Chapter XVII

After Prince Ayaan's birth, the palace was filled with so much Joy and happiness. From the day he spoke his first words, to the day he took his first steps, everything was just like magic.

The little Prince was always with his father wherever he went. He'd put him on his laps and read books to him in his study. He seemed to love colours, so whenever Queen Maya was painting she kept sheets and some paint for him to dabble.

He also played in the garden with his grandmother as he grew. The way she mended the stems of broken plants never ceased to amaze him.

"Wow! Grandma, do it again!" He would say, his eyes widening with twinkles in them.

Nimue's son, Raphael had grown to be his best friend as he was always in the palace. They loved to play pirates.

One time they dressed up as usual and went outside to play. Queen Maya had just ordered for new sunflowers in one section of the garden. The boys roamed till they got to the garden.

"Arr matey! Are ya sure you don't to give up?" Ayaan said.

"On guard! Never!" Raphael returned.

As they fenced with their wooden swords, Ayaan accidentally stepped on his mother's flowers.

"Oh no! Mama's new flowers!" Ayaan exclaimed.

"What are we going to do?" Raphael asked anxiously.

"I know," Ayaan returned after a minute.

"What is it?" Raphael asked.

"I'll fix them just like Grandma does," Ayaan said enthusiastically.

"I dunno Ayaan... Are you sure?" Raphael asked as they leaned towards the flowers.

"Yes , she held them like this," Ayaan said picking one up.

As he held the sunflower, little crystals of ice began to sparkle and float around the stem. Little Ayaan was so happy.

"See! I told you I could do it." Ayaan said.

"Wow! Beautiful!" Raphael said, amazed at his friend's awesomeness.

"Now I just need to make them all straight again," Ayaan said.

So he put more effort, but that wasn't a good idea. As he did the whole section of sunflowers froze.

"Oh! Oh!" Raphael said with his mouth agape and eyes, widening.

"Oh no! I made it even worse!" Ayaan said in a frightened tone.

"Ayaan you've got to unfreeze them before someone gets here!" Raphael said anxiously.

"I don't know how!" Ayaan said almost crying.

"Mama's going to be so mad at me," he added.

Just then, a voice called out Ayaan's name faintly. Queen Maya hadn't seen them on the courtyard and she knew they had to be in the garden.

"Ayaan," she called again.

"Oh no! It's mum amd she's coming this way," Ayaan said .

"What do we do?" Raphael asked.

The two boys ran and hid behind the hedge. Queen Maya sighted them as they ran to hide.

"They must be playing hide and seek again," she thought.

"There you are," she said leaning.

"I've been looking... Huh!" She exclaimed on seeing the section behind the hedge as she was now up straight.

The boys rose up shakenly in guilt unable to face her.

"What happened here?" She asked.

"We're so sorry Queen Mom," Ayaan went first.

"Queen Mom?" She knew he was at fault. That's what he called her whenever he had done something wrong.

"We're sorry Queen Maya," Raphael said.

"Ayaan," she said turning to him.

"I stepped on the flowers while I and Raphael were playing pirates," he said.

"But they're all frozen," she returned.

"I tried to fix them and they all got frozen," He said contritely.

"But Winter Bear, only Grandma knows how to do that." Queen Maya said.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's okay. Come here you two," she said and hugged them as they came closer.

"Um... I was going to bake a cake, want to help?" She asked.

"Yes!" They said excitedly.

"Do I get to stir?" Ayaan asked.

"Even I want to stir..." Raphael said.

"Haha we can all take turns," she said with a smile.

"Yeay!" They said.

"Come on now, we've got a cake to bake." Queen Maya said.