Children always grow up really quickly. Troy was already a small cute prince!
“Good morning, mommy.”
“Good morning, son.”
Vyvyan smiled and kissed her son’s healthy lips. Being able to kiss her son on his lips while embracing him was a beautiful start to their days. Although Troy is already eight, he still sleeps holding his mom which made Vyvyan very happy. She couldn’t sleep without her son. She was worried that her son would leave her once he grew up. She cried every time she thought about it. However, she was glad to see that her son couldn’t leave her either!
“Mommy……”
Troy hugged Vyvyan around her neck like a spoilt child and kissed his mom on her lips. Vyvyan cheerfully stroked her son’s head, touched her forehead to his, smiled and said: “It’s time to get up, son, otherwise mommy will have to lie in bed with you for the whole morning. Son, isn’t it time you start attending swordplay lessons?”
Troy pouted and unhappily said: “Don’t wanna… Learning swordplay is tiring, and I have to get hit too… It hurts… I don’t wanna learn it……”
He stubbornly tucked himself into his mom’s arms, hiding into his safest haven.
Swordsmanship was a necessary skill for elves to learn. A king must not only govern the nation, but must also stand at the forefront when it comes to battles. Even elves who can use magic must undergo strict sword training. An elf king must be able to wield a sword to be a qualified elf king.
Further, elf kings needed to go through suffering and learn to develop a never give up personality so that he can enter the forest with his sword teacher when he came of age, just like Vyvyan and Inard. In other words, Troy could choose not to attend any lesson but sword lessons, as it was a fundamental part of being a king.
“Don’t go then. I suffer when I see you get hit too. Forget it, don’t go to sword lessons again.”
Vyvyan affectionately stroked her son’s head. She sat up as she listened to his happy laugh. She could rule for more than another hundred years, so her son didn’t have to do what he didn’t want to do. If she just continued to govern the nation then everything would be fine. She didn’t want Troy to go through any survival training either because she knew how much suffering it included. Further, she would go crazy if she had to part from him for two years.
She’d probably go crazy in two days.
No, she’d probably go crazy in just two hours away from him. She would charge out of the palace and grab Troy who just left to bring him back. Everything was fine as long as Troy was by her side. She didn’t want anything else, and neither did Troy. She was happy as long as Troy could live in peace with her protection. Everything would be fine if she just shouldered it all for him. That’s just what happens when you’re a mother. A mother must create a nice world for her child, while her child just needs to act spoilt and stubborn.
Her son just needed to stay by her side. The only safe place was by her side. She was the only one who could calm him down on the full moon night each month. Nobody in the world but her loved him.
“Can I play with Lucia today then mommy?” Troy raised his head up and looked up at his mom with his eyes full of hope. Vyvyan clicked her tongue when she heard “Lucia”. She was very unhappy. She was ready to tell Lucia to neck herself.
“Yeah, but don’t leave. You can only play in the palace.”
Uhm, as a mother, you must let your child learn to develop friendship. Uhm, friendship is important. Friendship is important……
“Thank you mommy!! Yesterday I promised Lucia that I would marry her in the future. Mommy, what does marry mean?”
“WHAT?!”
Vyvyan outright roared, scaring Troy to the point he froze up. Vyvyan then guiltily sat back down and desperately tried to reveal a kind smile. She trembled as she said: “Marry… is… when you live with a girl… it’s the same as marriage… That vixen… I mean, umm, Lucia… do you want to…live with her?”
Troy earnestly nodded: “Yes.”
“Is that so…?“
Vyvyan’s blue eyes began to turn blood-red and thunderclap could suddenly be heard outside. Shocked, Troy spun his head around. The clear sky suddenly became very cloudy while rain poured down accompanied by loud thunderclaps and flashes of lightning so bright it was irritating to the eyes. Troy ran to the window and looked at the heavy downpour with surprise. He pouted: “It was sunny just before…..”
“It looks like there’s a downpour, son. I’m very sorry, but you can’t go out to play now. How about staying at home and reading books?”
Vyvyan stood up and smiled as she looked at Troy. Troy, unhappily nodded and then said: “Alright, mommy. I’ll read books at home then.”
“Good boy.”
Vyvyan smiled and waved her hand gently, causing the rain outside to become even heavier……
“Your highness, a human woman seeks an audience with you. She carries with her an elf king sword, and proclaims herself to be the empress of the Rosvenor kingdom. She said she was your friend and came to reminisce the past.”
“Rosvenor?! Ah… Elizabeth…..”
Vyvyan pulled her eyebrows tightly together. Her forgotten memories returned to her. The story from nine years ago appeared before her eyes again. Her lips trembled, and she anxiously looked at her surroundings, finally settling her gaze on her son.
There seemed to be something related to that woman, but as for what it was… she couldn’t remember. But it doesn’t seem like something important; otherwise she’d be able to remember. Perhaps Vyvyan herself didn’t want to recall it…..
“Human?!”
Troy excitedly stood up, hugged his mom’s leg and begged: “Mommy, mommy, I want to go and see the human, mommy! I want to go and see a human in person. I only know about humans from the books. I’ve never seen a real human before!”
Vyvyan bent over at her waist, and stroked her son’s head. She then crouched down in front of him, smiled and said: “Alright then. But Troy, remember, do not speak without thinking, and do not stare at her.”
Troy resolutely nodded and said: “I will! I’ll be a good boy! I just wanted to see a human. If I can speak to her, then that’s even better!”
“Uhm, no worries. She knows how to speak the elven language. You’ll be able to speak to her. She is mommy’s good friend after all.”
“Good friend? As good as Lucia and I?”
Vyvyan held her son’s hand and slowly walked as she thought about his question. She then smiled and said: “Yes, just like that. But, I think we are closer.”
Troy raised his hand up high and said: “Lucia and I are closer!”
“Son, wouldn’t it be better for you to play with more boys in the future?”
“But Lucia is my good friend. Also, is there a problem with girls, mommy?”
Vyvyan aggressively clenched her teeth and muttered: “Mommy hates her precisely because she’s a girl friend of yours…..”
However, her dangerous words were unheard by Troy. The young boy’s mind was filled with anticipation for meeting the human.
“Ah! I see the human! Mommy! Hurry! Hurry! I want to see the human!”
“Okay, okay.”
The two of them picked up the paced and walked towards the guest room. Vyvyan could read minds, but not the future. If she could read the future, there would not have been rainfall that day, and Troy would’ve gone out to play with Lucia. If that was how it was then maybe the war wouldn’t have broken out.
However, regardless if it was Vyvyan or Elizabeth., they never regretted fighting the war where basically neither of them won. Even now, they’re preparing to fight again…..
Previous Chapter l Next Chapter
[give_form id=”945″ show_title=”true” show_goal=”true” show_content=”above” display_style=”modal” continue_button_title=”Donate Now”]