Happy Birthday, Kai (10.2.19)

'Boom! Confetti!'

And confetti promptly exploded from the ceiling, showering the palace ballroom.

Heine leaned over to whisper to Viktor as the other princes dragged Kai into the thick of the surprise party. 'Did your boys get their penchant for flashy entrances from you?'

Viktor paused, yet nearly overfilled Heine's wine glass. 'Whoops. Yes, highly likely. Prost!'

They clinked glasses. 'But no, really. They fielded my arrival at the palace with lights and wind and… feathers, I believe? And let's not forget that rather overblown welcome party…'

'But you enjoyed it, despite your fussing.'

Heine rolled his eyes. 'Yes, I did.'

'All right! Licht clapped his hands and said, 'Gifts! No time like the "present!"'

Bruno groaned. 'Licht… Good grief. But yes, shall we?'

Kai smiled. 'Sure. Thank you… everyone. This is nice.'

'All right, first up is our leading lady, Beatrix von Lothringen!' Licht said, and pushed Beatrix in Kai's direction. 'Hit it!'

'L-Licht! Anyway, happy birthday, Kai. These are for you.' She held out a pair of grey gloves, lined with rabbit fur. She laughed and said, 'If you can't beat the soft things, join them!'

Kai grinned back, and slipped the gloves on. His hand even rested on Beatrix's for a moment. 'Thank you.'

'And here's the traditional gag present from the "youngest" sibling — a semi-ugly sweater that's actually a lot better-looking than I'm giving it credit for!' And without further ado Licht yanked the thing over Kai's head and gave him a hug, unable to help a smirk. 'Many happy returns, Kainie.'

'Well, I wasn't terribly original, I'm afraid,' Bruno said, and draped a scarf around Kai's shoulders with an embarrassed smile. 'Happy birthday, Brother. The softest one I could find in the shop.'

Kai got his hands through the sleeves of the sweater, and patted Bruno on the head. 'Thanks… Bruno. It's very soft.'

'All right, my turn.' Leonhard shouldered his way in, then said to Licht, 'Can I get a boost?'

'Do I look like a stepladder to you?'

'Just do it!'

'Fine —' Licht hoisted him up, ' — but why couldn't you ask Bruno?'

'Never!' Leonhard said, completely aghast.

'What's with that preferential treatment?!'

Leonhard ignored him and jammed a fur-trimmed hat over Kai's snarled white hair, before jumping down and giving Kai a smile. 'Happy birthday, Kai.'

Heine took a sip of his drink and said, 'Is it just me or is there a pattern developing here?'

Viktor's eyes twinkled. 'Certainly looks that way.'

'And this is from me!' Adele said, and placed a tiny yellow-and-pink doll in Kai's hands. 'So you don't miss me too much while you're away at military academy!'

'Thanks, Adele. It's cute…'

'And this is from me, dear,' the queen mother said, draping a new winter coat over Kai's shoulders. 'I do worry that you're going to catch a chill wearing your jackets half-on all the time. This will give me peace of mind, at least. And I want you to be looking your best at school!'

Kai glanced left and right, admiring the gift, and he thanked the queen mother with, 'Thank you, Grandmother. I think it fits, too.'

A pair of polished black boots sat to the said, and Viktor set his glass down, raising his voice over the chatter. 'And those boots are from me, Kai, but you don't have to try them on right now.' Kai glanced at them, then back at Viktor and mouthed thank you with a smile.

'Aww, Dad, we had a whole theme running!' Licht complained, resting a hand on Kai's shoulder with a joking grin. '"The Soft Things Collection, Spring 1885"!'

Viktor raised an eyebrow. 'Oh? Who says I broke the theme?'

'Oh my word… Kai…' Beatrix looked up from the boots with her arm half-way down one of them. 'They're fur-lined.'

A brief silence, then everyone burst out laughing.

'Okay,' Licht wheezed, and brushed away tears of laughter. 'I think Dad wins this year. So, Kai? Like 'em?'

Kai glanced down at the assorted wearable gifts, and grinned awkwardly. 'I like them all, but…' He gestured and nearly fell over. 'I can't really move.'

It was so easy to laugh on occasions like this, Heine thought, biting back a smile as everyone burst into laughter yet again.

Viktor nudged him, and said, 'Didn't you have a gift for Kai?'

'Gift? …Oh.' Heine hesitated. 'Oh… no. It was nothing special.' Viktor waited for him to say more. 'And everyone else gave him such nice gifts.' Heine fingered his cheek. 'Mine's somewhat… pathetic, really.'

'That's enough of that.' And Viktor shoved Heine in Kai's direction, the little tutor windmilling his arms for balance. 'You picked him out a gift yourself with him in mind, and gave it from your heart. That's worth more than diamonds or gold or sable fur. So go on!'

'You're terrible,' Heine muttered, yet he couldn't turn and run away now, and he had to pad over to Kai while still blushing from mortification.

'Prince?'

Kai turned and looked down, and smiled. 'Teacher?'

Heine pulled a brown paper parcel from his coat and handed it over. '…Many happy returns, Prince Kai.'

The rest of the princes gathered as Kai tore open the paper — to reveal a fur-covered journal and a pen with a fluffy tassel.

'It's a wraparound book cover,' Heine said with gritted teeth. 'You can put it on whatever book you wish. I thought it might make reading more pleasant for you, more…' He gestured. 'More soft.'

'I'm in love with it,' Kai said promptly, before proceeding to whisk Heine off the floor in a hug.

'And the Royal Tutor has started a new trend, ladies and gentlemen — fur stationery, favoured by young royals all over the Western Continent!' Licht laughed. 'Pffft. You could be the spokesperson, Kai!'

Kai grinned. 'Mm.' He said to Heine, 'Thank you, Teacher. I love it.'

Heine gave him an embarrassed smile, and ignored Viktor's I-told-you-so smirk. 'You're welcome, Prince. You're welcome indeed.'

The End