Tyren had been walking for half the day and now part of the night, yet he still had no idea where he was. If only he had listened to his Uncle who had warned him many times not to wander too far into the forest - especially at night. But Tyren loved the forest more than any other place. He spent most of his days (and some nights) exploring and was always most careful not to lose his bearings when he pushed the limits - save this day. This day he went further than he ever had before, thinking all the while that he knew the way back, but the forest was a funny place that would sometimes change right before your very eyes.

He thought sure with all his walking he would have found a tree, or a rock or anything at all that was familiar to him, but there was nothing. Finally exhausted and frustrated and hopeless and scared, he did what any other child would do – he collapsed against the nearest unfamiliar tree and began to sob.

Suddenly he heard a noise and snapped his head up, expecting to see some monster coming for him, but instead of a monster, he saw a bright sparkling orange orb of light no bigger than a woodland moth hovering above a tree branch right in front of him. Filled with amazement, he stopped sobbing and starred at the tiny orb for the longest time, wondering what it could be. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him and he stepped closer for a better look. Startled by the sudden movement, the tiny Orb made a squeaking sound and shot backwards.

"No please wait." Tyren said urgently. The tiny orb stopped. "Don't be afraid." He insisted and continued stepped forward slowly. "I won't hurt you."

When he got closer, he was amazed to realize he was looking at some sort of fairy with fluttering wings and pointed ears similar to his own, only this little creature was not like him, this creature was a…. "Are you a fairy?" He asked with the wonderment that only a child of the forest could possess.

The little creature nodded its head sheepishly.

"My uncle has told me many tales of fairies, but I've never seen one with my own eyes." Tyren explained as he starred almost mesmerized by the bright sparkling wings. "Your wings are really nice."

The fairy blushed and gave Tyren a bashful shrug as it hovered, twisting back and forth in mid air, delighted. It was then that he realized the little creature was a she.

"I am Tyren Alvendar." He said giving her a little bow. "I live in a castle just beyond the forest, where my uncle is king. They say I am a prince, though I am not quite sure if that is true or not, but in any case, I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

The fairy curtseyed.

"Do you live near?" He asked her. She shook her head and pointed further into the forest. Tyren nodded. "Are you lost as well?" Again the little fairy shook her head then she pointed to Tyren. "Yes I am lost. I've been walking for hours and I still can't find my way back." He paused suddenly, hit with an idea. "Do you know the way?"

The fairy nodded her head with a smile.

"Will you show me?"

She nodded again.

Tyren followed as the fairy led him through brush, over streams, under fallen trees, over rocks, and all the way through the forest to where things began to look familiar. When he reached the edge of the forest where the clearing began he turned to her very excited and amazed. "You did it. You led me home."

She grinned at him.

"I never thought home would look so good. How can I ever possibly thank you enough?"

She shrugged.

"Look, I must go this instant as I am sure everyone in the kingdom is looking for me by now, but do you think the next time I am in the forest I could make your acquaintance again?" He asked her.

She shot forward suddenly looking very excited and began nodding her head quickly.

Tyren reached his hand out to her and waited till she placed her tiny little hand on his first finger. "Until we meet again then my Lady…." He said and leaned forward and kissed it gently. "Thank you again for helping me. I will never forget your kindness." He said.

The tiny Fairy's orange glow turned the same bright shade of pink of her now flushed cheeks as she shrugged her shoulders upward and began twisting back and forth in the air in front of him. He bid her farewell and after one last bow he ran through the brush and into the clearing towards the castle.

When he got near the gate and saw that the guests were starting to arrive he decided to enter a different way - Around the back and up the ivy, and in through the window off the kitchen, where he gave everyone quite a start.

"Good heavens! Prince Tyren! Your aunt has been searching for you. Where have you been?" Misses Thatcher cried as she helped him through the window. "And just look at the state of you."

Tyren looked.

xxxxx

The celebration was soon to get underway, and Arietta was beginning to get frustrated with everyone, especially the young men in the household. The girls had given her no trouble past what they would wear and once that was decided, they spent the day primping and preparing. The male members of her family on the other hand - Uh, those men! She was about to ring every one of their necks, the king included. The bath was prepared early enough to get all of them in and out and finished in time for the celebration, but of course her brother, the King - who was first as he was the head of the household - spent far too long soaking and napping in the warm water. She had to pop her head in twice to wake him, ordering him on the second to finish so the rest of the house could take their turn.

