It was his mother. Nozel tried to call for her, but she didn't hear him. And now, he realized that she looked so much younger than he remembered, than the time she died. Oh, Acier was still pretty young when she died, but she was a woman.

This Acier Silva looked like she was only seventeen or eighteen. So, was this a vision of the past?

Nozel knew that already, but it still amazed him how much Noelle just liked their mother. The only immediate differences was the eye colour and the way they styled their hair. But that smile… Noelle also didn't have the same smile. And the way her mother almost stumbled over her own feet, it was so much more like Nebra.

Noelle looked so much like their beloved mother, but also not entirely. And Nozel came to the conclusion that it wasn't that bad, because Noelle was also her own person, her own smile, her own magic, her own personality…

His mother slightly stumbled again and Nozel wanted to help her, only to remember that she couldn't hear him. Probably couldn't touch him as well. It was like he was a ghost and Nozel almost felt sad about this image.

Almost…

But he still could see his mother, a younger version though. But it was his mother, he could see her again after so long, looking alive and not on the portraits, on which Acier Silva remained unmoved, only a painted memory.

And Nozel would made the most of it.

"Oops! Oh, sorry my little one," Acier said as she almost stumbled again and only then, Nozel had a way better look on her belly. His mother was pregnant. And given how young she looked, she was probably expecting him.

Definitely a vision of the past. But why was he seeing this? He should have asked himself this question from the very start, but Nozel just had been so happy to see his mother again.

The rooms in which his mother walked and he followed her were blurry. Why? He couldn't tell, but at least, he was able to tell that walls were dark, maybe even made out of stones. And the windows…

Nozel frowned a bit, as he realized that there were slightly colourful places, where the windows probably were placed.

As if there was light shining through painted glass…

Were those the secret chambers within the Silva palace? The same rooms Vanessa and himself went into hiding after their secret wedding? Nozel knew that his mother had been aware of them. After all, she brought him here one day. Only once, for all he could remember…

But still… How long did his mother knew about them?

"Don't worry, my little one," Acier said, softly caressing her belly. Nozel almost felt this caress. "We'll soon meet with him."

Who was she talking about?

Logically speaking, given that his mother was pregnant, it could be his father. But Nozel remembered how the marriage of his parents was. Not happy at all.

But his mother looked very happy right now. Nervous, yes, also emotional, due to the pregnancy. But happy, really happy.

No, Acier Silva was not up to meet her husband right now. But what other men would she met up? A men she would be this happy to see? Nozel just couldn't tell.

"You came?"

A voice. A voice of a man. It was indeed not his father's voice. Actually, Nozel didn't recognized it at all. But somehow, that deep voice still felt familiar to him for some reason.

In the blurry shadows, Nozel saw the silhouette of man. That was all he could see, despite his best efforts to try and see more details.

"Of course I came," his mother replied. With that happy voice she usually only used with Nebra, Solid, Noelle and himself.

Nozel frowned. He felt like he was missing something important.

"The baby is fine, don't worry."

Acier said something else, probably the name of this mysterious man. But suddenly, her voice went blurry and Nozel couldn't hear it.

The same moment, a window with painted glass wasn't blurry anymore and the light shining through it hit him, somehow pushing him away. Nozel wanted to call his mother, but no sound came out of his mouth.

Acier and the mysterious man became smaller, as if he was pulled away from them. He heard nothing anymore, except a faraway voice.

"Nozel?"

When Nozel woke up, he was back in the hidden bedroom, Vanessa over him, looking slightly concerned, a hand on his cheek. It was still the middle of the night and the moonlight coming through the painted glass of the window gave all the colours a beautiful silver shimmer.

"Bad dream, honey?" his wife asked, caressing his cheek in a comforting way and smiling. Her gorgeous smile.

"No, not really," Nozel replied, putting his hand on hers. His dream clearly hadn't been a nightmare, but he still had no idea what to even think about it. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

"My dear husband, you sometimes talk in your sleep and you just did that not even a minute ago, of course I woke up," Vanessa giggled, before she became serious. "Although, the only word you say was mother and that worries me a bit. You sure it wasn't a nightmare, honey?"

