The Prince and The Fallen Star

The kingdom of Aleesi was filled with crowds of citizens gathered all across the main hall of the grand castle, all there to bare witness an exciting introduction of heroes, champions from far and wide. Powerful and extraordinary beings hand picked all by the King himself to be gathered within the kingdom, all for the people to see. Of course the King himself made it quite the spectacle, since it wasn't everyday that a grand battle between such powerful individuals would happen. Nor was it everyday that a champion would be chosen for one of the princes of Aleesi, in particular, the youngest of the pair, Prince Seán. Today was the day that five champions would be introduced to the young prince for the first time, and would fight for the honor of walking along side with him.

The King spoke with his loud, proud bellowing voice, which rung out within the hall as he proudly spoke of the event he had so meticulously planned for the occasion, all for his youngest son. Everybody here knew very well of what had happened after the incident from 8 years before, and everybody knew that someday both of the boys, especially the young prince, would want to leave and see the world. So, that very prince would be given a champion that would prove their strength, honor, and resilience so that they may serve along side Prince Seán as his own knight and protector. A protector that would stay beside him until either of their inevitable deaths. Even if his father wanted to make it a bit of a wondrous spectacle for the kingdom.

The five champions stood before the king, all to listen to his kind and exciting words about the grand competition that the five would face off. Once he finished his speech, the five all knelt down on one knee to bow before both the king and his youngest son, Prince Seán, who stood beside his father with his hands fidgeting ever so slightly against the fine black cloth of his pants, with his golden and silver crown resting upon the top of his head. Yet his hands weren't fidgeting in distress of fear, but rather out of surprise and excitement, as his eyes laid upon the very figure in the center of the five, the very familiar pale face and gleaming white locks that he had known for some many years now, which matched the strong armor that protected the one before him. The young white knight who came from the very walls of the castle they stood in now. That face was familiar, far to familiar to the royal family, and far to familiar to Seán, for he was a close friend and practically a son to the king nearly a decade ago. However, it had been 8 years since they've truly been face to face. All this time the prince had been living within the large stone walls of the castle, studying all the material and assignments that his father would give him to pass the days, wondering day to day what had happened to his childhood friend, the very knight before him. As the young champions moved to stand from their kneel, Seán bent his head and gazed down to match his own gaze with the knight in front of him. A rush of memories surged through his mind just that very moment as well, all the way back to the very first night they had ever met. It was 13 long years ago....

...

The moon was covered by thick storm clouds that were quick to hide the night sky above. The dark forest was quiet, with the only sounds being the rustling of trees in the wind, our the sound of creatures rustling through the bushes. Yet, there was another sound, the sound of men chatting away and the light crackle of a fire in the far off distance. Deep within the woods, a group of 10 or so men sat around the campfire, drinking ale and talking about their families, their work, or whatever came to their minds. Amongst these men was none other than the King of Aleesi, who had brought his dear friends out on a hunting trip for the week. It was day four into their seven day trip, the wagons they had brought filled with fine catches and finds, all stuffed carefully inside sacks, chests, or just by themselves. Though it wasn't just the close friends of the King that had come along, but his young sons as well, Prince Seán and Prince Atticus. Seán was a year younger than his brother, being a rather curious, adventurous, and silly 8 year old boy, whilst his brother was more independent and smart for his age...

Seán had been absolutely ecstatic to go with his father on this hunting trip out into the woods, his whole body shivering with excitement despite the long day of hunting and walking about the woods. Atticus was sound asleep in their tent, absolutely unaware of the plans that the younger boy had made throughout the day for later that night. The younger boy was planning to sneak out past the adults and into the woods to do some exploring around the beautiful dark forest. After all, you never know what you could find out in the woods at this time of night! His father would most certainly be frustrated with him for sneaking away, and Seán knew Atticus wasn't interested in joining in one his little expedition. So, the younger boy rustled around in the tent and peeked outside of it towards the chatty adults, who laughed, drank, and sang merry tunes together. At the very right moment, when everyone got distracted from one of the gentlemen's poor singing, the young boy sprung out of the tent and quietly made his way into the woods to see what was out there.

It was most definitely dark, as the entire night sky had been covered by the dark clouds, the chances of a storm growing as the young boy snuck and weaved his way through the tall dark trees that overshadowed the earth below. Seán gazed all around at the beautiful forest before him, and every though it was a little bit scary with how dark it was, he was confident enough that he would be safe! At least, he hoped so anyways...

