Mariana never thought she would ever take the king's side but whatever she had said was true afterall.
"The queen and the princess too, are very humble and kind-hearted.". Mariana liked them both very much.
Aunt Penny nodded her head. "Our King Aaron and his family are a boon to us"
All of them chatted for a bit until Veronica and her mother took their leave.
Mariana thanked aunt Penny for she'd again had their dinner prepared.
"Let's have dinner", Mariana said. "Come on, Caelen", she invited her dear friend.
Voilet took her toy house to keep in her room and aunt Penny went to set their dinner table.
As Mariana made to the kitchen, Caelen stopped her on her way as he stood in front of her. "We didn't talk much these days", he said.
He was right, Mariana thought. She had been out of village for these three days.
"I've missed gorgeous Marie".
Chuckling at his compliments, Mariana gave a playful punch to his arm.
"Let us have the dinner and then you give me every gossip from these three days", Mariana playfully ordered.
He stretched out his arm. "After you, miss".
After dinner, Aaron sat in the garden of his palace on a bench. The sweet fragrance of night jasmine bloomed in the air and Aaron stretched his legs, relaxing. It was dark in the garden. The moon was hidden behind the clouds amd the only light there was from inside the palace. Cool air blew over her face. It was just as Aaron liked.
"You look happy".
He whirled to his left and saw Amy walking towards him, clutching the ferret in her arms. She stood beside him on the bench and stroke Ross's fur.
"Looks like you had a good day", she said smiling down at the ferret who was enjoying her stroking on her lap.
Aaron rolled his eyes realising what good part of the day she was referring to. "You are still a child, Amy".
Amy chuckled. "She's pretty, though".
Yes, she was, Aaron thought thinking about her pretty face. He saw her very closely today but he was not going to tell that to his sister. He decided to change the topic and then asked her the question he wanted to ask earlier. "What do you want for a birthday present?"
"I don't want anything. I have everything".
"Still", he persisted.
Amy playfully held up the ferret who smiled at her and then wriggled his body to be back in her arms. "I think I want a ferret of my own", she said shaking Ross's little body.
"God help me", Aaron leaned his head back on the bench and then raised it. "Do you promise to keep it away from me?"
Aaron asked because this blasted ferret always ate sitting beside Aaron's body making sure to touch atleast one of his body part.
"He loves you", Amy commented chuckling.
"He loves my expensive boot".
Amy clutched the ferret back in her arms and sighed. "What I would really like is for you to be free from the curse", his sister said in a low voice.
"That gift is very hard to find", Aaron said with a smirk.
Amy turned towards him. "I know. Just try to get rid of that curse until my next birthday, atleast. I give you a year".
Amy knew talking about the curse was not his favourite thing so they didn't talk about it much. But he knew since this year was the red moon's year, his sister also would be worried. The damn curse was stressing out his family.
"I am not going to do anything about it. Mother doesn't want me to".
Amy frowned. "We can't just sit and wait for the things to happen by themselves. They might not".
Sighing, Aaron ran a hand through his hair. It was exactly the same thing he used to think. "I know. But there's nothing much we can do".
"Don't you both want to sleep?"
They turned around and found their mother walking towards them.
"I was about to sleep but Amy woke me up". Aaron tapped a finger on his sister's forehead.
She winced and complained. "And he was calling me a child".
His mother came to stand in front of them and took the ferret from Amy. "You both are still like small children. I miss those days when you both used to call me 'mama'". His mother too, stroked the ferret's fur.
"I am not going to call you that", Aaron said immediatedly.
Amy laughed. "It's only been few years since you stopped calling her that".
Frowning, Aaron curled his mouth. "What rubbish. It stopped long before".
He raised his hand to hit her again but she held her hand while laughing. However, the next moment her smile vanished off. Clutching his wrist, she wrinkled her brows. "Your chain".
Aaron looked at the chain and was instantly surprised. The silver chain now looked like a golden one. It's colour had absolutely changed. Aaron didn't realise when and how it happened. He looked at it with widened eyes.
Amy looked up at him angrily. "Did you misplace the original one?"
"What?!" Their mother shrieked and placed the ferret on the bench. Now she clutched his wrist in her hand. "Aaron, what did you do?" She looked more furious than yesterday.
Aaron stood up and rushed to explain her. "I didn't do anything", he shook his head. "The chain has changed the colour".
His mother paid no heed to his statement. "Did you give it to someone? Did you loose it?"
Aaron shook his head. "No, mother. I swear the chain itself has changed it's colour". His mother didn't look convinced.
Aaron groaned. "I am alive, aren't I? If I had lost the chain, then that wasn't possible, right?"
Now his mother began to think something other that blaming him.
Amy stood up. "But how is that possible?"
They all were silent for a moment. Aaron eyed the chain. How did he not notice the colour change? It was the same chain just in golden now.
His mother left his hand and clutched her hand to her chest. "Perhaps it's because the red moon is near", she said in a worried voice. "Perhaps it's a warning".
Aaron rolled his eye. "It's not a warning mother. I went for a swim in the lake behind the palace at morning. Perhaps the water has caused a reaction".
His mother shook her head frighteningly. "Water doesn't make this colour change. It's somethimg else".
Sweat began to form on his mother's forhead and her entire body seemed shaking. Both Aaron and Amy made their mother sit on the bench.
"I will send for Erasmus tomorrow", she said.
Aaron groaned. That weired man really irritated him.
His mother gave him an angry stare. "Don't you hate him. He is the reason you got the chain".
Aaron gasped dramatically and widened his eyes. "You shouldn't speak angrily to a dying man, mother".
Well, his mother got even angrier.
She stood up. "I told you not to go to the witches".
"You went to the witches?" Amy screamed.
Aaron looked at both of them, his mother and his sister. They both looked so similar. They both looked so angry. And Aaron loved them both.
So he took a deep breath and made them both sit on the bench. Two pairs of blue eyes looked at him.
"Listen to me", Aaron began to say. "I went to the witches yesterday. Nothing happened last night. So this", his raised up his wrist, "is not because of that".
Amy opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Aaron held up a finger at her.
He continued. "I am not feeling weak or harmed and my health is good".
Now his mother opened her mouth to say sonething and Aaron stopped her too, in the same way.
"I know you are worried. But I am a grown man. For God's sake, I'm a king".
His mother and sister looked at each other and back at him. The look they gave him spoke, 'We don't give a fuck if or not you are a king'.
Aaron sighed. "Alright. To make you feel better, Charles and I will go meet Erasmus tomorrow at the morning". If that's what they wanted, then Aaron would do it.
They both breathed in relief.
"Now I want you both to go and have a good sleep".
They both nodded and stood up.
"Do go and meet Erasmus, okay?" His mother asked and Aaron nodded.
Aaron kissed both their hands and bid them good night and then they left the garden. Aaron watched their retreating backs.
Feeling a movement at his legs, he sighed in helplessness. He bend down and picked up the ferret who had rested his head on his boot. Holding him up in his one hand, he shook the ferret's little body. "You can have my boot if I die. I'll write it down in my will".
Giving a look at his golden chain, Aaron clutched the ferret in his arm and went inside the palace.