Star Fairy Chronicles IV

3

(8 years ago, throne room of Ebott Castle)

"What do you mean I need an escort?!" the young Artemis snapped at his parents, "I am 12 years old. I can take care of myself!"

"Honey, that's not the issue," the queen replied softly, "With the ongoing war, royal family members are becoming larger targets. You'd be worth a fortune if a human had your head staked on their wall."

"Unfortunately, we have to assign you an escort to make sure that you stay safe," the king continued, "Looking on the bright side, we picked someone who would be best suited for you."

"Let me guess, he's 40, overweight, and has never been married," Artemis mocked.

"Not at all," his father replied, ignoring his son's rude remark, "Come on in, Jayden."

A young duck child began to walk in through the corridor and into the throne room. He smiled brightly at Artemis. The prince looked over at the duck boy, not amused by what he assumed was a prank.

"Very funny," Artemis stated unamusingly, "Is this really the best you could do? He looks like he's barely 11 years old!"

"Artemis Dreemurr!" his mother snapped, "Enough of this!"

"Son, this is Jayden Featherly," the king explained, "He is a young and bright warrior, capable of commanding the water and wind. And he enjoys playing the flute."

"So, my escort is a Troub-la-door?" Artemis asked.

"It's Troubadour, actually," Jayden corrected, "And yes. I am talented in bard magic as well."

"We wanted to get you an escort close to your age so that you would feel more comfortable around him," the queen explained, "I hope you will try to get along with him."

"I'm so excited to meet you!" Jayden began, smiling widely, "I've never met anyone from the royal family before. Do you like swimming? It's one of my favorite pass times. What do you like to do in your free time?"

"Too many questions," Artemis muttered, feeling overwhelmed by his enthusiasm.

"Anyway," the young prince continued, "I might as well get to know you, my escort."

"Please, call me Jayden," Jayden replied. Artemis began to smile back, hoping that he could try to make friends with him, not having many of his own.

"I suppose we could go swimming," he told the young duck, "I haven't done it in a while, but it could be fun. Plus, we could learn a bit about each other as well." Jayden's smile became wider as his mouth dropped, excited to hear Artemis taking an interest in his hobbies.

...

Later that day, Artemis and Jayden went down to a hidden lake in Ebott, behind Ebott Castle, closed off from human and monster forces. The two boys wore their swim trunks, and as they approached the lake, Artemis spotted something peculiar on Jayden's chest. There was a oval-shaped blue crystal implanted in his chest. He wanted to say something about it, but he was too nervous to ask, afraid that the subject was insensitive or uncomfortable to discuss.

Upon arriving at the lake, Artemis dipped his toes in, feeling a chill rush straight to his head. He started to regret suggesting the idea of swimming, only for Jayden to rush into the lake, diving in and dousing himself completely in the water. As his head popped up, he smiled back at Artemis.

"Come on!" he encouraged, "If you just dip your toe in and approach it slowly, you won't get used to the water sufficiently."

"Are you not cold?" Artemis asked.

"Oh it's freezing," Jayden replied, "But it's not as bad as you think. Come on in!"

"What about the germs?" Artemis questioned, trying to think of another excuse, "I could catch a cold from swimming in here." Jayden giggled as he swam out towards the land and grabbed Artemis's hand.