A Royal Obligation
Chapter 274: Epilogue: Five Years Later

Chapter 274: Epilogue: Five Years Later

Julian and Lucian sat on their shared bed, enjoying a rare moment of quiet intimacy with Amarok. Amarok’s fingers traced idle patterns across Julian’s bare shoulder while Lucian leaned against his twin, their soft laughter filling the cozy chamber. The warmth of the moment deepened as Amarok leaned in, his lips brushing against Lucian’s neck, drawing a pleased sigh.

Just as things began to grow more heated, Amarok’s hand sliding to the nape of Julian’s neck and Lucian pulling him closer, the heavy oak doors to their chambers burst open with a loud thud.

"Twins Uncle! Uncle Amarok! Get up! We need to get ready!"

A little girl with dark curls bounced into the room, her bright green eyes sparkling with excitement. Behind her, a boy with mischievous blue eyes followed, equally loud and insistent.

"Uncle Eirik is waiting for us in Zephyros!" he chimed in, his tiny hands on his hips. "Everyone’s ready except for you three!"

The two children scrambled onto the bed, completely oblivious to the adult mood they had just destroyed. Julian groaned loudly, pulling the blankets up over himself and Lucian, while Amarok’s deep laughter rumbled through the room.

"And what if your uncles weren’t ready yet, hmm?" Amarok teased, effortlessly scooping the boy up and holding him upside down. The little girl squealed with delight, climbing over Lucian’s lap as if it were her personal playground.

"We knew you’d be awake!" the boy said confidently, though his suspicious squint suggested otherwise. "You’re always awake!"

Lucian gently tucked the girl into his arms, smiling as she toyed with a strand of his hair. "Always awake, are we?" he asked, arching a brow.

"Yes!" she declared with a giggle. "But you have to hurry, or we’ll be late!"

Julian sighed dramatically, ruffling the boy’s hair as Amarok set him back on the bed. "Alright, alright," he said, feigning exasperation. "We’ll get ready. But first, you two need to give us some space to dress. Go find Grandmother Morgana and let her know we’ll be down soon."

The children exchanged glances, their identical expressions of doubt making all three men stifle laughter. "Promise you’ll get ready?" the girl demanded, crossing her arms in an adorable mimicry of Julian’s stubborn streak.

"We promise," Lucian said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Now go."

After a moment of hesitation, the twins nodded and scrambled off the bed. At the door, the boy turned back, pointing a chubby finger at them. "You have five minutes!" he declared before grabbing his sister’s hand and rushing off, the door slamming shut behind them.

As the sound of their footsteps faded, Julian groaned and flopped back onto the bed. "Those two are a bigger nuisance than we ever were as kids."

Lucian laughed, leaning over his twin to kiss his cheek. "You’re just upset they outsmart you on a daily basis."

"They do not!" Julian protested, though the playful tone in his voice betrayed his words.

Amarok smirked from where he stood by the wardrobe. "I think they take after their lovely uncles," he teased, glancing back at the twins.

Julian sat up to glare at him. "They’re nothing like us."

Lucian chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, come on. Don’t pretend you don’t see it. The mischievous smiles, the way they barge in without warning, their ability to manipulate everyone around them, sound familiar?"

Julian groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Don’t remind me."

Before Lucian could reply, Amarok began mimicking the little girl’s voice with an exaggerated pitch. "You should get ready!" he said, walking toward the wardrobe with mock urgency.

Lucian and Julian stared at him, wide-eyed, as he rifled through his clothes with exaggerated cheer.

"You’re just going to leave us like this?" Lucian asked, throwing himself back against the pillows with a dramatic sigh.

Amarok glanced over his shoulder, completely unrepentant. "The kids are right. We do need to get ready."

Julian groaned, pulling the blankets back over his head. "You’re impossible. You should satisfy your husbands’ desires before listening to those little demons!"

Amarok smirked as he leaned casually against the wardrobe, his eyes glinting with playful mischief. "Ah, but my dear Julian," he said, his voice rich and teasing,

"if I satisfied your desires first, we’d never make it out of this room. And as much as I’d enjoy that... I don’t think the little demons, or your mother, for that matter, would forgive us."

He strode back to the bed, bending down to pull the blankets off Julian, who groaned in protest and curled tighter. "Come now, love," Amarok coaxed, brushing his fingers against Julian’s cheek with deliberate slowness. "I promise you’ll get your turn when we get to Zephyros. But first, let’s not keep your nephew and niece waiting. You don’t want them barging in again."

Julian peeked out from under the covers, his pout softening as he met Amarok’s gaze. "Fine," he grumbled, his lips quirking into a reluctant smile. "But you owe me."

Amarok laughed, pressing a quick kiss to Julian’s forehead. "I’ll gladly pay my debt later."

Lucian sat up, watching the exchange with amusement, and crossed his arms. "I don’t know who’s worse," he said with a shake of his head. "The kids or you two."

"Definitely the kids," Julian replied, throwing the covers off with a resigned sigh.

"They are your offspring in spirit," Amarok added with a wink, dodging a playful swipe from Julian as he turned back to the wardrobe. "Now, hurry up, my loves. Let’s show those little demons that even chaos has its limits."

---

The grand halls of the palace echoed with the rapid pitter-patter of tiny feet, accompanied by peals of laughter. The two children, the boy with his mischievous blue eyes and the girl with her bouncing dark curls, raced down the polished marble corridors, their exuberance unstoppable. Behind them, their handmaids struggled to keep up, their skirts gathered in their hands as they called out in desperation.

"Princess Arin! Prince Dorian! Slow down, please!" one of the handmaids cried, her breath hitching as she turned a corner only to find the children already halfway down the next hall.

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