You stubborn eel" Regalis poked the end of a flower stalk at one of the fishes in the pond.

"Kolta won't listen - to - you" the sixteen or seventeen years old boy beside Regalis said, stammering. With traces of saliva accumulating at the side of his lips. "Kolta - is - stu-bborn".

"I agree" Regalis said, as he and his new friend continued disturbing the fishes in the small pond of the Village Chief's backyard.

"This is Kai" the simple boy pointed at one of the fishes, "and that, is Rae, Josta and Tata, who likes food a lot".

Regalis laughed, "who doesn't like food?"

The simple boy giggled. Unable to speak properly. He looked sixteen, but somehow, his speech could be mistaken as that of a toddler's. Some, would say he was an imbecile.

"I -like - food - too" the boy said.

"I too" Regalis tapped his flat belly.

"Food - and - music" the boy rushed to a raised platform near the pond, and touched the zither on it. "Ta-ta and me, love - mus- ic" he giggled again. Acting like a baby, as he touched his chin. And looked away from Regalis. I noticed he avoided looking at Regalis in the eye.

"Lucky you" Regalis said, "no one plays better than me in Armalith".

The boy laughed, "my mother - can" he said, "she plays - for - Alistair - everyday", tapping his chest.

Hah. So, his name, was Alistair. Gently, he petted the strings of the thirty-two stringed zither. Smiling. His tongue, out of his mouth, as more saliva dropped.

After we finished eating, nearly everyone on the table left, except for Beatrice, Regalis and I. Beatrice (the Village Chief's daughter) and I continued chatting, until Regalis stood to leave.

As he left, I had an impulse to follow him. And so, I did. Ended my discussion with Beatrice and followed him silently. After all, it was still less than two months since Nadia died, and so, I felt my eyes should still often watch him.

As he walked for long, he pondered. Until, he reached this garden, where we were. Where I was hiding behind some of the tall plants. And it was here, he met Alistair and his pond, and started a conversation with him.

"No one - else plays - for me, Kewalis" Alistair stammered.

"What?" Regalis's eyes widened, "what did you just call me?"

"Ahhha" Alistair laughed. More saliva, dropping from the corners of his lips "Kewalis".

"I'm Regalis" Regalis said.

Alistair shook his head, as he touched his zither, laughing, "Kewalis. I - prefer -Kewalis".

And even I, could not hold my laughter. This boy, right in front of Regalis, had the courage to distort a Prince's name! Into a meal, usually eaten in the South. The delicious food was quite famous, for making those who eat it, fart and fart all day long.

And from the stories I've heard, the way the 'fart' often smelled, when released into the air, was enough to give one's spouse sleepless nights.

"Kewalis. Come and play this. Tata - would - want to - hear it" .

Regalis dropped his flower stalk and left the pond. He climbed the raised platform, "if I play a better music, than any one you've ever heard, would you stop calling me, Kewalis?" he pleaded.

"Ahhha" Alistair's tongue stretched out of his mouth, mocking Regalis, "noooo-ooo. Kewalis, fits -you".

I laughed. Covering my mouth. Gosh. Who tells a King, the name of a disastrous food, was what fits them best?

Regalis made a show of taking in deep breaths, "Alistair, trust me. When I'm done you won't call me -" Regalis stuttered "that name again". He couldn't even bear to say it. He'd better play a brilliant piece, else, if Ashton caught wind of this new nickname, it would follow Regalis for a long long time.

Alistair climbed down the podium, while Regalis sat close to the zither. He smiled, "are you ready?"

Alistair clapped, yelled in return, "Ta-ta. Are - you ready?"

And the strings of the zither moved. The melody, moving through the trees. The winds. Alistair giggled. And started jumping. That was his way of dancing. His hands, moved. His legs, moved. He was so happy. "Kewalis!"

And the strings of the zither went on. Playing melodiously. It was so beautiful that Regalis was the only other person, besides, his mother, who'd ever played for him.

And I watched as Regalis - no, Kewalis - laughed along with Alistair. It seemed, he'd now forgotten his 'latest' name, as his newest friend danced to his music.

It was time to go. Regalis was safe in Alistair's company. As I turned to leave, I noticed Aurora, the Village Chief's wife, she was watching Regalis and Alistair, from behind a tree.

And then, as if she knew that someone was watching her. She turned her head and looked at me.

What?

At once, she pulled on her hood. Covering her entire face. But forgetting that her hand, which was no longer wearing a glove, like when we were eating, was still exposed to the sunlight!

As she walked away, she looked back one more time and stared at me. She could tell that I'd seen her face glow. Her hand too. Glowing, when sunlight touched it.

Aurora was no ordinary woman.

Her kind, were what greedy kings had fought to claim, and also haunted for generations.

Regalis was a king. No wonder, her family had looked uncomfortable, when Ashton tried to open the dining room window, to let sunlight in. We saved one of them, but could we also be greedy and scared enough to destroy one of them, especially, if we think her Gift could help an enemy kingdom or enemy king?

I breathed in. Digesting this new information. As I still could not stop the gasp that escaped from my lips.

Aurora is no ordinary person. My mind reiterated.

A bestower.

Perhaps, the most powerful bestower that had lived this long, in the last five hundred years.