The twins looked up at him with eyes that had lost much of their childhood innocence, their expressions reflecting a sadness that no child should ever have to bear.
"Okay," they said in unison, their voices lacking the enthusiasm that had once characterized their every word. There was no argument, no playful resistance—just the weary acceptance of children who had learned that the world was far more frightening and unpredictable than they had ever imagined.
But then, with the resilience that children sometimes display in the face of unimaginable hardship, one of them asked, "Can we take one of the sheepy?"
The innocent nickname they had given to the enchanted suits of armor brought a genuine chuckle from their father, the first real expression of joy Arthur had witnessed from the king in a while. Despite everything that had happened, his daughters could still find small comforts in the strangest places.