OOC: okee dokie, I decided to keep Sean's name the same since I just can't seem to change it since its just so special to his character, but I thought perhaps using the Irish spelling would perhaps make it a bit more fantasy-like perhaps? ^^ I hope my post was good though, I was trying my BEST not to copy yours down like I normally do, but I am SOOOO freaking excited to be doing this UGH! THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME! <3 and gosh, all of the champions are so pretty!!! OAO man Eden, you got competition in resilience, fighting, honor, AND looks!

The young prince carefully wandered through the illuminated forest, casting beautiful shadows from the tall trees and bountiful bushes that filled the grand woods. The sounds of the adults grew softer and softer till they were completely silent, the voices being replaced the light breeze in the air and the rumbling dark clouds above. A storm was brewing in the skies, and the air smelled thickly of rain and the smells of nature. It was an absolutely gorgeous view, and while scary to some children his age, Seán was absolutely enamored by the beautiful forest illuminated by the thin beams of light that shined through the cracks in the stormy clouds.

The young boy continued on deeper and deeper, his little boots lightly padding on the leaf covered grass and dirt, until he came upon a small opening in the trees. And through the opening was a small patch of rocks and wild flowers, though as he came towards them, a loud crack boomed suddenly in the night sky, causing the boy to practically jump right from his skin at the loud sound. The sound shook the very ground beneath the tall trees, birds flew out of the trees in panic, and bushes rustled as the animals of the night ran to hide away from the sudden sound. The young prince's scared eyes gazed up upon the sky, searching for signs of thunder or a storm that would send him back to the camp, but what followed would prove that wrong. The young boys eyes squinted as up in the sky, a bright ball of light appeared out from the clouds. Yet it wasn't like the meteors he'd see whenever he would gaze at the starry sky with his mother, or the falling stars that he would wish upon every time he saw one. No, this one kept falling and falling, the light growing brighter as it seemingly grew closer to the earth. The high pitched sound that came from it grew louder and louder as it got closer and closer! Until the bright ball of light crashed through the woods through the opening that the young boy stood in, making him stumble on his feet and fall onto his back as it flew by like a shooting star. He could see it crack and crash through every tree and bush that laid in its path, plummeting through the forest until it stopped with a sudden splash. And then, silence....

The young boys eyes opened up to see the path that the strange light had split apart, creating an opening. He quickly pushed himself up onto his feet and ran through the split path, his feet crunching on the broken branches, torn leaves, and bits of dirt towards where it ended. And right before him, in the opening, there was a large pond that was being filled by a small trickling waterfall. The water had all sorts of flowers and plants growing around its edge, with little lily pads floating upon the shallow water. The young prince carefully made his way towards it, cracking his boots against the stones and kicking them softly out of the way, wondering where that great ball of light had landed within the shallow little pond. However, it was no where to be seen, yet there was still something particular within the middle of the little lake. Before the young boy was another small boy, with skin, hair, and clothes all closing a bright white color in the middle of the lake. The young boy cautiously moved his way towards the edge, peering over with squinted eyes to see if the other, who laid submerged in the water, was breathing. The boy, for some reason, felt a bit drawn to the glowing white light and the strange small boy who rested peacefully beneath the ponds surface, as if he didn't know he was stuck beneath the water. "Hello?" The young prince asked, his voice soft and quiet as he stepped into the water, creating little ripples around his ankles. The young prince moved his way ever so slowly with the splash of his feet, worried about the other strange boy, whose strange appearance brought out his curiosity. He never heard of people who could sleep underwater, or pretty bright meteors that created glowing boys with pretty white hair or skin like porcelain. He continued to get closer and closer until he was just before the strange small boy, his own hand reaching up and shielding his eyes a little from the bright white light of the undisturbed sleeping boy...

OOC: Ahhh thank you, I wanted to make him be a very sweet, curious boy <3 they seem so darn cool, I hope we get to see them more than just in the battle! They all seem so cool and interesting, and I bet the come from pretty interesting places, especially with Silas being a practical giant or Adara being something similar to that of a fire elemental ^^ Hmmm, well, I could possibly be presuming, but I'm stuck between Set and Nova, I don't know why but I have a feeling that perhaps their photos could possibly relate to them? Set sort've has dark, ominous look to him, yet Nova has a strangely inhuman, mythical look to her too? I might be seeing too far into it, but those are my current thoughts!

