Soren kept waving until the parade ended, when he got off the cart and stretched, smiling at the crowd that had already gathered around him. His guards were keeping the crowd back, though not using force of any kind, their simple presence keeping people from pressing too close. One little child broke through the crowd, and ran to him, hugging his legs, sobbing.
"I-I can't f-find my mommy!!" The little boy wailed.
Soren picked him up gently. "Hey, sh, it's alright." He soothed. "What's your name?" He nodded to his guards to let them know it was alright. "What's your name, bud?"
"A-a-aaron." The little boy stammered through his tears.
Soren ruffled his hair. "Well, Aaron, I'll help you find your mommy, don't worry."
"Okay, so are you supposed to find your mom and then go do other things?" Celeste asked, tilting her head back to look up at Theodore.
"Yeah. She wants to do them together. I keep telling her I'm old enough to walk around, but she says there are bad people who do bad things to little boys." Theodore said, huffing and crossing his arms.
Celeste caught sight of the cluster of people and guards, likely surrounding Soren, and made note to stop by as she picked her way through them to get to the bakery she remembered was on the other side of the street."Well, she's not wrong. I met one of those bad people the other day, and they're pretty scary. I wasn't sure I would make it out of the room. So listen to your mom, alright? But remember, fear is alright. It kept our ancestors alive, and it'll help you too, if you let it."
"O-okay Mr King Soren sir." The little boy stammered, hugging him desperately.
Soren chuckled. "Just Soren is alright. Mr Aevin works too." He told the little boy. "Is anyone missing a little boy named Aaron? Blond hair, blue eyes, maybe about three?" He called into the crowd, searching the crowd with his eyes.
Aaron clung to him, burying his teary, damp face in Soren's neck. "Fank you mister Soren." He mumbled.
Soren smiled, holding the little boy carefully. "You're welcome." He told Aaron.
"Wait, Cee!" Theodore gasped, pointing over in the direction of the middle of the large group of people. "My brother!"
"You mean the kid Sor-the King's asking about?"
Theodore nodded quickly, and Celeste changed course, politely making her way through the people. She was stopped before she could quite reach Soren, by a stern-faced guard who refused to let her pass. So she resorted to other methods.
"Your Majesty! I know that kid!" She called out, smiling at Soren as she waved with one hand, Theodore waving with both at both the King and his brother, calling out to him as well.
Soren looked up. "Celeste! You know him?" He asked, walking over. "It's alright. She can come through." He told the guard, who grunted and let Celeste past.
"Dat's my bruvver!" Aaron exclaimed happily, squirming a bit. He was still hugging Soren's neck tightly. "Fank you mister Soren!" He said happily.
Soren smiled, walking over to Celeste. "So, who's the kid?" He asked, holding Aaron still. "You're welcome, bud." He replied to the little boy.
“This is Theodore. He’s my new best friend and that guy’s brother.” Celeste said, pressing her lips together to keep from smiling as she nodded seriously.
“Best friend forever, actually.” Theodore corrected, at the same time staring wide eyed at Soren. “You’re super cool up close! I didn’t really believe Cee when she said she knew you, but then you waved at her.”
Soren nodded to Celeste, and chuckled at Theodore's words. "Yes, well. Thanks." He smiled at the boy. "And well…she's staying in the palace, so of course I know her." He replied with a shrug. "I know pretty much everybody in the palace." He still had that bright red poppy tucked behind his ear, which looked both ridiculous and endearing at the same time.
Aaron waved at Theodore happily, smiling.
"I feel so special." Celeste quipped playfully, giving up on fighting the smile. She nodded to the flower tucked behind his ear, raising an eyebrow. "Nice flower. Did you know poppies are a symbol of sleep, peace, and death? Used as offerings for the dead, I should clarify." She said, getting the same look she always did when talking about the symbolism of something, particularly plants. That excited and sort of reminiscent look. "Anyway! These two are supposed to meet their mom at the bakery across the street, so chances are, if she's looking for them, she'll check there first."
Soren chuckled, then raised an eyebrow. He laughed. "Well, when a little girl runs up to you and offers you a flower, you don't ask for the meaning behind it. You put it on." He grinned. He knew he looked a bit ridiculous, but…oh well. Didn't matter that much. "Alright. Should we drop them off there, then?" He asked, already heading in that direction.
Aaron grinned, clinging to Soren still.
