Blissful Innocence

"Happy birthday, Edward," the queen of Eblan murmured as she embraced her silver haired son. He pouted.

"Mom...! Don't call me Edward!" He whined. "That's the Damcyan pansycake's name!" His father soon joined the two.

"Don't hate the name just because someone else has it, son. But you are right, that Edward really is a pansy." He ruffled Edge's hair. "So how does it feel to be ten?" The boy grinned.

"Awesome. When can I start Ninjutsu training?" His parents laughed, and his dad flicked his head.

"Right now. But you have to agree to anything your mom tells you to do today." He took a cloth wrapped parcel out of his robe. "Don't cut yourself on these; they're sharp." Edge eagerly took the parcel and unwrapped. It was a pair of short, bronze kunai with the Eblanese runes for ninja, royalty, and Geraldine- his family. He set them down and tackle hugged both his parents.

"Thanks Mom, Dad! You're the best parents in the world!" His mom laughed quietly.

"Now go find Seneschal. He'll bring you to your sensei. Come back to change into nice clothes when your done; we're having a party for you this evening." He nodded, excited to final learn how to be a ninja at last, and ran down the stairs.

"He reminds me of you when you were younger," the queen murmured to her husband. He chuckled lightly. 

"If you're right, we'll have a hard time keeping our eyes on him by the time he's fifteen. We're going to have our hands full."

"That's what Seneschal is for right?"

The King snorted. "If he's anything like I was, he's going to give poor Seneschal a heart attack everyday from the day he discovers women to the day the old man finally croaks." She lightly smacked his arm. He cracked a grin.

"Don't worry dear; those days are over for me, and I wouldn't trade this for anything."

🎁🎁🎁

Seneschal had finally forced Edge to change into dress clothes. The little boy was now wearing dark pants, soft leather boots, a midnight blue tunic, and a white cape. His mom met him out in the hall in her floor length plum colored gown. A small tiara sat on top of her brown hair. She was holding a velvet pouch.

"This is for you, Edge," she told him. She took out a small golden circlet with a silver star set with a blue stone.

"That looks like a shruiken," he commented. The queen nodded.

"It can be a star in the sky, or it can be a throwing star. Whatever you want it to mean." Her eyes landed on him.

"You can be whatever you want too, Edge." Her slender fingers skimmed over the gem. "You are that stone. No matter what you choose to do with your life, whatever bad or good things happen; don't ever let yourself forget: You are the star sapphire of Eblan. You're irreplaceable." She carefully laid it on his silver hair. He hugged her.

"Thanks Mom. And I promise, I won't ever forget." She smiled.

"Good." They met his dad just outside the ballroom. He nodded approvingly when he saw Edge wearing the circlet.

"Happy birthday, Edge. Have fun, but play nice with the other kids." He made a face.

"Fine...."

All of the younger guests were easy to find. Most of them he didn't bother with, being that they were apprentices of mages, or just snobby noble children. He also bypassed the fifteen year old prince of Damcyan, Edward Chris Von Muir. What a wimp. He found two kids he didn't recognize though. One was a girl with blond hair, and the other was a boy with a short blond ponytail. They looked about thirteen years old.