~•~

The crystal littered path, the lily pad filled pond, and the mysterious boy at the center of it all emitted a beautiful glow of white that reminded the young prince of the moon, or the way the stars above would twinkle in the night sky. It was mystical and mysterious, and despite its strange appearance, the bright glow left a calming feeling on the environment the two now shared. The young reddish-brown headed boy walked ever closer while trying to see through the bright white light that came from the glowing boy, his hand carefully shielding his eyes as he stepped cautiously towards the waters edge. And with very careful footsteps, he disturbed the water with every little shuffle of his feet until before he knew it, he was beside the strange boy who slept beneath the shallow water. And right before his eyes the glowing boy slowly dimmed until every detail of him was visible, with only his white skin glowing the white light ever so faintly. The young boy leaned a little closer to the boy, until the faintest shone of deep amber gold stood out on their face. The young prince leaned back quickly, afraid that he perhaps disturbed the other boy of his sleep, yet his curiosity of just who this person was or why there were here still remained...

They were small just like him, perhaps even smaller than he was, the two appearing to be around the same age. However, he didn't feel afraid by the others presence, and he strangely felt like he could trust him, even though they had just met. Just like how he strangely felt almost drawn to the other boy immediately, like a friend or a family member. Then, his eyes caught the other boy as they began to move, the dimmed being reaching out a single hand from out of the water. It was small and dainty, and pale just like the rest of the dimmed being. The young boy leaned back in, and without a word, gently interlocked their hands together...

And as their hands interlocked, the young boys eyes widened in awe as the being started floating, rising up and up slowly from the water until he was completely out of the water. No water dripped from his body or clothes, and the soft curly haired boy floated with the same grace as that of someone submerged underwater despite the fact that he was in the air! The young prince could hardly believe what was happening before his eyes, it was like he was some sort of angel or fairy! His wide eyes met the other boys curious golden ones, watching the floating boy who observed him with pure wonderment, his gaze never leaving the other boy as he hovered around him with the same curious look. He could hardly stifle the giggle that came from him as the boy floated around him, his head turning and body spinning to look over his shoulder and watch the boy that floated around him until they were in front of him again. The boy mirrored the other in tilting his head as they gazed into each others eyes, Seán growing ever more curious about just who this boy could be.

The young prince smiled brightly at the other once they finally spoke, the boy practically beaming brightly at the young glowing being before him. "My name is Seán." He replied in a soft and excited tone, feeling trustworthy of the other boy. He stepped a little closer to the floating being, tilting his head to the other side. "What's your name?" He asked in return, trying to keep himself from asking the boy a bunch of questions, like how could he fly or why did he glow like a star, or of he was some sort of fairy or something?

OOC: I'm definitely excited to see how they play in the story, especially since they're going to be befriending Sean and Eden! ^^ Aha! I knew it had to be one of those two! Well now I'm excited to see which one is the perpetrator here >:)

The boy held gently onto the other boys hand, their small fingers interlocked together as they giggled happily together. Seán observed the floating boy who inspected and looking at him from every angle, as of they were trying to figure out what exactly he was. Even though he had heard of magic or the wonderful gifts some people far from his home could possess, or the strange creatures that filled the mysterious, undiscovered world that he had yet to see, he had never heard of boys like him who could float or glow! Let alone boys with eyes as golden as the morning sun, or the twinkling stars up within the sky. Seán's soft, hazel brown eyes gazed directly up into the golden ones before him with utmost curiosity, the two boys bewildered and curious about one another. He asked their name, his wet boots stepping closer to the other boy, and his smile grew into a bright grin when they in turn introduced their self. Eden... His eyes lit up with his beaming smile, his hand lightly squeezing at the other boys hand. The name sounded so foreign, so different from the many names he had heard, but it sounded so fitting for them. They didn't seem scary or threatening, but curious, if not more curious than he was about the young prince.

The young prince flinched as the sudden low rumble of thunder filled the air, his eyes looking up at the sky with Eden. The once clear night sky that was filled with all sorts of stars had been covered up by the dark storm clouds, the wind shaking lightly at the tall forest trees that circled the surrounding area. Seán looked back down to Eden with a look of confusion as he saw the faint bit of worry in the others face and eyes, watching as they slowly brought their body lower and lower until their feet touched the very bottom of the shallow pond. Seán's hand grasped tightly at the other boys just as they stumbled back from their landing with a light splash, pulling the boy carefully back towards him until they caught their balance. The vast woods were once again at rest, the sounds of crickets chirping and the wind blowing through the tall trees filling their ears. Even though it seemed a bit scary with how dark it was and the sounds of thunder that brewed up in the sky, Seán felt content, if not safe in the beautiful forest, even if he felt just a little bit frightened. But Eden seemed to be a bit scared, at least from what he could tell with the way he grasped at the strange pale robes that he wore. "We're in the middle of the woods, silly." He replied to the other in a teasing but kind manner. The boy stepped closer to the other, his hand squeezing Eden's in a reassuring manner to let him know that he was okay and that they were safe. "Um... Maybe my dad could help you? Do you have a home? Do you know where your family is?" He asked the other softly, his other hand reaching up to pull out some leaves and twigs from the boys curly white hair. Seán hadn't even noticed all the scrapes, bruises, and muck that had covered Eden from bead to toe after the fall that he had taken, if that strange glowing thing that fell was him. Maybe, if he was lost, perhaps his father could help him...