"I'm sure of it. Although… I have no idea how I should feel about it."

Vanessa sat up, putting her face between her hands and looked at him, waiting.

Nozel knew her well by now. They were dating for quite a while and today, they were even married. There was no way Vanessa would leave him alone until he told her what was bothering him. And as much Nozel didn't want to burden her, he also knew how useless it was. Vanessa already made it clear that she would do anything and everything to help him, to be there for him and for her, no was never an option on this topic.

And most importantly… Nozel loved her. Deeply, unconditionally. He knew very well he could trust her. And after years of being strong alone, all by himself, he would be such an idiot to not confide more in the woman he loves.

So, he told her about his dream. About his mother, how young she looked like, her pregnancy belly, probably expecting him, the mysterious man, the secret chambers…

"Funny," Vanessa just said, putting a finger at her mouth, looking deep in thoughts.

"Funny isn't exactly the word I would use. Honestly, nothing in this dream could be called amusing."

"No, what I meant with funny it's more like it's odd. But it's not like dreams made sense most of the time."

Nozel knew that. But still, like his wife just said, it was odd.

"The strange part was that it somehow felt like a memory. But it can't be that, how can I even remember my mother being pregnant with me? And why this place and why was there a man I don't even know? At least he must be a product of my imagination."

Nozel lied down again, looking up to small window over their bed, as if the pictures on it could somehow gave him the answers. He knew they couldn't.

But he still looked at them as if they could. And despite how impossible it was, his dream really felt like a memory…

Vanessa cuddled against him, her fingers tracing over his chest. Nozel just closed his eyes. If she continued to do that, he would soon fall asleep again.

"Dorothy always said that dreams are many things and she should know, she has dream magic," Vanessa said, smiling. "Unconscious things, like wishes or memories or ideas, impressions you never really noticed, worries even. Many things that somehow get mixed. Maybe not always, but according to our dream expert witch, it's maybe mostly that. Let's see… You still miss your mother after all those years, so I'm not surprised that you dream about her from time to time."

"You're right about that," Nozel whispered. It was almost 18 years now and the loss of his mother was never forgotten. Even though he was now able to better grieve, to come to better terms with his loss, his regrets and his guilt, Nozel still wished that his mother could be here.

Nozel thought a bit, before he said, "Than this man I don't know probably doesn't exist. Given how my parent's marriage was, I sometimes wondered… maybe even wished my mother would have someone else. A person who wouldn't throw all her love away and who would love her in return. My mother didn't deserve how my father acted with her feelings."

"She surely did deserve better. But honey, if your mother would have found and married someone else, neither you nor your siblings would be there."

"That's true. She once told me that having Nebra, Solid, Noelle and me was something of her marriage she could never regret."

Vanessa hummed, putting a soft kiss on his chest. Nozel smiled softly. He wished he could have his mother met Vanessa. They would have adore each other.

"Why was your mother pregnant in your dream?"

"I have no idea. Is it really important?"

"Not really. But maybe it has nothing to do with your mother. Honey, do you perhaps want children?"

Nozel just turned his head away, unable to hide the deep blush that appeared on his face.

They never really talked about it, they just got married and in their current situation, it wasn't clever to have children already. But…

If Nozel was honest with himself, he surely would love to become a father. He remembered how his mother always took care herself of him and his siblings, which was unusual for royal parents. He wanted to be the same, to not rely on nannies and to be there for his own children.

For a long time, Nozel had imagined his own future in the most pragmatic way. Sacrificing himself into an arranged marriage, so that Nebra, Solid and Noelle could be free and the conceiving of heirs never bothered him really. Or maybe, deep down it bothered him. He just never realized it. It would explain why despite his pragmatic vision, he never searched for a potential spouse.

But then, Vanessa came into his life and Nozel forgot his pragmatism. He fell in love, deeply and unconditionally, he started to imagine a life with her, growing old with her, many things actually. And of course, he also thought about having children with her.

