CHAPTER 5 - MY BIRTHDAY

Having woken up at a much earlier time than that she was used to Ayra, had been feeling a bit groggy, essentially on autopilot. While Erika and her other maids tossed and dragged her around the palace in preparation for her birthday celebration this evening. As a highly competent maid Erika systematically prepared everything without the dazed princess' input.

While having a highly attractive appearance, that was clearly well maintained, even when she had tough training out in the sun for long hours her skin while tanned was healthy and smooth without any blemishes. Her fingers weren’t even rough, from holding a sword all day. Her nails were unchipped and perfectly manicured. Her silvery long hair that reached her hips was always tame and orderly. If you never saw her training with a sword, you would assume that she was a cute, sheltered princess that had never for a second suffered hardship. That is if she keeps quiet of course.

This constantly maintained look of perfection, could only be due to the hard work and nagging of her personal maid Erika. If it was left to the princess, she would turn into a feral child within days. While working Erika couldn’t help but admire the princess’ beauty and her hard work. She would never feel tired looking at the princess and only felt the more she looked the prettier she became. It was plain to see that once she matured, she would be a beauty that could cause nations to collapse. That, however, would still take a few years currently, the princess was still a cute-looking child.

As they had long decided on the dress the princess would wear, a maid brought in the dress that the princess had chosen. It was a simple white knee-length lace dress with a few blue ribbons to decorate it and a big blue bow at the waist, as the princess liked to move about and disliked being restricted it wasn’t a long dress.

In a well-practiced manner, she assisted the princess in putting on her dress. Erika as the daughter of the third child and youngest of a viscount had always wanted a little sister that she could play dress-up with but sadly that never happened. With the princess acting as her dress-up doll she felt that her childhood dreams were being fulfilled.

While checking to make sure the princess was ready, she couldn’t help but feel sentimental. With the princess, all dressed up nicely and not moving all over the place, she could not help but feel that the princess had really grown up. No longer was she the naughty little princess that would hide from the maids, and run about the palace. she was now a prim and proper princess that was on the cusp of her teenage years, ready to see the world.

Walking over to a maid that was holding a white box with a blue bow on it she handed it to the princess with a cheerful smile.

“Happy birthday Princess Ayra. Congratulations on turning twelve. This is a gift from all the maids that work in this palace. We hope that the princess can achieve all her dreams in the future and always stay as the cheerful princess we know and love.”

Feeling emotional Ayra could not help but let out a few tears as she received the gift prepared by the maid. Erika reached out her hands gently wipe the tears away.

“Silly princess, why are you crying it’s a happy occasion. You will ruin your pretty makeup.”

“They are happy tears. Can I open the gift?”

“Of course, we hope you like it.”

Taking it over to her dressing table, she tenderly removed the ribbon and opened the box to find two crystal hair accessories. They were in the shape of wolves, with a bunch of flowers in each of their mouths. She assumed that they were Skoll and Hati. Picking them up out of the box, they sparkled as the setting sun shone in through the windows. She handing them over to Erika, as she need her help put them on, with the intention of wearing them to her birthday celebration.

Looking into the mirror and seeing how sparkly it was she couldn’t help but like it. As a bit of a tomboy, Ayra didn’t really like to dress up or look at accessories but with these hair accessories, she liked them very much.

Looking away from the mirror she turned to face all her maids that had gathered.

“That you everyone I really like it. I’ll always wear it.”

She really did follow up on her word in the years to come by regardless of in battle or at important social events, the two crystal wolves would be seen decorating her hair, becoming a symbol synonymous with the princess.

Looking out the red glow from the setting sun she felt that it was time to head to the main palace. She dismissed all the maids and told them to enjoy the party held separately for all the maids and guards that usually looked after her.

Accompanied by Erika, who had also changed out of her usual plain maid uniform, into a crimson red dress that accentuated her mature and sexy body, we left lily palace and head to the main palace where the celebration was held.

