King Jarod was simply overjoyed. An heir had finally been born. He was beginning to lose hope because he already had ten children, and all of them were girls. He was about to suggest adopting Zander Anisen as his heir when Ovid told him that the eldest son of the Anisen household must inherit Ovid's position. When King Jarod mentioned about adopting Zekiah, Ovid Anisen simply told him that he should not be impatient and just wait for his own son to be born. King Jarod promised to give Ovid Anisen a more prestigious title and riches beyond compare in exchange for adopting one of Ovid's sons.
Minister Ovid wasn't interested in giving away any of his sons just to gain more power and wealth. In the future, King Jarod would heave a sigh of relief that he did not insist on adopting the youngest son of Ovid Anisen. When Zekiah grew up, he showed no interest in handling any administrative position in the palace. He just wanted to spend his days reading, writing, and living idly together with Zenia.
The birth of Prince Jade gave the entire Ishelon Kingdom an assurance that an heir would continue the legacy of King Jarod. The people of Ishelon were very satisfied with their current king. They had been praying that an heir would finally be born to continue King Jarod's work.
"We will hold a banquet when the Crown Prince turned six months." King Jarod told his ministers and the other officials.
"As you wish, Your Highness."
King Jarod sent an invitation to a banquet to every royal family of each kingdom. The special banquet would take place in six months. The Kingdom of Ishelon had a unique method of sending the invitation, and it reached the recipients within a couple of weeks. It would take the other kingdoms at least a month or two to reach Ishelon.
King Jarod also proposed a temporary truce between the kingdoms of Maecaea that would last for a year. The other kingdoms were having doubts regarding the true motive of King Jarod. Some thought that it would be good to foster a harmonious relationship with Ishelon.
"My King, can we trust Ishelon that they don't have any other motive?"
"We think that it would be great if the members of the Royal Family would grace the occasion."
"Your Majesty, please reconsider."
"It would be great to cultivate a good relationship with Ishelon, Royal Highness."
"Oh Most Exalted One, please think carefully."
"My Lord, we think that going to Ishelon can bring a lot of benefits to our land."
"Queen Tessa, it is good that you agree."
"Sovereign One, whatever you have decided, we obey."
All the rulers of the different kingdoms had one answer, "Let us go to Ishelon!"
All the rulers of the different kingdoms in Maecaea agreed that there would be no fighting for an entire year to accommodate King Jarod's invitation and request. The monarchs of the different kingdoms knew how important it was for King Jarod to give birth to a son. They all trusted King Jarod to be a true gentleman. King Jarod promised to ensure their safety while in Ishelon.
The whole kingdom was busy preparing for the banquet as well as the living quarters of all the invited monarchs. The celebration would last for seven days, which could give King Jarod and his ministers a clear view of the character and disposition of the guests. It was an opportunity for them to study the guests, and be prepared in case trouble began to brew.
The Ishelon Kingdom was famous for its unique fabric, which was light and comfortable. Outside, the usual price of the fabric was enough to feed a family of five for half a year. The island that Ishelon and Tissuria shared was too far from the other kingdoms in Maecaea. It was also one of the reasons why no one would invade Ishelon and Tissuria.
King Tarendino must travel for almost two weeks before he could reach King Jarod's palace in Ishelon. They must traverse the long mountain range, which served as a border for Tissuria and Ishelon, and cross a lake before they could reach Ishelon.
"Vaughn, when we are in Ishelon you must learn to blend in with the children of the other monarchs and high officials. Don't tell them who you really are." King Tarendino reminded his son.
"I understand father," replied the ten-year-old prince.
"We will stay there for seven days. During that time, you can observe everyone's behavior and learn their ways," reminded King Tarendino.
"I will take note of everything father," Vaughn promised.
Prince Vaughn already showed intelligence and capabilities beyond his age. He did not question the intention of his father king because he could somewhat grasp what King Tarendino wanted to do. Nobody thought that the young lad was only ten at the time. He was already too tall for his age, and far wiser than a fourteen-year-old lad. He could be mistaken as a fifteen or sixteen-year-old young man.
