You never know...

Chapter 1

He stared across the large room at all the familiar faces, at all his most beloved and trustworthy friends.

Friends he knew he could count on for everything, who he confided in, who he sought advice from in troublesome times and who treasured his friendship as much as he did theirs.

Friends who were the last people he wanted to spend that particular evening with!

He glanced sideways at the ornate door at the end of the reception room and sighed. He needed to get out of there. Fast! He needed to clear his mind from the thoughts that had been plaguing him all day, and a walk by the near Palas' sea shore seemed to be just what the doctor would order.

As his mind secretly contemplated ways of exiting the premises without rising awareness, a joyful, energetic voice behind him broke through his musings.

"Why the brooding mood, your highness?"

He quickly turned to face his speaker, slightly alarmed his aloofness was apparently visible to others. "Ah, Dryden!" His lips curled up in a not-so-convincing smile. "It's nothing. Really! I'm just a little tired from the trip, that's all."

Which was not entirely untrue. The three day journey he had undertaken by carriage from Fanelia to Asturia had definitely worn him out, though not enough to fully blame it for his current mood.

That was perhaps why he was met with a sceptical stare.

"Alright, Van! I'll pretend I believe you." Asturia's king took a small sip of wine from the delicate crystal glass in his hand before continuing. "Do try to enjoy the evening! The rest of us are! After all, it is the first time in two years we've managed to get everybody together!" He added with narrowed eyes.

That little condemnatory remark was in its whole intended for Fanelia's king, who for the last couple of years had very successfully avoided every single reunion the monarchs of Asturia were known to throw for their friends in memory of their comradeship during the Destiny War.

It was not like he didn't appreciate spending time with his friends. He really did!

He enjoyed his political debates with Dryden, Millerna and young Chid; though with Dryden they were often more on the lines of violent discussions!

He enjoyed his sparring matches with Allen, who had turned out to be an unlikely mentor to him, in many ways like Vargas had been. It was indeed astonishing to see how much of Vargas had rubbed on Allen!

He also appreciated his peaceful walks with the good-natured and friendly Celena through Asturia's capital city and, last but not least, his not so discreet drunken escapades with the Crusade crew. He was actually surprised Gadeth and Kio still had functional livers! Those men didn't play when it came to booze!

No, he loved being around them! Just not all at the same time; that, he couldn't cope with very well. Because being with all of them under the same roof, remembering their trials and tribulations during the most hectic moments of their friendship, also brought back memories of a certain someone he had been desperately trying to push to the back of his mind.

But he couldn't come up with excuses forever, and as Asturia prepared itself for the festival of the decade – in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the end of the war – festival to which every prominent ruler from Gaea had been cordially invited to, he annoyingly had acquiesced to the invitation and now found himself, one day before the beginning of the official festivities, in one of the dreaded "happy" reunions, thrown in haste by a very enthusiastic Dryden Fassa.

He was about to give his friend a piece of his mind when a small and delicate hand touched his shoulder. "Is my husband bothering you again, Van?"

The two kings turned to face a very much amused and very much pregnant, Millerna Sarah Aston.

"Not as much as usual. But the night is still young!" Van smiled at the queen. "You look beautiful, Millerna!"

And she really did. Of course she had always been a beautiful woman, but pregnancy had really brought upon her an unique and captivating radiance.

"Why thank you, Van! Hmm, I have to say though I hardly feel beautiful these days!" She sighed, as she came to stand next to her husband.

Dryden chuckled loudly. "I'm afraid my wife is getting a little tired of her condition." He gently rested his free hand on her enlarged belly. "It won't be long now, my love!"

"I sure hope so!" She glanced briefly at Van before eyeing her husband lovingly. "Should we ask him now?"

"Ask me what?"

After a silent nod from her husband she turned her attention back to the young monarch. A hopeful smile was playing in her lips as she took Van's hand in her small ones.

"Well, Dryden and I were hoping…you would give us the honour of being our daughter's…"

"…our son's…" Dryden swiftly cut in.

"…our daughter's…" Millerna continued ignoring him.

"We're having a son!"

"We're having a daughter, Dryden Fassa!"

Van frowned. He was beginning to get slightly alarmed as the couple in front of him exchanged defying stares.

It only lasted a few seconds though. The smile was back to Millerna's lips as she spoke again a moment later. "As I was saying before I was cruelly interrupted, we would love it if you would accept to be..." She glanced at Dryden sideways. "…our child's godfather."

Van's eyes widened.

…

"I…I don't know what to say!"

A few moments went by. The future parents looked at him expectantly.

The young king remained silent for awhile; obviously astonished by the unexpected request, but eventually an earnest smile splashed across his features. He nodded his head enthusiastically at the same time he pulled a hand trough his already dishevelled hair. "Of course, of course! I would be honoured to be your son's…I mean daughter's…I mean child's godfather!"

A small squeak of delight was all Van heard before a mountain of blonde hair clouded his vision as the soon-to-be mother came to hug his neck tightly. Dryden also came to pat him on the back, insisting on sharing the good news immediately with the rest of their friends.

Cheers erupted throughout the reception room with all the glasses being raised in a toast to the unborn baby and his (or hers) new godfather.

"You do know what this means don't you, Van?" Dryden eventually asked after the cheers subsided. "You'll be forced to come to visit us a lot more often. After all, you can't neglect your godchild!"

Van's voice was suddenly glum as he averted his gaze to a nearby window. "If you promise not to arrange one of these reunions every time I stop by."

The young couple exchanged a knowing look.

"By the way, who will be the godmother?" Van asked as he shifted his focus back to them.

"Oh!" The couple seemed a little surprised by the question. "A dear family friend!" Millerna finally answered. "Honey!" She eyed Dryden conspiratorially. "We should see how the preparations for dinner are getting along. I don't know about the two of you, but the two of us are starving!" She smiled with a hand over her stomach.

"Of course, dear! Excuse us for a moment, Van." As he prepared to follow his wife, he nonetheless turned to his young gloomy friend with an odd grin plastered on his face. "Do lighten up! As you said so yourself, the night is still young! You never know what it has in store for you!" And he was off to the adjacent room, leaving a very puzzled Van behind.