And now for something completely different.
>It was sometime between the cake and the ice cream that your father nudged you
>"Meet me in my prep room after this party."
>At the time, you didn't think much of it
>Not when there was cake to be eaten, or a pink party pony to placate with a game of "Pin the tail on the donkey"
>Childish, maybe, but fun just the same
>No, it was only afterwards that you realized what your father meant
>His prep room
>The one place in the palace you aren't allowed to go
>Or, at least, you weren't allowed to go
>That, apparently, changed
>You take the long trek up to the highest spire alone, your mother strangely absent
>The stone door, for the first time in your life, is opened, its magical seal broken
>Your father waits inside
>"Come in, Radiance."
>The room is small, and surprisingly minimalist
>There is simply a wooden chest in the corner, and nothing more
>Your father kneels in front of it
>"This particular Birthday has special significance for you. You are, legally, a man now. Although I know that, by other definitions, that happened when you were 13 with that one marefriend you had."
>Even when he's trying to be serious, your father can never resist a joke
>He smirks as he produces a key, seemingly from nowhere, and inserts it into the chest
>His gaze turns to you
>"And, as an adult, you have new responsibilities. So I have decided to bestow upon you a weapon."
>Your heart skips a beat
>Finally
>No more training swords or bows
>Something hand-crafted, specifically made for you
>Just like the generals in the guard
>Fantasies run wild in your head, visions of engraved blades and gem-encrusted handles dancing through your mind's eye
>You hold your breath in anticipation as your father opens the chest and reaches inside
>What he produces, however, isn't a beautiful sword
>Or an elegant bow
>It's something else, something totally alien
>A black metal device, with some sort of cylinder attached to a handle
