It was a sunny day. Two children were running through the palace garden, fleeing from a tall brunette. The boy and the man were smiling as they swung wooden swords, while a small blonde girl, clutching the fabric of her dress in her tiny hands, laughed melodiously. The nearby staff covered their mouths, laughing quietly as they watched the joyful play.
Suddenly, the girl was scooped up by the man and lifted into the air, causing her to squeal loudly, her laughter mixing with the sound. The boy turned and, waving his sword, charged at the man. The brunette initially defended himself but then pretended to be gravely wounded. Still holding the girl tightly, he fell backward with a groan.
"Defeated!" the boy shouted, raising both hands in a victorious gesture. The silver-blonde girl freed herself from the man's grasp and ran to the boy, her wide smile revealing her white teeth.
"Alex, you saved me again!" she exclaimed in her melodic voice, bouncing on her tiny feet. Alexander looked at her with tenderness in his eyes and smiled. He knelt on one knee, took her little hand, and kissed its back.
"I promised to protect you for the rest of my life, and I will keep that promise, princess," he replied, gazing into her laughing eyes before turning his attention to the man lying on the grass. "Uncle Brandon, don't you think it's time to stop pretending to be dead?"
Brandon opened one eye and looked at the two children before laughing and slowly sitting up.
"Daddy!" the girl freed her hand from Alexander's and ran to the brunette, throwing her arms around his neck. "Daddy, Alex said he would protect me for the rest of my life. Did you hear that? Did you hear?"
The man gently ran his hand through her hair, looking at her with love.
"My Sky is very lucky to have such a wonderful protector," Brandon smiled, then looked at the boy. "You're a great big brother, Alex."
"I'm her fiancé, not her brother," the boy grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"The Moon Goddess's plans are mysterious," the man said calmly. "But we all believe that your souls will be united forever in the future. But that, my dears..." he gently ran his finger down Sky's nose, "...we will only know when you come of age."
The boy huffed, rolling his eyes. Suddenly, the staff standing nearby straightened and bowed respectfully toward the garden's entrance. The trio turned to look in that direction. A tall man with copper hair shining in the sunlight was walking toward them. Before he could fully approach, Sky freed herself from her father's embrace and ran toward the man with outstretched arms.
"Uncle Lucy!" she shouted as the copper-haired man, smiling, scooped her up in his arms and lifted her into the air. While everyone else treated him with due respect, Skylar was the only one who, with childlike innocence, could even turn him into her personal horse. Lucius, the King of the Lycans, loved her as if she were his own daughter and swore that if he could, he would give her a star from the sky.
"I see you're shining brighter every day, princess," Lucius said with a smile, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. After a moment, however, he turned his gaze to his beta, who had just risen from the grass and was dusting off his clothes. "Brandon, we have an important meeting. Unfortunately, I must take you away."
"I understand, duty calls," Brandon replied calmly. He approached them and kissed his daughter's head. "Sky, please stay with Alex and listen to him." He turned to the boy. "I entrust her to your care, Your Highness."
"She's safe with me, Uncle," Alexander smiled, stepping closer. When his father set the girl down, he immediately took her tiny hand in his. The men looked at them with smiles before walking away toward the garden's exit. Little Skylar watched her father leave, unaware that it was the last time she would see him alive.