"You came!" the queen said, happily bouncing her child. She then ran over to hug her.
"Of course. I could not miss my godchild's first birthday, could I?"
The king soon followed, with two cups in hand. "Now that you are here, the real festivities can commence," he said cheerfully.
Viniria smiled. "You know me. In such things the two of us are alike," she told Aidan, taking the offered wine. Raising it, she addressed the crowd. "Now, let me show you how us magical creatures party!"
The crowd cheered and continued with the festivities. No one slept that night. Except for the exhausted little host.
In the corner of the hall, the enormous stacks of presents covered the walls. The reputation of the new kingdom grew, which was evident by the thousands of well-crafted trinkets, toys, furs, jewels and gold gifted to the young child. The pile was so massive that the royal couple was still sorting it out a day later.
"Can you believe that our child is already a year old? Time surely passes in the blink of an eye," Zora stated, carefully cataloging everything.
"It does so. It truly was a night to remember. And what honors we received! I do not remember a more bountiful celebration," Aidan happily exclaimed.
"Yes, we certainly made a name for ourselves," Zora added, calmly counting the tiny shimmering apples that came in a nice wooden box. "These are barely ripe. The delegation probably came early in the fruit life cycle."
Aidan was preoccupied with other things. Among the pile of golden coins, he noticed something that made his jaw dropped. A magnificent sword adorned with jewels and gold leaves, with a blade twice his side.
"Look at it! Have you ever seen such a marble of beauty?" He awed with the widest smiles possible.
Zora glanced at it curiously. "I wonder who it's from?" she thought. Fortunately, there was a note with the large chest it came in.
"What is it?" the king asked.
"Have you ever heard of The Golden Kingdom?"
Aidan's jaw dropped. "Have I heard of it? It is considered one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the world! Even their streets are pawed with gold tiles."
"Well, the ruler of that land hopes the present is to the young prince's liking."
"It sure is," Aidan smiled.
"He says that the news of our abilities has reached even across the seas. He also asks us to pay him a visit," Zora read.
"Does it say why?" Aidan asked excited.
"It says here that the king had heard about our adventures and asks us to help him with a problem of something in an enchanted forest that had been acting strangely."
"Well, there is no shortage of strange occurrences lately?" he said, serious.
"That is why he asks us to be his guests, at our first convenience, and look into it," the queen finished reading, and looked at her husband.
He thought about it for a moment. "Well, it would be inappropriate to not at least say thank you to such a generous gift giver," Aidan concluded, joyfully swinging the over-sized sword. An act that almost made him lose his balance.
"Be careful, dear. That weapon seems too heavy for you."
"Nonsense," he grunted, straining to lift it up. "See, suits me like a glove," he said in a hero pose.
She rolled her eyes, continuing with her work. He, on the other hand, continued to play and nearly tripped on the pile of gold behind him. "I haven't categorized all of them," she said calmly, to which he responded with a quiet mumble.
A few days, later Zora was in the garden with the little prince.
"Are you ready?" she smiled sweetly.
The little boy clapped excited, as if knowing what happens next. The mother took a blanket and gently placed him inside. Then she took both sides of the blanket and started spinning around, with him snug inside. She twirled, moving him round and round. The baby laughed with glee as she spun around a few more times. He giggled with delight, as he moved through the air, almost flying. Then the mother slowly stopped and unwrapped him. The huffing mother embraced the excited child. Their main nanny was close-by, sitting on the comfy garden chair.
Aidan came to them with a cheerful step. "What joy do you two bring to each other!"
"Indeed. My father and I used to do this all the time when I was young. It was the only game he enjoyed playing with me. Perhaps, the only one he did play with me," the queen stated.
The king hummed. "Well, we all have our good sides… Are you ready to go, my dear?"
"Almost," Zora said. "Are the baby's things ready?" she addressed the nanny.
"Yes, my queen," the girl bowed. The king's forehead wrinkled.
Looking in the direction of a luxurious gold and wood carriage, the queen said, "I told the nanny to pack all the essentials."
"Zora, we cannot bring him with us! He is a child and this can be a potentially dangerous mission."
"You do not suggest I leave him here alone, do you?" she retorted.
"And why not?"
She looked around and leaned in towards him. "Your brother is here, just a castle away. He might take this chance and take over the kingdom," she whispered, anxious.
"My brother? My very docile brother, Mark?" Aiden replied in a dry tone.
"Yes!" she whispered. We can never be too sure," Zora was getting defensive. "What if they decide to bring your other brother back?"
"The one on the other side of the planet?" he continued in the same tone.
"They might be quiet now, but considering what happened last time you were away."
"Zora, my love, be reasonable. Surely he-"
"I am not taking any chances, Aidan!" the queen yelled, tapping her foot. "Either our baby comes with us, or I am staying!"
The king sighed, pondering for a moment. "I do not know what to say, my dear. I fear I alone would not be strong enough to protect you both if something goes wrong."
The queen sighed, and went quiet for some time. "If we do not find a solution, we cannot go," she said, raising her head.