How the Emperor trapped a Witch

Chapter Seven: Surprise!

It has been one year now, since Alaric entered my life.

"Are you almost done?" I ask Quinn who was assisting me today. I had decided to plan a surprise party for him.

"Is this the last dish Master?" Quinn was currently setting up the table made of her spider silk and put down the many dishes that I had spent the whole day making.

"Yep!" I finished putting the flowers into a vase. We both took a step back to admire our handiwork.

The table was laden down with food, presents rested next to a new chair which Quinn had made for Alaric and his favorite flowers- white tulips and hydrangea's were almost on every table in the room. Although, those were what I thought are his favorites since I had seen him admire those ones multiple times.

"It looks like he will be home soon." I glanced at the window and saw the sun start to set. Alaric had his swordsmanship training with Captain Kimbra today which gave me more time to set up. I had asked Captain Kimbra to come as well, but she had declined although she did give me a present for him to open.

I felt a small tingle as my barrier let me know that Alaric had passed through it. "Let's go outside."

We leave, shutting the door behind us and waited for Alaric.

Soon he walks out from under the trees and gave us a puzzled look at us standing outside.

"Hello Tia. Quinn." He nods at her after smiling at me. "What are you doing outside?"

"Waiting for you!" I stand behind him and covered his eyes. "Keep your eyes closed and no peeking!"

Quinn opens the door as I lead him into the house and I placed him in front of the door.

"Eyes closed?" I ask as he nods and let go stepping off to the side and pulling out my wand. "On the count of three; open your eyes.....1......2.........3!"

He opens them and seems like he was in shock. I waved my wand and created petals that danced in the air in front of him.

"Surprise!" Quinn and I say together as he took it all in.

"You.... Did this for me?" he asks his eyes shaking

"You said that you didn't know when your actual birthday was." I laughed as I pulled him over to the table. "So, I decided to use the day we met to celebrate you!"

Alaric stares at me wordlessly and I bite my lip at his silence.

"Did you not like it?"

"Of course I like it." Alaric suddenly hugs me, surprising me with his strength. "There's no way that I wouldn't like it."

"I'm glad!" I sighed in relief at his words. "Well, lets dig in!"

I sat down next to Alaric who happily took portions from each dish and we all joked and laughed as the last rays of sunshine disappeared under the trees.

::::::::

"Go ahead and open your presents." I encourage Alaric as he sat down in the new chair. "That one is from Captain Kimbra."

Her present turned out to be a new sword and a book on etiquette. He opens another from the old man in the apothecary shop which was an encyclopedia of different herbs and plants for medicine.

I had given him two presents- one was a very elaborate journal which had an enchanted lock to keep snoops out and a wand. He had asked me to teach him magic and had been using a very old wand that I had laying around.

I had carved the wand myself out of cedar, allowing the wood to shape itself and placed a jasper gem on the end.

After sometime, Quinn leaves as Alaric watches me clean up with a wave of my wand.

"Thank you."

I pause and look over at him. "You don't have to thank me Alaric. Every kid should be celebrated and congratulated."

He goes silent as I lightly groan from overeating. "Did you have fun?" I ask. "Were you at least surprised?"

"Yes. I was." We looked at each other for a few seconds until I had to look away. "You always manage to surprise me. I never know what to expect."

"I'll take that as a compliment." I laugh it off in the strange tension between us. "We'll start the magic lessons tomorrow then." I quickly retreated to my room and closed the door.

Alaric has always been watching me, but that felt different. I instinctively knew that if I didn't run to my room just now, that he was going to say something that I wasn't sure I was ready to hear. He was already completely different from the small boy that I had saved a year ago; he has become more confident and wise, soon he will change even more as an adult.

I shook my head at the complicated thoughts inside my head and fell into my bed, hugging a pillow.

'Let's deal with this tomorrow.'