The Invisible Prince

Chapter 23 - Stress (Part 4)

Arden's POV-

The warm breeze blowing softly against Arden's silky blonde locks made him look ethereal. He sighed in comfort, relieved to once again bask in the sunshine and breathe in fresh air.

He turned slightly, his eyes landing on a particularly stupendous flower. Its golden petals glistened, and Arden could feel himself drawn to the flower.

He tapped on Alec's shoulder. Then, he pointed at the flower.

"Brother, what is that flower?"

In response, his brother smiled gently and approached the glistening flower.

"This is a daffodil. It symbolizes new beginnings. Are you interested?"

Arden hummed as he looked at the butterflies that had landed on the flower. Despite sounding uninterested, the twinkle in his eyes betrayed him.

-

After nearly half an hour of strolling around the garden, Alec carried Arden toward a gazebo. Arden was soon seated in his high chair and, despite blushing fervently, he made no complaints.

Before long, their meals were served, and the two began to eat while enjoying the beautiful view of the flowers.

Arden, who had become healthier with the help of his brother, picked up his spoon without much struggle and began to swallow his soup. It was as he remembered, delicious and creamy, but still light enough for his stomach. When he was finished, he drank his medicine, a bitter concoction in stark contrast to the delicious soup he consumed prior.

Alec smiled at Arden's scrunched-up face, then handed him a small piece of candy. It had become a routine by now. Arden would drink his medicine after each meal, and Alec would hold out a piece of candy for the younger boy to eat. This would dispel the bitter taste of the medicine, and his adorable face would slowly unscrunch.

Arden took the candy gratefully, before unwrapping it (or trying to unwrap it). Unwrapping the candy was an arduous task since his weak and short fingers made it difficult to grasp the edges. Alec giggled at that, then proceeded to aid his struggling brother.

When the candy was finally unwrapped, Arden quickly put it inside his mouth, but he quickly spat it out after he heard the sound of children laughing in the distance. It was Arien and Arjen, his elder siblings.

[362 words]

Sorry I posted so late again! I may or may not have forgotten about this fic in the midst of preparing for tests until I looked at the time and realized it was already Sunday...