Page 30 of The War of Four Winters

I set down my utensils, giving him my full attention. "What do you mean by that, Leif?" I asked gently.

He shrugged one thin shoulder, eyes still fixed on his plate. "Just that we don't have parents. We're orphans."

But there was something in his voice that suggested deeper thoughts. The servant returned with a small pitcher of gravy and fresh bread. I took them with a nod of thanks, carefully pouring a thin stream of gravy over Leif's food.

"Family isn't just about the parents you were born to," I said carefully. "It's about who cares for you, who makes you feel safe."

Torsten, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly piped up. "But we do have a family now! We have Elindir and King Ruith. That's like having two fathers instead of a mother and father."

The simple declaration caught me off guard. I looked to Katyr, who smiled faintly, clearly approving of Torsten's assessment.

Leif frowned at his plate. "They're not really our fathers though," he said quietly. "We're just wards. That's what the servants call us. 'The consort's wards.'"

Something shifted in my chest at his words. These boys had become more than just Elindir's rescued slaves, more than political symbols of our commitment to ending slavery. They had somehow, in the space of weeks, become something I'd never expected to have.

"Would you want that?" I asked, surprising myself with the question. "To have Elindir and me as your fathers, not just your guardians?"

Leif's eyes widened, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth. "Can elvish kings even adopt human children?"

I straightened, a hint of my royal authority entering my voice. "I am the king. I can do as I please." Then I softened, offering him a smile. "And what would please me most is to give you both a real family."

Katyr chuckled, leaning forward. "There's historical precedent too," he added thoughtfully. "Unusual, certainly, but then, breaking with tradition isn’t always a bad thing."

"We could be princes!" Torsten exclaimed, bouncing on his bench with sudden excitement. "Prince Torsten and Prince Leif of... of..."

"Clan Starfall," I supplied, the idea taking deeper root with each passing moment. "Though we'd need to discuss it with Elindir when he returns."

Leif studied me with that careful, assessing gaze that seemed too old for his small face. "You'd really want us? Forever?"

The vulnerability in the question made my throat tighten. I moved to kneel beside his bench, putting us at eye level.

"Leif," I said gently, "you and Torsten have already become part of our family. The only question is whether you want to make it official."

He didn't answer immediately, his expression thoughtful as he considered my words. Finally, a small, tentative smile appeared—the most genuine I'd ever seen from him.

"I think I'd like that," he said quietly. "To belong somewhere. To belong to someone."

"Me too!" Torsten exclaimed, nearly knocking over his cup in excitement. "Can we start now? Do we get crowns?"

I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to calm his bouncing. "We need to wait until Elindir returns," I explained. "This is a decision we should make together, all four of us. He cares for you both deeply, and he should be part of this moment."

Torsten's face fell slightly, but he nodded with surprising understanding. "Because he's our other father. We need both of you."

"Exactly," I said, feeling a surge of warmth at hearing the word 'father' applied to us so naturally. "But that doesn't mean we can't start preparing. Perhaps new quarters closer to mine and Elindir's, and new clothes would be appropriate in the meantime."

"And training?" Leif asked, perking up. "Like the warrior apprentices have?"

"If that's what you want," I agreed. "Though we'll need to find appropriately sized training swords."

"I can help with that," Katyr offered. "I was smaller than most at their age. My first training weapons might suit them."

Torsten's eyes grew round. "Real prince weapons? From when you were little?"

Katyr nodded solemnly, though I caught the hint of amusement in his eyes. "Properly sized for young warriors in training."

Leif tentatively tried a piece of meat soaked in gravy, then took another bite with more enthusiasm. “I think I’d like an ax,” he said.

The unexpected declaration made me pause. "An ax? That's a rather serious weapon for someone your size."

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