The day of my ninth birthday came much too soon. I have yet to make a clear decision on what I want to say to Daniel if he asks about Felix Carter.

“The dukes have already settled in the main dining hall, My prince. They are to congratulate you and show their respects, you may accept their pleasantries as politely as possible.” Louise informs me as he finishes buttoning the last button of my collared shirt. As always, there was a certain etiquette for everything. Unlike my clothing from Izzy's coming of age, the clothing I'm wearing today seemed more eye-catching, especially with the knee length cape flowing down behind me from my shoulders. Apparently, it's because this occasion focuses on me.

Yup, I'm going with sailor moon.

“Yes, we already went over this.” I grabbed the cape as I spoke, “Why must there always be a cape in celebration clothing? Father hadn’t worn his own for any occasion.”

“It’s customary my prince. During a king’s coronation and wedding, the only two occasions more important than a royalty's coming of age, the king and queen wear a grand cape to show their exuberance and power.”

“I feel like these are basic knowledge. Why hasn’t Mr. Reinhardt teach me these things already.”

“Sir. Reinhardt only teaches what he deems necessary. Knowledge such as traditions can be learned easily from outside sources, no need to have an exclusive lesson. I have extensive knowledge on these topics as your aide anyway, so you may just ask me, my prince.”

“I see, thank you, Louise.” Truly, Mr. Reinhardt never delves into common knowledge, but I’ve no doubt he’d answer me if I ever ask about such things such as why wearing a cape is necessary.

Will he answer me if I ask about private matters? Like Felix Carter?

I let out a sigh before facing away from my full body mirror and repeat my 'mission', “So, I’m to meet the dukes at the dining hall and eat and chat.”

Louise didn’t reply immediately, suddenly hesitant. I look at him in confusion, my glance making him speak up, “Meeting and dining are most likely the only things you need to do. The talking may be controlled by the king and the dukes.”

I chuckle understandingly. “Making this into an exclusive meeting is no surprise. At least my brothers and the other younger guests will allow me to feel a little accompanied in the entirety of it." Unfortunately, I was told Izzy wouldn't be attending this exclusive dinner party as there is a certain set of criteria to those who may attend. Obviously, only the dukes are to attend and any other third party guests must have already had their nine-year-old celebration.

I'm getting tired of all these etiquettes.

The halls of the palace were busier than usual, everything is carefully cleaned as to not leave a single speck of dust, and the butlers and maids hurried to their destination to serve the guests as best as possible. They bowed to me as I passed them, and I gave them a polite nod in return. Reaching the doors to the dining hall, the doors were to thick to hear anything from the inside. The guard guarding the door gave me a bow like everyone else. Louise coming forward to open the doors. I made sure to stand in the straight posture as I had been taught, standing in the middle of the doorway as it opened.

I was greeted by the sight of a natural and softly lit room, large enough to house an elongated table in the center with furniture and chandeliers decorating it to give the feel of a truly luxurious setting.

“Eli, it’s good to see you finally arrive.” This voice, it was my mother. She stood beside father at the head of the table with a soft smile adorning her face. Father himself was smiling slightly, though it was a bit hard to notice from so far away. However, the first person to have taken my attention was the boy beside a familiar middle-aged man, Daniel Garter.

Daniel was standing just like everyone else around the table, his face unsmiling, unlike the rest. Somehow he seemed displeased, and the pleasantness he showed me during Izzy’s coming of age was gone from his eyes. Brother Elias and Avery nodded my way when I caught there eye, more like a raised eyebrow from Avery. As if on cue, the guest who I know to be the dukes bowed.

“Let me be the first to introduce everyone.” Mother continued speaking and everyone raised their heads. Louise motioned me to come forward besides a seat on the opposite end of the table from mother and father, before going to stand beside the other butlers of my brothers.

Hail and Calvey, standing side by side, looked similar. It was a backhand note and I wondered if they were related.

"You're most familiar with Duke Garter, are you not?" Mother sent a pointed look at Duke Garter, allowing him to speak after her.

"Yes," Duke Garter smiled pleasantly. "I had spoken to Prince Eli for a moment during the princesses coming of age. My son had accompanied him for a while then as well. We congratulate you today, Prince Eli." He placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. It may be my own imagination, but Daniel's expression seemed to have darkened at the motion.

"Truly, it is very pleasing to hear about the royalty and its nobles bonding." There was something more underneath that kind tone of voice. I'm sure no one missed it. The man who spoke addressed me, "Prince Eli, I'm afraid we haven't met until now. I am Duke Turning. These are my two daughters, Cana, and Layla Turning." He motioned to the two, admittedly pretty, girls beside him. They were definitely twins, looking almost identical, yet the differences were there. Both had long flowy brunette hair and eyes the color of caramel chocolate. However, the one Duke Turning motioned to be Cana had eyes narrower then Layla's, it made her seem entirely more mature.

I tried guessing to which one was a candidate to marry Elias as Duke Turning continued speaking, "We congratulate you for reaching this point of nine years of age. I have seen you at the princesses coming of age, however, but never had the chance to approach you after that small incident. Oh, there was that time during your own coming of age." Duke Turning seemed more his age as a middle-aged man, though he still had the energy to be talkative. I wasn't implying anything negative about that comment. His talkative nature made me think he was a more optimistic person. After all, his black hair is still thick and strong and there are wrinkles at the outer corner of his eyes showing his fondness for laughter.

