Chapter 1: Growing Up

Vincent, my sweet baby boy, it's time to wake up. Mommy made some delicious egg pancakes, and if you don't get up soon, they'll be all gone.

Susan gently pushed open the door and walked into the room. As she spoke, she pulled back the curtains, letting the bright sun flood the room and shine directly on the bed. The little person on the bed pulled up the covers, covered their head, and turned over, mumbling something.

Susan walked up to the bed, pulled back the covers, patted the little bottom, and kissed the rosy cheek. "Baby, today is your birthday, and it's also Children's Day. The lord of the city is going to meet you at the castle. If you don't get up soon, you'll be late."

The words "castle" and "lord of the city" woke Vincent up. He rubbed his eyes, slowly opened his big eyes, and smiled at his mother. "Good morning, Mommy." "Good morning, baby. Happy birthday."

Vincent rubbed his eyes, stretched lazily, and sat up. Susan handed him a new set of clothes and said, "Vincent, today you will be the best and most beautiful baby in the castle." Vincent nodded and said, "I'm five today and I'm a big boy. I can dress myself and eat by myself. When I grow up, I want to be a knight like Daddy. Am I good, Mommy?"

"Baby, you're amazing. But we need to hurry up and wash our face, brush our teeth, and eat the pancakes. Otherwise, we'll be late."

"Okay, Mommy. Where's Daddy?"

"Daddy went up the mountain to find a birthday present for you. Today, Mommy will go with you to the castle. When we come back in the afternoon, you can see Daddy's present."

"Okay, I really want to see what Daddy got me as a gift."

As Vincent sat at the dining table, swallowing the last bite of the pancake, he heard a shout from outside the courtyard. "Vincent, are you ready? Let's go to the castle together!" It was Harry, his neighbor. It's a coincidence, but Harry and Vincent were born on the same day, only a few hours apart. When Susan gave birth to Vincent, Harry's mother, Joey, helped with the delivery and then went back to her own house.

So Vincent and Harry grew up together, and it's not an exaggeration to say that they've never been apart for a day. Their two mothers were also good friends and often helped each other take care of their children. Now these two little boys look like twins, with similar heights, round faces, and light golden hair. The only difference is that Vincent has straight hair, and Harry has curly hair with some freckles on his face. For this year's Children's Day, the two mothers and their babies made the same clothes, and the four of them looked like a family. The two babies held hands, and the mothers held their own babies, happily walking towards the castle.

The lord's castle was built on the highest hill in the giant stone city, and was constructed by the great magician using massive stones. It had a three-tiered base, consisting of a main building, and east and west wings that encircled a central courtyard. Numerous tall towers dotted the castle's periphery, and the outer walls were adorned with countless magical spells that, at special moments, could raise a huge energy shield to protect the entire castle. The main building was where the lord dealt with official affairs, the east wing housed the lord's family, and the west wing was the barracks for the guard. The outside of the east wing annex had a garden, while the outside of the west wing annex was a martial arts training ground. The pantry, kitchen, servant quarters, and stable were all located in the backyard. The entire castle was surrounded by a ten-yard-wide moat, and only one stone arch bridge spanned the river to reach the city.

Two little boys were visiting the castle for the first time, accompanied by adults. When they looked up at the huge, cold, and oppressive structure, they were a little scared. However, for today's Children's Day celebration, the castle bridge was adorned with a flower arch, and maids were arranged to guide each family. The maids gave each child a beautiful lollipop, and the children were immediately delighted.

Everyone was led to the castle's reception hall, which was said to be where the lord's wife entertained guests. The luxurious interior design and painted glass dazzled the parents, while the children were attracted to the various snacks and drinks. Some children rushed to the snack table, grabbing as much as they could and wolfing it down.

Other children, with their parents' permission, took one or two and politely savored them. Vincent and Harry were the latter. Susan and Joey found other parents they knew and began chatting. For this gathering, the lord had invited all children who were born on Children's Day, were under 10 years old, and came from various families of commoners, officials, and wealthy people. People of different social classes formed their own small groups, chatting with each other, and waiting for their audience with the lord.

Before Vincent and Harry arrived, their mothers had warned them that they could not chase and play around in the castle, nor could they speak loudly, cry or scream. If they misbehaved, they would never be brought out to play again. So after finishing their snacks, the two little boys obediently stayed by their mothers' sides and listened to the adults' conversation, which was really boring. In the corner of the reception hall, a small door led to the garden. Vincent noticed this and asked his mother quietly if they could go out and play in the garden. Susan thought for a moment, waved to a maid, and asked her, "The children want to go to the garden to play. Is that okay?" The maid replied, "Of course, Madam. I will be with the children, so don't worry." Susan nodded and said to the boys, "Follow the maid, don't run around, and come back in a little while, okay?" The boys immediately nodded, grabbed the maid's hand, and headed for the small door.

As they stepped out of the small gate, they found themselves in a large lawn, with a circular fountain at its center. The path around the fountain was surrounded by a variety of colorful flowers. Further away, the lawn was bordered by a gravel path that carriages could pass through. Tall trees lined the path, and through the gaps between them, one could catch glimpses of lush vegetation in the distance. The maid explained that it was the lord's forbidden herb garden, and nobody was allowed to venture there. So they wandered around the lawn and garden instead. When they reached the rose garden, they heard a groaning sound coming from the bushes. They found a middle-aged man lying on the ground beside a ladder and a pair of large pruning shears. It seemed that he had fallen while pruning the trees.