Ancestral Lineage-Chapter 260: Children of the Emperor

Regnare strode calmly down the grand corridor of the palace, his two draconic-wolf tails swaying in rhythm behind him. The chandelier's crystalline glow shimmered against his long grey hair, catching flecks of silver that matched the quiet intensity of his sharp blue eyes. Each step echoed softly across the polished marble floor.

Walking beside him was a young girl—no older than seven—her long red hair braided into twin tails that swayed gently as she kept pace. Her skin was a deep, warm brown, and her dark golden eyes shimmered with barely restrained energy, almost like lightning trapped beneath the surface. Her ears were elegantly pointed, betraying the hint of ancient blood—perhaps elven, perhaps something older.

She was Delphina, the second child of Ethan—born during the long years he spent in a coma—and daughter of Lisa.

Ethan hadn't met her. Not truly. Not yet.

"Brother," Delphina said, her voice as calm as her eyes were intense, "when will we see Father? I felt him. He's awake now—I know it."

Regnare didn't look at her right away. "Soon," he replied after a brief pause. "I don't know exactly when, but… soon."

"Will he recognize us?"

"Hmm…" He let the hum settle in the silence. "I don't know. But I believe he will. He's not the kind of man who forgets people who matter."

"What if he doesn't accept us?" she asked, her voice dipping quieter, though her expression never changed.

"That's possible," Regnare admitted, his tone even as ever. "But I've listened to how our mothers speak of him. The way they remember him—there's no version of him that would reject his own children. Not willingly."

Delphina glanced down, nodding lightly.

"I want to see him soon," she said, her tone softer now. "Mother says I'm a carbon copy of him. Do you think so too?"

"You're cute, that's for sure," he said, then smirked faintly. "But I can't say."

"You're just jealous because I look like him," she accused, narrowing her golden eyes playfully.

"Jealous? Of a lady?" he scoffed, feigning offense. "Never."

"Liar!"

Regnare chuckled under his breath. "Haha. Just wait until Mother Elaine hears you called me a liar."

"Don't you dare!" Delphina said quickly, panic briefly flashing in her eyes.

"Too late," he said with mock seriousness, tapping his temple. "Recorded successfully."

"Big brother!" she cried.

"Kidding, kidding," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. "How could I ever snitch on my beautiful little sister?"

Delphina squinted at him suspiciously. "For some reason, I don't believe you."

"Ouch," Regnare said with a grin, clutching his chest. "That one hurt."

Their footsteps continued down the corridor, laughter fading gently into the distance—two children of a man who hadn't yet met them, walking the path that would one day lead to that fated reunion.

"Where are you kids off to?" a familiar voice called from behind, carrying a teasing lilt.

"We—Uncle Lamair!" Delphina squealed with delight as she spun around and launched herself into his arms.

Lamair caught her with ease, lifting her into the air and spinning her gently before pulling her into a warm embrace. The soft smile on his face was a far cry from the wild, unhinged grin he'd worn earlier in the Beast Forest. Here, with his niece and nephew, he looked almost… normal.

"Well, nice to see you too, little Lisa," he said, ruffling her braided hair affectionately. "And you, Reg."

"I hate that name," Regnare muttered, his blue eyes flashing with faint irritation.

"You don't get a vote," Lamair replied with a sly grin, his own violet eyes flickering with ancient power. "Wait till your father hears what you've been calling yourself. I cannot wait for that moment. Hahaha!"

Regnare rolled his eyes. "Ugh…"

Lamair chuckled and set Delphina down. "Anyway, your dad is probably… preoccupied right now. Judging by how all your mothers vanished at once, I think he's got his hands full. So, how about we kill some time while we wait?"

Delphina's eyes lit up. "Okay! I want to ride Qira again! Please, please, please!"

"Ah… Sorry, little Lisa," Lamair said, crouching to her level, a small apologetic smile tugging at his lips. "Qira's a little occupied too."

"Busy? Again?" she pouted.

"Yeah," Lamair nodded solemnly, then whispered dramatically, "She's trying to outfly a Phoenix Griffin in the High Sky Trials. Real fiery business."

Delphina gasped. "Ooh! That sounds amazing!"

"Maybe next time, I'll sneak you up to watch. But for now, how about we visit the Echo Gardens? The whispering stones might tell you something interesting."

Delphina's pout instantly vanished, replaced with curiosity. "Really?"

Regnare raised a brow. "The last time someone went there, the stones started screaming."

Lamair gave a wicked grin. "Exactly. Fun, right?"

Delphina clapped her hands excitedly. "Let's go!"

