03. Elena.

Not too far away from Evelyn's bedroom, the sound of someone's footsteps heading towards her bedchambers could be heard.

This made her ears twitch as the sound grew louder.

Just from the heavy stumps the approaching elf made, Evelyn was easily able to tell that the elf walking towards her bedroom wasn't in the happiest of moods.

However, she simply chuckled to herself, because she had already recognized whose footsteps they were.

Soon after, her bedroom door flew open and Evelyn instantly cast a spell to mute the sound and prevent it from disturbing her baby's sleep.

However, Orion was already awake and had been hearing the footsteps ever since his mother started hearing them as well.

Orion was also surprised by how sensitive his hearing had become. Never would he have been able to hear the footsteps of a person coming from at least 200m away, unless they were close by.

And this was only possible due to his new elven capabilities.

"Where were you this evening?" The female elf that barged into the room asked Evelyn with a furious look on her face.

She looked a lot like Evelyn, but she was a bit younger than her. Also, unlike Evelyn whose eyes were blue in color, Elena's eyes were emerald.

However, she wasn't Evelyn's daughter; rather, she was her sister.

Meanwhile, Evelyn didn't reply to her sister's inquiry as she simply continued to hum to her cute little baby who had fallen asleep again.

"Sister, I'm talking to you. You were supposed to accompany me to today's meeting with the elders."

Evelyn lifted her head to take a look at her sister's face before opening her mouth to speak. "It's okay, Elena. There's no need for you to feel upset. I knew you were more than capable of handling it on your own."

"That isn't the issue here. What I'm asking is, what were you doing here in your bedroom while I was…?"

Elena's voice faltered in the middle of her question when her eyes finally fell on the little baby in her sister's arms.

"Sister? Is that a baby in your arms?"

Evelyn chuckled and nodded in response.

"But whose baby is it?"

"It's mine."

"Huh? How? When did you.....?" Elena paused mid-sentence and her eyes suddenly widened in surprise when she realized the truth.

"Did you use that spell?" Elena asked as she walked closer to Evelyn.

Evelyn nodded in response to Elena's question and a look of dread filled Elena's face as she couldn't believe her sister would go against the warnings of the elders.

"Sister, why would you do it?"

"You of all elves should know that the elders won't be pleased to hear about this."

"I don't care about what they think," Evelyn retorted bluntly. Her previously calm and pretty face was replaced with that of anger and irritation towards the elders.

She didn't really hate the elders but she just didn't care about whatever opinion the elders would have if they learned of what she did, which was, using a forbidden magic to have a baby elf.

Elena released a sigh as she knew that there was no going against her big sister when her mind was made up.

If matters came to worse, she would stand by her sister's side and protect the child with every strength she had.

For now, Elena was mostly interested in having a look at her sister's baby.

She walked over to the bed to sit beside Evelyn before taking a look at the little elf in her hand.

"Oh my goodness, he is so cute," Elena's eyes sparkled as she stared at her nephew.

"I know, right? I could stare at him all day long. My baby boy is so cute and handsome," Evelyn chuckled with pride.

Elena bent forward to playfully pinch her little nephew's chubby cheeks, but while she was doing this, she paused as she suddenly recalled something important.

"How long do you intend on keeping him here?" Elena asked with a serious look on her face. "You should know that you can't hide him away from the world forever."

"I do not intend on isolating him from the world forever. The palace is his home and I want him to roam around freely in his own house. The maids and servants living with us here in the palace have reduced tremendously, making it easier for us to let him grow peacefully within the palace walls."

"I understand what you mean big sister but you still haven't answered my question. Exactly how long do you intend on keeping him within the palace walls before the elders and nobles in the kingdom find out about him?"

A smile bloomed on Evelyn's face as she finally understood what her sister was trying to say.

"I know the elders will likely be present on the day my baby decides to carry out his very own awakening a few days from now, however, I won't allow anyone to stop him from discovering his talent."

Seeing the look of determination in her sister's eyes, a smile broke out on Elena's face as she shifted the topic towards something else.

"Okay, so have you thought of a name to give your son?"

"Yes, I have."

"What is it?"

Evelyn chuckled, seeing how eager Elena was to know Orion's name. "His name will be Orion Galdur Elfrida."

Elena repeated the name in her head, understanding the meaning behind his name. "So he is called Galdur because he was born through magic." She said and Evelyn agreed before explaining further.

"Indeed, and Orion is the name of an ancient elven God, known for his strength and exceptional hunting skills."

"I see. Those two names greatly complement the Elfrida name, which means nobility."

Evelyn nodded in response. "Yes, and who knows, maybe my baby might grow to become the greatest elven warrior and mage ever."

Listening to her sister's words, Elena imagined a future where Orion would be acknowledged as a great elf, and a smile bloomed on her face as she said. "I like his name and I believe he'll grow to become a really strong elven warrior."

"Thank you so much, Elena. You must be tired after such a long journey, why don't you take a bath before going to sleep?"

Elena nodded her head at her sister's words. She had been exhausted ever since she stepped into the palace walls but after seeing her cute little nephew, she felt re-energised and could stare at him all night long while he took his nap.

However, she decided to listen to her sister's advice and take a bath before calling it a night.