"Alcott! You're okay!" Sadie rushed forward and hugged me. Kingsley hugged me from the other side. "We're so sorry! We should've been more careful."

"Alcott's right, none of us saw this coming," Dad put a hand on Sadie and Kingsley's shoulder.

"We should get going," mom said, "as this rate, we won't be back until after Alcott's ninth birthday."

"Holy- I totally forgot he's turning nine in..." dad pondered for a moment.

"Ten days," mom chuckled.

"Yeah, ten days. He's so... small, like a six year old."

"No offense," dad smiled sheepishly

"You take the magic apptitude test on your ninth birthday. It's customary for nobles," Mom explained.

"Well, I have light magic, and... he has gas and body magic. You may get one or two of those."

"Depends on how you use it, like all magic types." Mom curtsied to Sadie and Kingsley, "it was lovely meeting you, but we have to leave now."

"We understand. Be safe, Prince Alcott," Kingsley and Sadie smiled sadly at me.

I waved goodbye and climbed into the fancy (and quite spacious) carriage. I looked out the back window as Sadie and Kingsley's house disappeared from sight. I'd miss them, they were the first people who took care of me.

"I never thought I'd be able to see you again," mom sniffed, "it still doesn't feel real."

"And it seems that rumor about that bastard putting a curse on Alcott was true. We'll have Davis find a counterspell when we get back," dad growled.

"He's the Archmage of Fascus. A brilliant mage, much better than Aplana's Archmage in my opinion."

"Hun, not everyone in Aplana is like King Walton," mom put her hand on dad's hand. A lovey-dovey aura surrounded them as they leaned against each other.

How nice, I'm glad they love each other so much. I yawned and felt sleepy as the carriage smoothly drove back to Fascus. Next thing I knew, I passed out.

~

"Look how cute he is!"

"Sh, don't wake him up!"

"Sorry."

"Mmn," I felt nice and warm. I smiled at the pleasant warmth and snuggled into the heat source in front of me. Said heat source started shaking. I opened my eyes a sliver and looked up to see that the warm heat source in front of me was dad. Mom was behind me. Then I realized I was sitting between them with a soft blanket wrapped around me.

"How can a child be this cute?" Dad hugged me tightly.

"Who knows," mom giggled. She came closer and I fell back asleep.

What? I like sleep.

~

"We're here!" Dad picked me up and got out of the carriage. Looming ahead was a grand castle, even grander than the one in Aplana! The four day trip was long, but pleasant.

A crowd had formed in front of the gates and people were cheering. I could vaguely hear them say "Prince Alcott!", but who knows?

"Welcome back," an elder man dressed in a butler's attire bowed, "everyone's been awaiting your return."

"Please tell them we'll be there soon"

"Yes, your majesty." The butler turned and briskly walked away.

Who is "them"?

"The high council, they wanted to see you. Davis will also be there and he can figure out the curse they put on you, and maybe see if he can at least make that scar fade." Dad's expression grew dark when his eyes flitted to the brand on my neck for a split second.

Lies. It still hurt like a bitch. Damn that Walton hoe.

"..." Dad didn't look like he believed me, which was understandable, but didn't say anything else.

"Come on, Hun, we've kept them waiting long enough," mom held dad's hand and we went down to a pair of huge doors at the end of one of many corridors. Two guards opened the doors and on the other side was a long table with nobles sitting at every chair except for two at the very end. Everyone stood up and bowed/ curtsied.

"Please sit down, we have a few things to discuss," everyone sat down. I ended up in mom's lap as dad stayed standing and explained everything from King Walton's attempted kidnap and branding me to the magic apptitude test that was scheduled for my birthday in six days.

"We shall have him hanged!"

"No, torture is the better punishment! Let's cut off his nether regions!" Nobles yelled about the proper punishment for King Walton. I had a different image about nobles. These nobles were way more lively than the ones in Aplana, who resembled empty shells when it came to emotion.

If King Walton hadn't burned me, I would've tried to convince them to give him a quick and painless death. But I'm not doing that now, no way no how.

"Enough! We'll figure it out later. For now, our top priority is getting this curse undone and getting Prince Alcott settled in." The nobles nodded and came up one by one to greet me. There was a lot of them.

"I guess that's enough excitement for one day. We both have a lot of paperwork to catch up on. Maybe we can have some noble kids come in and play with Alcott." Mom talked with dad at dinner while I focused on eating the yummy food. I wonder if they had grape juice.

I held my notebook up to a nearby maid. She smiled and nodded. Not a minute later, they gave me a glass of grape juice. I took a few big gulps of it and smiled. Grape juice was the best juice!

Aw, he's so cute! The servants thought when they saw he had a purple juice moustache on his upper lip.