Kelvin was next after that, and then Jarrett then Rudd then Braden then Dulcin then Lander till finally it came to the last – Tyren. Where in the name of all the gods was Tyren? She went to the hall, but he was not there. 'Ah, the kitchen,' she thought, 'trying to get to the sweets no doubt.' and she headed that way and that's when she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. She snapped her head in that direction and there he was in front of Miss Thatcher looking a filthy mess. "Tyren!" she shouted as she stepped closer, looking him up and down, completely shocked at the state of him. "Just look at yourself."

Tyren looked down at himself for the second time that evening. He was covered in dirt and mud and bits of leaves, his shirt and trousers were torn, he reeked of sweat and the forest.

"Where on the good earth have you been?"

"Exploring." Tyren said as a matter of fact.

"Exploring what I can only guess. You look like you've been rolling in the mud." She said, still gawking at him.

"I slipped and rolled down a hill."

She shook her head and sighed then suddenly there was this look on her face as if she had just decided something in her mind and she snatched him by the arm. "Come with me." She said pulling him along.

"Come where? What are you doing?"

"You need a bath young man."

"A bath, I don't need a bath. All I have to do is change my clothes and I'll be as good as new." He protested.

"This is a very important celebration and I will not have any of you not looking your best. Now come, please. I have much to do and no time for foolishness." She said, her voice sounding stressed.

Just then Rudd turned the corner in front of them, freshly bathed and nicely dressed in a fine green tunic. His eyes went wide when he saw his filthy young cousin in his Aunts grasp.

"Oh, thank the Gods, Rudd." Arietta said with a great amount of relief. "Would you please see to it that this mess of a child gets cleaned up and dressed appropriately?"

Rudd looked as if she were asking him to pull out his own teeth. "But Auntie, I was just on my way down to the festivities." He protested in a voice that was very close to a whine.

"And I am not a baby." Tyren added. "I can get myself cleaned up and dressed."

"If that were true, you would have done it without argument." She said pushing the younger lad into the older one. "Please Rudd, the guests are starting to arrive and I need to get down there."

"I am the son of the King in case anyone has forgotten and I need to get down there as well. Besides…." He said shifting his eyes to the boy. "…the little rat is not my responsibility."

Arietta took a sudden step toward the flippant young man who now towered over her with a look on her face that made him take a step back. "Now you listen to me – Son of the King." She snarled, her voice beginning to rise. "I am the Sister of the King as well as your aunt and I say that you will do as I ask of you or I swear I will revoke your invitation to the festivities and have you locked in your chambers for the remainder of the evening. Now, what say you to that?"

Now very regretful, Rudd began to back step. "Now Auntie…I did not mean any disrespect I was simply saying…..." he tried.

"I don't care what you were simply saying! I only want you to do as you were told, now can you do that or Not?!" She demanded.

Rudd nodded his head, completely compliant, and respectful now. "Yes my Lady."

"Thank you!" She snapped then simply turned on her heels and marched herself down the corridor to see to her guests.

Both lads watched her back till she was gone, then they both turned to each other – one angry and one smirking.

"What are you grinning at, blast you?" Rudd snarled as he grabbed the boys arm and jerked him forward. "Come on!"

"Ouch! Stop pulling on me! You're hurting my arm!" Tyren shouted

"Oh shut up!" Rudd snapped as he dragged the child to the bathing chamber and shoved him through the door, sending him stumbling across the floor.

XXXXXX

Claudette, the newest addition to the castle staff, was in the bathing chamber dumping pots of hot water into the wooden tub to warm it up for one of the prince's she had heard had just arrived. It was not normally her station to be in the bathing chambers, but was overjoyed to oblige when Miss Thatcher asked her to oversee the task. Any chance to see one of the Prince's that closely was fine with her. She had a wee bit of a crush on each and every one of them, especially Jarrett, the eldest with his dark hair and emerald eyes that always seemed to dance every time he smiled, which was quite often. It was him she was daydreaming about when the door burst open and hit the stone wall, giving her quite a start. She jumped and spun around, not knowing what to expect, and that is when she saw Rudd, the largest of all the Princes with his broad shoulders and muscular arms and every bit as handsome as his older brother, only with chestnut eyes. With him was the youngest prince, Prince Tyren, whom he slung into the room.

"My Lord." She said and gave a small curtsy.

The Prince gave her a quick nod then pointed an angry finger at the boy. "Get those filthy rags off and get into that tub, quickly. You have three minutes."

"Don't order me about like some dog!" The lad shouted, clearly not intimidated by his much larger cousin.

"I will order you about any way I please." Rudd said taking a step forward. "Now do as I say

"No!" The lad shouted defiantly. "I won't do as you say you are not in charge of me!"

