Again, by request of AngetianPrincess18. Hope I did your idea justice. I know it was a Soren-or-Ezran, but I couldn't resist doing them BOTH. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? You just need to make extra cake, that's all. Mm, cake.
*ahem, dignified author here*
Angetian, Lily, and Indi: tysm for all your support so far!
Prince Charming
Ezran is very busy king-ing.
Ezran is not too busy to visit Zym.
Ezran is not too busy to listen to Zym's problems and offer advice.
Ezran is not too busy to notice the effects of the war on Xadia and the human kingdoms.
Ezran is not too busy to start the world's first multi-species orphanage.
Ezran is not too busy to stop by the orphanage at least once a month to play. Opeli says contact with peers is important for proper development, and the only 'peers' Ezran knows are Aanya and Ellis. And the children at the orphanage.
Aanya is busy being queen.
Aanya is also busy socializing with her peers. She discovers she is fond of wolves.
Ellis is busy too. She is busy being an ambassador. Callum and Rayla are good, but they can only be in two places at once, and usually they're only in one.
Ellis is never too busy for read-to-a-wolf day at the orphanage. Ava is too fast to miss it.
Ezran is sixteen years old. He is not interested in getting married. He is not interested in more formal alliances. He is not interested in extra parties (unless they have jelly tarts).
Ezran is interested in visiting the orphanage. Sometimes orphans have been adopted. Sometimes there are new orphans. Dragon, elf, or human, all the children recognize King Ezran. They all love him.
Aanya is seventeen years old. She knows she needs an heir, just in case something happens. Aanya is practical.
Aanya is not interested in men. Or women. Aanya is not interested in anybody.
Aanya does love children, though. Soon, she will be old enough to adopt a child.
Aanya has already asked him if he wants to be her son. He does. Duren will have five years to get used to a half-elven crown prince before he begins to take on official duties.
Ellis is fifteen years old. She likes playing with children. But she does not think she would be a good mother. She is glad she has several years to think about it before her parents start asking for grandchildren.
Ellis does like Ezran. She is happy when their visits to the orphanage coincide, which is not often. He makes her laugh. And Ava likes him, which is best of all.
King Ezran is twenty-eight years old. Queen Ellis is twenty-seven. The doctors tell them King Ezran cannot father children.
Opeli says Ezran needs an heir.
Ezran says Callum's daughter could be an heir.
Opeli says Katolis might not accept a half-elven heir.
Ezran says it should.
Ellis suggests something.
Ezran likes her idea.
Gren approves.
Corvus says it will be hard, but he will support Ezran.
Aanya says Katolis will need time to adjust.
Rayla says the wee bairn needs a home.
Callum says to make sure they're not just proving a point.
Zym thinks Ellis's idea is good. Zym has more ideas, too, but not all of them are good ideas for right now.
Zubeia approves.
Ezran and Ellis and Ava's granddaughter Anna visit the orphanage.
They visit again one week later.
And the next week.
And the next.
And the next.
After eighteen weeks, they go back to Katolis Castle with two-year-old Harrow, an Earthblood elf with skin the color of Ezran's, deep green eyes, and thick, dark hair like Ellis's.
Rayla uses baby talk.
Callum teaches Ezran to change a diaper.
Sarai adores her cousin.
Ethari sings to him.
Runaan pretends not to like him.
Lujanne openly adores him.
Tiadrin likes snuggling with him.
Lain tickles him.
Aanya sends her congratulations.
Soren should not give him sticks.
Claudia cannot look at him without squee-ing.
Opeli uses baby talk.
Amaya likes rocking him to sleep.
Barius is not supposed to give him jelly tarts.
Bait isn't very jealous.
Zym gives him zappy kisses. Little ones, because Harrow is little.
Katolis is not so happy.
Katolis has not yet gotten over the war. Katolis does not yet trust Xadia. Katolis does not want an elf for a king. "Human Kingdoms Are For Humans," Katolis says.
King Ezran says that Harrow may be an elf, but that does not make him any less of a person. Any less Ezran's son. Any less worthy of love.
Katolis remembers King Harrow. Katolis says King Harrow hated elves. He would not have wanted an elf to share his name.
King Ezran says King Harrow was a stubborn man, trapped in the past. "You can stay in the past forever, or you can look to the future with me, Queen Ellis, and Prince Harrow."
The castle servants tell their friends how sweet the baby prince is. How he's always full of smiles, how he seems to learn a new word every day, how plants are always a bit brighter in his presence. They speak of the time Queen Ellis lost him for almost an hour before Gemma found him growing tomatoes in the compost heap.
Katolis does not change quickly. A kingdom has too many people in it to change quickly.
Katolis does change.
The Broken Links and their families openly support Prince Harrow from the start. Many of those who would oppose them are gone, turned to monsters by Lord Viren or killed in the war.
Katolis changes more quickly than it might have.
By the time Prince Harrow is old enough to understand, he's already charmed the kingdom.
Things people might ask about:
-Aanya is ace aro here, but, like me, she's an ace who loves kids. Plus she needs an heir.
-When a couple can't have kids in fiction, it's usually the woman who can't. I specifically wanted to mess with that.
-Claudia gets redeemed, because I love her.
-Opeli absolutely uses baby talk.
-Yes I changed the name of this collection. Sorry for any confusion!
Oh, and in case anyone wants to know: I have 19 pages of my second novel completed! I'll have a Tumblr (or two or three) by the next oneshot! I'll let you know what they're called then, and you can review or PM if you want me to check out yours. And I've been working on other things too!
Tumblr is apparently a really great motivator. *confused but happy*