Along the way, we saw Skoll and Hati being feed and playing with some of the young maids that had help tidy them up for the occasion. They even had a blue bow around their necks that were the same as the one on my dress.

As I walked past them, they greeted me as if wishing me a happy birthday. Look at them play they looked nothing like the proud Mother Sky Wolf that had left them in my care. If the Mother Sky Wolf saw these two silly puppies, I cannot help but imagine how depressed she would be.

Everyone, we walked passed congratulated me on growing up to the age of twelve and wish me eternal happiness. Erika commented on how loved I was, and that if everyone continued to congratulate me individually, I would be an old grandma by the time they would be done.

Reaching the ballroom at the main hall I split up with Erika, who went to look for her family. As the main character, I was supposed to wait until Claude and Ingrid had said their speeches, before I entered the room. It was only during these occasions that I could appreciate the benefits of being the sole princess of the kingdom. I could be late for these occasions, and not get in trouble for it.

Having waited for a while in a resting room, a maid finally informed me that it was almost time for me to enter the hall. Checking the mirror for the last time to see whether my tiara was crooked. I followed the maid as she led me to the doors of the ballroom. Seeing my arrival, the guards at the door saluted me. Indicating them to be at ease they opened the large doors to the ballroom with one of them announcing my arrival.

“Introducing the Star of the Kingdom her Highness Crown Princess Ayra has arrived.”

As my brother did not have any children, I was still the sole heir to the throne and thus my title was the Star of the kingdom. My brother as the king had the title of the Great Sun, and Ingrid the queen had the title of the Moon.

The loud hall instantly quieted down, those that were seated stood and looked my way. Ignoring their stares, I walked slowly and gracefully, like I was taught to. My brother and sister-in-law seated at the top of three steps on their throne looked on. Going up two steps I stopped, curtsied and greeted them.

“The Star of Kar greets the Sun and Moon of Kar.”

With a smile, Claude and Ingrid took turns congratulating me and when they were down, I took a seat on the throne beside my brother opposite Ingrid. But different to theirs that was made of gold mine matched my hair and was silver in colour. Having been seated It was now time for my speech. As a person that didn’t like to complicate thing, I just thanked everyone for coming and hope that everyone would enjoy themselves tonight. Finally, I concluded the speech with a wish for eternal prosperity for the Kingdom of Kar.

Now, it was time for the moment I most dreaded. Gift time. It was when the guests would come and congratulate me, while leaving their gifts. Luckily for me because my brother was still sitting next to me only noble families above the rank of Count and foreign delegates could greet me. This wasn’t much of a bonus as there were still four Dukes, eight Marquesses, ten Counts, and three delegations I had to get through. On the bright side, families would do it altogether to stream like things only one or two representatives would speak.

Funnily enough of the eight marquesses seven of them have daughters that were born within weeks of each other the coincidences also continue in that they were all the youngest meaning they didn’t have to inherit their family title, and it still continues in that because we all have similar personalities they ended up as my playmates and waved their wooden sword around from a young age. Like Erika, their parents, siblings, and maids also constantly nagged them to take care and maintain their skin, nails, and hair constantly worried that one careless move and they would be scarred for life.

As they were my close friends, they congratulated me together as a group separate from their family. They went last after the other nobles and delegates as they knew that we would have a long chat with me and didn’t want to take up their time. After that, I led them to a side hall as I was tired. There we spoke about a great deal of nonsense and eat the snacks and food brought in by the maids as we were all hungry. We really looked like the princess of our families in our colourful dresses.

Feeling a bit nervous about how to breach the topic on our future. I finally, decided to be like my normal self and just tell them I intended to go to the academy and that I wanted to become either a knight or an adventurer.

They were supportive of the idea and agree to go with me to the academy. I don’t know why I was so nervous, my friends have always been highly supportive of me. As it was getting late, and we still had many things we wanted to talk about I had them sleepover at the Lily palace.

We played until late into the night and thus my twelfth birthday once again ended on a happy note.