As Mira, Zephyr, and Cedric approached the front gate of the Avalorian castle, they were greeted by the royal family. 

With a bow from Zephyr and Cedric, and a graceful curtsy from Mira, they extended their greetings to the royals.

Zephyr stepped forward, introducing himself to the family. He expressed the Fire Dragons' honor in hosting their son, Cedric. 

Evelina and Aurelius smiled warmly, thanking Zephyr for accepting Cedric's arrival with such grace despite the lack of warning. 

They also apologized for the oversight, but Zephyr shrugged it off, stating that Mira was allowed to bring whoever she wanted as she had saved his little sister from poachers. 

He assured them that a surprise guest was no trouble for all she had done.

Aurelius nodded in acknowledgment, smiling as he ruffled Cedric's hair, asking him how his duties as a delegate had gone. 

Cedric, slightly embarrassed by his father's playful gesture, stepped away but announced proudly that everything had gone well. He even secured friendly ties with Queen Aine.

Evelina chirped up, smiling brightly at Cedric, praising him as an adorable and thoughtful child, as well as an excellent prince. 

Cedric blushed even harder, hiding his face in his hands to shield himself from the growing embarrassment. He mumbled a request for them to stop the mounting praises, which only prompted more laughter from everyone present.

Elysia, seeing her brother's discomfort, hugged him as if to shield him from further embarrassment, and playfully scolded everyone to stop teasing him.

Her actions were met with soft giggles, and even Cedric joined in, thanking her for her own cute version of protection.

Evelina, noticing Elysia's bravery, picked her up, remarking on her courage. Elysia beamed, saying it was natural to protect her brother, also expressing her love for her big brother.

Meanwhile, Mira appeared lost in thought at Elysia's words.

While everyone else, besides Zephyr and Mira, wandered into the castle, Mira was lost in memories of playing with Alastair when they were children. Even the last time she saw him flashed through her mind. 

She couldn't even recall at that moment the last time she had told him she loved him, causing her to choke up.

Zephyr, noticing her distress, hugged her, reassuring her that it was okay not to be strong all the time. He promised to be a shoulder for her to cry on whenever she needed to release her pent-up emotions. 

Aurelius, watching from a distance, felt a pang of sadness seeing Mira cry in Zephyr's embrace. He wished she didn't have to bottle up her emotions and was glad she had Zephyr to confide in now.

Elysia called for her father to hurry up, excited for afternoon snacks with everyone. Aurelius chuckled at her enthusiasm, jokingly expressing exhaustion at her boundless energy, as they all headed inside the castle, one big happy family.

Wiping away her tears, Mira composed herself and expressed gratitude to Zephyr, feeling a tinge of guilt for relying on him so heavily. 

His warm smile reassured her, and they strolled toward the garden, where the royal family had arranged a picnic in a breathtaking glass greenhouse. 

Surrounding them were white lilies and pink peonies, creating a picturesque setting. Mira marveled at the beauty around her, noticing the intricate patterns in the glass that adorned the eye-level panes.

Aurelius, noticing her awe, shared the history of the greenhouse. He recounted how the first king had gifted it to his wife, Queen Erowyn, as a symbol of his eternal love. 

Mira was taken aback, never having known her brother to be so romantic, especially given his awkwardness around women who weren't family. 

She remarked on Erowyn's specialness which drew in Alastair, to which Aurelius chuckled, revealing her toughness and strictness with her husband, who often tried to escape his duties.

Curious, Mira asked how Aurelius knew these details so well.

He solemnly replied that Alastair had shared them when Aurelius was a child. A moment of silence followed until a special dessert broke the tension.

The chef brought out a beautifully crafted cheesecake with a strawberry jam pair of fairy wings as decoration. Mira was surprised by this, causing her to check to see if she truly had hidden her wings, just in case. 

However, Aurelius explained that the wings symbolized Alastair's decision to embrace his true nature and shed (what she knew as) the fairy code, choosing freedom after losing everyone he knew and loved.

As Mira reflected on this, she recalled the significance of fairies hiding their true nature from the world to protect the pieces of Yggdrasil. 

She couldn't imagine breaking that code, even if she were the last fairy in the world. 

She chuckled bitterly at how different she and Alastair were in this regard as she sampled a piece of the cheesecake in his honor. 

After dessert, as the sun began to set, Mira pulled Aurelius aside for a serious discussion. 

She requested of him a construction crew, preferably consisting of nonhumans, to rebuild her homeland, as humans were technically not allowed in the fairies' domain.

Aurelius agreed to look into her request, understanding the importance of her asking this of him.

As the evening drew to a close, Evelina arranged rooms for Zephyr and Mira to stay in for the night. They were grateful, as they would have had nowhere else to rest. 

Guided to their adjoining rooms, they bid goodnight to their hosts. Zephyr wished Mira a good night, which she reciprocated with a smile. 

Alone in her room, Mira felt suddenly overwhelmed by all the changes and events, crumbling to the floor under the weight of it all. 

Wanting some fresh air, away from the mess of her life even for a moment, she stepped out onto the balcony. She gazed at the city below, feeling a sense of peace. 

She admired her brother's achievements, proud of the city he had built and the harmony he had fostered among different species.

After changing into the pajamas provided, Mira settled into bed, instantly overcome by sleep. It was the first time in over 200 years that she had slept in an actual bed, and the comfort of it lulled her into a deep and restful slumber.