The World Dragon's Heir

Chapter 670: The Gifts Have Arrived

Dominic let the two of them examine the workmanship on the crib, while the King ran his fingers gently over the dragons on the upright posts.

"We removed all sharp edges from the designs, so there is nothing to poke, while still showing off the design.

However, I am informed that the nanny will usually hang a blanket over the interior of the crib for the smaller ones, so it will only be accessible from the outside." Dominic explained.

It wasn’t something he asked, but something that he remembered his mother doing when he was small, and she wanted him to stop climbing out of any and every enclosure she put him in.

He had been quite talented at it.

"This is beautiful. Is it entirely metal? Planning for it to last generations?" Alexis teased.

Dominic shrugged. "Given your family history, it might see more than enough use in a single generation to be worth designing it in such a sturdy manner.

Though, that wasn’t the primary concern. We wanted the craftsmanship to show, and this was far better than using wood or other materials. No small hand or minor accident is going to damage a dark iron crib frame."

The King poked at the crib. "That’s dark iron? I thought that you had simply blackened it."

Dominic nodded. "It’s a gift for my wife, so it could only be the best. The silver portions are Cart Bright, not stainless steel, and the rest is gold. Even the internal mechanisms of the motion actuator are mostly dark iron."

The King smiled. "Your grandchildren will be still trying to wear this thing out."

"I’m glad that you approve, and going by the smile on her face, my wife likes it as well. Personally, I think that it turned out very well."

"Indeed. Now, we just need to rush our assistants so that we can get the deliveries made. My advisors are beginning to get anxious with me gone from the Palace for so long."

The Princes sighed, and Princess Elanor looked like she had just been sent to the front lines of a siege.

She was not looking forward to going back to her studies, even if she was finally allowed to go to the Academy with her friends. The potential for entertainment here in Wistover was so much higher.

There was always something happening here.

But it was inevitable that she would have to return home. Royal policy wouldn’t allow her to simply stay here while she was supposed to be studying at an approved Royal Academy.

The Academies in Wistover were good, the King had inspected them himself. But they didn’t have the depth and history to be approved for the Royal Family’s direct lineage.

Not yet.

The door opened to let in a group of men in Royal Palace uniforms, all bearing gifts on either cushions or on carts, depending on the size.

"Ah, and here we are. Daughter, congratulations on your first impending child." The King announced.

The gifts were what Alexis would have expected as announcement gifts.

A blanket with the Royal Family’s crest on it, personalized with her own heraldry. It smelled a bit like the storage closets, so someone had made it at least a month or two ago, expecting this exact scenario.

Then, there were rattles, engraved dishware with the announcement date on it, infant clothing in the finest of materials, and a tiny rubber sword.

That one made Alexis laugh, while Prince Claudius gave Elanor a disbelieving look.

"The actual gift is under it. A commemorative necklace for my dearest sister," she explained.

Alexis opened the wooden case and admired the necklace, then held it up for Dominic to put it on her.

"Thank you, Elanor. It’s perfectly lovely."

Then, a gentle tap at the door announced one more visitor.

A short Troll entered holding a wooden box that was clearly fresh cut from a tree, Dominic could still smell cedar sap. It was simply carved, and enchanted. So, it was a valuable gift, but Dominic wasn’t sure what the Trolls would offer.

This one wasn’t dressed as one from the Sect, so it should be the Trolls from the nearby town who had sent a gift.

Alexis reached down to receive the gift from the diminutive figure, and opened the simple box to reveal what looked like a wooden amulet with braided hair around the edge.

"A health charm from our Shamans. It’s good for the health of expectant mothers, strong troll magic," the delivery troll explained.

"Thank your leaders for me. This is beautiful." Alexis replied.

It wasn’t actually elaborate in its design, but it couldn’t be. It was ritual magic, and any extra designs would alter the effect. However, it would work through the box, so she could put it on a dresser in her room and have it perform its function.

The troll blushed a little as he bowed, then quickly retreated from the room.

"Dave, make sure he gets some soup before he goes. It’s a long walk home." Dominic whispered.

The trolls on guard nodded. They would make sure that their kinsfolk were treated well.

"Well, it looks like the word has spread. It’s nearly a full day’s walk to get to the Trollish village, and they managed to get you a gift this fast. That’s actually impressive." Prince Claudius noted.

Prince Russel shook his head and smiled. "They likely asked the Sect to open a portal for them. The Sands Sect has mages stationed at the village, and the Mountain Trolls can communicate over long distances as long as they’re touching solid stone.

So, the village would have heard Dave spreading the news, and then arranged something."

The Crown Prince shrugged. "It sounds much less impressive when you put it that way."

"It’s still pretty impressive. They managed to make a maternity charm with my name on it and get it delivered here as fast as a Royal gift. That’s impressive, no matter who you are.

Especially considering that they handmade this box today, and the Trolls aren’t known for hoarding any sort of valuables. Other than food, that is."

At the door, Dave nodded in agreement. The Trolls shared everything if they could. Piling up things that weren’t going to get used just seemed weird to them. It wasn’t natural to keep useless things around, so they didn’t hoard wealth, they spent it on each other.