Everything to this very moment was strange, new, something that the young prince had never expected when he had snuck out of that little tent many moments ago. But even though the young naïve prince didn't quite understand exactly what strange events were going on, or who the strange bit before him was, he knew one thing; That this strange boy with hair like starlight was just as confused as he was about the world around them, and he wasn't going to leave them alone here out in the woods. Seán supported the floating boy when they lowered themself to the ground, keeping a firm grip on the boy and pulling him right back onto their feet. His smile grew wider when he teased the other, a little giggle escaping him when Eden nudged him with their hand. "You don't know? We're in the kingdom of Aleesi." He replied with a hint of disbelief, surprised by the fact that Eden didn't seem to even know where he was. Yet Sean could see the look of worry in their eyes, the look of fear and confusion as if this whole land was something foreign and new to them. The young boy squeezed at their hands, trying to comfort them just as he began to ask them questions about them. And right there something changed with Eden, as right before the young princes eyes the boy began to lose the bright look on their face. "Eden...? Eden are you okay?" He asked as he watched their head lower faintly just before their body fell forward, the boy collapsing against Seàn out of nowhere. Seán just barely had caught the boy in his arms, his foot hold slipping ever so faintly, yet the young prince kept his feet planted on the ground below.

Seán gazed down worriedly at the boy below him, his arms wrapped around their upper body which was resting almost lifelessly against his own. His hands ever so lightly grasped at the dirtied white cloth of their robe, shaking the unconscious boys body to try wake him. Was he okay? Was there something wrong with him? Was he hurt? Did he ask too much? The young prince shook over and over at the boys body, his heart pounding fearfully at his chest and his stomach churning with worry. "Eden, Eden please wake up!" He nearly cried out, though his fears washed away as he felt a little hand grabbing onto his sleeves. Seán lowered his gaze back down to where Eden sat against him, his face brightening as he watched the other boy slowly and shakily stand himself back up. He looked down at the other boy, his bright smile returning to his lips as he saw that they were okay, Eden was okay. Seán couldn't keep himself from pulling the other boy into a hug, pressing his soft face against their shoulder and holding them close. "You don't have to be sorry, I'm so happy you're okay!" He replied back cutely, his voice filled with relief over the fact that they were okay. Even if Eden was a stranger, he trusted them, and seeing them faint that way made him absolutely worried for them. Though, moments later a familiar voice called out his name. "Sean!"

Seán looked up behind him with wide, frightened eyes as well, but for another reason. The young prince pulled away from the strong hug that he gave the smaller boy as he turned towards the 5 men that stood at the forests edge. He was in big trouble, wasn't he? The young boys eyes brightened up as he saw the man who had called out his name, Seán's father, standing there before them with confused eyes. "Um... I-" The young prince pulled at the edges of his sleeves, about to answer the king before Eden had stepped around him to look at all the men that had emerged from the woods. Seán carefully stepped up beside Eden, reaching down and taking ahold one of their hands while looking over at his father and the armed men. "This is my friend, Eden. He fell from the sky and glows like a star!" The young prince replied confidently with a big bright smile, turning his head towards Eden in a reassuring way. Even though he was a little scared about getting in trouble for sneaking out, he wasn't going to leave Eden all alone here. After all, they were friends now!

Despite hardly knowing the mysterious boy who had fallen from the sky, Seán couldn't help but worry for Eden the moment they had fallen into his arms just moments after he asked those questions. The young prince shook at the other boys shoulders, panic and fear rising throughout his body as he started to fear the worst for the other, fears of Eden possibly be injured, sick, or even dying after such a grand fall, if Eden was the source of that star anyways. He was so far from the camp, if he shouted his fathers name from here, would he even come to help? Seán shouted and cried out their name at them, hazel eyes searching their pale face until they had awakened with a gasp, just before Seán could call for help. He watched them as they took ahold of his sleeve and began to lift themselves onto their feet again, the young boys scared eyes brightening and lips curving into a wide, beaming smile until he caught the other boy into a tight hug. His faces buried itself against Eden's shoulder, the boy filled with absolute joy the sight of seeing that the other boy was okay! Yet, as the two boys stood there, holding each other in a comforting embrace, a voice had called out, one that was all too familiar to the young prince.

