The soft glow of candlelight reflected off the delicate silver details in Elira’s robes, making them shimmer faintly.

Mirael’s breath hitched, her expression tightening as she took in the painting. It felt like it had been so long since she last saw her, yet this painting had captured her perfectly. Every detail frozen in time. A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down, keeping her emotions in check.

Rachelle, standing slightly behind the others, studied the painting with wide eyes. “She’s beautiful,” she whispered, almost as if speaking too loudly would disturb the solemn atmosphere.

Valerie crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. “It’s strange… I never actually met her, but seeing her like this, I can almost understand why people still speak of her with such admiration.” Her voice was thoughtful, tinged with a respect that came naturally.

Valen, who had been quiet until now, exhaled softly. “Four years feels like a long time, and I can’t seem to remember much about her,” he admitted. “But looking at this… I feel like I missed out on a friendship waiting to happen.”

Nyra remained still, her gaze fixed on the painting. She had no memories of Elira’s appearance, yet something stirred deep inside her, an echo of something long forgotten. The warmth of familiarity, the weight of unspoken words—it was there, just beneath the surface, but she forced herself to push it aside.

Nyra suddenly remembered that Elira had greeted her in her dream when she was still a cub. She remembered her soft touch as Elira held Nyra’s cub form in her hands and her gentle voice as she spoke:

“Please take care of my family for me, as I cannot. I’ll watch you grow into a beautiful and powerful lioness, and I can’t wait.”

Mirael suddenly looked up sharply, as though shaken from her thoughts. She nodded, forcing a small, apologetic smile. She let out a slow breath, her eyes lingering on the painting one last time. “Seeing her again, even like this… it’s harder than I thought.”

Elena, who had quietly observed the moment, gave a slow nod. “That’s understandable. Elira meant something different to each of us. And even now, her presence lingers.”

A silence settled over them again, each person lost in their thoughts. The painting, though silent, seemed to hold the weight of the past, and for a moment, it felt as if the princess herself was standing among them.

Eldric closed the curtains once more.

“I’m sorry, I need some air. Can we discuss my appearance later?” said Nyra.

She turned to the doors leading to the royal gardens, and a breeze gently stroked her face as she stepped outside and closed the glass doors behind her. She walked to a bench out of view of everyone else.

As the breeze continued to stroke her face, more memories began to enter her mind. It was the dreams she had when ‘Elira?’ visited her in them.