The sun was setting when Charles slowly opened his eyes. The golden glow of the late afternoon filtered softly through the curtains. In front of him, lying peacefully in bed, was Edward. Charles gazed at him with quiet tenderness. Edward blinked his eyes open, rubbed them sleepily, then sat up.
"You're awake," he said gently.
Charles nodded. "Yes."
Edward stood and stretched. "I'm going to freshen up," he said, then turned and called for the maids. "Help Charles get ready. He can't stand on his own yet."
"Yes, sir," the maids replied politely.
Edward exited the room and walked toward his quarters. On the way, he found Keal standing outside his door, a tense look on his face.
"I need to talk to you," Keal said.
Edward opened the door and gestured. "Come in."
Once inside, Edward closed the door behind them. "I know what you're about to say."
Keal looked at him solemnly. "Yeah. I'm thinking about joining the knights."
Edward's eyes widened. "What?!"
