NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Chapter 9 - Birthday Party
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[Chapter Size: 2300 Words.]
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"Wow... Whoosh!"
A sharp arrow shot from the longbow, quickly cutting through the night sky and hitting the target. The feathers on the arrow's tail fluttered slightly.
"Your archery skills are as good as ever. Bran is going to get depressed again when he sees this!" Robb said, clapping. It had been three years since Bran started practicing archery, but his skills still left much to be desired. He would get discouraged every time he saw others shoot arrows with precision.
"Don't mock Bran all the time. He's still young, and one day, he'll surpass you!" Cornelia replied.
Cornelia took another arrow, nocked it on the longbow, and shot again. As she did, she explained to Robb that Bran didn't have enough strength in his forearms. Since childhood, Cornelia had excelled in archery and fencing due to her special physique, stronger than many of her peers.
But when it came to archery, there was no doubt about Arya's talent. The eleven-year-old girl was also very skilled. Still, there were those who believed Bran, at just ten years old, had potential in this area.
But did it really matter? Cornelia knew that Bran's true talent lay in another skill. She vaguely remembered something about it. Was it called "Green Seer"? She had a faint recollection that he could predict the future and even control humans and animals.
But thinking about it, Cornelia put down her bow and frowned. She was deliberately trying to remember everything about the Stark family. Though she forgot many details, there was one scene involving Bran that remained clear in her mind.
It was a conversation between a girl and Bran. The girl said, "You died in that cave!"
Cornelia also remembered Bran replying, "I'm not Bran, not anymore!"
The specific details of that conversation were vague, but she dared not forget those two sentences, no matter what happened. The most frustrating thing was that she couldn't understand what they meant.
Were people alive, but already dead?
She just couldn't comprehend it!
"Have you improved recently? You don't seem so weak anymore, and you're finally not feeling cold anymore?"
Robb noticed that Cornelia had suddenly stopped and approached her, somewhat intrigued. He smiled when he noticed she had returned to wearing fine dresses. As expected, Cornelia really didn't like heavy clothes. At the same time, it seemed like she had finally put aside her worries.
In the past three years, Cornelia had been afraid of the cold. Once resistant to low temperatures, she had become more sensitive to the cold than anyone else. Furthermore, her body had become weaker, which worried everyone.
But, fortunately, Cornelia seemed to be slowly recovering since last month. Could it mean that the unknown, seemingly ordinary egg was about to hatch?
"I'm actually feeling a lot better. I feel more power in my body than before, and it seems like it's absorbing less energy now!"
Cornelia pushed her doubts about Bran aside for the time being. She looked at the egg hanging around her neck by a thin string. Fortunately, the egg wasn't large and didn't get in the way. Suddenly, she found herself wondering: "What could hatch from such a small egg? Wouldn't it just be an ordinary bird egg?"
"Could it hatch soon? What exactly is it?"
Robb also looked at Cornelia's neck. This had been the biggest question among their siblings for the past three years, occasionally coming up in their conversations. It was clear that this was a debate with no answer.
But now, it seemed the answer was about to arrive.
"Who knows? I just hope it happens soon!"
Cornelia really didn't like the feeling of uncertainty. In the past three years, she had also questioned what was inside the egg. Furthermore, her physical weakness and diminishing strength made her both worried and frustrated.
Still, aside from the egg, not everything she had gained from her journey north had been bad. She had also obtained that blue-ice flame!
It was something she only realized after returning to Winterfell. One night, she dreamed of the scene where she was surrounded by blue flames. The biting cold struck her again, and the piercing pain in her bones made her wake up.
When she woke up, she discovered her body was enveloped in blue-ice flames. Miraculously, the pain had disappeared. Even more surprising was realizing that she could control the flame, manipulating its image mentally.
This discovery made her ecstatic. After exploring the true purpose of the blue-ice flame, she felt that all the effort and suffering had been worth it.
She didn't know exactly what this flame was, why it was so peculiar, or where it came from. So, she decided to call it Ice Fire. It wasn't hot like an ordinary flame but cold and sharp like ice.
The Ice Fire made Cornelia feel that the trip north had been the right decision, alleviating some of her discomfort and anxiety.
But the beginning of the story was getting closer, and the scary moments she feared were approaching quickly. She couldn't avoid the panic. However, the egg remained stable like a mountain, absorbing her strength relentlessly. This irritated her deeply, making her want to break it open forcefully. But, of course, she knew she couldn't do that.
But, fortunately, since last month, she noticed that the energy absorbed by the egg had started to decrease. Recently, Cornelia had stopped feeling cold, and her body wasn't as weak as before. It was a sign that things were improving.
"Okay, don't think about it anymore. You'll know when the time comes. Why not think about tomorrow's birthday party? You and Sansa will turn 13. I heard your father prepared a special gift for you. Aren't you curious?"