"I am right now. You heard what Auntie said, and I am not going to spend the rest of the evening locked in my chambers because of you. Now get undressed and get in that tub!"

"No." The boy said crossing his arms over his chest. "I won't do it."

"Tyren, I'm warning you…..."

"And I'm warning you!"

Claudette didn't know what to do. She knew she shouldn't involve herself, but she couldn't just stand there. "Excuse me, My Lord?"

The Prince's eyes shifted to her almost causing her heart to stop. "Yes Claudette?" He said, calmer now that he was addressing her.

Shocked and delighted that he actually knew her name, she flushed red suddenly and forgot what she was about to say, finally after a moment of him staring at her waiting, she remembered and finished. "P-p-perhaps I could be of some assistance?"

The Prince looked back at the boy then he drew in a breath and blew it out hard. "Right then." He said as he quickly began to un-toggle his fine Green Tunic. "I'll hold him down, while you scrub."

That was not at all what she had meant by assistance, but she dared not argue with the prince.

"What are you doing?" Tyren asked cautiously and slowly began to back away as Rudd carefully remove his tunic and lay it over the back of the chair.

"You want that we should do this the hard way, so be it." He said and suddenly leaped for the boy.

The younger Prince tried to run, but did not get but a step or two before he was grabbed and hauled right back. Immediately there was a struggle between them as one tried to break away and the other began pulling and tugging at the others filthy clothes. The shirt came off easily enough, but the second the Prince went for the younger's trousers, the lad lashed out with more ferociousness than Claudette ever thought possible. So much so that she would have let the lad go immediately, but Rudd didn't seem swayed in the least. He simply wrapped one large muscular arm around the hostile child's middle and lifted him off his feet.

"Put me down!" The boy roared as he fought and kicked to get free.

Ignoring the protest, Rudd untied the laces at the boy's waist and loosened the trousers enough to get them off the struggling lad who was now pounding at both the arm clutching him and the hand removing his trousers. Rudd ignored this, though clearly it was beginning to annoy him, and simply carried the now naked boy over to the large tub and dropped him in water with a splash.

Claudette stepped in immediately with a cloth with the intention of washing the boy as she was told, but the second she touched the lad's skin, he went wild with anger.

"Get your hands off me!" Tyren shouted as he swung nearly striking Claudett's face.

"Oy!" Rudd shouted as he tried to restrain him. "Stop that!"

Tyren swung again, only this time at his cousin, and struck him hard across the face with a powerful open handed slap. So startled by the blow Rudd shouted out and jerked backwards knocking into Claudette who screamed out suddenly and then again when she was tossed aside and knocked into the table of oils sending them all crashing to the floor.

"You little Troll!" Rudd roared as he stood suddenly yanking the lad out of the water at the same time. He then tucked him face down under one powerful arm and raised his large hand high above his bare, wet upturned backside and brought it down with a crack that echoed around the room.

The boy screamed so loud, Claudette wanted to blog her ears only she was so shocked by what was happening she couldn't move. She had never seen a Prince disciplined this way. She didn't even know it was allowed, and much less what the proper protocol was when one found herself in this position. She decided to avert her eyes and try to pretend nothing at all was amiss.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Where is Rudd?" Jarrett asked his Aunt. "I expected him down here first."

"Tyren strolled in looking a fright." Arietta told him. "So I sent him off the make sure he got in the bath."

Jarrett looked at her, surprised. "You sent Tyren off with Rudd?"

"Yes, I did, why?"

Jarrett gave her a raised eyebrow look.

"I'm sure they will be …..." She never finished her sentence because someone beside her interrupted by clearing their throat.

"Forgive the interruption my lady." The girl started, then leaned forward and whispered in her ear. When she finished, Arietta exasperated then rolled her eyes.

"What?" Jarrett asked, still grinning.

"It seems there is a great disturbance coming from the bathing chamber." She said with a good bit of annoyance.

"Of course there is." Jarrett laughed. "Everyone knows Rudd has no patience to speak of. He's probably trying to drown the lad as we speak."

Arietta gave him a sideways look.

"Arietta," The king shouted from across the room. "Come and say Hello." He chuckled.

Arietta painted a big smile on her face. "Right away Brother." She shouted back then whispered to Jarrett. "Would you please go and see what in the blazes is going on up there?"

He laughed and gave a little bow. "Yes my lady." He said and started that way.

"Oh and Jarrett." She called after him. Jarrett turned back. "Remind both of them that if I have to come up there neither one of them will sit for the rest of the evening."

Jarrett laughed again and nodded his head. "I will inform them of this immediately." He said and quickly exited the hall.