"Knowing you, the lack of answer is actually a yes," Vanessa giggled, leaning her head against his shoulder and poking his cheek.

"Well… we never talked about it. And given our situation… we might… still wait. Only if you want, I would never-"

"I know you would never force me, honey, stop panicking," Vanessa giggled. "Honestly, I never thought that I would have children. I just never imagined myself with children of my own. But I have nothing against it, especially you'll be the papa."

She poked him again, but her answer was enough for Nozel to relax.

"It… it would take a while, you understand."

"Of course I do, silly and handsome husband of mine. We'll see later, we have time, after all. And to be fair, it's time this palace of yours needs some new memories in general."

New memories… it was true. There was so many sadness and regrets in this castle, maybe even from before the death of his mother. It might be time to let some happiness inside those walls.

It already started… Despite the situation, his wedding with Vanessa was one of the happiest memories of his life.

"Us together and married… It is a wonderful memory," Nozel whispered, lying back, letting Vanessa cuddle against him, her head on his chest.

For some reason, the moonlight shining through the painted glass seemed brighter for a second when he said memory.

"That's the spirit, honey. So, how about some cuddle before we go back to sleep?"

Of course, Vanessa didn't wait for an answer, she already moved up to press her lips against his. Nozel gave in to the kiss, savouring the sweetness of her lips, forgetting his strange memory-like dream and focusing on his beloved wife instead.

All in their cuddles, neither Nozel nor Vanessa realized how the moonlight seemed to tremble a bit for a second.

As well as the pictures on the painted glass of the windows…

Nero woke up, but kept her eyes tightly closed. She didn't want to leave her dream, that sweet memory of her prince.

Sleeping became so foreign for Nero after all those centuries as a bird. It didn't change today, after she was human again, after she became a Black Bull. She didn't like to dream, too many nightmares, too many horrible memories, of the last moments of her life before she lost her prince for the first time.

It was one of the reasons why Nero started to drink a lot of coffee. Not only did that brewage became so much better as it already was 500 years ago, when coffee was still a rather recent discovery in the Clover Kingdom, it also helped her to stay awake, to keep nightmares at bay. But mostly… it was also one of the simple things that in a way or another reminded Nero of her beloved prince.

500 years ago, when she was Secre Swallowtail, she didn't drank coffee much. She didn't hate it, she just never considered it a necessary drink. But prince Lumière, he drank a lot of it back in those days. In order to stay more awake at night, to continue his research and his experiences.

Nero remembered how princess Tetia had been rather concerned that her brother so much coffee and she almost begged Nero to hold Lumières consume of coffee in check. Which Nero did and surprisingly, her prince listened to her.

She didn't understood it back then, but today she did. Coffee was wonderful to stay awake.

Even so, not all of her dreams were nightmares. If they were, Nero would drink so much more coffee to try to not fall asleep at all and worried Noelle and Finral to a point they would lose their minds.

The only dreams that were worth sleeping for Nero were the ones of her prince. Memories of their time together or simple, sweet dreams of Lumière being right here with her, at her side, holding her hand.

She missed him.

Of course, Nero didn't hate her current life. How couldn't she? She had found a family and friends with the Black Bulls, there were also people in the other squads she cared about and like she promised her prince, she will continue to live, for him, for the future he hoped for the kingdom of Clover.

But Nero still missed Lumière so much.

She still loved him and she will continue to love him for the rest of her life. Even though it hurts, Nero considered herself lucky to have loved someone this deeply and unconditionally. She was also lucky that Lumière loved her back, just as deeply and unconditionally.

Even though they never confessed, even though they never got a proper kiss (still, her prince kissed her cheeks or her forehead once in a while), even though they never really did so many of the things that were usual or not in a relationship… Nero didn't want to have doubts about her love for her prince and the love he had for her. So, despite the pain and the heartbreak, she considered herself lucky for this love.

Nero sighed, as she opened her eyes and actually sat up on her bed. Looking at her window, she realized that it wasn't even dawn yet, but not fully night anymore. Perfect, it was a good time for her to start her day, whatever it will be.

