The gold coin

In the Josen kingdom, meanwhile, everything seemed to be going as usual: people were getting ready for spring break, the cold had disappeared, and the sun shined brightly, offering warmth. As it was in a warmer part of the earth, there was never any snowfall, but the winds from the north were strong enough to cause teeth to clatter and send a chill through the air. The Josen realm's winters had always been dry and mild; now that the days are growing longer, spring blossoms are starting to enliven the fields. And the trees and plants began to sprout fresh, greener leaves.

The staff were busy with their duties and getting ready for the noon meal, as if it were a typical day at the castle, which appeared to be calm. As usual, royal soldiers stood guard at the doors, and there was some noise emanating from the courtroom. "What about the land in Himel?" While they were going through the papers of the land that some small business owners had illegally occupied, Ezekiel asked.

The royal advisor said, "We've taken control of the land and urged the traders to go about their business as usual but under rent as it legally belongs to the kingdom." Ezekiel responded by humming. After looking over the papers he was holding, Mr. Levin grinned at Ezekiel and said "And I suppose we are done for today, Your Majesty." In frustration, Ezekiel sighed and reclined in his throne.

"Please don't address me like that, Mr. Levin."

"But-." Mr. Levin was going to say something when he was distracted by quiet giggles. He was perplexed as he stared at Ezekiel, who shared his expression. They searched the area for the noise's origin but could not locate anyone. "But you're the k-." Attempting to speak once more, Mr. Levin was once more cut off by softer but louder chuckles. Ezekiel signaled Mr. Levin to participate after quickly determining who that might be. "I have heard there is an intruder—your malice."

"I can also hear them. So, Mr. Levin, what should we do?" Standing up from his throne, Ezekiel took a glance around. Mr. Levin attempted to suppress his laughter on the side. They started looking in all the places that might serve as hiding places.

While they were still looking, they heard footsteps approaching; the hardwood floor made a clanking sound each time, suggesting that the person was either angry or hurried. Ezekiel turned to peek over his shoulder and saw Savannah holding a hairpin at the door across from him. Mr. Levin, the royal advisor, swiftly bowed before Savannah as she entered the courtroom. "What is the matter? What caused the puffiness in your cheeks?" Savannah folded her arms across her chest while sneering at Ezekiel's comment.

"You know exactly why?" She remained there as she awaited a response. Savannah was aware that Ezekiel grasped the topic of her inquiry.

"As you can see, I was managing state matters with Mr. Levin." Ezekiel pointed to Mr. Levin, who was holding the stack of papers a little higher up. In response, Savannah rolled her eyes and turned around.

"Then why were you crouched down when I arrived?"

Ezekiel chuckled nervously and shifted his gaze away from Savannah. His eyes shifted in the direction of his throne as he contemplated a response. The corner of his mouth twisted upward in an odd smile as he noticed something underneath. Savannah followed his gaze, but before she could see anything, Ezekiel grabbed her shoulders and chuckled. "I was trying to find my ring. It fell there and is a little loose." He pointed in the direction he had been crouched in only a second before. Savannah gave him a skeptical glance before nodding.

"I suppose I need to search elsewhere." She huffed and proceeded to go out of the courtroom.

"Wait."

"Huh."

"Hand me the hairpin; I'll take care of it." Mr. Levin laughed as Ezekiel smiled and reached out his arm. While glaring at Mr. Levin, Savannah willfully pushed the hairpin onto his hand before turning around and stomping her foot as she departed.

"The path is clear. Mr. Levin, where did our trespasser go?" Ezekiel walked serenely to his throne and knelt down. Mr. Levin was observing everything while seated a short distance away. The chuckling sound filled the room once more, and Ezekiel raised the cloth that covered the throne for decorative purposes. "There you are, my tiny intruder." In response, a young girl with curly hair shrieked. Her eyes grew broader. Ezekiel swiftly but carefully scooped her up on his arms, and the little girl giggled even more, wrapping her arms around Ezekiel's neck.

