Chapter 18: Petals, Pranks, and Princesses
Phoenix had never seen a banquet this big before.
Even after the grand ceremony, the celestial dances, the raining stardust, and the thousand roasted mana-beasts served by levitating golems, the party didn't end. No, this was just the beginning.
After all, it wasn't just any birthday.
It was his fifth—the first true "coming of age" in Arcanian noble tradition. The day when fate could stir… and so, apparently, could feelings.
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Royal Playdate Protocol
A delegation of royal attendants whispered rapidly around Phoenix as he sat on the Sky Garden Pavilion's marble fountain. He stared blankly as two maids nervously polished the already-gleaming soles of his boots.
"Your Highness," one steward said, consulting a scroll longer than a wyvern, "you have seven princesses scheduled for personal greetings, nine for diplomatic games, and three… who are currently dueling for the right to braid your hair."
"What."
"It's standard romantic-political protocol, sire."
Phoenix blinked slowly.
His mother had warned him: "Once you turn five, Phoenix, they'll start noticing you."
He had thought she meant noticing him as in: "Oh, what a cute kid!"
Not this.
---
Petals of the Sky Princess
The first princess to arrive was none other than Lyra Stardust, daughter of the Fairy Empress.
She descended on a floating petal crafted of pure starlight, her silver hair sparkling like moonwater, her eyes shimmering with quiet curiosity. A dozen butterflies followed her like a royal guard.
Phoenix gulped.
"Hello, Prince Phoenix," she said gently, offering a curtsy so graceful it made the wind pause.
"H-hi," Phoenix said, cheeks going pink.
"I brought you a gift," she said, revealing a delicate music box carved from moon blossom wood. When she opened it, a gentle lullaby echoed through the sky garden.
The music... did something strange. It made the flowers bloom around them in perfect rhythm.
Phoenix stared in awe. "You made this?"
Lyra gave a quiet smile. "I sing it to the stars when I can't sleep."
Phoenix suddenly wanted to protect every dream she ever had.
They sat in a quiet corner, watching magical fish swim through the air, both pretending not to stare at each other too much.
---
Prank Wars Begin
The peace was short-lived.
"BOO!"
A puff of glittery smoke exploded beside them, and out stepped Nisha Morality, daughter of the Witch Empress, laughing like she had just pulled off the prank of the year.
"PHOENIX!" she shouted, flinging a pie at him.
"Wha—ACK!"
Splat.
Whipped cream dripped from his hair, dripping down onto his fancy boots.
Lyra gasped.
Nisha cackled.
Phoenix blinked… and grinned.
"Oh, you want a war?"
With a wave of his hand, he conjured a miniature storm cloud and launched a thunder-slap of custard in Nisha's direction. She shrieked in delight and threw another spell back.
In mere seconds, the Royal Garden Duel began.
Lyra tried to duck as flying cakes and dancing spoons joined the fray. Servants panicked. Birds fled. A floating piano caught on fire. Somewhere, a noble fainted.
Eventually, Empress Rose appeared, sighed, and froze the entire mess with one gesture.
"Five minutes," she said. "Five. And we have a battlefield."
Phoenix and Nisha stood frozen mid-attack, looking like adorable delinquents.
But then Rose smirked slightly and walked away. "Carry on."
---
Running with the Wolves
Later, after a change of clothes and a mild scolding, Phoenix found himself dragged into the arena garden by Tessa Fennir, the werewolf princess.
"Enough dancing and glitter," she declared. "Time for something REAL."
Before he could ask what that meant, she handed him a stick, then promptly transformed into her half-wolf form—ears perked, eyes glowing, claws extending slightly. She pounced.
"Tag. You're prey."
Phoenix screamed and ran.
What followed was a full-fledged chase through obstacle courses, up trees, over dragon statues, and even briefly across a floating gondola filled with confused nobles.
Phoenix ducked under a table. "This is NOT diplomatic protocol!"
Tessa grinned from above, dangling upside down from a tree. "Maybe not for humans. But in our tribe, chasing your future mate is tradition!"
Phoenix turned beet red. "YOU'RE FIVE!"
"So are you!" she countered and leapt after him again.
They wrestled briefly in a pile of flower petals, laughing until both were out of breath.
---
Magic in the Library
After escaping Tessa's "wild training," Phoenix found refuge in the floating library tower.
There, Saria Yggdrasil, daughter of the Elven Empress, sat surrounded by glowing books. Her hands hovered over a rune-crystal, healing a small, injured mana-deer.
She turned as Phoenix entered.
"Oh," she said gently. "Are you hurt?"
"N-no," Phoenix said, straightening up. "Just emotionally bruised."
She smiled slightly. "That's a serious condition."
He walked closer. "What's that?"
"This little one fell from the cloud platforms," she said, stroking the deer's fur. "But it's okay now."
Phoenix sat beside her, quietly watching as she hummed an elven lullaby.
"You're different," he said.
Saria nodded. "So are you."
They didn't speak much after that, but Phoenix felt calmer around her, as if being near her made the air less… noisy.
When she offered him a glowing blossom before he left, he kept it in his pocket all day.
---
Tired… But Not Done Yet
By evening, Phoenix had officially met eight princesses, been involved in four magical accidents, three accidental marriage proposals, two food fights, and one howling contest.
His sisters were keeping score.
"Who's your favorite?" Aurora teased, poking his cheek as he lay curled up in a pile of pillows.
"I don't know," he mumbled.
"They're all pretty," whispered Mira, the quietest sister. "But they all look at you like you're special."
"I'm just a kid," Phoenix grumbled.
"No," Diana said, brushing his hair back. "You're Phoenix. That's not just anything."
---
A Promise in the Stars
That night, as Phoenix stood on his bedroom balcony, staring up at the constellations, he heard footsteps behind him.
It was Lyra, again, her dress now soft and silvery.
"I wanted to say goodbye," she said.
He nodded. "I'm glad you came."
They stood side by side.
Then, she whispered something unexpected.
"My mother said we don't choose who we're bound to by fate… but I think I'd still choose you."
Phoenix's heart skipped.
She floated up slightly, kissed him gently on the cheek, then flew off on her petal.
He stood frozen, hand on his cheek.
"…I'm in trouble," he whispered.
Above, the stars twinkled like mischievous witnesses.