Archduke Nicolas Ritter left the Sigurdson mansion after a three day stay. His visit, which gave the people in charge of security and the servants a lot of stress was finally over. Tranquility returned to Henry’s life. His usual routine could now be done without constant vigilance. because he did not want to get on the bad side of Nicolas.

A week after Nicolas left Henry was in the gym with his parents, practicing his swings. They were still clumsy, but now his body could hold on for much longer. His parents were pleasantly surprised with his growth and with his will to continue training. Alfred had a grin on his face the whole time as he watched his son.

Eleonora approached her son and gave him a towel, “Henry, don’t push yourself, it is time for some mana training. Are you up for it, or are you too tired?”

Henry took the towel and wiped away the sweat from his face. He smiled at his mother and did his best to ease her worries. “No, I can do the mana training mommy.”

‘My body has been growing steadily, there is definitely a lot of talent in me for the sword and other physical skills. Mana is a bit more tricky, no real growth has happened, but since I know I am mid tier in mana there will be growth happening at some point, as long as I persevere.’ Henry was thinking about this as he waited for his mother's decision about how to proceed today. She gave him a pat on the head and then began teaching him how to better control his mana.

***

Time flew by and Henry’s third birthday was fast approaching. He was in the living room with Anna and his mother.

Anna decided to remind Henry about his obligations, “My lord, your birthday will soon arrive. We will need to practice proper greetings and small talk with the nobility soon.”

“Yes nanny.” Henry was not too excited about this, at first it was a fun new experience, but now he was falling under his father’s school of thought about etiquette. Still he understood the importance of these lessons and did his best to master them as fast as possible.

“I know you are getting bigger and would like to play outside with your parents, but this knowledge should be learnt as early as possible. That will help you avoid any mishaps in the future.” (Anna)

“Yes, nanny Anna, I will do my best.” (Henry)

Anna was pleased with his reply and gave him a cookie along with a few more words of wisdom, “Good boy, remember we learn these lessons to make your parents proud and to respect the people we talk to.”

“Still, if the lessons get too boring or you become tired just say so. Your health comes first, always remember that.” (Eleonora)

“Yes, mommy.” (Henry)

***

As days turned into weeks, so did Henry’s knowledge and body grow. Whenever he felt tired or did not feel like doing something the mere thought of the disaster that was looming over the heads of his family members was more than enough of a motivation for Henry. He wanted to protect his parents, he wanted to warn them of the events that were just around the corner, but at the same time he knew that they would, even if they believed him, have a lot of questions. So, Henry decided that it was better to prepare himself and his family through different methods.

‘What I am doing is incredibly selfish, but I do not want to lose them.’

His mind often reminded him of the hellish landscape he had seen in the game. It was hard to imagine this place, filled with life and beauty so corrupted and dark. He shook his head, 'That is not going to happen, not to us. We will be happy for many more years, I will not allow anyone or anything to make this place suffer.'

Strengthening his determination once more, Henry closed his eyes and went to sleep. Tomorrow was his big day after all, his third birthday.

***

Since before the Sun rose Henry’s home was in a state of total chaos. Maids and butlers were running around making sure everything was perfect for their young lord. Anna was the general of this particular battlefield. Since today would mark the beginning of Henry’s social life with the people of the kingdom, everything had to be perfect, and she was the right person for the job.

“Everyone, we have about four hours before the first guests arrive, everything must be spotless.” As Anna was saying these words she held a broom in her hands. Right now they were on a schedule, if she had to, she would order Alfred and Eleonora to sweep the floors as well.

“Anna, we will be going over to Henry’s room. I hope he got a good night's rest, today will be very difficult.” (Eleonora)

Alfred, as always, had supreme confidence in his son so he reassured his wife, “Don’t worry, he will be fine. He is our boy after all. I just hope he slows down a bit, soon enough he will be running around chasing girls and we will be left behind.”

Eleonora looked at her ever positive husband and chuckled, “Al, that is perfectly normal, he will not be a baby forever. Still you are right, I hope he stays our cute little boy for as long as possible. It is true that time flies by when you are surrounded with people you love...”

Alfred and Eleonora waved to Anna and went to wake Henry up. They first knocked on the door softly and awaited a reply. After they heard a drowsy boy answer them beyond the door they poked their heads into his room.

“Good morning son, happy birthday!” (Alfred)

“Henry, happy birthday!” (Eleonora)

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

After saying these words they charged into his bed and started hugging and kissing him. Henry was surprised as he was still sleepy but soon he was fully up and having fun with his parents.

After about an hour a knock broke the pleasant atmosphere in the room. “My lord, my lady, it is time.” A butler informed the master and the mistress of the mansion that the preparations were over and that they would have to get ready soon.

Alfred turned to his son and spoke with a bright tone, “Henry, as you hear, soon the party will begin. There will be a lot of people coming this year, a lot more than last year. We will have representatives from most of the kingdom and even some from foreign countries. Still, fear no one, hold your head up high and know we are with you.”

“Yes, and remember, if at any time you feel tired immediately tell us. Understand?” (Eleonora)

“Yes, mommy, daddy I will do my best today.” Henry was very nervous about today, after all he would have to stand for hours without rest and greet various powerful people with absolute precision.

