The nursery was bathed in the soft glow of enchanted will-o'-wisps as you entered, only to find your usual duties had been... intercepted.

There, in the plush rocking chair that was definitely not throne-appropriate, sat Malleus Draconia - feared ruler of Briar Valley - making ridiculous cooing noises at the tiny tyrant in his arms.

"Are you done, princess?" he murmured, his usual regal tone replaced with something suspiciously close to baby talk as your daughter noisily gulped down her milk. When she shoved the empty bottle away with all the imperiousness of her lineage, Malleus chuckled - an actual, genuine chuckle - as if she'd performed some great magical feat rather than basic infant survival skills.

You opened your mouth to speak—until she suddenly turned, arms outstretched toward you with a sleepy whimper. Malleus sighed dramatically as you scooped her up, but the way his claws carefully smoothed her rumpled hair told the truth.

"Rest now, both of you," he murmured, conjuring a blanket over your both with a flick of his wrist. "I'll watch over my treasures."