The group of men all stood around them in shock, each of then staring at the two young boys with weapons drawn. More specifically the glowing boy that was in Seáns arms. At first, the young prince seemed afraid, not because of the gleaming blades clenched in the fists of the surrounding men, but because of the sound of the King's voice, his fathers voice calling to him. At first, with a shy tug of his sleeves, Seán could barely look his father in the eye, worried that he was in trouble for sneaking out so late in the night until his father acknowledged Eden, who had stood before the men only to back away in fear of their blades. So, without worry and a bright, confident smile in his lips, Seán to ahold of Edens hand, lading their fingers together and he stepped up to the group of men and proudly beamed to them about his new friend. He turned his head to Eden with the same confident smile, reassuring them that everything would be okay, his smile widening as Eden stepped forward rather than hiding away.

The prince's brows furrowed together just as one of the men stopped his father with his blade, speaking of a strange word that wasn't familiar to Seán as the man spoke with worry and caution to his father. Nasteri... What exactly was a Nasteri, was Eden one of those things? However, there was something about the way the man described Eden bothered him, he wasn't dangerous at all from what he could tell, and even though they had just met, Seán trusted the glowing boy and if anything felt safety and comfort near him. The young boy turned his gaze back to his father as he continued on, walking up to the two boys and taking a knee, lowering himself down to their level until he gestured for them to come close. Seán turned his head back to Eden, giving him another reassuring smile as they walked together hand in hand, the boy trying not the rush the other until they stood in front of the kneeling king. Seán listened to his father and Eden to speak to each other, giving the other not a reassuring squeeze each time he spoke to let him know that they were okay, that everything was going to be okay and nobody was going to hurt them. He wouldn't let any of those men lay a single hand of blade on Eden and neither would his father. Then, as the King made his offer, Seán's own eyes widened in surprise at the offer just like Edens did, his lips curving into a happy smile as he looked between Eden and the King with a look of excitement. "R-Really father? You mean it?!" Seán asked with excitement, the boy barely able to contain his joy as he looked over at Eden, the young prince already thinking about all the amazing and fun things he could show or tell Eden on the way there! "Thank you father!" Seán exclaimed sweetly, letting his father ruffled his dark hair until he stood, the young boy turning to Eden with a cheery gleam in his eyes and a bounce in his step. "Come on Eden, you'll love the camp and the castle, you even get to stay with us!" He exclaimed as he began to pull the other boy along behind him following after his father proudly as the other men stared in utter disbelief. All sorta of idea filled the young princes mind, what kind of places he show Eden, what kind of games they could play together, what kinds of treats or books he could share with his brand new friend, who would grow to be much, much more.

The young prince stood before King David hand in hand with Eden, listening to his fathers words as the young mysterious boy and king spoke back and forth. His fingers tightened around Eden's hand each time he felt them grow anxious, until the king made one of the most incredible offers for Eden. An offer to come along with them from the forest where Seán had found him back to their home at the castle of Aleesi. Both of the boys were left off guard and in a shock, making Seán practically burst with excitement and beam with joy at the idea of Eden being able to cone with them. And his grin only grew brighter as his father stated that Eden could stay with him, the young boy bouncing right from the back of his heels in joy as he happily thanked his father as both their hairs were ruffled into a mess of brown waves and white curls. Seán was already pulling Eden along with him, the two boys bouncing along with excitement and big, beaming smiles on their soft faces. "I have so much to tell you, oh I can't wait until we get back home Eden! There's so many places to explore, I want to show you everything!" Seán exclaimed with a grin as the boys walked with one another back to the camp, hand in hand and carefree.

Despite the warnings and anxiousness of some of the men there, the camp was packed up in no time even though the planned week long trip had lasted only a single day. Neither of the boys had any idea how crucial it was for them to return back to the kingdom with Eden, nor did they know just how important the mysterious boy from the stars was. But one thing was certain for them, that they would be inseparable from there on...

