Queen Celestia entered the dining hall.

She wore a flowing blue gown that draped perfectly over her figure, accentuating every graceful line of her tall, elegant frame. Her long silver hair fell freely down her back, shimmering softly beneath the warm light of the chandeliers above.

Her height was something else entirely.

Easily over six feet. Around hundred and eighty-five, maybe eighty-six centimeters. And her heels only added to it.

Amon noticed this the moment she stepped through the doors. Not that he was short by any measure. He stood at a hundred and seventy-six centimeters himself. But standing in the same room as her, that gap felt oddly significant.

’Calm down’ , he told himself. ’You’re still growing. A few more centimeters and you’ll be at a hundred and eighty easily.’

He returned his gaze to her.

Her presence alone had already changed the room. The quiet conversations around the table had stopped. The atmosphere had grown heavier. Liked the air before a storm.

Silver lashes framed her crimson eyes as her gaze moved slowly across the dining hall, unhurried and unreadable. There was no warmth or coldness. Just that calm, composed indifference that seemed to be her natural state.

Amon stood up immediately.

He straightened his posture and bowed with a respectful expression. "It’s my pleasure to see you again, Your Highness."

Celestia looked at him.

She didn’t speak right away. Her gaze simply rested on him for a brief moment. Then she gave a small, measured nod.

"No need for formalities, Amon. You may sit."

Her voice was smooth and composed, carrying the kind of quiet authority that didn’t need volume to be felt.

Amon straightened and sat back down.

Celestia moved to the head of the table and took her seat with effortless grace. Servants immediately stepped forward, placing her meal before her with careful, practiced movements.

No one spoke. Only the faint sound of utensils and the soft shuffle of servants footsteps broke the silence.

Amon sat quietly, aware of her presence at the head of the table.

The last time he had been here, he had been a nervous newcomer who barely knew where to look.

Things had changed since then, at least a little. He wasn’t sure how much, but enough that he could sit here without his hands trembling.

Still, he had a feeling this dinner wouldn’t stay quiet for long.

He was right.

Selena, seated nearby, spoke first. Her tone was respectful but natural. "Welcome back, Mother."

Celestia didn’t look up from her plate. "Welcome back for what?" she replied coolly. "I was in my cabin the entire day. My under—" She paused. "My ministers were with me as well." She corrected herself smoothly and continued eating.

But Amon had heard it clearly.

’Underlings.’

Celestia set her fork down lightly. "If anything, I should be the one saying welcome back. You were out the whole day. I asked you yesterday to help me with some work today."

Selena’s brow furrowed slightly. "I told you I was going to pick up Amon."

"You told me you were picking him up," Celestia replied calmly, finally glancing at her daughter. "You didn’t mention spending the entire day out with him. Was it a date or something?"

The effect was immediate.

Color rushed to Selena’s cheeks. "That’s not it! He needed to buy a few things, and I wanted to talk to him. Properly about everything that happened. There was a lot to cover. That’s why it took so long."

Celestia waved a hand lightly. "Yes, yes."

Selena pressed her lips together and turned back to her food.

Amon watched the exchange quietly and felt the tension in his shoulders ease. There was something strangely comforting about seeing the two of them like this. A mother and daughter bickering over ordinary things.

It made the queen feel less like a figure carved from marble and more like a person. It reminded him that he didn’t need to be so stiff about all of this.

Then Celestia turned her gaze toward him.

"Now, Amon. I want to hear about what happened."

He felt the familiar weight of her attention settle on him. A quiet sense of déjà vu passed through him. She had done something similar the last time he was here, during breakfast, asking questions in that same calm and direct way.

Before he could respond, Selena spoke up. "Mother, he already told me everything in detail. I can relay it to you."

Celestia shook her head. "No need for that."

"But—"

"I want to hear it from him," Celestia said simply, her tone leaving no room for debate. "Hearing it from the person who lived through it is far better than a second-hand account. For now, we eat."

Selena exhaled softly. "Okay."

Amon nodded. "Of course."

Selena glanced at Amon and gave a small shrug, her expression saying clearly: ’I tried.’

Amon returned a quiet smile. ’It’s fine.’

They turned to their meals.

Amon cut into the steak on his plate and took his first bite. The flavor hit him immediately– tender, warm in all the right ways.

"Mm. This is really good," he said, genuinely surprised by how much he meant it.

Selena smiled faintly. "Glad you like it."

Celestia spoke again without looking up. "So you plan to enroll in the academy?"

Amon nodded. "Yes. I want to graduate properly. That’s the goal."

"Good." She lifted her glass briefly. "Headmistress Isabel will accept you without hesitation. I spoke with Elizabeth about the matter, she mentioned what you had told her but refused to go into detail. Said you were in the capital now, so I should simply ask you myself."

Amon smiled a little. "That sounds exactly like her."

After that, the conversation shifted away from serious matters. They talked about smaller things. The city, the academy, nothing particularly heavy. And somehow, that made everything easier. The meal passed more smoothly than Amon had expected.

By the time the plates were cleared and the servants stepped back, the dining hall felt noticeably lighter than when it had started.

Celestia rose from her seat with the same unhurried grace she carried everywhere.

"Amon." She paused before leaving. "Come to my chamber in an hour. Ask a servant or Selena, they’ll show you the way."

She didn’t wait for a response.

She simply turned and walked out, her silver hair trailing behind her, leaving the room quieter than before.

Amon stared at the empty doorway for a moment.