Chapter 407 - The Twin’s Tenth Birthday (1)(unedited) (1/2)

”Your mother the empress is looking for the both of you.” Philip said. ”It is your tenth birthday today and you need to prepare for the banquet later.”

”Mother is looking for us?” Alphonse replied with surprise.

”Oh no, we are in trouble.” Aerith said with a scared expression. ”What are we going to do, brother? Our clothes are…” she looked at her brother with worry.

The twins' beautiful clothes are both dirty and soiled with playing in the garden so early in the morning.

”Do not worry, I will fix it once we go back.” Alphonse said with a determined look. ”Come on, before mother sees us like this.” He took his sister's hand and started to run to the direction of the palace.

”Your cousins have arrived as well!” Philip shouted to the twin's direction. ”I am sure they are waiting for both of you!”

”Thanks…” Alphonse waved his hand to Philip without looking back.

Philip sighed and shook his head but then smiled. ”To think that the future of the empire and the world rests in his highnesses shoulders.” Philip said while watching the receding back of Alphonse and Aerith, his gaze at the young boy of ten years old. ”I promise to get even more stronger. To support the prince and princess in the future.” He said with a look of determination.

**

”Give me your hand Rith.” Alphonse said with a hushed voice while reaching for his sister's hand.

The twins were climbing a vine that Alphonse have conjured using his magic. Their rooms were located at the third floor of the west wing of the palace. They were being sneaky because they were grounded until today.

Just last week both were grounded after pranking their teacher in history. They used their magic to make the teacher fall in a pit they made at the path to the palace. The pit was dug and filled with water by Aerith's magic. Illusion magic was cast by Alphonse to hide the pit in plain sight. The remarkable thing was the trap will not activate if other people walk by it, but when the history teacher walked by the trap activated and he feel in the muddy pit.

The teacher was fuming in anger and complained to both the emperor and empress of what the imperial prince and princess did to him. The emperor sighed and the empress was angry on what the twins had done, and because of that the imperial prince and princess were grounded from playing outside. But that did not stop the twins and they were able to sneak out of their room in every way possible like today when their being grounded should have ended.

”Careful in pulling me up.” Aerith said after Alphonse grabbed her hand.

Alphonse pulled his sister up in a hurry. Aerith's dress was caught in the vines and was torn while she was pulled by his brother. The sound of the tearing dress made Aerith's skin tingle.

”Oh no, this was my favorite dress.” Aerith was about to shed tears while sitting on the floor holding the torn skirt.

”Do not worry, I will fix it.” Alphonse said.

With Alphonse magic, his hand glowed and the tear on Aerith's dress started to fix on its own. Together with the tore being fixed, the dirt on both their clothes started to separate from their dress and float in the air. With Alphonse's wave of his hand. The dirt flew out of the window. Now they were wearing clean and neat clothes as if they were never soiled.

”See, we are all clean now.” Alphonse smiled to his sister.

”Wow Al, you are really great!” Aerith said with sparkling eyes, at awe with her brother. ”I wish my magic could do that. Unfortunately, I cannot.” She lowered her head in sadness.

”You are also great with elemental magic. You do not need to envy mine.” Alphonse consoled his sister. ”You also have things you are good at that I am lacking. We are always together, so we can fill in what we lack with each other. We will not be apart from one another, right?” He squeezed his sister's hand with determination.

”Of course!” Aerith replied full of confidence. ”I cannot imagine myself without you Al.” The two giggled to one another.

”It looks like the imperial prince and princess have done some mischief again.” A voice said.

Alphonse and Aerith were stunned after hearing the voice and were frozen in place. They turned their head slowly to see their father seating on the couch of the receiving area of their room.

”F-Father…” Alphonse tried to smile but it looked awkward. ”How long were you waiting there?”

”We have been here for quite some time.” Regaleon replied with a smirk on his face. ”I am afraid we hear and seen everything.”

William was standing by the door trying to suppress his laugh. They were able to see the twins coming in from the window and seeing their soiled clothes until Alphonse fixed them with magic.

”Faaaatther…” Aerith ran to her father cutely. Regaleon had his arms open to catch his running angels. ”We are sorry, please forgive us. It is just because we were so bored inside, that is why we took a stroll outside.”

”I heard that it was not just a mere stroll.” Regaleon replied while carrying Aerith. ”I heard that Philip needed to change out of his clothes because he was soaking wet from waist down.” He looked at William.

”I just happened to see Philip when he walked pass by me to go back to his room to change.” William said with a smiled. ”he is having a hard time finding a new formal knights' outfit for today's occasion because he only has one pair.”

”I can help him dry it.” Alphonse said.