I wanted tonight. Not now, when exhaustion tugged at my mind, pulling me gently back toward sleep. I trusted them implicitly; whatever they'd handled tonight, they'd done it to protect me.

I didn't have to know. Not yet, at least.

"Alright," I finally said, forcing myself to relax, handing the empty glass back to Mara. "I suppose it's not important right now."

Mara's shoulders relaxed imperceptibly, the subtle easing of tension so slight that I might've missed it if I weren't so attuned to their every move. "Sleep now, Your Highness. We'll watch over you."

Elira stepped closer, carefully guiding me back toward the bed. "Dream well, Elyzara. You're safe."

As she spoke, I felt the exhaustion creep back in, weighing heavily upon my eyelids. My mind grew fuzzy, thoughts drifting into that hazy state between wakefulness and dreams. Within seconds, I surrendered, pulling the covers tightly around me and allowing myself to sink into the warm embrace of sleep.

The shadows whispered around me as dreams claimed my consciousness, but even deep within sleep's grasp, I could still sense their presence. A comforting warmth, a silent vow that no harm would touch me as long as they drew breath.

Morning came quietly, sunlight slipping gently through the curtains. I stretched lazily, rolling onto my side and blinking the sleep from my eyes. Everything felt peaceful, comfortable. Too comfortable, almost suspiciously so.

I sat up slowly, noting that Mara and Elira were gone now. The empty chamber felt strangely lonely without their watchful presence. Yet I couldn't help but wonder about the events of last night the fleeting sight of blood, the whispered reassurances. Had it been nothing more than a tired hallucination, or had something truly unsettling occurred?

Before I could dwell too deeply on that thought, the door swung open and Smaug lumbered inside, his scales shimmering brightly in the morning light. He looked at me, head tilted slightly.

"You look oddly troubled, human," he grumbled, settling comfortably beside the bed. "Bad dreams?"

"Not exactly," I muttered, patting his snout distractedly. "Just a strange night."

Smaug snorted, unimpressed. "All nights are strange here."

"True enough."

The door opened again, and Mara entered carrying a tray piled high with breakfast. Elira followed closely, bearing a fresh pitcher of juice. Their faces were calm, pleasant smiles firmly in place, no trace left of last night's tension. Whatever had happened, they'd clearly decided to bury it beneath a careful mask of normalcy.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Mara said softly, placing the tray carefully across my lap. "We trust you slept well?"

I studied her face carefully, noting the practiced ease of her movements, the gentle neutrality of her expression. If anything lingered beneath her calm exterior, it was hidden too deeply for me to see. "I slept fine," I replied cautiously, picking up a piece of freshly baked bread. "Thank you."

Elira poured juice into a glass, her violet eyes softening fondly as she handed it to me. "We're glad. You have a busy day ahead."

I nodded slowly, nibbling thoughtfully on my breakfast, the room settling into a familiar silence. Mara and Elira stood patiently, watchful as always, their presence comforting even amidst my quiet suspicion. Eventually, the tension of unanswered questions melted into routine, their steady presence lulling me into a sense of familiar calm.

I sighed inwardly, deciding that for now I'd allow whatever had happened to remain their secret. Perhaps it was best I didn't know. Ignorance sometimes brought a sweeter kind of peace.

Yet, deep in the corner of my mind, a tiny voice nagged at me, whispering insistently that someday, those secrets would demand answers. And when they did, I might not be prepared to face them.

But today wasn't that day.

Today, I'd let the mystery sleep.

I finished my breakfast quietly, savoring the normalcy of this small, familiar moment. Mara and Elira exchanged subtle glances behind me, their silent conversation entirely lost upon my distracted mind. Smaug curled lazily at my feet, rumbling in sleepy contentment.

Maybe I'd been wrong. Maybe the shadows and the blood had simply been products of my exhausted imagination.