Zephirion’s POV

"Aeris, what should we name her?" Valerion asked, still staring at the baby girl in my arms as if she were a divine treasure.

Aeris hummed in thought, gazing at our daughter with nothing but warmth. Then, she smiled. "Kira. It means ‘a beam of light.’"

I looked down at my daughter, the tiny girl wrapped in my arms. She truly was a light—radiant, pure, soft, and warm. Unlike her arrogant older brother, who had arrived in this world smirking like he already owned it.

"She’s already better than Lorien," I muttered without thinking.

Aeris gasped, glaring at me. "Zephirion!"

"What? It’s the truth," I said, glancing toward the door where Lorien was currently pouting, arms crossed.

At eight years old, my son already had the same smirk, the same arrogance, the same irritating confidence that he had shown since birth.

He raised an eyebrow at me, then flicked his hair back dramatically, like some noble prince. "I heard that, Father."

Caelum snorted, barely holding back a laugh. "Well, he’s not wrong, kid."

Lorien huffed before striding into the room, stopping in front of Aeris. His expression immediately softened as he peered at his little sister.

Aeris smiled. "Lorien, meet Kira."

Lorien was silent for a long moment, then—to my absolute horror—he gently touched her tiny hand and whispered, "I shall protect you, my dear sister. For you are now my most precious treasure."

Valerion burst out laughing. "Oh no. There’s two of them now."

I groaned. "What have we done?"

Aeris just giggled as Kira yawned in my arms, completely unaware that she had just been claimed as Lorien’s new favorite person.

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Aeris’s POV

Watching Zephirion and Lorien argue had become one of my daily entertainments.

But today… today was special.

Because for the first time ever, they weren’t fighting over me.

They were fighting over Kira.

"Father, step aside," Lorien said, standing in front of Kira’s crib with his arms crossed. "You’re too intimidating. You’ll scare her."

Zephirion’s eye twitched. "She’s my daughter."

"And she’s my sister," Lorien shot back, flipping his long black hair over his shoulder. "And as her big brother, it’s my duty to protect her."

Zephirion folded his arms. "And as her father, it’s my duty to protect her."

Lorien narrowed his eyes.

Zephirion narrowed his eyes.

I held back a laugh as I sat on the bed, watching the two most powerful dragons in the world bicker like children over a baby.

Valerion and Caelum stood beside me, also enjoying the show.

"Should we stop them?" Caelum asked, smirking.

"Absolutely not," I said, biting into a piece of fruit. "This is better than any royal drama."

Kira, in the meantime, was completely unbothered, sleeping peacefully in her crib as her father and brother continued their heated debate.

"I will stand by Kira’s side until she grows up," Lorien declared. "I will personally make sure no man comes near her."

Zephirion scoffed. "She is my daughter. No man would dare come near her."

Lorien placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "I swear on my name, Lorien Drakonis, that I will devote my life to keeping her safe!"

Zephirion glared. "I was doing that before you even existed."

I sighed, shaking my head. Two overprotective dragons. Kira was going to have the most guarded childhood in history.

Caelum leaned over and whispered, "Aeris, you should tell them that Kira smiled at me earlier. Just to see what happens."

I grinned. "That’s evil."

Valerion smirked. "Do it."

So I did.

"Actually," I said, stretching lazily, "Kira smiled at Caelum earlier."

The entire room fell silent.

Zephirion and Lorien slowly turned toward Caelum, who was already stepping back, hands raised in surrender.

"I was joking," he said quickly.

"YOU—" Lorien and Zephirion both lunged at him.

And I, the mother of these adorable lunatics, simply sat back and enjoyed the chaos.

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One year had passed since Kira was born, and if I thought Zephirion and Lorien were protective before, I was wrong.

Their possessiveness had evolved into a full-fledged battle.

No man was allowed to even look in Kira’s direction. No servant was allowed to hold her unless under strict supervision. And whenever Kira was in the room, both father and brother would be glued to her side.

It was both endearing and ridiculous.

And now, here we were, having a beautiful picnic in the royal garden.

The sun was shining, the breeze was gentle, and the scene was peaceful.

Or at least, it should have been.

"Give her to me!" Lorien demanded, arms stretched out.

Zephirion turned away, holding Kira securely in his arms. "No."

"Father, I swear, I haven't held her all morning! It’s my turn!"

Zephirion smirked. "She seems comfortable with me."

Lorien clenched his fists. "That’s not fair! You already get to be her father! Give me something!"

I, on the other hand, was simply sitting back and enjoying my tea while watching the chaos unfold.