"Papa." Ezekiel spun the young girl in a loving manner, and she squealed. He looked at her innocent face and her amber eyes, which glistened with tears from laughing so hard. Ezekiel tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear, which fell on her face and pecked her plump cheeks.

"Giving Mama a hard time?" Ezekiel imitated her voice as he talked. He rose to his throne and placed the tiny girl on his lap.

"I should take my leave now, Your Majesty." Levin stated. The royal advisor bowed and exited the courtroom when Ezekiel nodded.

"I don't want my hair tied." The little girl complained.

"Why?"

"Because…." She answered in a low tone while seeming to be thinking by placing her index finger on her chin. "Because I adore how they move with the breeze," she replied. She chuckled and snuggled up against Ezekiel's chest. Ezekiel laughed while embracing her.

"Princess, your mother wants to keep your hair looking nice." In shock, the girl turned to face him. " Yes, they would get dirty and ticks would start living in your hair if you left them open and continued to play around the castle as usual." The young girl's lips opened in shock and terror. "And they'll eat your hair, which means my Princess might lose her hair." The girl jerked her head violently as Ezekiel pretended to cry.

"No, I don't want to lose my hair." She yelled.

"Let's tie your hair, then."

In return, the girl hummed, and Ezekiel turned the girl over on his lap so that her back was toward him. In order to prevent it from pulling at her scalp, he carefully gathered her soft, curly hair and twisted it into a bun. He first took out the hairpin he had placed between his teeth and showed it to her. The young girl looked at the pin and reached out to touch it with her soft hands.

Do you remember who gave you this hairpin? Ezekiel enquired.

"Mama?" Ezekiel shook his head saying no.

"This hairpin belongs to your angel mother. When you were born, she handed it to you."

"Why won't Angel Mama come and see us? I don't recall seeing her." She murmured in a hushed voice that made Ezekiel's heart ache. He used the hairpin to fasten Princess's bun and turned her around.

"Because she is here, in your heart." He responded by pointing to her heart. Her hair was now neatly pulled back, and she grinned broadly as she turned to face Ezekiel. It correctly revealed her face, including her mother-like amber eyes, her plump cheeks that flashed adorable dimples when she smiled, her petite button nose, and her lush, tiny lips. An aura could become brighter with her sweet laughter. With her tiny feet, she brought joy wherever she went. She squealed as Ezekiel wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"There you are, little monster." Aura and Ezekiel both looked up in the direction of the door, where Savannah was standing with her hands on her hips. She made a severe face as she approached Ezekiel and Aura. "I anticipated you'd be hiding here,"

"I'm sorry, mama." They held their earlobes while singing together. "See! my hair is tied up." She whirled around to display the tiny bun that Ezekiel had made for her. "Don't get mad with me," Savannah chuckled slightly as she pouted her lips and blinked her eyes.

"How am I supposed to be mad with my Princess?" Savannah cooed as she knelt down to face her baby daughter. "Daddy's princess." She said looking at Ezekiel who was smiling at their little encounter. Savannah scooped Aura in her arms and tickled her with her free arm. Aura laughed loudly and held Savannah's hand.

"Sorry for the interruption, Your Majesty, but we have a visitor." The royal advisor entered the courtroom wearing a grave frown. "And he refuses to say anything." He added. Despite frowning at the little description, Ezekiel gave the advisor the order to bring the stranger into the court. There were no additional advisors invited because it wasn't going to be a formal court meeting.

The royal advisor entered the courtroom shortly after with a pretty tall but thin teenage boy. Although he appeared youthful, his imposing height made him seem older. He was skinny and frail, and he clung to the pouch as if his life depended on it. He was dressed normally, and his skin had a glowing honey tone that gave the appearance of having attractive features like a sharp nose and eyes. His hair was a little untidy, as if he had just woken up, and he swallowed forcefully, which revealed that he was nervous. But even so, he didn't let it show on his face.

