To Dmitri's surprise, Ileus became absolutely quiet when he asked the question. He was so cranky a while back and now he stared at his father as though he was extremely interested in his proposition. So Dmitri asked him again, "Do you want to go out for fun, buttercup?"

Adrianna frowned at 'buttercup' and protested slightly. "That's not a girl." She narrowed her eyes and said, "You can call me buttercup."

​​

Dmitri smiled and ignored her. "Ileus, tell me?" he coaxed his baby.

Ileus took his tiny hand near Dmitri's left cheek and opened his mouth exposing his two new teeth. Unexpectedly, Ileus giggled and said, "Dada."

Everyone in the group was stunned. They stopped talking. Dmitri stared at his son. Adrianna's mouth fell. The first word wasn't momma or mummy or mom—it was dada!

Dmitri couldn't believe his ears. He opened and closed his mouth and blinked twice. "You- you called me-"

Ileus giggled again and said, "Da- da-"

"Oh my God!" Dmitri shrieked. "My baby!" He was so joyful that he squeezed his son. "My buttercup!" Ileus giggled and flashed his dimples. By that time everyone's attention had turned toward him. "My son just called me Dada!" he announced.

Everyone present laughed and chuckled at him. They raised their glasses and hailed, "Long Live the Prince!"

At first Ileus looked at the crowd and then he hid his head in Dmitri's neck. Dmitri stroked his curly hair and grinned away to glory. He looked at Adrianna and winked. Although Adrianna didn't say anything in the crowd, she pursed her lips. Inside she said, "Ileus you bad boy. You didn't call me mama!" Saying that she puffed her cheeks and went to talk to other ministers.

Dmitri was so moved that he kissed Ileus' hair and whispered, "Let's go and have fun!" Ileus answered by rubbing his nose on his collar. Dmitri turned to Haldir and said, "Okay, let's go tomorrow to the Human Realm. I know of a nice place to buy you couple's rings. However, does Inyanga know about it?"

Haldir lowered his gaze. He took a deep breath and said, "No!" He looked up at Dmitri. "I am planning to give her a surprise. She will be coming here tomorrow evening for two days."

"Then why don't you ask her to join us?" Dmitri suggested. "In fact, Niiya is back in town. We can ask him to join us for dinner in the newly constructed restaurant on the outskirts of the town. I've heard it has some great cuisine."

"It wouldn't be a surprise then," Haldir looked at the King of the Wizard Kingdom.

Dmitri shook his head. "Haldir, do not use your logic in these matters. Trust me, you cannot. You are not human and you wouldn't know what women want. So leave it to me." Haldir was dismissed.

"She is coming here tomorrow evening," he asserted. "How can she join us to buy the rings?" He was confused at what Dmitri was even saying.

Dmitri blew out a heavy breath. "Did I say that she will join us in the market?" He looked with a furrow in between his eyes. "But call her for dinner," he said as he poked Haldir's shoulder. "You seriously have to learn a lot. In fact you should learn from me."

Someone interrupted them from behind, "Don't teach him your methods Dmitri. You abducted Niiya to marry me."

Dmitri poked his cheek with his tongue as he gave a sheepish smile to her.

"What?" Haldir almost squealed.

Ileus giggled again and pushed his tiny, sponged shoes in Dmitri's abdomen. He looked at his mother as if trying to tell her about his very existence.

"I think Ileus needs to sleep now, so I am taking him inside," Dmitri said. His ears had turned pink by then. Saying that he walked away from there leaving a gaping Haldir. Adrianna couldn't hold her laughter.

Dmitri went straight to Ileus nursery where five servants were waiting for him to change his clothes. At six months, Ileus had a strong liking and disliking for his nannies. Dmitri knew that the servants were shuddering on the inside for the fear that Ileus might toss them out of the window or in the sky or in the fountain, just by thinking about it.

Dmitri started opening his shirt buttons.

Quivering like leaves on a cold, windy day, the servants extended their help to Dmitri. One of them said, "Your Highness, let me change his clothes."

Ileus turned to look at her with his fierce golden yellow eyes. Next moment the nanny had disappeared leaving the clothes floating in the air. She found herself on a tree outside in the garden.

"Ileus," Dmitri gave him a small loving warning. "Don't do that, buttercup."

Ileus chuckled, clapped his hands and shook his head. "Dada," he said again as if trying to cajole his father.

Dmitri opened the child's pants. "Let me change your diapers," he said and removed the old one.

A nanny immediately came forward to give him a diaper. Dmitri instructed her, "You change it. I have to go and wash my hands."

The nanny trembled as if someone had thrown chilled water on her. "O- Okay, Your Highness," she said.

Dmitri left the nursery and went to the bathroom to wash his hands. He wiped them dry nicely. He looked forward to sleeping in the nursery on the rug. With a huge smile on his face, he came out and when he saw what was happening in the room, his head started reeling. The four nannies were literally circling around in the air. All the clothes and other baby products were also spinning with them. And Ileus—he was sitting in his place, giggling and clapping his hands.

Seashell was sitting quietly in the corner watching it all as if this was a routine thing.

"Save us!" One of them pleaded.

Dmitri shook his head. His son was simply impossible. He didn't allow the nannies to touch him. For that reason he had to get Cora and Pierre because only they were the ones who could manage him apart from Adrianna. Dmitri walked to Ileus and said, "Let me spank you, you brat!" He lifted him and lightly slapped Ileus butt-cheeks.

And then Ileus cried!

"Dadaaaaaaa!"

All the nannies came down on the carpet with a thud. As soon as they landed on the floor all of them scrambled out of the room.

Dmitri laughed. Seashell growled.

Dmitri placed Ileus on his changing table, made him wear his night suit and took him to his cradle. He mentally communicated Adrianna to come back and put everything back in order.

---

The Shadow must have circled the kingdom at least a hundred times, but there was not even a single hole that could let him pass. His maroon eyes hung outside his face and rotated in order to see everything. There was no threat. The borders of the Wizard Kingdom had been extremely quiet over the past few months.

Disappointed at his quest, he went near the boundary and pressed himself against it. The smell was strong. Almost out of greediness, the Shadow licked the wall with its scaly tongue.

---

That night when Dmitri slept, maroon eyes haunted him. Wherever the eyes looked, rivers of blood followed. It was like an evil loose on the lands. But which land? Dmitri woke up with a start. A thin line of sweat had formed on his forehead. His gaze shifted towards Ileus who was sleeping soundlessly in his crib and Adrianna who was curled near him on the rug.

He shook his head. "It was just a dream," he said and went off to sleep. He had a busy day tomorrow. They were taking out the royal baby for the first time out of the Wizard Kingdom.