18 One Year

The King returned from the study, the day had been rough on his mind. A letter had been delivered notifying him that the grain and supplies were safely escorted to the north a little over a month ago. With this, the border should be safe for the winter. Thinking about the thievery happening right under his nose, the King's blood silently simmered once more.

These people... He doesn't understand how they ever thought they'd get away with it? And why would they ever wish to? For that bit of grain? No. The border is the shield of the country... They thought the King of Hellebore had fallen from grace. 

'They thought he lost favor with this King. What imbeciles.'

With tenseness in his back and shoulders, he ordered for a chalice of wine and relaxed into the cushions of his seat near the fire. Three cups later, the servants returned with the Prince. The baby was fresh from a bath and changed to clean clothes. The King motioned for the nanny to bring him over. Placing him on his lap, his son was like comfortable weight to hold. 

Only a little drunk, the King kissed his Prince's cheek. His mood turned nostalgic at seeing how much the child had grown. "This year is coming to an end," His Majesty sighed. "Soon, you will be one year old. Does my son wish for something?"

The baby was surprised that his father was drunk and that he had wanted to give him a birthday gift. Several princesses' birthdays have passed and none have been given a present. Ulfstead thought for a long while. Did he want something for his birthday? In the past, the answer would most definitely be yes. He wanted many things, starting with a small cake and ending with a family. He even wished to never visit a doctor for the remainder of his life.

Now, Ulfstead had new wishes. He wished time would slow down but also move faster. He wished his biological parents would be safe and happy. He wished His Majesty would live a long life. He wished he could have the answers as to why he was sent to this world. 

He knew father wouldn't be able to give him any of these. Not everything was in the hands of the King. Life, death, time, fate. No one could truly control these.

The Prince said nothing for a long time; the king had thought the child could not understand. The son was intelligent and perceptive, but he was still a child…

Finishing up the wine, the King stood up to put the baby to sleep. But when he was going to let him down, his son did not let go.

Small blue eyes looked at big blue ones.

In milky speech, the baby said, "Papa, hug."

The King returned to his chair; readjusting his arms, he held his son. 

Outside, the winter winds blew, chilling the world with ice and snow. But inside, it was warm.

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A final chapter to conclude the Prince's first year in Besirique. Thank you all for reading up until now. The spicy chapters will be marked with a *, if you do not wish to see those, I'll leave an author's comment below the chapter to summarize any key points. If there isn't anything plot related and it is just good ol' debauchery, then I'll let you know so you could go ahead and skip:)