And then, in the middle of their argument…

Kira suddenly spoke.

A tiny, soft voice—clear and innocent—called out:

"Mama."

Silence.

I blinked, staring at her in shock. "Kira?"

She giggled and reached for me. "Mama!"

My heart exploded with joy. Without wasting a second, I quickly took her into my arms and showered her with kisses.

"Aw, my little angel! You said Mama first!" I hugged her tightly, feeling my heart melt at this perfect moment.

But when I looked up—

Lorien and Zephirion were completely frozen.

Mouths slightly open. Eyes wide with horror.

And then, at the exact same time, they both slowly turned to each other.

"This is your fault." Zephirion growled.

Lorien gasped, offended. "MY fault?! You were the one always holding her!"

"And you were always clinging to her!"

"You should have made her say Papa first!"

"You should have made her say Bratha first!"

I rolled my eyes as the two grown dragons descended into a tragic mess.

Kira, meanwhile, just snuggled into me, completely content.

Caelum and Valerion, who had joined us for the picnic, were dying of laughter.

Caelum wiped a tear from his eye. "This is priceless. Absolutely priceless."

Valerion smirked. "Mark this day in history—the day the Almighty Zephirion and the Great Lorien were utterly defeated by a one-year-old baby girl."

I chuckled, rocking Kira gently in my arms.

Well, at least someone in this family had their priorities straight.

Later that day…

Lorien, still sulking from Kira choosing me over him, crossed his arms and huffed.

"I don’t care! I’m still going to hold her properly!" he declared, puffing his chest out.

Zephirion, who had been watching him struggle all day, finally sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"You are weak and small," he stated bluntly.

Lorien’s jaw dropped. "Excuse me?!"

Zephirion picked Kira up with ease and held her effortlessly in one arm. "If you want to hold her, you need to do it right. Watch and learn."

Lorien grumbled but paid attention.

Zephirion shifted Kira’s weight, making sure her head was supported properly. "She’s small. Delicate. You can’t just grab her and swing her around like some sword."

Lorien frowned. "I wasn’t going to do that…"

Zephirion gave him a look. "You were absolutely going to do that."

I chuckled from where I was sitting.

Lorien pouted, but he carefully extended his arms. Zephirion handed Kira over, making sure Lorien supported her properly.

The moment Kira was in his arms, Lorien’s entire expression softened.

Kira yawned, then reached up and gently patted his cheek.

Lorien’s eyes widened. "She’s so… small."

"Yes," Zephirion said dryly. "That’s how babies work."

I laughed, and even Valerion and Caelum chuckled in amusement.

But Lorien, completely ignoring them, just stared at his little sister in awe.

And for the first time all day, he didn’t argue with Zephirion.

Watching Lorien carefully hold Kira in his arms made my heart swell with warmth. My little boy, who once fit perfectly in my own arms, was now growing up and learning to protect his baby sister.

I smiled softly and leaned closer. "Lorien, how is she? Isn’t your little sister so cute?"

Lorien looked down at Kira, who was peacefully resting in his arms, her tiny fingers lightly gripping the fabric of his shirt.

He exhaled deeply, as if he had just made the most serious decision of his life.

Then, with a completely straight face, he declared:

"I will never let any man come near her. Ever. Not even Father."

Zephirion, who had just taken a sip of his tea, choked.

I blinked. "What?"

Lorien tightened his grip on Kira protectively. "I’ve decided. She will be safe under my watch. No man shall approach her. I will personally ensure it."

Zephirion, who had barely recovered from his shock, raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Not even me?"

Lorien turned to him with an unreadable expression. "You’re a man, aren’t you?"

Zephirion’s jaw dropped. "I’m her father!"

Lorien narrowed his eyes. "And I am her big brother. My job is to protect her from men. Even you."

Caelum and Valerion, who had been watching silently, burst into laughter.

I couldn’t hold back my giggle either. "Lorien, sweetheart, Zephirion is not just any man. He’s her father!"

Lorien remained unconvinced. "A man is a man. I won’t risk it."

Zephirion’s eye twitched. He looked like he was about to drag Lorien out for a serious ‘father-son’ discussion.

Kira, completely unaware of the tension, suddenly reached up and grabbed a strand of Lorien’s hair.

Lorien winced, but melted instantly when Kira giggled.

He sighed dramatically. "Fine. Father can be an exception. But only because she likes him."

Zephirion exhaled in relief, muttering something about stubborn sons.

I just laughed, shaking my head. The way these two were already fighting over Kira was ridiculous… but also incredibly sweet.

She would definitely grow up being the most protected girl in the entire world.

–The End–