The entire time the camp was being packed or during the long journey back to the castle through that night, the two boys talked nonstop, asking and answering as many questions as they could. Seán was telling Eden about everything he could think of, from the beautiful garden behind the castle, to the large chest of toys and trinkets that he had amassed and cherished dearly, to the wonderful stories his mother would always tell him just before bedtime. The young prince continued to talk and talk to Eden on the back of David's massive midnight black steed throughout the night, much to the dismay of Atticus and his father of course. Easily they all fit together on the gargantuan horse together, with Seán right behind his elder brother and whispering to the boy that held onto his maroon shirt. They journeyed on through the night until the sun was just barely peeking over the edge of the horizon, the sky left a beautiful scene of pinks and oranges as they finally arrived home to the castle of Aleesi.

As the men headed towards the royal stables to let their horses rest and relieve them of the massive bags of supplies, the King and the three boys rode up the front of the castle together to be surprised by a beaming young woman in a floral white nightgown had been waiting to see them. Seán's head immediately lifted with a big grin as the woman burst out from the doors and ran to them, calling out the boys name in that ever familiar voice that the young prince loved. It was Ella, the queen of Aleesi and the beloved mother of Atticus and Seán, known for her beauty, grace, kindness, and hair that was as red as fiery embers. "Mother!" He called back as happily, the young prince turning to Eden with an ecstatic and reassuring smile as she hurried on over. The young boy had already told Eden so much about he, reassuring him along the way that his mother would love Eden so much, like her own child even with how kind and loving she was. "Mother, this is Eden, my new friend! I'm sure Ouranos told you about him!" He called out as she hurried over, the boy wriggling with excitement atop his fathers grand horse. The young prince was sure she would love to meet Eden, she must have known about him a little since his father had sent Ouranos to let her know of their return.

After a long journey through the night filled with whispers of stories and ideas between the two young boys, the King and his men had returned to the castle safely upon their steeds, with the sky brightening into a myriad of pale pinks, blues, and oranges as morning began to slowly dawn upon the new day. The town was rather quiet that morning, other than for the gentle sounds of the many horses hooves hitting against the stone roads below them, the tweets of birds waking early in the morning, and the many townsfolk who awoke to quickly greet and shout out kind words to their ruler, the prince and his men as they passed on by. The King split off from the other men as they headed towards the back of the palace to board up the horses in the stables and unload all of their belongings while the King and the three young boys had rode up towards the front of the grand palace only to be met by the Queen herself, who had been so excited by the return of her husband and two sons that she had forgotten her slippers while running to greet them! Sean was absolutely thrilled to see his mother again even though he has seen her just a day or so ago when they had departed on their trip. The young boy could hardly keep himself still as his father lifted him off the horse just after Atticus, with Eden following right after him, and as soon as Sean’s feet touched the ground, he quickly ran over to his mother just behind Atticus to give her a big warm hug with his brother, the three of them happily embracing each other as Eden idly waited behind them. “I missed you so much mother, I wish you could’ve came with us! It was so beautiful in the forest, and you wouldn’t believe what happened when I found Eden!” The young prince explained joyfully as he pulled away with a big sweet grin, turning his head back over to where Eden was standing behind them anxiously while his parents lovingly bickered with each other over the trip. Throughout the whole entire trip, Sean had told Eden about his mother and how beautiful, kind, smart, and amazing she was and that she would absolutely love to meet Eden and have him there. The young prince held out his hand to Eden just as his mother softly spoke out the pale faced boy’s name, beckoning the smaller boy over so that he could meet his mother. Sean glanced between his mother and Eden as they spoke together, he could tell how nervous Eden seemed, most likely from the presence of his mother. It wasn’t everyday that somebody got to meet the Queen personally, let alone be welcomed into the castle as if they were family! The Queen was right though about the boys being rather dirty, with Eden having a few spare twigs sticking out from his messy curled hair and Sean’s shirt, boots, and trousers being stained and covered in patches of drying mud, dirt, and a few stray twigs and leaves. The young boys followed with her happily, with Sean keeping a gentle hold onto Eden’s hand once more as they were guided towards the entrance to the castle. “I told you she’d love you.” Sean softly whispered to the other boy with a grin as they headed through the grand doors of the castle, the castle that would become Eden’s newfound home and a place for many great adventures between the two boys.

The bathing room was a place that Sean absolutely loved to go to, not only because of how absolutely gargantuan the massive tub was or the beautifully decorations that his mother had picked out herself to fill the room, but also because of the many different sweet smelling soaps that his mother would always fill the bath with, creating a myriad of bubbles that would fill up the whole bath and make the room smell of many different things. Vanilla, roses, lavender, rosemary, even some smells that he had never smelled before. Some of them were even made by his mother, each one having such strange yet amazing properties, like uniquely strange smells or absolutely amazing effects, such as the one that made the bubbles change into different colors!

