It was a gorgeous sun-kissed spring morning at the sprawling ancestral estate belonging to the noble Emberhart family. Lady Ellara Emberhart sat with flawless posture upon an ornately carved marble bench situated in the midst of the manor's lavishly designed gardens.
An affectionate smile graced her lovely face as she serenely observed her cherished five-year old son Eric giggling with pure delight while immersed in an enthusiastic game of chase with his constant rambunctious black puppy companion, Shadow.
The energetic young hound barked and zig-zagged playfully through the sculpted hedgerows and flowerbeds dotted with vivid bursts of color, deliberately slowing his pace ever so slightly to allow his beloved young master Eric to catch up before darting off again, all in good fun.
Whenever Eric managed to finally catch Shadow in a tender yet playful embrace, their unrestrained joyous laughter would mingle together, carrying melodiously on the gentle perfumed spring breeze and warming Lady Ellara's heart.
Though Eric's soul already contained immense maturity and magical potential far beyond his tender years, inherited from the tragic premature death of his first life, in this moment he was simply a carefree child, as guileless, loving, and present as any five year old could be.
Each precious moment Lady Ellara got to spend nurturing her only son, imparting her wisdom, and observing his innate goodness unfold truly felt like an incomparable gift straight from the divine creators themselves.
As Ellara sat admiring her child's unrestrained mirth, one of the household servants approached deferentially to inform her of an unexpected delivery. "Begging your pardon m'lady, but an urgent letter has just arrived for you via royal messenger. As you can see, it bears the unmistakable wax seal of your ancestral family, the noble House of Feywood," he explained dutifully.
Upon noticing the familiar seal imprinted into the scarlet wax, Lady Ellara involuntarily caught her breath as a powerful rush of nostalgia washed over her.
House Feywood - her family by birthright, though she had not seen or spoken with her parents or siblings since departing their illustrious ancestral kingdom many years ago to marry Lord Alaric Emberhart.
Though somewhat faded by the passage of time, Ellara still fondly recalled an idyllic childhood spent freely frolicking for hours through the royal Feywood's sprawling, lush palace gardens and exploring endless hidden nooks and crannies within their resplendent ancestral castle.
With elegant yet slightly trembling fingers, Lady Ellara reverently broke the wax seal and unfolded the fine parchment letter. As her eyes scanned over the ornate swirling calligraphy conveying heartfelt well wishes for continued health and happiness for both her and Lord Emberhart, Ellara felt nostalgic tears already welling up, blurring the neat intricately inked rows of text.
The letter's kind and intimate words could only have come from her parents - the Lord and Lady Feywood themselves. They affectionately inquired about the current well-being of their beloved daughter whom they deeply regretted not having seen now in so many long years, since she first departed their kingdom to start a new life by marrying into House Emberhart.
Most touchingly, her mother and father explained their fervent wish to finally meet and become acquainted with Ellara's treasured only son, their beloved grandson Eric, poignantly writing that no greater joy existed in life than seeing one's family continue to grow and thrive across the generations.
The letter extended a gracious invitation for Lady Ellara to visit the Feywood family estate with her family whenever most convenient for them, saying that no happier occasion could be imagined than welcoming their daughter home once more, this time with her husband Lord Alaric and young Eric in tow, so the Feywoods could embrace them all.
Carefully refolding the precious parchment letter, Lady Ellara sat in contemplative silence for a long moment, gazing out fondly across the gardens as little Eric continued playing there, his cheeks rosy with exertion, not yet burdened by knowledge of his past life or the portentous magical destiny that lay ahead of him.
One day, when the time was right, she would share with him the long, intertwined histories binding together the Emberhart and Feywood families, like two saplings sprouted from a common ancient root. But for now, that could wait. These precious, fleeting days of Eric's childhood were far too valuable to weigh down prematurely with such matters.
An affectionate smile lit up Ellara's face as Eric suddenly ceased his chasing game and changed course, bounding enthusiastically across the grass toward her skirts with his loyal black pup Shadow fast on his heels...