Beginning

Chapter 13

Titian waited at the table inside the Dining Hall with a smug look on her face. She had beaten them to the table. She had beaten both of them. Her birthday had already started out marvelously. She even took a few sips of sange, trying to acquire a taste for it. Not that it did any good, it still tasted dull and unappetizing to her. She knew she had a fresh drink, but yesterday but she'd wondered if having another so soon would be so bad. It's her birthday after all.

The only thing that interrupted her birthday spirit was the lack of information of a certain secret. Titania had hoped that William could get the information to her before she had to see her mother again so she can deny her mother the satisfaction of teasing her. Soon enough the doors opened, and King Lucain arrived. Titania stood to greet her father, a sly smile hinting at her lips, "Good morrow father, I hope you are rested well."

Lucain, startled by seeing his daughter arrive so early, also gave smile, "And a good morrow to you as well, my dear," he said as he walked over and took his seat. Immediately a cupbearer came to him to fill his cup. "My rest went well, but my question is how did you rest?" He let out a small fatherly chuckle before continuing. "If at all, I believe it is more probable that you didn't sleep all the daylight rather than wake up early," he spoke as he took a sip of his cup.

Titania made a small pout as she looked at her father, "Oh father how you hurt me. I merely slept lightly and got up at the start of the night. I was too excited for today to be able to relax and allow myself to rest very deeply." She spoke sweetly hint at her excitement.

Lucain raised an eyebrow at her, "Too excited? Oh, whatever for my dear?"

To this Titania pouted even more and looked slightly cross at her father forgetting yet again. She was just about to volley when the doors opened once again and in came Stefania.

Titania felt a sting of annoyance at seeing her mother while still not knowing about her secret plans. William was not yet able to tell her the secret and Titania wanted to be able to hold the information above her mother and ruin any sort of surprise she had planned. Being out of the loop was not something the princess liked to feel and she certainly did not want to start making it a habit.

She decided to be civil for their time together, however, and as long as her mother did not tease her she put the thought of any secret to the back of her mind. "Good morrow mother!" Titania stood and greeted her mother, a slight smirk tugging at her lips at the shocked expression that passed on her mother's face.

"The shock doesn't end there, my love. She was here before even I came to the table," commented Lucain, also a bit amused with his wife's astonishment.

Stefania looked over at Lucain as she made her way to her seat, "Really now. That's quite the impressive task seeing as it has never been done in 179 years." Stefania smiled as she looked at Titania and took her seat. "Well, 180 years now my dear, happy birthday."

To this Titania smiled, delighted in the conversation turning to her birthday. She turned to her father and gave him a smug look. "See Father, Mother can remember my birthday."

Lucain let out a low chuckle, "Oh my dear, I was merely jesting once more, I could never forget my daughter's special day. Especially after we spent so much time on setting up your surprise present..."

Titania's ears perked up at the word surprise and she quickly noticed the pompous smile on her father's face. She turned to look at her mother who was trying to hold back the same smile.

Titania outwardly groaned. She'd thought she would only have to worry about her mother teasing her, but having to deal with her father as well was going to drive her mad before she had the chance to figure out the secret.