"Ah, yes. That was a very alarming moment. The Prince of our Kingdom suddenly going faint. Thankfully it hadn't been poisoning as we had thought." The last Duke spoke up. Again, there was an underlying tone to the way they were speaking and the noticeable look of specific suspicion, under a mask of indifference, he sent to Duke Garter spoke volumes. Suddenly, I was mildly aware of why Daniel was so on edge. "I am Duke Olbrich." When the duke looked to me, I was a little captivated by the misty blue of his eyes. They were undeniably beautiful. He nodded to me when I gave him a polite smile before speaking up, "Like Duke Turning, I'm afraid this is our first time interacting Prince Eli. I congratulate you on this occasion." Duke Olbrich seemed the youngest out of all the Dukes despite his full head of white hair. With his handsome features, he couldn't be no more than thirty. Actually looking at him more closely, he had a presence that reminded me of Brother Elias. Posture firm and professional to the occasion, speaking what he only needed to for the sake of etiquette, or otherwise, he'd have just stood there without uttering a single sound.

It seemed like all the more handsome men had tight restrictions on themselves. A disappointment really.

 Yup, Vergil. When you've got a geek for an author, your getting geeky contents. But this image fits Olbrich perfectly in my head. (Can't really find an image of Duke Turning so I'll leave you guys with your imagination.)

When no else spoke of any greetings, I smiled to everyone now, not too wide nor too small, and thanked them for taking their time celebrating this occasion of mine.

"Nonsense," Came the reply from Duke Turning, "Spending luxury time with the Royal Family, trust me, no one will be bothered by an invite. Especially when the occasion is planned by someone as reputed as Mr. Hanz. It's nice to find time to bond with our royalty in the midst of such busy schedules." He chuckled in good nature before turning to Elias, "Prince Elias has yet to go on his expenditure?"

Elias showed no signs of a reaction to having been suddenly addressed. He merely looked at Duke Turning with the perfect royal smile and replied, "Yes, our team for the beginner's mission has only just been put together."

"I see, of course. The Alistair academy does live up to its name of equal standing. Even our Prince has to follow through with all trials as everyone else." Duke Turning nodded to himself.

"As it should be, father," This new voice, when I looked over, it was Cana who had spoken up. "I apologize for speaking so suddenly."

"No, you spoke true sweetheart," Mother told her. The look in her eye showed she had a liking for her and made me a little sure to my guess that Cana was the candidate to be fiance. "Alistair academy is one of the greatest pride of our Kingdom. We take great care in its institution. It would be a great disappointment to find any signs of favoritism bleeding through the courses."

"My Queen," Duke Olbrich took the chance to speak in the pause of conversation, "I have heard Prince Eli will not be attending the academy."

At this, all attention returned back to me. I felt more vulnerable under their wondering gazes than ever before. It took almost all my effort to not tense and keep the warning thoughts (Oh my god, I could blow them up) which had subsided over the weeks came back in a great force of strength. I was successful to keep my body language relaxed and proper, but my mind was all the more prone to the haywire of my own demons.

My eyes refused to meet everyone else, focusing on the silent presence of Louise standing in the background by the entrance. He had always been enough to calm me but in this situation, he had no power to come up to me and speak without being frowned upon. He didn't need nor deserve that. And so I longed for Mr. Reinhardt's presence.

Mr. Reinhardt said he'd be in attendance. Where was he now?

"Yes, That's true." This was the first time father had spoken up and immediately took away all the attention off of me directly. I was thankful to be relieved. "I'll explain, so shall we sit then as we continue our talks? The servants have been ready from the start to serve us our meal." To father's words, everyone sat in their seats in complete obedience. With father's voice seeming to fill with such authority despite giving no form of a command, I didn't even need to actively move myself to sit. I just did before I even realized. When I realized this, a feeling in the pit of my stomach became noticeable. Something that urged me to be on my best in front of father. A feeling to please him with my actions and little words. Strange, I never had this feeling before. I kept my eyes on the table in front of me, but I could still see from my peripheral vision the others keeping their heads just a little bowed like mine. I didn't know father had so much influence, especially on me as well.

Later, when I had the night to think of random thoughts, I found that before, I hadn't had a need to conduct myself or prove anything to father. He was barely present in my life in general, but when he was, he was kind in a sort of ethereal way which I just knew, showing nothing of any sort of intimidation you would expect from your father being a king. But the dining was full of the more, or highest class of our kingdom's nobles. The way I presented myself reflected upon my family as a whole. The more private setting compared to a more public event, like our coming of age, made my father's attention sharper on myself. I had been subconsciously self-aware of this and a little prideful that I had the common sense of such things even without clearly noticing them.

However, the main part had to do with how my father now and then was similar. My father then had high expectations for my education and career as some sort of elitist in a professional field, namely a surgeon. Even now I was still excelling in all my academics Mr. Reinhardt throws my way, that I could just feel my father now had expectations as well, any parent would be. But the sort of expectations he had was lost to me at the moment.

Back then, because of such expectations, I became so self-conscious that I beat myself over whenever I got below a ninety in biology and later chemistry, then physics despite a lot of my other classmates struggling to pass with a seventy. Daniel told me outright that I should stop thinking about what my father wanted me to be, and start thinking about what I myself wanted to be. I was taken back by his aggression towards my need to please my father then, that I burst out into tearful laughter. "That's golden. I bet you binge on Tumblr to even say that." It truly was golden. His words, no matter how corny, got me to think about myself and what I wanted. And nothing clicked more to me than stories and my will to create my own worlds with just words.

But habits are hard to let go of. Feeling the guilt of becoming something other than what my father then wanted, I apologized to him. But he wasn't upset, maybe a little disappointed, but not upset. "At least you tried," He told me.

Yes, at least I tried, and it all turned out all right hadn't it. I had still been successful.

All ended well I guess. Maybe...