The city was bustling with people as they went about their day. The air was light, and the scent of bread drifted through the streets. Some vendors were busy showing off their goods, while others worked or shopped. The shouting voices of merchants and vendors, eagerly showcasing their crafts and wares, filled the air.
Suddenly, a crowd gathered in the middle of the city square. More and more people came to witness the commotion. Indeed, a man was sitting in the middle of the town square. It was the palace squire! They didn't usually come unless there was news important enough to be addressed by the kingdom's folk—so perhaps this commotion truly meant something.
A man walked into the square holding scrolls with the royal seal; the scroll was adorned with jewels. The crowd grew even more anticipatory. The royal scrolls typically came in four colors, each with its own meaning: white for a royal wedding, blue as a sign of mourning, black for war. Yet the yellow one signified the celebration of a new royal family member.
The squire took the scrolls with grace and opened them in front of the eager spectators.
Then the squire spoke. "It is my honor and my duty to bring news to all of you from the palace. Be rejoiced, people of the Agravar Empire, for the King and Queen have been granted a child, born to His Majesty King Darius the Great and Her Majesty Empress Liliana Heartwell! For this occasion, there will be celebrations throughout the empire for four days, and you are all welcome to the prince's name-giving ceremony!"
The people rejoiced as they welcomed their new prince. The palace had also given the citizens three sacks full of rice and flour as a gesture of celebration. Moreover, the nobles were seen hopping from shop to shop, looking for something they could gift to the infant prince.
In the beautiful castle beyond the flowery garden…
Aslan was sitting in the emperor's hand, peacefully drinking the breast milk the empress had prepared before leaving earlier that morning. Today, the emperor had planned a little outing with him, hoping to introduce him to the people working in the palace.
"My child, why will you not show your face? Are you perhaps shy?" the emperor asked, clearly puzzled. How could he not be? Aslan had refused to even look at anyone besides him or the empress. The emperor could feel the tiny heart racing whenever he tried to introduce others to him. Even in his arms, Aslan showed signs of discomfort. Could it be the way he held him? He'd held him just like the empress did—even used some magic to soften his hand—yet the boy still didn't seem comfortable.
I know the emperor has been trying hard, but I just can't bring myself to feel at ease. These people are strangers to me, and even the emperor's arm feels uncomfortable—not because it's hard or anything, but because I don't like being touched, especially like this. Thinking back, how long has it been since I last socialized with someone other than Mister Brett? I think... none, Aslan thought, while suckling milk in the emperor's embrace.
"Hrmmm, well then, let's just go somewhere with fewer people," the emperor said. He walked through a palace corridor filled with portraits and decorations.
This is bigger than even our house. I think this corridor is more like a road than a hallway, Aslan thought, marveling at the sheer scale of the palace. After a while, they reached their destination.
"Welcome, my child, to the Imperial Garden! There aren't many servants here, so you and your pops can spend some quality time together!" said the emperor.
Wow, it's truly beautiful! The colors of so many flowers blending together, the fragrance all around—it's wondrous! Look! There's even a dome in the middle with a cute table big enough for a meal. The flowers are towering over one another! Aslan thought, captivated by the view. The garden was as big as his middle school football field.
"I knew you would like it!" said the emperor, noticing the bright glow in his son's eyes.
"You know, this garden is also your mother's favorite. I even met her here. Oh, how lovely she was then! I think she was stealing some of the flowers at the time. She saw me, so I went and said hi—then she tried to run away, so I chased her until we fell into that water fountain there," said the emperor, walking toward the fountain, reminiscing about his memories with the empress.
That was just like a fairytale we read at school, thought Aslan.
"Alright, shall we go to the library then? I'm worried the sun might be a little too hot for your skin," said the emperor, gently carrying him out of the garden and back into the castle.
After a while, they reached the library. At a glance, anyone would be awestruck by the towering bookcases that reached the palace ceiling. A huge, long table stood in the middle, made of wood with carved decorations. The walls were also adorned with artifacts, and the largest piece of all was a map—Aslan's first view of the world.
"This is our world, my son. You see the big red dot there? That is our empire, spanning this entire continent. And to the south of us are thirteen other continents. Back then, this continent was a mess—kingdoms rose and fell like it was Tuesday. And yet ours stood firm, stronger than all the rest. It didn't even take five years for them to destroy one another. Your great-grandparent, Emperor Anasticius, stopped all the fighting and unified the land into one empire—though it probably helped that most of the enemies had already self-destructed," said the emperor.
"The nearest kingdom to us is the Kingdom of Balesik. They are our allies—your old man is good friends with their king," he added.
Wow, the world is so big! I never imagined our kingdom was this vast. But what about that land beyond the fourteen continents, cut off by the sea? It's painted black, Aslan thought, curiosity sparking in his eyes.
The emperor noticed him staring at that part of the map.
"There, my boy, is a place none of us dare to go. That is the forgotten land. It was torn apart during the Angel–Demon War, and the miasma that remains has bonded to the land itself. Sometimes creatures come from there—or they simply manifest elsewhere."
Creature!!?