They crumple like foil, and though he does not take joy from seeing their expressions so raw and wounded, the king cannot help but feel as if he has done them some sort of good. The familial relation between the two is unmistakable, as his knowledge of their mothers lent him insight to their bloodline. Family was something different for Kaj. Family was singular, clasped in the loving eyes of a sickly face and a sister too frail for the weight of the cruelty the world pressed upon those strong enough to bear it. They fight a battle in their hearts, and it would do well to calm his mind and give him peace to know they wished to rush to his sides as much as he desired to clasp them tight there. Blood had always run thick between the Throat and the Edge, but to see them so close and yet know they were so, so far away from him...it was like setting his soul steadily aflame.

Their silence is all he needs to read their despair, their conflict. Respectfully he shifts his gaze away, sparing them their dignity, for they are old enough now to hold such ideals. Allows them to recover, to digest. It is only fair that he give them time, after the shell he had dropped upon their unsuspecting heads. Perhaps it was cruel of him to do so in such a manner, but there was no real tactful way to go about reuniting lost family members that he'd unknowingly held within his flock.

"I apologize, I know it must be a shock," he murmured, hoping to comfort them, show them that they need not put on brave faces for his sake. Nostalgia was a strong emotion, and it swept him into a place he did not like to be, especially when on official business. For it was clear that was what they'd come for, not to entertain an old man with tales of the past. Or rather, it appeared that would have been his job. Once upon a time, where things were different, where their mothers did not disappear on smoke and sad reflections. Where they were allowed a solid home to live in, where the wraiths had never come into being.

It is Amaris who speaks first, and he wonders if his relationship with her could have been deeper had she sought him out in the Edge the moment she'd come back. If she would call him uncle as her sister did. Had he lost that chance, with her? Would she ever see him as anything other than a distant memory, a fond babysitter, a friend of her parents?

He forces himself to focus on her words instead, the gratitude she expresses in the soft lilt that reminds him of Mirage's composed mannerisms. It brings a bittersweet smile to his lips in echo to her sentiments. "Of course, child. It is the least I could do." They deserved so much better than Kaj could give, but in the end, he could at least reunite them. He hoped Mirage approved, wherever she was. Would she laugh fondly to see him grown from the awkward, quiet Guard he'd once been? Or would she begrudge him his position, his mistakes?

He liked to think the former, but his nightmares preferred the latter.

Business comes to call sooner rather than later, and Parelia's presence at his side is a surprising comfort for the distraction it poses. His crown dipped towards her in automatic response, and he smiled, shaking himself subtly and lifting his shoulders to try and better his mood and focus. They are here on a mission, one he will not fail them in. "A quest you say?" It is not a pry for more information, rather an expression of respectful interest. He smiles quietly, glances over at Parelia for a moment before turning his gaze to the young ladies gathered before him.

"Speak not of payment. Our families are at peace, the Edge would be honored to aid in such an important endeavor. It shall be sent at only the price of your time," he assured. Turning to Parelia, he gestured to the glass wall nearby. They were already patiently recycling it, it would only serve their purposes further. "Parelia, if you would? Be as creative as you desire, I suspect there are no restrictions?" A quick glance towards the girls for confirmation before he turns back to Parelia, patiently awaiting for her to take the task beneath her capable mind and mold it into something beautiful and useful in tandem.