He had been trying very hard to look calm because Isabella was still heavily pregnant and because he was still watching her body closely after everything that had happened, but even he could not survive the sight of Osiris standing there with smoke rising from his skirt while Glimora looked like a proud little criminal.

Osiris pointed at Cyrus with betrayal in his fiery eyes. "Do not laugh. You are supposed to be kind."

Cyrus tried to press his lips together. "I am kind."

"You are laughing at my suffering."

"You are still standing."

"My dignity is not."

Zyran nodded solemnly. "His dignity died first, and may it rest in ashes."

Osiris opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again because there were too many insults in the room and he did not know which one to attack first.

Glimora used that moment to pick up the stolen meat again, as if the court case had already ended in her favor.

Osiris saw it at once. "She is still eating my meat!"

Isabella wiped at her eyes and tried to breathe properly. "After what just happened, I think she earned it."

"She attacked me."

"You attacked her personal space."

"She stole first."

Glimora chewed loudly.

Very loudly.

Right after he said that.

It sounded completely intentional.

Osiris’s bright eyes widened again. "She is mocking me."

Zyran leaned back against the stone shelf, still grinning. "She learned from Isabella." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Isabella immediately turned her head. "Excuse me?"

Zyran looked innocent, which was already suspicious because innocence had never suited his face for longer than two breaths. "I said it with love."

"You say everything with danger."

"That is part of my charm."

"Your charm needs to be locked outside in the snow."

Zyran placed a hand over his chest like she had stabbed him. "Cruel female."

Kian finally opened his eyes and looked at all of them with the heavy silence of a king who had endured far too much before breakfast. His gaze moved from Osiris’s smoking skirt to Glimora’s proud little face, then to Zyran’s laughter, then to Isabella nearly folding over from laughing while Cyrus held her like she was fragile treasure.

After a moment, Kian said, "No one is chasing Glimora again inside this room."

Osiris looked betrayed. "So she is allowed to steal?"

Kian looked at him calmly. "You allowed yourself to be robbed."

That one finished Osiris.

His mouth opened.

No words came out.

Zyran made a soft impressed sound. "That was harsh."

Kian did not even look at him. "It was true."

Osiris looked at Isabella as if she was the only one who could return fairness to the world. "Are you hearing this?"

Isabella leaned fully against Cyrus because her stomach hurt from laughing, and Cyrus immediately rubbed slow circles over her back while trying to look responsible again. It did not work because his lips were still twitching.

"I heard," Isabella said breathlessly. "And unfortunately, he has a point."

Osiris looked like the betrayal had reached his bones. "You too?"

"You were robbed by something the size of a pillow."

Glimora lifted her head proudly, as if she accepted that description as praise.

Osiris pointed at her again. "That pillow burns people."

Glimora opened her mouth and gave him the smallest growl.

Osiris lowered his hand immediately.

Zyran saw it.

Isabella saw it.

Cyrus saw it.

Even Kian saw it.

For one second, they all stared at him.

Then Zyran slowly smiled. "You lowered your hand."

Osiris straightened at once. "I was being cautious."

"You are afraid of her."

"I am not afraid."

"You lowered your hand."

"She looked threatening."

"She weighs less than your pride."

"My pride is large."

"Then why did she burn it?"

Isabella made a strangled sound and buried her face against Cyrus’s side because she could not take any more. Cyrus held her more firmly at once, but his own shoulders shook lightly, and that made her laugh even more because Cyrus trying to act serious while secretly laughing was somehow funnier than Zyran laughing openly.

"Do not laugh too hard," Cyrus said softly, though his voice had already betrayed him.

"I can’t help it," Isabella said, wiping her eyes. "This is the funniest thing that has happened all winter."

Osiris looked even more hurt. "I was nearly burned."

"Your skirt smoked a little."

"That counts."

"It counts as comedy."

Even Kian had to turn his face away slightly at that.

Isabella caught him immediately.

"You smiled."

Kian’s face returned to stone. "I did not."

"You did."

"I did not."

"Your mouth moved."

"I was breathing."

"Through your mouth?"

Kian looked at her.

Zyran whispered loudly, "She caught you."

Kian looked at him next.

Zyran wisely stopped speaking, though his shoulders were still shaking.

Glimora, seeing that everyone’s attention had shifted away from the meat, decided that the matter had ended in victory. She turned around with great dignity and walked back to the fur pile, her small paws sinking into the thick pelts as she carried the stolen strip of meat in her mouth. The faint smoke that still curled behind her made the entire walk look far more grand than it had any right to be.

She climbed up, turned around twice, and settled down like a queen returning from war.

Osiris watched her with pain in his eyes. "She is eating it in front of me on purpose."

Zyran nodded. "Yes."

Osiris glared at him. "You are supposed to deny that."

"I respect her strategy."

Glimora chewed again, slow and proud.

Osiris looked as if someone had carved another wound into his spirit. "She understands us. I know she does."

Isabella looked down at Glimora and saw the little beast’s ears twitch at exactly that moment. This little beast was really mischievous.

She almost laughed again.

"She probably does," Isabella said. "And she probably thinks you are easy to bully."

Osiris turned to her. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you are standing there arguing with her while she eats your food."

Zyran clapped once, softly. "A perfect summary."