Sean and Eden both sat beside each other in the massive tub, surrounded by mountains of bubbles that glazed over the surface of the water that covered every inch of the tub, all while Ella happily cleaned the boys up herself, something that Sean greatly admired his mother for. Although they had many different maids or servants within the house, it was fairly common that the Queen would often do a lot of things herself such as washing the prince's up, tending the gardens, aiding the castle staff with tasks, even cooking some of the meals they ate! The young prince aspired to be just like his mother when he was older, being kind enough to help out those in need and to be able to care for himself rather than burdening the hardworking servants of the castle. On the way to the bath and while they were being cleaned, Sean explained everything in great detail that had happened, from the moment he saw Eden fall from the sky like a shooting star to the moment David had offered to let him come with them to the castle, even talking about the most littlest of details such as the beautiful pond that he had found Eden in or the way Eden could float in the air without wings. He leaned back against the edge of the tub and shut his eyes tight as the soapy water poured over his head, opening them once more as his mother began to gentle massage the bubbles into his scalp and hair. There that strange word was that they had heard before in the forest, Nasteri. “We did, didn’t we Eden? It was one of father’s men who had mentioned it! He said such awful things about Eden though, as if he was some sort of dangerous creature...” He replied back as he occasionally tilted his head around for his mother to let her wash all of his hair. “What are they though mother? I’ve never heard of Nasteri before, and I don't think Eden has either, right Eden?” He asked curiously as he looked over to his friend, wondering if Eden had ever heard the name before or recognized it.

(OOC: Oh my god that would actually be super beautiful! I also wanted to add in the idea for the soaps because I thought it would be cute and just a really beautiful and cool idea~)

Throughout the kingdom of Aleesi, beyond the castle and through the deep leafy green forests, magic wasn’t an entirely uncommon phenomena that had been blessed to the many different beings and creatures that touched the very lands of the kingdom, and perhaps even beyond. While not commonly practiced within the town that surrounded the castle, it wasn’t unheard of that there were beings that filled their lives with magic, learning the utmost sacred spells and abilities for their own uses, some of which were to create things of their own like magical objects or items that could benefit people, while some were used for the sake of battle or protection. Some magic could even tap into the elements of nature and bend things such as fire, water, earth or even air to their very own will. Most people revered magic and the wonders it could create, though some still feared the mighty powers that could be used for the purpose of destruction or cursing those unlucky that would stand in a powerful beings way.

It had just so happened that the Queen herself was somewhat of a skilled sorcerer, and someone who had taught the kingdom that magic could be used in a good way without hurting others, and often practiced her own magic on all sorts of things, including the different soaps that sat in that very bathing room. Magic was a big part of the Queen’s life, as well as the young prince, who deeply admired his mothers strange yet beautifully whimsical abilities that somehow made the world seem more brighter and alive every time he stood beside her. Sean loved to listen to her talk about all the different kinds of creatures or magical beings that she would read about in books, or to watch the different kinds of magical spells or rituals that she would practice whenever she had the time. Even though Sean could barely understand any of it, it always somehow deeply fascinated and excited him, so much so that the young prince deeply wanted to learn magic and all the different kinds of spells or things that he could create. Just like the wonderful smelling soap that his mother had chosen for both Eden and Sean’s bath, which would hopefully not only clean both of the dirty boys up but as well as awaken Eden’s memories unbeknownst to the two boys.

Both Sean and Eden had immediately recognized the strange name of the Nasteri as Ella had spoke of it, with the two of them eagerly speaking over each other as they mentioned the man that had brought it up the moment they came across the two of them in the forest. They were absolutely eager and curious about what the Nasteri were or what the word even meant for that matter. After all, they were both little curious boys! When Ella began to explain to the both of them about the Nasteri, Sean carefully kept his head tilted back for his mother with his eyes watching her from the upside down position he was in and the way she described the mysterious people. Both of the young boys listened with wide eyes as she described the history briefly to them, how the Nasteri were revered and possibly mistaken as ancient god-like beings that had come and fallen down from the Heavens, and how some feared them whilst others befriended and made companions with those who had fallen. “But… Why did they fall?” The young prince asked in curiosity. Sean’s eyes drifted over to where Eden was sitting beside him at the edge of the tub, listening as intently about what they were and that Eden too, from what they knew, was a Nasteri himself. It was then when Eden spoke that Sean, just for a moment, felt his heart flutter with joy as his friend proudly declared with a cute stutter that he’d protect him with whatever power he had. “I-I’ll protect you too Eden! I...I might not have any powers but I don’t want my friend to get hurt either!” He exclaimed back just as sweetly and with even more stutters as they sat beside each other. The young boy lifted his head back up, his hair dripping wet mess as he scooted over to his friend and took his hand into his own, holding up his pinky finger to Eden. “I swear and pinkie promise that I’ll protect you too Eden, e-even if you’ll be the stronger one!” The male exclaimed with a big bright smile and happy eyes as he gazed upon Eden, his new and only friend.

