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When Melissa put a plate of food in front of her husband for breakfast, he grabbed her hand before she could turn away and gave her a skeptical smile. “I do love seeing you in a happy mood my beautiful wife, but it worries me when all this joy is not my doing.”

Melissa chuckled as the elf king pulled her onto his lap and gave her jaw a quick playful kiss.

“Has it finally happened? Have you found a lover to take over your husband’s duties because he is too busy for you?” Gareth kissed the woman’s chin and playfully nibbled in her earlobe. “Is the other man the source of all this joy?”

The beautiful queen wrapped her arms around Gareth’s neck and kissed his bottom lip playfully. “Maybe he is, I mean these days I only see you at bed time and early in the morning when you’re hungry. Would you blame if I found myself a young man who gives me all the attention in the world?”

Gareth gave her nose a quick kiss and flashed a devilish smile, “I shall send word to the executioner then, tonight a man shall hang.”

The two laughed heartily before sharing a passionate kiss. Regardless of the ups and downs that the couple had encountered, Melissa had no doubt in her mind that she had made the right choice when she married Gareth, he was a dream come true and no matter how many years had gone by, she never tired of him.

“On a serious note though,” Gareth inquired, “why is my queen so happy this morning?”

“This is what happens when you get too busy,” Melissa responded, “have you forgotten your own daughter’s day of birth?”

.....

Gareth’s eyes widened. “Goodness! Is that today?!”

“No .. it’s not today, calm yourself,” Melissa responded, “it’s not for another two weeks. It’s usually on the day the first flakes of snow fall to the ground to welcome the winter. You did name her you know, ‘snow’ .”

Gareth cupped his forehead and sighed in relief, “I suppose I did.” He would have had a very difficult day if it were Eira’s birthday. He was trying to mend his relationship with his daughter, and forgetting her birthday would have taken him several steps backwards. “She will be seventeen will she not?”

“She will, it feels like only yesterday she was suckling from my tit, now she’s making new friends and possibly courting someone.”

Gareth’s smile immediately faded at the mention of his daughter being courted.

“Is she seeing someone?! Who is this person? Where is he from? How long has this been going on and why do I know nothing about it?!”

Melissa pinched her husband’s lips and hushed him. “It’s just a hunch and nothing else,” Melissa spoke with a chuckle, “I mean she has been dressing up more, and all those scented oils she’s been storing away seem to finally be in use. I’m guessing Eira isn’t the type to get dolled up to impress Janis and Isabella now is she?”

Gareth felt so conflicted about this information. Yes, he was aware that Eira would one day find someone she fancied, but he honestly hoped it would be much much later. Eira was his little girl, his treasure, and on top of that the crowned princess.

What if the man she had found was some power hungry maniac? Or what if he was an obsessive lunatic? What if he was just going to use Eira and make her life miserable? Gareth couldn’t allow it, he had to find out who this mystery man was and have him thoroughly investigated.

The double doors of the dining hall opened and Eira walked in. The princess stopped mid stride, glanced at her parents and sighed. “I will have my breakfast in my room if the two of you are still canoodling in here.”

“Don’t worry sweetheart we’ve canoodled enough for today,” Melissa spoke as she slipped off her husband’s lap. She leaned forward and gave Gareth’s cheek a kiss before whispering in his ear, “don’t bring up her love life Gary...”

Eira walked to the table and took her usual seat by her father’s left hand.

“Good morning my little princess, did you sleep well?”

Eira arched her eyebrows suspiciously at her father, the last time he had called her ‘my little princess’ was when she was ten years old. What exactly was going on with him this morning?

“Were the two of you talking about me?” Eira asked as she poured herself a cup of ginger tea.

“No!”

“Yes..” Melissa held her husband’s hand underneath the table and rubbed it to urge him to calm down. “Your birthday is coming up and you know how your father always gets so emotional during this time of year. No man, not even a king, ever wants his little princess to grow up and not need him.”

“Oh I see.” Eira put a spoonful of fruit tart in her mouth and gave her father a smile.

“Don’t worry father, I’ll always need you.”

“Are you sure? Because sometimes I worry someone will take my place in your life- ow!”

Melissa squeezed her husband’s hand under the table and gave her daughter a small smile, “see what I mean? He just can’t help it.”

Eira glanced at her parents as she chewed her food, they had always been a little odd but today they were acting stranger than usual.

“Anyway, what theme would you like your ball to have this year?” Melissa asked her daughter, her hand still squeezing Gareth’s to insure he did not say anything else he wasn’t supposed to.

“I can choose my own theme this year?” There was an excitement in Eira’s voice that made her mother beam. “Gods I’ve waited for this for so long.”

“Oh come on darling it’s not like we never let you participate in the planning of your own birthday?”

“You never do,” Eira corrected her mother, “I always just show up and everything is already set up.”

“Well this year is all about you princess,” Eira’s father spoke with a smile, “anything you want I will make it happen.”

This was Gareth’s chance to kill two birds with one stone. He was going to win his daughter’s love and affection back by planning the best birthday ball she could ever ask for, and on top of that, he would also show her that the only man she needed in her life, at least until she was thirty years old or so, was him, her father, and no one else.

“Goodness, Ive had so many ideas over the years,” Eira responded excitedly, “but I think one of those stands out from the rest.”

“And which one is that?”

“A masquerade ball,” Eira responded with a glimmer of wonder in her eyes. “The suspense in the room will be amazing. And I love the idea of everyone just being themselves because they have no idea who the next person is. I’m tired of people putting on a show in hopes of impressing others.”

Gareth smiled at his daughter, the way she spoke her mind was very refreshing. “Anything for you princess, we shall start the preparations as soon as possible.”

*

Back in the forest Elric was sitting in his chair brooding. He regretted it all, he regretted ever meeting Eira, he regretted saving her at that party and bringing her home, because all of this had put the silver haired lycan in this infuriating position, having her in his mind every time he sat in silence.

And on top of it all, he really regretted how he had spoken to her the last time they had met. He didn’t mean to drive her away, he was simply acting from a point of fear, fear of opening up and getting attached to another red headed woman.

But goddamit he missed her presence, what in the world was wrong with him?! He barely even knew her but her absence left a significant void.

Maybe he should try and talk to her, to apologize for being, quote and quote, ‘a prick’. He would try to open up a little and make her understand why he was like that sometimes, and pray that she would understand. He was but a broken man, and it would take some time for him to be ready to reveal his broken pieces to someone who either held a hammer or an adhesive behind their back.

Would Eira shutter him to dust, or help glue together the broken pieces, that was what Elric did not know. And that is what he feared, the unknown, the fear of being hurt a second time.