"In my opinion…"
At last, King Agnarr spoke, breaking the long silence.
Beside him, Queen Iduna cradled the sleeping Elsa in her arms, her serene gaze resting on her husband. Though she had grown fond of the mysterious infant, she chose to respect Agnarr's decision, trusting his wisdom.
As for the trio of young trolls, they stood up straight, hearts pounding with anticipation. They hung onto every word, for the wise old troll had told them that if the king accepted the baby, they too would be allowed to stay at the palace to care for him. And that—was the opportunity they had long dreamed of.
Only the wise old troll remained calm, smiling with quiet confidence as he held the baby gently, his gaze steady on King Agnarr, as if he already knew the answer.
Then the king declared in a firm voice:
"I believe we should adopt him. And we shall not tell him the truth of his origins—not yet, at least. From this moment on, he is my son… mine alone. Agnarr's son."
Queen Iduna smiled softly; she had expected him to choose this path.
The young trolls exhaled in relief, whispering excitedly among themselves:
"Oh yes! My royal adventure has begun!" Caron whispered with excitement, though he was the calmest of the three.
Harl, true to himself, thought first of food, licking his fingers with anticipation:
"I wonder… does the palace serve dried moss? I really like that…"
Sosi, meanwhile, imagined himself standing proudly before the king:
"I can't believe it! I'll be living this close to royalty! That means my chances of getting a reward just shot up! Hahaha!"
The wise old troll chuckled quietly, still composed, then handed the infant to one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting. He turned to King Agnarr and said gently:
"Your Majesty… this may well be the greatest decision of your life. I agree—it is wise not to burden him with the truth, at least for now. The time will come… but for now, let him live a calm, stable life."
King Agnarr responded with a faint smile,
"Then it seems our thoughts are aligned."
After a moment of thoughtful silence, the wise old troll added,
"Your Majesty… I have a simple request: allow these three young ones to remain. They rescued the child and may yet play a great role in his future."
The king studied the trio for a moment, then looked back to the wise old troll. After a brief pause, he gave his answer:
"Very well… they may stay."
"Oh yes! I'm going to live in the palace!"
Sosi leapt with joy and spun in circles, overwhelmed with excitement. He ran across the hall, trying to calm himself, though clearly failing.
Laughter filled the room. Even King Agnarr couldn't help but smile.
The wise old troll turned to leave, saying respectfully:
"Now then, Your Majesty… I take my leave. My task here is done. It's time I return to my home."
King Agnarr replied sincerely:
"Thank you for coming today. You've lifted a great burden from my heart… and perhaps saved Arendelle's future from disaster."
The wise old troll nodded in respect, then passed by the three young trolls and whispered in a warm but firm tone:
"No causing trouble, understand? If you make a mess of things, I will come back for you myself. And remember… this child is your responsibility. If you fail him… you'll never see this palace again."
Though gently spoken, the warning carried weight. They understood it well.
This was their one chance to explore the world beyond. If they ruined it… it would not come again.
They replied in one enthusiastic, loyal voice:
"We promise, Grand Pabbie!"
The wise old troll chuckled in satisfaction, then left Arendelle Castle with his guards, returning to his distant mountain home…
* * *
Deep within Allen's mind—though he appeared to be asleep—his awareness was far from dormant.
'So this is how you arranged it, System? To make me the king's son? To grow up with Elsa from childhood? Am I to remain here, in Arendelle?'
Though his infant body was exhausted and frail, his mind remained alert, absorbing every word, every shift in the room around him.
* * *
In a quiet corner of the hall:
Caron looked at the king with eyes full of wonder.
"Your Majesty, may we take a short tour around the kingdom?"
The three had already secretly planned this moment. None of them intended to miss the chance to explore this new and unfamiliar world.
King Agnarr smiled and replied,
"Of course. But don't forget to return before sunset. You now have a new responsibility—caring for the young prince."
Queen Iduna chuckled warmly and added,
"Those little ones… with their pure hearts, they'll surely ease our baby's path."
"Thank you, Your Majesty! We'll be back before sunset!"
They chimed in unison before dashing off behind one of the palace guards, eager to embark on their new adventure.
* * *
Peace returned to the palace once more.
Iduna looked at her husband and asked softly,
"Agnarr… have you truly thought this through? Are we really going to raise him as our son?"
He answered quietly,
"Yes, Iduna… This cannot be mere coincidence. He was born at the exact same moment as Elsa, and together they caused that phenomenon we saw in the sky… Perhaps they were destined to be together from the very beginning."
He glanced toward the sleeping child in the bassinet and added,
"Besides… this boy has lost everything. I couldn't possibly leave him to an unknown fate."
Iduna sighed gently and said,
"Let it be as the wise old troll said… Perhaps this decision will mark the turning point in Arendelle's future."
Agnarr gave a reassuring smile,
"I have hope, Iduna… I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
She giggled softly and teased,
"Come now, let's take a closer look at this sweet little one!"
She handed Elsa into her husband's arms and gently scooped up Allen, holding
him to her chest with maternal tenderness.
She gazed down at him, her eyes brimming with affection, and whispered:
"Look at his little face, Agnarr… he's beautiful. I bet when he grows up, girls will be chasing after him!"
Agnarr laughed,
"Oh, Iduna… you always did have a vivid imagination. He's still a baby!"
She smiled as she gently rocked the infant and asked,
"So, what shall we name him?"
Agnarr furrowed his brow in thought, studying the pendant in his hand.
"I'm not sure… The letter didn't mention a name. But look here… it's engraved in elegant royal script—'Allen'. Most likely… that's his real name."
He paused for a moment, running his fingers over the inscription, then added,
"And it seems that this pendant holds some special significance in the Kingdom of Erles… But now that his new life begins here, it's only right that we give him a name worthy of his place. From this day forward… he is officially our son."
Iduna chuckled softly, still gazing at the child's features.
"So, what name shall we give our new little one?"
---
Hey everyone!
First of all, a big thank you to [Titan111111] for contributing the very first power stone—and for being the first to leave a comment! 🙌
And of course, huge thanks to [timepause12] for donating three power stones all at once, and also being one of the earliest commenters on the novel! 💎💎💎 I truly appreciate your support. ❤️
Also, a shout-out to [DanteBlacksun] for leaving a thoughtful comment!
I'm really glad you're enjoying the writing—and even happier that you took the time to share your thoughts!
🌟Unfortunately, I was uploading four other novels at the same time, but due to a technical issue, the chapters showed up empty. I'm working on fixing that—thank you for your patience!
One last quick question:
Which name do you prefer—Allen or Alan? (Though his name will change later on)