(OOC: I actually found this version of the same bedroom that looked a little clearer though, but just imagine it without the lamps! XD)

The boys sat together at the edge of the tub, listening intently with looks of curiosity and awe across their faces as Ella briefly went on about the rather complicated and mysterious history of the Nasteri to them. Sean was just as surprised as Eden was to hear about it, about the unique race that the other boy was related to or the strange and unknown power that he had within him. It was all so strange and certainly a bit to take in, but Sean loved to hear about the strange beings from the heavens above, and that Eden, his new friend, was just like those strange and mysterious beings. And Sean could tell that Eden too was excited to learn more about it with him too.

Sean continued to listen to his mother as she answered his question the best she could, telling both of them how despite not knowing what could’ve caused Eden or the others to fall, that it was important. A purpose? A destiny? It all reminded Sean of the different kinds of stories and novels that his mother would read to him before bed, talking about different kinds of heroes fighting of creatures of pure evil, or myths about different beings or gods who shaped or followed their own destinies. Would Eden end up becoming a hero later on in life beside Sean? Do the two of them have some sort of special destiny or purpose, did Eden’s fall all happen for a reason, and was it destiny for Sean to have found him the night before at the pond? The whole idea of it confused the young boy, yet made him absolutely ecstatic for what could come through their friendship, just as Eden had chimed in about his power and wanting to use it to protect Sean, warming the young princes heart as both of their purposes were possibly already found…

Of course, Sean chimed back with a proud and adorably silly vow to protect Eden too, his heart fluttering as Eden grinned back at him with a little flutter of their ears before pulling him into a hug, a hug that Sean took as their own way of sealing their promise to each other. The male wrapped his arms around Eden too, grinning from ear to ear even though he knew it would be quite some time for it to happen. “But I will! I promise!” Sean stated back with a giggle, the two boys laughing and giggling with each other over it until Eden had lost his balance, slipping right off his feet with a squeal and falling right onto Sean, who also let out a squeal of surprise as they both fell back into the water with a splash. Sean’s eyes squinted shut as his head almost submerged under the water despite the soap being safe for his eyes, with Eden right in front of him, filling the room with joyous laughter at the funny sight. The young boy came back up with the help of the other boy moments after falling, though a bit of the bubbles from the soap had gotten into his mouth, making the young boy cough and spit in disgust all while laughing with Eden. Ella ruffled their sudsy hair before going to wash off their heads full of hair for the night just before preparing them for bed after a long night of travel.

~•~

Although the sun had begun to rise high up into the sky, bringing a new dawn upon the day, the two boys were both rather tired after the long night of traveling from the forest back to the castle, so the Queen ever so kindly drawn the curtains so Sean’s bedroom was nice and dark enough for them to be able to sleep. Sean of course didn’t mind that Eden had wanted to come and sleep in his bed, especially since he too didn’t really want to be alone in his rather large and spacious bed, and was glad to be able to share it with the other boy, who didn’t want to be separated from him either. The only clothes they had for Eden that were anywhere close to fitting him were Sean’s pajamas, and even then they looked adorably baggy on the smaller boy, his shirt reaching down almost all the way to the other boys knees even! Sean himself was wearing a similar pair of pajamas, with a white long sleeved shirt with little buttons around the collar and a long pair of soft, warm dark blue pants that were a bit too long for Eden to wear, but still were just a little baggy on the Prince. Both of them were tucked into the bed with the help of Ella, the room lit with a gentle warm glow from the few candles that his mother had left for them so it wouldn’t be completely dark since Sean was a little bit afraid of the dark. But he wouldn’t let Eden know that just yet. “I can’t wait to learn more though, the Nasteri sound so amazing!” Sean added in excitedly, the young boy smiling as his mother let them know what she was doing today. “We will! Though um… Can I show Eden around the castle when we wake up mother? Pretty please?” He asked and replied sweetly while holding his arms out to give his mother a goodnight hug just before she went off and do her duties around the castle.