Savannah helped Aura back to her feet, and the small girl huddled behind Savannah to avoid the strange figure in front of her. The girl further vanished under Savannah's gown as the boy smiled and cast a glance her way. She was holding Savannah's robe in her tiny hand, which was all that could be seen.

"Who are you, young man?" In an authoritative yet courteous manner, Ezekiel questioned. The young man proceeded to rummage about in his backpack. The bag was so little that it could only fit one robe, and only with great difficulty. He pulled out a sheet of paper that was neatly folded from the bag, and he reached out to hand it to Ezekiel. The royal advisor suddenly seized the boy's hand because he thought it might pose a threat. He pulled the paper from his grasp and unfolded it.

After clearing his voice, the counselor read:

Please allow me to introduce myself to the mighty ruler of the Josen kingdom. I'm Coco, an ordinary young man who had resided in the Josen realm's orphanage on the fringes. I continued to work there even though the orphanage had recently undergone renovations to become an inn. I walked away from the location because I desired a life of my own. A gold coin bearing the following inscription was given to me by one of two young guys who visited the inn six years ago. "Never hesitate to visit the castle if you ever need anything. The guard will take you to a nice man if you present this coin. "

They turned to face the youngster, who then displayed the gold coin that Alaric had given him six years prior. Being able to harbor hope that his brother may return startled and delighted Ezekiel at the same time. The counselor examined the coin before handing it to Ezekiel, who grasped to it firmly as a tear trickled down his cheek. He requested that the advisor continue.

Although I can read and write, I am unable to speak. I'd appreciate it if you could keep me under your care. Until the day I die, I pledge to devote my life to serving the kingdom and keeping my word.

All three sets of eyes were focused on the youngster, who had a lovely smile on his face and kept his fist raised over his heart to signify his allegiance. When he gestured, little Aura, who was hidden behind Savannah, peered and chuckled.

With the news about his brother, Ezekiel's heart was warm, and he secretly wished that he would learn more about him in the future. Making a choice was made simpler by the fact that Alaric himself gave the young man the gold coin. "Who am I to disagree with the king's choice?" Without anyone hearing, he said under his breath.

"We'll let Coco stay with us." Ezekiel smiled as he spoke.

Listening to his decision Coco was bewildered at first but he jumped with joy all of a sudden and made Aura chuckle loudly. Ezekiel scooped her up in his arms and smiled. "You really live up to your name, my princess."

"Mr. levin show him his chamber and train him." The advisor nodded, Ezekiel turned to face the boy and said. "Work hard." Aura extended her arms for a handshake with a smile on her face but Coco hesitated as he looked at Ezekiel for permission. Ezekiel nodded and the boy took Aura's little hands in his bigger one. "She's my princess, Aura."

Alaric and Hermes, on the other hand, were sifting through the map for a hint. Even though they were exhausted, they were unwilling to give up once they were near to the solution. Alaric dropped the book and sighed as he slumped in defeat on his chair. Upon observing his discouraged expression, Hermes offered him some water and advised him to unwind.

Alaric finally broke the tense atmosphere after Hermes had finished some calculations pertaining to exchanges. " Can't believe it has been six years already." Hermes acknowledged the king as he turned to face him.

"My little princess is now five years old." As he stated that, a tear escaped his eyes. Hermes felt awful for Alaric having to be apart from his family. He regretted not being able to watch his daughter grow up. Alaric yearned for his home, but he couldn't let himself be vulnerable at this time, so he wiped away his tears and sat back up, leaning his head on the chair and keeping his eyes closed. Hermes, who was seated opposite from him, kept silent because he had no idea what to say to console him.

Alaric's eyes opened up and he stood up out of his seat all of a sudden. He pushed everything aside and quickly looked through his desk for something. He murmured while leafing through the picture book of stories for kids. " The location that neither the sun nor the moon rises or sets." His eyes sparkled as though he had cracked the code.

"What do you mean? Your Majesty" Hermes.

Alaric stated with a smile. "You truly live up to your name, Aura."