***

Anna stood next to Henry and began explaining the protocol for today. “Lord Henry, you will be positioned here, the people coming in will be coming in mostly according to their status, so for the most part, the longer the reception lasts the more forgiving the people will get to any blunders.”

“Yes, nanny.” Knowing the long distances some people had to travel to be here Henry was adamant about showing proper respect to everyone equally. Even if they would be forgiving he did not want to disrespect people, unless they were disrespectful first.

“Soon the doors will open, it will be a long day, lord Henry, good luck” With these words Anna gave a small bow and moved to a position along the wall next to Oliver and the head butler.

“Henry, ready?” Before Henry could notice his parents' presence they got into position right behind him. He was a bit startled but did his best to seem calm.

He turned to his parents and did his best to look and sound confident, “Yes, when will we begin?”

“As soon as you give the word, son.” (Eleonora)

Henry looked up to his mother, then to his father. In their eyes he saw an endless ocean of love and a large amount of his fear drowned in that ocean. He gave them a small nod and they, in turn, gave the signal for the party to begin.

The doors were opened and once more, like last year, before Henry’s eyes stood an endless line of people. The one difference was that their attire was far more luxurious this time.

The head butler stepped forward and unfolded a scroll filled with names of dignitaries that could shake the kingdom with a single word and started reading.

“Archduke Nicolas Ritter, minister of warfare and His royal highness the crown prince Alexei Logar!” (butler)

The two men entered the room and stood before Henry and his family. Henry knelt down and awaited the next words that would come from the crown prince.

Alexei looked at the boy kneeling before him. Such a small child had the weight of the world on his shoulders, he felt great sympathy for him and decided to do his best to help him in the future. “You may rise lord Henry. I am Alexei and I know you have already met my uncle Nicolas. We wish to convey the king's and our personal best wishes for your birthday.”

Henry quickly rose up to his feet and looked directly into Alexei's eyes. “I thank you, your highness, for making the long trip. Please express my gratitude to His Majesty once you return to the capital. I hope you will enjoy the party.”

“Thank you for your kind words. I hope you will join us in the capital soon.” Alexei said these words and moved into the back of the room with Nicolas. He will have a lot of work today. Many nobles came to this party because they caught wind of him making an appearance and wanted to get a chance to exchange pleasantries with the future king.

“Next, Duke Benjamin Elinstar and his wife Lady Gisela!” (butler)

The people who entered were both stoutly built, they wore friendly smiles as they approached Henry. “Little lord Henry, we wish you a happy birthday, may you enjoy many, many more celebrations like this one.” (Benjamin)

“Thank you very much my lord, my lady. I hope you will enjoy this humble party.” (Henry)

“Lord Henry, once more, happy birthday.” Gisela added these words and the two moved over to prince Alexei. Henry bowed once more as the two moved past him.

The guests kept pouring into the hall, one after another. They were like an endless stream. But as Henry was slowly starting to lose both his strength and his voice the final visitors finished their greetings and entered the now full hall.

Alfred placed his hand on Henry’s shoulder and whispered softly “Good job son, you did well.” These words caused Henry to feel great joy. They meant that he did not slip up for now and that a much needed rest was just around the corner.

Alfred turned to the now full room and announced the beginning of the second part of the celebration. “Henry will change his attire and join the party in a moment, while we wait, please enjoy the entertainment and the meals we have prepared.”

Anna appeared behind Henry and took him to his room, while Alfred and Eleonora went into the crowd to mingle with the guests.

***

Anna took Henry to his room and helped him change. They did not have to rush, as Henry was still a child most people would not find him taking some extra time off to be too important. As things stood, Henry was the number two in this party anyway, as a much more important figure was present. To a vain person this would not be a happy circumstance, but for Henry it was the best possible outcome. He could hide in the shadow of the royal prince and coast through this event.

"My lord, you must not use the prince as a wall to hide behind? This is your first appearance before the outside world, so do not let him outshine you too much." Anna knew that Henry, just like his parents, did not like these events too much. Still he had to learn, as soon as possible, that such events are necessary for anyone who wishes to survive in the world of nobles.

"Yes, nanny, I will do my best." Henry knew Anna understood him, he also knew that she would not say such words without meaning. This made him think about the meaning behind her words.

'I am the son of a duke, the second highest noble in the land, if I appear timid the other nobles will try to bully me into doing their bidding. If I show them that even in the presence of a prince I can stand my ground and capture attention they might think twice before messing with me.'

"Anna, can I ask you something?" Henry said these words with a fire burning in his eyes.

Anna was surprised with the look Henry was making. It was a look of a determined warrior, hardly fitting the usual Henry she knew. This peaked her interest, "Oh, what is it that you would like to know?"

"Who should I talk to first?" (Henry)

"A good question, the best course of action would be to greet the prince, but he will be surrounded by a lot of people at this point in time. If I had to say, start with the highest available noble and wait for me to signal for you to come. I will have your parents drag the prince away from the crowd. Lesser nobles will not dare to interrupt a duke, archduke and a crown prince after all." Anna said these words with an evil grin on her face, to Henry she seemed like a mastermind pulling strings behind the scenes.