The Invisible Prince

Arden's POV-

How unexpected.

Arden found himself in front of a horse. Well, seated in the gloved hands of an imperial guard who stood in front of hundreds of such steeds, but still, in front of a horse. On either side, his brother and sister looked to be in the same situation, both sporting similarly bemused expressions.

Eiji suddenly appeared in front of them, causing the three to flinch.

"Arien! Arjen! Arden! I've missed you!"

A shadow cast over the bright figure of their older brother, and Arden could not help but hold back a giggle. A hand reached over and grabbed the ear of Eiji harshly. It was Alec.

Lloyd stood behind him, a dark aura emanating from his tall frame.

"Alec, pinch harder."

The brotherly feud ended when the emperor opened his mouth to speak.

"Come here", he said to the triplets.

The guards gently placed the triplets onto their feet, allowing them to toddle after the emperor.

'Too fast...How can I catch up?'

The space between the emperor and the triplets increased, and Arden was evidently beginning to fall behind even his siblings. Soon, he could only stop walking entirely as he struggled to catch his breath.

Alec approached him, gently picking him up once again. His siblings, who were slowly becoming more exhausted, were approached by Eiji, who offered to carry them as well.

"Arien, Arjen! If it's too tiring, do you want me to carry you?"

They looked around awkwardly, before politely declining.

"Ah...we're okay..."

The emperor stopped, as if finally remembering the small size of the children. Then, he turned waiting for them to reach him, before continuing to walk. This continued multiple times, until they reached the horses.

"Pick one."

The children stared at him, astonished. No one said a word.

Eiji looked at them, concerned.

"Arien! Arjen! Arden! Why aren't you saying anything? Are you okay?"

Lloyd remained stoic, but Arden could see the slightest hint of concern in his eyes as he stared at the triplets.

"Father, it seems like the children are surprised."

He sighed, before allowing his concern to show on his face.

"This situation is far too dangerous for them. I heard that seeing so many people at once could overwhelm their bodies, causing their hearts to go into a state of shock. They could very easily die from this!"

The emperor was in disbelief.

"Lloyd, royals don't die so easily."

However, he allowed himself to look down at the small and delicate children, his eyes resting on the youngest who had barely been alive when they first met.

"They could."

"Indeed."

The two nodded at each other, with Eiji joining in tearfully.

"Please don't dieeeee!!"

Arden, despite reading a lot of medical books in his brother's office, was skeptical. Turning around, he could see that Alec was amused.

The emperor continued to speak.

"Since they're so tiny, even a simple fall would break their bones."

Lloyd nodded, before opening his mouth to recite his findings to his father and brothers.

"Young children are very sensitive. We should only let them see and hear good things to prevent an early death."

The emperor nodded, just in time to hear Alec's gentle laugh.

"Oh my! I didn't know that! As expected of my older brother. I cannot keep up with your vast knowledge."

[516 words]