During that time, Ishelon and Tissuria were still not in good terms. No one was interested in pledging allegiance to the other, and no one would like to be the instigator of the war. However, petty fights between their people were inevitable to happen. Only Ishelon and Tissuria inhabited and shared the biggest island in Maecaea. The other kingdoms were somewhat relieved that the two most powerful kingdoms had been isolated from the rest of them, and both were not interested to invade other kingdoms.
Fighting became a natural occurrence whenever the people from Ishelon and Tissuria were able to meet. The mountain range had so many things to offer, which was the primary reason that people from both kingdoms frequent it. Unfortunately, a great number of hot-headed ones were the most frequent visitors of the mountain range. They would inevitably meet along the way and start fighting. Those who just wanted to benefit from the riches of the mountain could do nothing but suffer silently as the hot-headed ones start fighting.
Later when Prince Vaughn and Princess Jemilla reached the marriageable age, both kings agreed to a political marriage. While both kings were planning for the political marriage, a deeper conflict occurred. Both kings must work together to solve the crisis. They tried their best to conceal everything from their subjects to avoid making them worry. The majority of the people from Tissuria and the people from Ishelon were looking forward to the political marriage. Most of them hoped that it would really put an end to the senseless fighting.
King Tarendino's party arrived on time. Prince Vaughn, together with his retainers, did not join King Tarendino's party. Prince Vaughn successfully blended with the other children who belonged to families of high ranking officials. No one asked about Vaughn's identity and everyone assumed that he must be a son of a favored concubine of a respected official of the land.
"It's an honor for our kingdom to grace us with your presence King Tarendino." Ovid Anisen, with the young Zander by his side, greeted the number one citizen of Tissuria.
"The pleasure is all mine Minister Ovid," replied King Tarendino while flashing a friendly smile.
"This must be your young general." King Tarendino turned to the young Zander who stood up straight upon hearing the words 'young general' being mentioned by the king of Tissuria.
"Yes, he is my pride and joy. He will join me in handling the military soon." Ovid Anisen proudly announced.
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then Minister Ovid led King Tarendino to meet King Jarod. Not far from where they were, Vaughn never took his eyes away from them. He was already taken by Ovid Anisen, but he was not too sure about Zander Anisen who also noticed his gaze. Zander had been looking at him ever since he found out that Vaughn seemed to be observing them quite intently. He never liked Vaughn, and the prince had the same sentiments toward him. Zander joined his father and left the scene, while Vaughn remained rooted to his spot.
"Big brother, you look so fashionable! Is that the latest clothing in the kingdom?" The cute, adorable little girl asked as she tugged at Vaughn's sleeve.
The prince was surprised that he did not notice that someone was already by his side. He was busy getting irritated at Zander, and he let his guard down. He did not notice when the little girl was able to get close to him. His guards were scattered everywhere, and they did not take the little girl as a threat to his highness. They too were quite surprised at the little girl who did not seem to mind Vaughn's oppressive aura.
Vaughn did not like being approached by unfamiliar people and be touched by them. When he looked at the girl tugging at his sleeve, he was taken aback by the girl's sweet smile. The girl was lovely, and she was a breath of fresh air. Vaughn's gloominess suddenly dissipated upon seeing the full countenance of the girl before him.
"Can't you speak big brother?" The girl asked gently. Worry can be seen on her face.
She did not wait for Vaughn's reply and started using a sign language. All of the people from Ishelon knew how to speak using their hands. They found it quite useful, especially when they needed to be quiet. The military men of Ishelon used it during battle. Ishelon was the only Kingdom that knew how to use sign language.
Vaughn was amazed at the different hand gestures that the girl was doing. He could not understand what she was trying to do or say to him. He reached out for her hands and stopped them from moving.
"Hold it, I can't understand what you are trying to do, and I can speak," Vaughn told the girl in a gentle manner as he held her hands to stop them from moving.
"Whew, I thought big brother can't speak." The little girl smiled sweeter than before.
The more Vaughn looked at the little girl, the more he liked her. For some unknown reason, he could feel the strong beating of his heart even without placing his hand over his chest. He could even hear his own heartbeat. He looked calm on the outside, but he knew better than that.
"What is your name and why are you here?" Vaughn asked the little girl.
"You can call me Zeze." The girl flashed her best smile yet.
Vaughn was dazzled, and he could see the flowers blooming around the little girl named Zeze.