#broyalsweek Day 2 - Childhood/Friendship (Ezran’s Birthday!)
Ezran woke up earlier than usual that morning. He looked around the chamber. Bait slept peacefully next to him on the bed. Pip was still dreaming on his perch. It had been almost ten years since his coronation, but it felt as if it was only yesterday.
Knowing how extra grumpy Bait got when you woke him up too early, Ezran carefully slid out of bed onto the floor. He tip-toed to the curtains that separated the balcony from the rest of the room, and he opened them a little to allow himself to sneak out without disturbing Pip. Ez was surprised the exotic bird was still sleeping, as he was a very light sleeper.
On the balcony, he looked over the sea of trees below him. Is this what his father saw every morning when he woke up? Ezran closed his eyes, imagining a day that seemed so long ago, in which it was.
The day was only a few weeks before his father had been killed. Once a week, King Harrow and his two sons would stand on the balcony for a while in the morning. They would watch the sunrise and reminisce times with Sarai. Ezran did not remember his mother, but he loved hearing the stories from Harrow and Callum.
“What did she do for my first birthday?”
Harrow and Callum laughed. Ez always asked to hear this story. It was his favorite. “Well,” King Harrow began. “She wanted to keep it simple. We both believed that birthdays should only be widely celebrated when a child reached a major number, such as 10 or 50.”
“Thats why our tenth birthdays were celebrated publicly!” Ezran exclaimed.
Callum nodded. He took out his sketchbook, where he drew detailed illustrations to help tell the story. He opened to one of the late Queen Sarai holding Ezran with a small gift in her hand. “Mom wanted your first birthday celebration to be just the four of us. Dad agreed, and we set up a small celebration in the garden. That’s where the patch on your pack came from.” The patch in question was a dark blue patch with light blue embroidery in a diamond pattern that was sewn onto Ezran’s backpack many years later.
It was not a long story, but it was a satisfying story. Ezran loved it.
Now, the king opened his eyes once more. By now, it was a half hour later, and Pip flew over to perch on his shoulder. Bait ambled out to meet with them. The glow toad was much older now, and Ezran knew his time was coming soon. He did not know how soon, however. The bird also now had problems taking off and landing. Times changed fast after the war ended. Callum stayed in Xadia with Rayla, visiting every now and then. Ellis came around every now and then as well, Ava coming along. She too, was aging fast.
Ezran leaned over and picked up Bait gently. “Its okay, boy. I got you.” He entered his room again to prepare for the day ahead. Yes, it was another birthday, now 20 years old. He expected the guards to be more protective of the king, and they would be wishing him a happy birthday here and there.
When he was dressed, a knock came at the door. “Come in,” he called. The guard, Marcos, came in. “Sir, you have visitors from Xadia,” he said, smiling. Ezran perked up. Visitors from Xadia? Could this be his brother and his sister-in-law? He nodded to Marcos. “Thank you.”
“Where are we?” a small voice asked. The owner of the voice, a small, three-year-old elf-human child, pulled at her mothers hair. “Mama, where are we? Are we in trouble?”
The elven mother chuckled. “No Sarai, darlin’. Your uncle lives here.”
Sarai looked around the courtyard where they stood. My uncle lives here? Is he rich?
“I guess so, in a way,” a deep voice responded. Her father.
The mother looked at her husband. “Callum, does Ezran know were comin’?”
Callum shrugged. “I figured we could surprise him.”
“What do ye think he’ll say when he sees us?”
The human man put his arm around his wife, tussling his daughters hair. “We’ll find out soon, Rayla. I’m not worried.”
A door opened. It caught the attention of all three. They turned toward the sound.
He stared at them for a while, and they stared right back.
“Is that my uncle?” Sarai asked. Rayla nodded, smiling.
Callum walked toward Ezran, and Ezran slowly descended the stairs. When Ezran reached the bottom of the stairs, the brothers stared at each other for a moment more before running toward each other and embracing when they met in the middle, laughing. Rayla laughed along with them from the side, and all three of them had tears in their eyes with nostalgia.
Rayla walked to them and handed Sarai to Callum before hugging Ezran herself. “You’ve grown,” she said. Ezran laughed. “I know,” he said.
“Hi,” came the small voice again. Ezran turned his head to see Sarai. They all laughed while the small three year old smiled innocently. “Whats your name?” Ezran asked her. Sarai, she said. Ezran chuckled. “Welcome to Katolis, young one!”
Sarai reached for her mother, who retrieved her from Callum. Upon noticing Claudia had come into the courtyard as well, Rayla walked over to greet her. The two brothers put their arms around each other and followed suit. “Happy birthday, little brother.”