As the three began walking toward the Echo Gardens, Lamair casually threw an arm around Regnare's shoulders.

"So… Regnare, huh?" he teased.

Regnare sighed, long and heavy. "This is going to be a long day."

As they made their way down the winding palace corridor, the trio suddenly halted at the sight of a figure slumped against a marble pillar. Trevor—no, Sanguivar, the dreaded High Sovereign of Blood and Death—was trembling.

His regal crimson cloak hung loosely around his shoulders, his usually sharp and commanding expression replaced with wide, haunted eyes. He looked like a man who had just seen the edge of the abyss… and barely crawled back.

"Yo, Trev!" Lamair called out with a smirk, raising a hand. "You look like you saw a ghost."

Trevor looked up slowly, his voice shaky but dead serious. "I felt my life flash before my eyes…"

Lamair tilted his head, amused. "I thought you were immortal."

Trevor gave a hollow laugh. "Ethan's women don't know immortal. I walked into that world by mistake and…" He shuddered, gripping his arms like he was freezing. "Even death would have been a mercy."

Delphina blinked innocently. "Uncle Trevor, are you okay?"

He looked at her with tired eyes. "Never better, Little Lightning."

Lamair chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, I wouldn't try interrupting that again. Trust me. So, are you gonna sit there and recover your soul or come with us?"

Trevor stood with effort. "Where are you going?"

"To the Echo Gardens," Lamair replied. "We're killing time while we wait for the dickhead."

Regnare raised a brow. "Father?"

"Who else?"

"Where are the others?"

"Jerry went off to see Kira," Lamair answered. "Probably to spar or maybe confess his love for the seventeenth time. Either way, I'm not third-wheeling."

Trevor sighed, still pale. "I'll come. Maybe the gardens can soothe my broken pride."

"Or haunt it," Regnare added dryly.

Trevor groaned.

"Come on, you big baby," Lamair laughed, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him along. "Let's go listen to some whispering stones and pretend we don't all have emotional trauma."

The group of four continued down the corridor, the tension easing a bit with each step.

…

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A sacred stretch of mystic flora nestled at the very edge of the royal palace grounds. The skies above it shimmered in hues of amethyst and gold, and the very air hummed with memories. Lush greenery spiraled around fountains made of crystal, and every tree, every stone, held whispers—echoes—of past thoughts, emotions, and moments sealed in time.

Regnare stepped in first, his boots crunching softly on the white gravel path. His gaze was steady, but even he took a quiet breath at the gentle hum of thousands of past voices swirling around him. Lamair followed with Delphina perched on his shoulders, her little fingers gripping his silver hair as her golden eyes danced in awe.

"I like this place," she whispered. "It feels like the world is singing to me."

"It's singing to all of us, kiddo," Lamair replied, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "Just that most people have forgotten how to listen."

Trevor came in last, trailing behind like a haunted shadow. The moment he stepped foot into the garden, the stones beneath him softly pulsed red—responding to the blood essence in his soul.

They walked slowly, taking in the ancient serenity.

Suddenly, one of the crystal trees nearby glowed faintly, and a voice echoed softly in the wind.

"I'll return, I promise. No matter how long it takes. Even if the stars fall."

Delphina turned sharply. "That was…?"

"Your mother," Lamair answered gently, nodding toward a crystalline tree with dark violet leaves. "Lisa's voice, sealed here before the War of Falling Suns. She used to come here every dusk."

Delphina placed her hand on the bark, her small palm dwarfed by the shimmering trunk. "She missed him… so much."

Trevor leaned against a nearby column, his voice low. "We all did."

There was a moment of silence. Then Regnare spoke up. "So much changed while he was gone. The kingdoms, the stars, even us. But one thing didn't."

"What's that?" Trevor asked.

"The weight of his name."

Lamair nodded slowly. "Yeah. Ethan's shadow loomed even when he slept. The world remembered him even when the heavens didn't."

Delphina looked up at them, solemn. "And now he's awake."

"Yep." Lamair smirked again. "And the chaos is just beginning."

Trevor snorted. "Please. I need peace. Let someone else deal with the crazy for once."

"Good luck with that," Regnare muttered.

As they sat beneath a gently humming tree, the golden leaves swayed with phantom breezes, and the echoes of love, war, pain, and promise whispered around them—reminding them that while the world changed, the heart of it… the people they loved… still remained.

"Big brother," Delphina said, tugging Regnare's sleeve. "Do you think he'll hug me?"

Regnare hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I think when you meet him, he won't be able to let go."

Delphina smiled.