Dance With Darkness And Light 36 Belated Birthday Party

An hour or so pa.s.sed and everyone slowly started to regain their consciousness. Afterward, the attendants began to prepare a sumptuous meal for the whole emba.s.sy.

Faolan and Arya had long acclimated to the situation and regained composure befitting their status.

At the table inside the dining room, Faolan stood up to give a toast to his prince and congratulated him for his birthday. His brothers Kuzan and Karon, as well as the elders, followed up closely behind their uncle.

Bazuul, on the other hand, could feel Faolan's real intent. Obviously, he intended to be his wingman of sorts and further turn Elanar's attention toward him.

Leaving him with the image of a young Faolan strutting around their home city like a silkpants and helping his friends, maybe even Bazuul's father, picking up young maidens.

Elanar dazed for a while, "Zuul has actually turned thirteen yesterday?" She thought.

She hadn't thought he would have missed his birthday for her. After all, that was the most important day for each individual in the Seven Kingdoms. For Bazuul though, his birthday had no meaning. Not because it wasn't the actual date of his birthday to him, but because it genuinely had no importance to him. He had not celebrated the day of his birth for almost two decades, and it wasn't the first time he forgot about it.

Grand elder Arya, therefore, convinced the ralunian faction to stay the night and have a quaint little birthday party here at their emba.s.sy. That way the prince could celebrate his birthday and rest rather close to the military grounds where the third trial would take place tomorrow morning. As they agreed the first meals entered the room and were laid out on the table.

Drinks were poured, sumptuous meals were devoured, and songs were sung. The party took place almost until midnight. Bazuul, now a little tipsy, entered the room the elders had a.s.signed to him in order to rest for the upcoming trial.

Late at night, and in deep slumber, Bazuul awoke from the noise of his door opening when a silent whisper entered his ears. "Zuul, are you awake?"

Bazuul answered a little baffled, "Ela? What..." He attempted to ask her what would bring her here this late at night, but eventually, he just said, "Come in."

She entered and walked up to him in her, what Bazuul would call, pajamas. In her hands was a barely visible little jade box only discernible by the way it reflected the moonlight. Like it was milk on a silver plate.

"I wasn't able to truly thank you before. Now you did this for me and missed your birthday. This is why I decided to gift you something dear to my family." As she referred to his birthday, she opened the box, and a chain revealed itself to him. "This is a family heirloom called Lunari's Tear. As you can see the stone engraved onto the inside of the crescent moon, supposedly is a tear from our G.o.ddess herself. It has several effects; for example, it soothes the mind when troubled, it lights the path in the dark and can even cleanse you to some extent."

Bazuul was shocked that Elanar would gift him something so precious, especially since it was a family heirloom. On the other hand, he wasn't too excited about it either. After all, he had gained a far more precious gift ever since he had entered the city of Leizyr.

He thanked her as she helped him put the chain around his neck but, as he held her hand, also told her that it was not really necessary to give him anything since he already received the best gift he could wish for.

Elanar blushed but didn't move, only gazing at Bazuul attentively in this dark room, barely lit by the moonlight s.h.i.+ning in.

Bazuul also observed her for a second as he sat still on the bed. A moment later he softly dragged her to him onto the bed while also letting himself fall on the back.

They lay there on the bed together, still looking at each other without making any noise, their eyes burned with intensity but eventually, they both innocently fell asleep.

...

Early the next morning, Bazuul awoke from his slumber only to find himself being spooned by Elanar.

Never would he have thought he would ever be the little spoon, but little did he care to be honest.

He freed himself as careful as possible so she would not wake up and then took a shower. Afterward, he took the leather armor and light imbued silk s.h.i.+rt he chose from his father's armory out of his spatial ring and finally put them on. From now on he would take this trial seriously.

Just then there were three soft knocks on the door which then slightly opened. "Little Zuul are you awake already?" It turned out to be his eldest brother Kuzan that peaked into the room asking for him.

Bazuul stood in front of the mirror next to the door when the door opened. Hearing his brother's inquiry, he put his finger on his mouth indicating him to be quiet and pointed behind him.

Slightly perplexed, Kuzan subconsciously opened the door entirely and looked pa.s.sed his little brother. Dull as he was early in the morning, he looked at the bed a while before realizing who lay in his brother's bed.

Shocked Kuzan began stuttering, "This...I...I have seen nothing!" and then ran out to the hall and away with his face blushed beet red.

Bazuul chuckled lightly; his eldest brother was rather innocent considering he had already been to war. Plus, his servant Bing, was also quite the beauty. Seeing that they had been in a master-servant relations.h.i.+p for more than ten years, Bazuul a.s.sumed that something had to have happened somewhere along the line.

Yet, seeing his reaction, it didn't seem to be the case.

The slight commotion created by Kuzan though woke Elanar up. Without thinking about anything she asked. "What happened? What was that noise?"

Bazuul walked up to her, as he ran his fingers through her hair he said. "Just a little bird. Rest a little more Ela, I will be going to the third trial shortly, but I reckon I'll be back soon."

She agreed with an "en" once again and laid back down on the bed, but only a second later she jumped back up and off the bed. This sudden reaction also startled Bazuul, but before he could ask her what had happened, she too rushed out of his room with her face flushed in a crimson hue.

At the end of the hall, hiding within the shadows, stood a tall figure in robes, as it observed all that had happened at the door of Bazuul's room this morning.

Inside Bazuul's room...

Looking at Elanar rus.h.i.+ng out like that, Bazuul couldn't help but laugh out loud. Of course, he could imagine why she reacted like that.

Soon though his happy expression turned into a frown, he had learned his lesson from life already. Currently, everything was clouded in a shroud of happiness, and life was good. Every time this was so in his life before, things rapidly turned awry. Thus he decided to be more cautious from now on.

He was thinking about the fact that the first prince of Donar had already sent a.s.sa.s.sins after him, for whatever reason. He didn't know, but what he knew was that he was on his turf, and had, therefore, be a lot more careful.

Bazuul left the emba.s.sy and shortly after entered the military ground, ready to crush anyone in his path.