The incident ended rather abruptly as Grace and Wilfred decided to leave.
Grace mentioned having painting classes with her instructor, which she considered a form of relaxation and practice.
Once they were gone, James turned to Edwin and spoke, "You really showed some quick wit there, Edwin. But be careful not to taunt Wilfred too much."
Edwin nodded earnestly, but he couldn't help thinking that he wouldn't have provoked Wilfred if he hadn't insulted his mother.
James decided to change the topic and asked Edwin, "Are you still heading to the garden?"
Edwin nodded affirmatively, confirming his intention.
James continued, "Sylvie has gone to visit the Royal Garden. Could you please take care of her while you're there?"
Out of all his royal siblings, the Sixth Prince James and the Ninth Princess Sylvie had the closest bond with Edwin. This was largely due to their mothers, Third Queen Margaret, and Fourth Queen Allison, frequently interacting and helping each other.
“Sure. I would have done that even without you asking me. She is my little sister as well,” Edwin spoke with a serene smile.
As Edwin entered the garden, he couldn't help but spot a young girl. It was Sylvie, the Ninth Princess of the Brolia Empire. She was the youngest child of the current Emperor, a mere four years old.
Sylvie had only started coming to the Imperial Garden a few days ago. Her reasons for visiting were quite different from Edwin's; she was drawn to the garden by its beautiful and exotic flowers. She adored their scents and had developed a budding interest in studying plants.
Edwin approached Sylvie with a warm smile, seeing her excitement. "Hello, Sylvie. How are you today?"
Sylvie beamed, her eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. "Hi, Edwin! I saw the prettiest pink flower today. It smelled like candy!"
Edwin's eyes lit up as he joined her enthusiasm. "Really? That sounds amazing. I'd love to see it. Could you show me?"
Sylvie nodded eagerly. "Of course! Follow me, Edwin."
The young prince followed Sylvie, their footsteps making a soft patter on the garden's path. "Sylvie, why do you like flowers so much?"
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Sylvie shrugged, her tiny hands reaching out to touch a colorful blossom as she explained. "I like them because they're so colorful and smell nice. Plus, Mama said that I should learn about pretty things."
Edwin nodded thoughtfully. "Your mama is right. Learning about pretty things can be a lot of fun. I like learning too, but I read books to learn."
Sylvie's eyes widened with curiosity. "Books? What's in them?"
Edwin tried to explain in simple terms. "Well, books have lots of stories and information. They can teach you about almost anything in the world."
Sylvie tilted her head. "Can they teach me about flowers?"
Edwin nodded. "Yes, they can! There are books about flowers and plants. I can show you some if you'd like."
Sylvie's enthusiasm was infectious as she continued, "I want to learn about all the flowers in the garden. Do you know their names?"
Edwin pondered for a moment, trying to recall some of the flower names he had read in books. "Well, I know a few. That one is a rose, and that one over there is a tulip. But there are so many more I don't know."
Sylvie's eyes widened with excitement. "Then we can learn together, Edwin! We'll discover all their names and secrets."
Edwin chuckled at her enthusiasm. "That sounds like a great idea, Sylvie.”
Sylvie clapped her hands in delight. "Yay! Let's start with this one. I'll call it a starflower because it looks like a star, see?"
Edwin nodded, playing along. "Starflower it is, then."
And so, the two young royals embarked on their flower-naming adventure in the Imperial Garden, their laughter and chatter filling the serene space.
Soon, Sylvie clapped her hands with excitement and shared, “I like being in the garden too. It's like being in a big, colorful book!"
Edwin chuckled at her analogy. "You're right, Sylvie. The garden is like a book filled with stories written by the flowers."
Sylvie picked a small white flower and handed it to Edwin. "Here's a flower story for you!"
Edwin accepted the little gift with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Sylvie. This is a lovely story."
They continued to explore the garden, talking, and sharing stories about flowers and books, forming a special bond in the serene atmosphere of the Imperial Garden.
Soon, Sylvie had her fill of exploring the garden, she bid Edwin farewell, leaving him to enjoy the tranquility of the Imperial Garden.
With a contented sigh, he prepared himself for his daily routine of practicing The Primal Breath.
Meanwhile, in a different part of the palace, Wilfred had rushed into Lucius's chamber.
Lucius, along with their maternal uncle, Viserys Baratheon, was already present, discussing various matters. Well, it wasn’t a surprise to see his maternal uncle here as he would visit them usually.
Upon seeing his younger brother's flustered state, Lucius raised an eyebrow.
"What's got you in such a hurry, Wilfred?" Lucius inquired.
Wilfred, still agitated by the recent squabble, began recounting the events with a dramatic flair. He exaggerated some parts and falsely claimed that Edwin had even shown disrespect towards Lucius during their exchange.
Lucius's expression twisted into a mask of anger as he listened intently, his fists clenching involuntarily. He spoke, "That's it! I'm heading straight to Edwin's chambers to give him a piece of my mind."
However, Viserys intervened, his voice calm and measured, "Lucius, there's no need to waste your time on such matters. Your martial arts training with General Falcon is far more important. You should focus on honing your skills.”
As Lucius began to calm down, Wilfred couldn't contain his frustration. He turned to Viserys with a determined look in his eyes and voiced his concern.
"Uncle," Wilfred began earnestly, "we can't just let Edwin get away with this. He showed disrespect to both me and Lucius, and it's unacceptable."
Viserys, maintaining his composure, offered a perspective on the matter.
"Wilfred, there's no need to dwell on the words of a weakling like Edwin. We shouldn't waste our time and energy on such trivial matters."
He then employed an idiom to emphasize his point.
"Remember, Wilfred, an Elephant doesn't concern itself with the opinion of dogs as it walks through the jungle."
Lucius, somewhat pacified by Viserys's wisdom, nodded in agreement. "You're right, Uncle. We should focus on our training."
Wilfred, though still harboring some annoyance, reluctantly conceded, understanding the wisdom of his uncle's words.
As this matter came to a close, life for the heirs of the Royal Family settled back into its usual routine. And in the blink of an eye, more than 6 months passed.
As things returned to normal, one significant development was that the incident involving Edwin's disappearance had been firmly put to rest, and Edwin was once again allowed to venture outside of the palace.
The only catch was that he had to be accompanied by guards, a condition set by his mother, Allison, which Edwin had wholeheartedly agreed to.