(KBTCM) Ch 10: Welcome Home Theron, A Sibling Squabble!

Theron sat at the long wooden table, the warmth of the kitchen enveloping him as the scent of fresh bread and roasted meat lingered in the air. His family—his massive family—surrounded him, their towering figures making him feel smaller than he'd felt in a long time.

His father, King Allaric, sat at the head of the table, watching him with pride gleaming in his eyes. His mother, Queen Aelira, stood nearby, her golden gaze soft, yet unreadable. Rowena, ever the enthusiastic older sister, leaned forward with her elbows on the table, her chin resting in her hands, while Sylara stood against the far wall, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

"So," Allaric said, breaking the silence. "Tell us about your training, son. How was the Academy?"

Theron straightened, sitting up a little taller. "It was tough. Brutal, even." He smirked slightly. "But nothing I couldn't handle."

His father chuckled, nodding. "That's what I like to hear."

Theron continued, his voice carrying a mix of pride and exhaustion. "They didn't go easy on us. The training was relentless—swordsmanship, endurance, battle tactics. We'd spar from dawn till dusk, sometimes even longer. There were days we weren't allowed to sleep until we could perform a maneuver perfectly. A single mistake meant running drills until our legs gave out." He shook his head, recalling the brutal sessions. "But it was worth it. I learned a lot. Not just about fighting, but about leadership, about discipline. I fought against some of the best warriors in the kingdom, and I held my own."

Allaric nodded approvingly, his chest swelling with pride. "That's my son. A true warrior of Vaeloria."

Aelira, however, merely smiled, saying nothing. Her silence didn't go unnoticed by Theron, who cast a quick glance in her direction. She never openly opposed his training, but he knew her well enough to understand her thoughts.

His mother didn't see the point of Vaeloria having knights.

To her, it was unnecessary. The kingdom had her—a towering, unstoppable force of nature. They had Rowena, who was already one of the strongest warriors in the land, and Sylara, who could likely match her if she ever took things seriously. Even without an army, just the presence of the royal family alone was enough to deter most threats.

But she didn't say any of that. This was his moment, and she wouldn't take it from him.

"Well done, Theron," Rowena said, grinning. She reached out and patted him on the head with her massive finger, nearly knocking him forward with the sheer weight of it. "You're all grown up now."

Theron laughed, shaking his head. "Thanks, Rowena."

But as he looked around at his family, his gaze eventually settled on Sylara.

She was still leaning against the wall, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Unlike their father and Rowena, she hadn't congratulated him. She hadn't even reacted.

Theron's jaw tightened slightly.

It had always been like this between them. While Rowena openly doted on him and their parents showered him with praise, Sylara was... different. She didn't express herself the same way. When they were younger, she never outright insulted him or dismissed him—but she also never encouraged him, never acknowledged his victories the way the others did. In fact she loved to lord her size over him. 

And that irked him.

Still, he forced himself to ignore it for now.

His parents stood from the table, and Allaric clapped his son on the back. "You've made us proud, Theron. Rest well—you've earned it."

Aelira nodded, then glanced at her daughters. "Rowena, Sylara—see to your brother. Make sure he gets to his room safely."

"Yes, Mother," they both answered in unison.

Before Rowena could say anything, Sylara pushed herself off the wall and took a step forward. "I'll handle Theron's safety," she said, her tone neutral but firm.

Rowena raised an eyebrow. "Alright."

She bent down, her long crimson hair falling over her shoulders as she lowered her face toward Theron.

He had no time to react before she kissed him, her massive lips completely engulfing his head and most of his upper body. The sheer force of it nearly knocked him out of his chair.

Theron flailed. "Rowena!"

She pulled away with a laugh, her golden eyes gleaming. "It's good to have you back, little brother."

Theron groaned, rubbing his face. "You're worse than Mother."

Rowena simply smirked before standing to her full height, shaking the room slightly with her movements. With a final glance at Theron, she turned and walked out of the kitchen, her footsteps echoing down the hall.

That left Theron alone with her.

Sylara.

She stood a few feet away, watching him with that same unreadable expression.

Theron exhaled sharply, crossing his arms. "Well?"

Sylara tilted her head slightly. "Well what?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You haven't said a word about my training. No congratulations, no 'I'm proud of you, big brother.' Nothing."

Sylara smirked. "Why? Do you want me to say those things?"

Theron scoffed. "Forget it."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "You always get so worked up."

Theron gritted his teeth. He had just returned home, and already, already, she was getting under his skin.

"Come on, let's go," she said, as she extended her hand downward and waited for Theron to climb aboard. 

Theron hesitated before climbing onto his sister fingers walking into her palm for safety.

As Sylara carried Theron through the palace, neither spoke for a while. The silence between them was heavy—not exactly hostile, but not comfortable either.

Finally, Theron broke it.

"You know," he said, glancing up at her. "You could just say you're happy I'm back."

Sylara smirked. "I could."

"...But you won't."

"Nope."

Theron sighed, rubbing his temple. "Why do I even bother?"

Sylara chuckled. "Ahh, what's wrong did you miss me that much, all the times we use to play together, oh how much fun we both had.

Theron scoffed. "I did not."

She grinned. "Uh-huh."

Theron clenched his jaw, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response.

As they reached his room, Sylara stopped in front of the door that was her size, which was right next to a much smaller door for Theron, which was right by her boot, she placed her hand on the handle and stopped for a moment.

For that brief moment, her expression softened—just enough for Theron to notice.

"Welcome home, Theron," she said, her voice quieter than before.

Theron blinked, momentarily thrown off.

Then, before he could respond, she opened the door and with a swift motion tossed Theron gently, throwing him onto the /small bed he hadn't slept on for years.

"Now get some sleep. You're still tiny and fragile, and I really don't feel like dragging your unconscious body to the infirmary if you collapse especially after all the fun I have in store for you, or I guess for me, it'll probably be torture for you."

And just like that, the moment was gone.

Theron sat up from his bed his hair messed up from the throw. "Damn you!!!" 

Sylara leaned against the doorframe, watching him for a second before laughing. "See ya tomorrow little bro." She said knowing how Theron hated his old nickname. 

Sylara closed the door before Theron could get a word out, and with a smirk she began to walk down the hall, already ready, ready to spend some personal quality time with her big brother.