"That was the plan. I just didn't realize it would mean running into you so soon." Celeste said with a laugh, shaking her head. Her wrap was in danger of slipping in some places, but luckily, Theodore was keeping most of it up. "So, Soren, I know you love cookies, but I don't know your favorite desert of all. What's everyone here's favorite? I'm a fan of cake, personally."
"I like brownies, with extra chocolate chips." Theodore said, smiling. "Chocolate is yummy."
"Ooh! I wike tuptakes." Aaron said happily, bouncing. "Wif lotsa frosting!"
Soren smiled. "Mm, going to have to agree with Theodore. Brownies are great. But to be honest, i dont actually have a favorite dessert. I love them all equally." Then he grinned impishly. "But Mikhail doesn't. At least, not when I eat them. I'll be at a banquet or whatever, about to have dessert, and he'll come up to me and go "for each cookie, brownie, cake slice, or other dessert you eat, you have to do ten pushups tomorrow. For cake, you have to do a lap instead"." He shook his head, chuckling. "He's a hard, cruel taskmaster."
"I'm glad somebody has some taste. Cake is the best." Celeste huffed a laugh, the sound mingling with Theodore's. "He just wants what's best for you, you know. Plus, at least it's not twenty." She bounced her step, making Theodore laugh even more as he bounced as well. "Imagine doing twenty pushups every time you ate something sweet. I might die."
"What's a pushup?" Theodore asked, tilting his head in confusion as he looked to Soren.
Soren chuckled. "Yeah, i know. It's just irritating." He looked at Theodore. "A pushup? It's like this." He set Aaron down, and did one simple pushup, then picked Aaron back up as he stood up up again. "That's a pushup." He said to Theodore.
Aaron giggled, holding onto Soren happily.
Theodore let out a small ‘oh’, nodding. “I can’t do those. Can you, Cee?”
“I can. Don’t like doing them, but I can do a few.” Celeste grinned, raising an eyebrow playfully at Soren. “I bet I could beat the King in a push-up competition.”
Soren laughed. "No you couldn't." He replied. "Not unless you were cheating." He stretched slightly, yawning. "Mmph. Maybe we should return these two to their Mama?" He suggested, looking at Aaron and Theodore.
Aaron whined. "Wanna stay wif you!" He clung to Soren.
“Cheating or not, I could totally beat you.” Celeste said, huffing a laugh at Aaron. “C’mon kiddo, I’ll buy you something at the bakery. You gotta get back to your mom.”
“Brownies?” Theodore asked, playing with one of her curls, as though fascinated by the color.
“Of course. We have to get there first though.”
Soren smiled, and started walking. The guards kept pace with them, though Soren acted as if he didn't even notice them. Which he didn't, really. Not anymore. He chuckled at Aaron. "But you'll get brownies!" He replied with a smile.
Aaron suddenly smiled. "Yay! Bwonies!" He clapped his hands excitedly.
"Brownies!" Celeste agreed, smiling brightly as she led the way, still keeping somewhat next to Soren. "With chocolate chips! Chocolate on chocolate is the best, 'specially when you're looking for something to make you happy."
"Happy?" Theodore asked, tilting his head. "Chocolate makes you happy?"
"Yeah! It's got things in it that tell your brain to smile!" Celeste explained, reaching up to poke his head gently, earning a laugh.
Soren chuckled, and walked into the bakery and got in line, smiling. He knew people were staring and whispering, though he payed no attention. He turned to look at Celeste and Theodore with a smile. "So. Chocolate chip brownies?" He asked, still holding Aaron.
Aaron giggled happily. "Mister Soren, tan I play wif your jacket?" He asked, tapping Soren's shoulder.
Soren chuckled, and handed Aaron one of the flaps that passed for a strange, loose jacket. "Yeah."
(you said you wanted to keep going with this one, so here's my second little bumpity bump to help, well, bump it along lol)
"Chocolate chip brownies." Theodore agreed, nodding happily as he looked around the bakery. "Mom's not here."
"She must be on her way then. There's a lot of foot traffic on the streets, I can't imagine it's easy to get through. Just going off what we went through even." Celeste said, shrugging a shoulder carefully. The yellow silk of her skirt shimmered somewhat in the light, the patterns twirling dizzyingly as she turned in a circle to look around as well.
Soren smiled, and got in line. "Well, should we save any brownies for your mommy, then?" He asked the two boys. His eyes lingered on Celeste for a long moment, watching her. He cleared his throat softly, looking away and around the shop. "Or should we eat all of them?" People in the bakery were recognizing him and whispering to one another, but he paid them no mind.
Aaron giggled happily. "Eat all of them!"