Jarrett was not worried. He knew his Brother would never really hurt the lad. With Rudd it was just a matter of move or be moved. It was just his way. 'All brawn.' He thought with a smile as he walked towards the bathing chamber but then suddenly he heard the sound of something shatter and quickened his pace. Then there was shouting and screaming and his quickened pace turned to running and he went sprinting down the corridor. When he got to the chamber door and heard smacking sounds - many of them - followed by the screams and cries of his young cousin and suddenly he knew exactly what was happening inside.

"Rudd!" He shouted at his brother after throwing open the door. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Rudd snarled as he brought his hand down once again on the lads now crimson backside.

"Jarrett!" Tyren wailed. "Make him stop! Make him stop!"

Jarrett was already on his way. "That's enough, Rudd. He's had enough. Let him go."

"Not until I give him the hiding he deserves for striking me in the face." Rudd said about to deliver another swat but Jarrett grabbed his arm and stayed his hand.

"You can finish spanking him later, for now we are all expected at the celebration - Auntie's orders."

"She also ordered that unless I get this little snake cleaned up I am not allowed to go to the celebration."

"I will make sure it's done. You go on down." Jarrett said.

Rudd looked at his brother, annoyed at first, then thought of the party and the fact that he would rather be there then here anyway. "Fine." He said as he tossed the lad back into the water with a splash, then snatched his green tunic off the chair the hastily exited the room.

Jarrett grabbed a large bath cloth and quickly went to help his still sobbing cousin out of the tub. "Are you alright?"

Tyren jerked backwards and began shaking his head.

"No, you're not alright?" Jarrett asked suddenly very concerned. "Come out of there."

Tyren shook his head again and shifted his eyes. Jarrett looked to see what had the boy so deterred from getting out of the water and there was Claudette, still just standing there looking shocked.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Prince Jarrett looked up suddenly and gave Claudette a warm smile that made his emerald eyes sparkle and dance. "Sorry you had to witness their little quarrel." He said in his deep voice. "They are usually much more behaved than this."

She gave an awkward laugh, realized it, and stopped immediately. Then she smiled back at the beautiful Prince. "It's nothing to be sorry for my lord. I have three brothers of me own back home."

His smile grew larger and she could now see his perfect white teeth and amazing jaw line, and beautiful lips as his mouth moved. Lips she would love to have pressed against her own…..Oh wait what? What did he just say? She snapped out of it and tried to concentrate. "I'm sorry my Lord could you please repeat that?"

Prince Jarrett chuckled. "I was just saying that I think it wise that I take over from here. I'll see to it that he is presentable for the party." He said kindly.

"Oh, right. Yes of course my Lord." She said stepping forward with the cloth she still held in her hand.

"Thank you my lady." He said as he took it from her - his fingers accidently grazing her hand.

Claudette could barely contain herself having actually touched the prince and swore she would never wash that hand again. 'I must tell the others,' she thought to herself and hurried over to the door on the other side of the room. Only when she got there she realized it was actually the window. Feeing silly and stupid, she looked again and rushed back the way she had just come and exited the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jarrett looked from the door to his cousin who was still in the bath sniffing and rubbing his crimson backside, and held up the bath sheet once again. "Come out of there." The boy complied without argument. "Striking Rudd in the face?" He said as he knelt down in front of the lad and began drying him off. "I think you would have been better off poking an angry hornet's nest with a stick. He is much older, uglier and bigger than you are."

Tyren begged to differ. "He is not older than I. None of you are older than I."

Jarrett agreed with this. "It is true, in years, you are much older than the rest of us, but you are of Elvin blood, therefore you cannot go by your years. You are still a child."

"Yes well I don't want to be a child anymore. It is not fair that everyone else gets to grow up and I don't." Tyren said and his eyes filled with tears again.

Jarrett looked at the lad sympathetically. "I understand how you must feel, but you will not be a child forever. One day you will grow up. It's just going to take a little longer for you than it did for the rest of us, but you cannot rush what is. We are what we are, and there is no changing it. You are elf and we are men." Saying these words made Jarrett realize something very dark and depressive suddenly - Tyren wouldn't fully mature for another seventy-five years or more, and live for thousands more after that - which was a far cry longer than any one of them. The poor lad would have to stand by and watch each and every one of his family members pass one by one until one day they would all be gone.

"What are you thinking about?" Tyren asked.

Jarrett had not realized he was in such deep thought till the lad spoke. He shook his head. "Nothing." He said and stood. "Come, let's get you dressed so we may join the festivities."