Chapter 484: a birthday is a reminder that we survive yet another year of life!
"My darling little Prince!" Grandma Chief hugged me tightly the moment I stepped down the stairs from the waterfall side walkway. She cupped my cheeks and smiled widely. "You look radiant! And so much healthier!"
Was that her way of saying I looked chubbier now? I patted my cheeks once she let go of my face, wondering how much weight I had put on since the wedding. Oh, well--Natha liked it anyway.
"Come, come--the others had been waiting!" she ushered me and Natha--who was carrying little boy Jade--toward the Great Tree. "You’re just in time!"
Indeed, just in time. Midnight came about five minutes ago before we were landing, and I had the most spectacular birthday kiss for a whole minute in the sky.
Just a whole minute, since Jade was pushing Natha aside so he could give me a kiss on my cheek on his own.
Thankfully, Amarein had warned me about the feast that Grandma and the others wanted to make for me, so I wasn’t surprised this time. And I didn’t mind--after all, only Grandma and the other Chief came to our reception banquet last time.
Even from here, we could already see the sparkling light of the glowing moths and fireflies surrounding the trees, as well as the long tables with a scrumptious feast on top of them. The other druids were standing up around the plaza, including the children, even though it was past their bedtime already. Flowers and banners decorated the plaza, so, even though it was kind of a birthday thing, it was almost as if I had my second wedding party here. Or was it the fifth?
I told Amarein they could just do it in the morning, but it was the druid’s tradition to celebrate one’s birthday as soon as the date changed. It was for a bigger blessing, they said. I had no idea what was the logic behind it, but...who cares?
And you know what? Since it was a midnight banquet, there wouldn’t be lots of activity; just a feast and a prayer led by the Amarein as the Goddess’s proxy. Nice, calm, and short.
Surely, the children would be too sleepy to run around, right?
"Natha, Jade will walk!" the little boy slid down Natha’s arms and ran toward the plaza before me, meeting up with his druid friends who welcomed him with delightful shrieks.