As she stood up, Nero couldn't help but wonder what Vanessa and captain Nozel were doing right now.

They looked so happy at their wedding, despite how secret and restraint it was, with only a few people. And their decision to went into hiding until that fateful day, it wasn't classical for a wedding, even for a secret one. But Nero understood them, she really did. Arranged marriages had still been a problem 500 years ago and it didn't really changed today either. Nobles or royals that eloped with someone out of their circles still had so many hurdles to face and stony ways to walk on, in most cases it always ended tragically.

The special spell Vanessa and captain Nozel put on their wedding contract was actually a good reassurance against many of those usual difficulties that elope scenarios brought with them. It was something her prince would have loved to see…

"You want to stop marriage between royals and nobles?" Secre asked.

"Not altogether, but I want that no one is forced to marry someone they don't love or even to marry in general, if they don't want," Lumière smiled. "You see, Secre, for so long already, weddings within nobility and royalty were always arranged, for many reasons. Sometimes, both spouses come to consider each other as partners or friends, in rare cases they're lucky to find love within their marriage. But sadly, those cases are rare and most of the time, you're stuck with a spouse you accept in the best case, but in the worst… Marriage shouldn't be out of duty or worse, out of glory. Many nobles and royals are stuck in this scheme and given how deeply anchored arranged marriages are in our society, it won't be an easy task to get rid of it. But I'm sure it will be possible one day."

"You're also doing this for lady Tetia and Licht," Secre replied. Of course it wasn't a question.

"Yes. Even though they will get married for sure, I don't want anyone else to be forbidden to marry someone they truly love, even if they're not from their circle. Arranged marriages can be like cages and when someone tries to free themselves from those chains, it doesn't always end well. Not only because those people sometimes crushes and lust with love, but also because eloping is right now considered like a crime and the punishments are terrible, especially for the one who isn't royal or noble. It won't be an easy task, it will take a while. But I'm sure it's not an impossible task."

"My prince, you already doing so much to help your people, peasants and royals, commoners and nobles alike. Don't you fear that there will be to many tasks for you?"

"No," Lumière replied, his usual happy smile on his lips. "There are many problems and none of them should be ignored in order to make the life of the people better. It is a lot and I admit that maybe, not all of it can be finished in our lifetime. But after us, people with similar ideas will surely come and continue where we stopped. Like for the people who don't have much magic or for the ones who live in a loveless marriage. Teamwork is a key, like the elves and us. And like Tetia and Licht, people who love each other can also make a change."

Nero didn't replied, she just nodded. But deep down, she knew that her prince somehow wasn't only talking about his sister and his best friend…

Yes, her prince would have been happy with this, he would have given Vanessa and captain Nozel his blessing.

Nero really hoped that those two would win their fight in the end. She find out a long time ago that Vanessa was in love with Noelles older brother and she wanted help her squadmate so that she could have a future with her prince.

Sometimes, Nero visited them in their hidden chambers. Vanessa always welcomed her happily and lord Nozel was a good host when she visited.

Their hidden rooms were familiar to Nero. She recognized them immediately, despite how much it changed over the centuries. The rooms her prince used for his research and experiences, while she helped him.

It didn't surprised Nero that those rooms were now secret ones. The castle changed so much over 500 years and there was almost nothing left to be seen of it within today's three royal palaces.

Almost…

The windows made of painted glass surprised Nero when she saw them for the first time. Prince Lumière, within all his researches, also had a big interest artisanal craftsmanship who didn't need magic, the work of glass was only one of them.

Trying how windows with painted glass would look like in his rooms was definitely her prince would have done. But he never had the time… before that tragic day. It must have come afterwards, but who? And why? Nero had no idea.

That being said, Nero always had that strange feeling on the few times she came to visit Vanessa and Nozel. She couldn't tell why. It wasn't a bad feeling, she just couldn't describe it in a way that it would make sense.

Maybe… she was surprised about the windows made of painted glass, that's for sure. But for a mysterious reason, they also looked familiar to her. Which didn't make any sense.

And still, the rooms as they were today, felt like she's already had been there before…