Having taken a different route to the monarchial accommodations, the three found Tigris' golden tiger Aedan the first to approach them. Blond in colour with reddish-brown stripes, he was a great deal bigger than Kenneth. Rubbing their heads together the two felines, great and small, were good companions and would often lay next to one another when their respective human companions were spending time with one another.
Walking past Aedan, Falco made his way to his parents' bedchamber while Rowena gave Aedan a pat on the head. When he entered, he saw his mother Oda by the bedside while his father Tigris weakly sat up.
Tigris was fifty twelvemonths old with both mustache and beard, both impressive specimens, a muscular, yet scarred, body and only a left eye, blue in colour. He had lost his right eye defending Menes against an attempted coup, the person who had cost Tigris his eye being nonother than Taurus himself. He looked as Rowena described him, not so unwell that he seemed as if he was going to die, yet not particularly well either. Falco could even see a few flecks of grey in his red hair.
Seeing his son, the Divine Deucalion took a ring from his finger and held it out. It was a golden signet ring with the image of a bull's head upon it, a badge of office of Aether's monarch.
The Crown Prince could only stare in shock. He looked to his green-eyed mother who said: "It must be you, Falco. You will be the Divine Deucalion someday, you must have been taught how to govern, now you must get used to it while your father recovers."
Taking a step forward, Falco took the Royal Ring from his father and placed it upon his finger. There was no look of confidence on his face, he was scared, not knowing how he would compare to his father and grandfather, yet he had no choice. He had to rise to the occasion, as Achilles would say.