The night had passed rather smoothly, with Alhai kicking Quizen out of his room before cuddling his wife into his arms.

Now, morning light spilled over the castle grounds.

Coco walked through the grand gates of her mother’s castle with her husbands— Zaque, Alhai, Heiren, Quizen.. And Kairo at her side.

The air around them is crisp with anticipation.

Today, Zaque and the other husbands decided that they will talk to Cleora to ensure the wedding will proceed with Coco and Kairo as the main characters, but they didn’t want to have that discussion with their mother-in-law without their wife.

Their decision led them to making their way to Cleora’s home early in the morning.

They would rather deal with the matter as soon as possible and reassure their wife than let it marinate, which will cause Coco to grow more anxious.

As they walked through the massive front doors, Kairo’s right hand rested lightly on Coco’s lower back with Zaque on her right side while the three other mediators trudged behind them slowly.

They have never thought that they will go against Cleora’s wishes anytime soon, but here they are.

As the group neared the main staircase, servants lining the halls abruptly halted their tasks— bows or curtseys following suit.

In perfect synchronization, all of them dropped their heads in a respectful salute, remaining silently in place as the six passed by in slightly hurried footsteps.

Kairo nodded in silent acknowledgement as they passed by the servants, his expression serious, but respectful as he kind of led the way.

Zaque offered a soft smile or a single kind word to each servant they passed by, though his hand remained firmly locked with Coco’s to keep her calm.

The group climbed the grand staircase and wove their way through the second floor of the castle, each and every step bringing them closer and closer to Cleora’s office.

The hallway was quiet, the sound of their footsteps echoing slightly off the stone floors.

They reached the heavy double oak doors of Cleora’s office, and it was Kairo who reached out and gently rapped his knuckles against the wood.

The moment he rapped their knuckles against the door, a faint and muffled come in filtered through the wood, so Quizen pushed the double doors open and gestured for the others to enter.

The group walked inside, the room feeling almost eerily quiet as Heiren closed the door behind them.

Coco’s eyes darted around the room, finding her mother perched elegantly in a seat behind the desk as usual, one eyebrow arched in anticipation as she stared at them.

Cleora’s sharp gaze first landed on the mediators and the hybrid, assessing each of them briefly before finally settling onto her daughter.

"What’s going on, Coco?" She asked calmly, but there was no mistaking the steel beneath that tone.

Her fingers locked together under her chin, a slow breath leaving her nose as she waited for an answer.

The room held its breath.

Zaque stepped forward, his posture screaming sadness and confusion, with one hand resting on his hip while the other pressed protectively over the swell of his stomach— the palm of his hand placed directly under the spot where he could feel the baby’s weight.

"A lovely evening to you, Your Grace." He greeted flatly, his voice somehow laced with displeasure. "Though I suppose ’lovely’ is debatable when we’re here for an explanation."

"Pardon?" Cleora blurted out, her eye twitching slightly at the title, but she didn’t correct him.

She stared at him for a moment, confusion eating at her system, but then, she sighed, removing her reading glasses and setting them down on the desk with a soft clack.

She leaned back in her chair, eyeing Zaque with a skeptical look. "Very well, Zaque.. What is it that I can help you with?"

The older woman tilted her head slightly, her gaze dropping to the mediator’s stomach. "Have I done something to upset the father of my unborn grandchild? You are aware that stress is not good for the child, no?"

The mediators and the hybrid tensed up slightly, their gazes turning to their red haired friend.

They stared for who knows how long and Alhai spoke up, his voice carefully measured and calm. "Well.. First of all.."

He trailed off and glanced at Coco, looking for permission to see if she really wanted to do this, so when she saw her slight nod of confirmation giving him the go-ahead to continue, he did.

"To start off, Kairo and Coco will be married in twenty nine days." He stated bluntly, his tone a matter-of-fact, as he crossed his arms. "But the bride is deeply upset because of the certain person officiating the wedding."

Cleora’s eyebrow rose slightly at the remark, her eyes flickering towards Coco before returning to Alhai.

Zaque stepped in again, his expression growing more serious when he looked pointedly at Cleora, the words crisp and direct, as he shot her with the question that wanted to escape his tongue badly.

"Would it be possible to have the crown princess pull back from officiating the wedding? Have her as a guest instead?"

Cleora’s other eyebrow arched this time in surprise, studying him for a moment before shifting her gaze toward her daughter, then to the hybrid standing beside her.

Her eyes flickered over Kairo’s figure, taking in the protective hand on Coco’s back and the subtle firmness of his stance before returning her attention to Zaque’s question.

She folded her hands over the desk, lips thinning out into a tight line as she considered the request.

She hummed, the sound making them grow tense. "And may I ask why? Is there a reason you wish the princess to attend as a guest instead of an officiant?"

Kairo cleared his throat, catching the older woman’s attention.

"I want this wedding to be about me and her, Your Grace." He stated, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "However, how would that be possible if the crown princess was going to be the one to officiate our wedding? After all, this would be the first time for Her Highness."