The morning broke over the Stonehead Palace, heralded by the cheerful, persistent chirping of birds

  In the sunlit garden, MorisaJai

  A shaft of golden sunlightwarmthnot at home

  He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the bright morning. He sat up, taking in the grand room. A sense of déjà vu washed over him; this place felt eerily similar to his home

  A soft, rhythmic knock

  He paused, a sweet thought striking him: perhaps it was Morisa, coming to check on her new guests. He asked, his voice still thick with sleep but laced with gentle inquiry: "Who are you?"

  A quiet, elderly voice answered. "My name is Venessa

  Jai pushed himself out of the plush bed and walked across the room to open the door. Standing there was a dwarf maid

  He took the coffee cup, his brow furrowing slightly as he noticed she had brought only one cup

  "Did my brother Clement

  "Yes, young master," Venessa replied with a respectful bow. "He woke early and went to practice his magic."

  Rushing down the grand staircase, he was intercepted by a small figure.

  "Big brother, where are you going in such a rush?"James

  "I'm just going to the garden," Jai replied, a genuine smile replacing his earlier thoughtful frown. "I love flowers; planting them is one of my favorite habits

  Morisa and James immediately joined him, following as he quickened his pace toward the back of the palace.

  When they reached the garden, Jai stopped, mesmerized by the magnificent display. Amidst the bloom, he saw a man kneeling, watering the plantswhite hairmajestic, muscular buildwhite t-shirt and shorts

  Jai walked toward him and asked politely, "Excuse me, did you do all of this gardening?"

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  The man rose from his kneeling posture, turning to look at Jai. As their eyes met, Jai realized who he was: Zayn Stonehead

  "Zayn," Jai continued, "do you also have a passion for gardening?"

  Zayn offered a gentle smile. "Honestly, I don't truly doing it," he admitted. "But whenever I garden, it brings back all my moments with my mompassed away

  He looked down at Morisa with immense fondness. "And after my sister was born, I started gardening with her, too, because she reminds me so much of Mom."

  Zayn then scooped up Morisa, lifting her into his arms, and began to gently rotate

  The moment was interrupted by the arrival of a butler

  "Masters, your breakfast is ready. Please come and dine."

  "Big brother Arthur and brother Clement," Morisa piped up, using their assumed names, "why don't you join us for breakfast?"

  Jai hesitated. He didn't want to impose or be a nuisance

  Zayn, sensing his thoughts, laughed heartily. "Don't worry," he said, his golden eyes twinkling. "You can have breakfast with us. I promise I won't mix any poison, so come without any fear."

  Jai gave a slight, appreciative smile and accepted. "Thank you, Your Majesty. We will be in the dining hall after we've freshened up."

  "Don't call me Majesty," Zayn insisted kindly. "Just call me Zayn"your younger brother Clement has to call me 'Big Brother'!"

  Jai couldn't help but give a hilarious, mischievous lookThey were all the same age, so why did he have to be the one to call him 'Big Brother'?

  Everyone departed to their respective rooms to prepare.

  Soon, they were ready. Jaigrey suitdisguise

  Jamesbrown shirt

  Morisamixed with green and whitegreen ornaments

  Finally, Zaynwhite dress shirt with white pants his hand naturally moving to the chain around his neck. It was a necklace, simple yet invaluable, a final gift from his mother. The pendant held a miniature locket, and within it, a precious memory was enshrined: a tiny, carefully preserved picture of him and his mother together. His golden eyes

  They all gathered in the dining hall and took their seats. Maids soon arrived, serving a delicious array of breakfast items.

  The curiosity burning in James's heartother family members

  Morisa and Zayn's faces fell, a visible shadow of shame and sadness

  Zayn sighed before answering. "Everyone... they left usjealouskill him

  "My father is a kind man," Zayn continued, his voice heavy. "He didn't want any of his family to be hurt by his own hand or in a conflict. So, he gently urged them to leave the kingdomno relatives

  Jai was genuinely shocked. "I'm curious about that. I always thought the bonds in the Dwarf Kingdom

  Zayn nodded, the pain still in his eyes. "Yes, that's true. But we also learned the hard way that even among us, jealousyblood-relatedcold-blooded enemies