Her father never had favorites among the children, including Jon. Each birthday gift was carefully chosen by her mother. As head of the family, he didn't care much about it and left Catelyn in charge of the task.
Moreover, with so many children in the family, it would be tiring for him to prepare the gifts every year. Only her mother had the care and dedication to choose something special for each of them, considering their ever-changing preferences.
But this year, something seemed different. There were rumors that her father had received something unexpected from Dorne in the south. It was said he intended to give it to Cornelia as a birthday gift, but the details were unknown. It was just a rumor overheard from the servants.
"When did my father start preparing birthday gifts? Isn't it always my mother who does this? Seems like there really is a little surprise this year. I bet Sansa will be jealous!"
Cornelia laughed as she said this, teasing her father in her thoughts. She knew that Sansa, who shared the same birthday, wouldn't care that much. After all, for years, the gifts had always been prepared by their mother, without exception.
This year, Cornelia imagined that the gift was something her father had received by chance and that ended up being perfect for her. Still, curiosity was growing.
She couldn't wait to find out what it was!
The next morning, Catelyn woke up early, and with Maester Luwin, Septa Mordane, and other helpers, she began preparing for the evening banquet. Although it was just a children's birthday party and not meant to be grand, the celebration involved the family and a few close vassals. After all, it was the birthday of two of her children, and as a mother, Catelyn wanted everything to be perfect.
Cornelia and Sansa were blessed from early on. They both wore new dresses sewn by Catelyn, which also served as their birthday gifts from their mother.
Catelyn didn't show any preferences in her gifts: every year, each child received a new piece of clothing. It was understandable that when preparing a gift for the father, he preferred frugality, advocating simplicity on all occasions.
When evening fell, the banquet officially began. After prayers, everyone enjoyed the food prepared with great care. Catelyn relaxed during these banquets, as she was used to this rhythm.
One of the most appreciated traditions was the special allowance for Cornelia and Sansa to drink a little wine during the party. Even Bran, at ten years old, could try fruit wine, while Rickon, still very small, contented himself with juice.
At the height of the celebration, it was time for the exchange of gifts. Cornelia and Sansa sat together, while family and friends approached to place their gifts on their tables.
Robb gave both of them white fox shawls as white as snow. Jon gave Sansa fluffy gloves and Cornelia an exquisite dagger. Arya offered embroidered handkerchiefs, made reluctantly under the supervision and insistence of Septa Mordane.
Arya didn't like embroidery, but Septa Mordane always managed to convince her to learn.
Bran, in turn, gave the sisters small wooden bracelets carved by himself. The carvings were not perfect and had several visible flaws, but Bran's effort left Cornelia touched.
She loved this gift!
Rickon's gifts, who turned six this year, were charming: small animals made of straw. Hers was a dragonfly, and Sansa's was a butterfly. Cornelia immediately realized that Maester Luwin must have taught Rickon how to braid. After all, these small insects were only found in the south, and Rickon had become quite fascinated with them recently.
Next came the gifts from Maester Luwin, Ser Rodrik, and even Theon, who brought books and delicate fans from merchants in the south.
Since she and Sansa were twins and celebrated their birthdays together every year, the gifts were usually similar, with small variations. Most of the gifts prepared by their mother and given by their father followed this pattern, except for their fifth birthday.
That year, their mother did something different. Perhaps it was a quiet compromise, as Cornelia had begun having nightmares around that time. Her father suggested that she learn martial arts to strengthen herself. At the birthday party, her mother gave her a longbow, as a silent form of consent.
Thus, the day after her fifth birthday, Cornelia officially began learning archery.
This year also seemed to be different. After the delivery of gifts from everyone, her mother presented a delicate little box to Sansa.
"You're 13 now, and you're a young lady. It's time to adorn yourself with beautiful jewelry!" Catelyn smiled gently. The sapphire necklace sparkled brightly under the candlelight, and she had specially requested someone from the south to find it.
"Thank you, mother! Thank you, father!" Sansa thanked joyfully. Her father always championed frugality. She had a few pieces of jewelry, but never such a precious sapphire necklace.
"Lia, come here! Your gift is here!" Ned called, waving his hand. He looked at Sansa, smiling at her happiness, then turned to Cornelia.
On the table was a slender wooden box. Curious, Cornelia moved closer.
"I heard that my father personally prepared a gift for me this year. At first, I didn't believe it, but now I'm starting to get excited!"
Cornelia smiled at her father. Until now, only Robb and Jon had received swords as presents from their father when they turned ten. Could it be that her gift was also a sword this year?
Looking at the slender wooden box, it seemed truly possible!
"Open it and take a look, you'll like it!" Ned said, giving the box a light tap and looking at Cornelia with anticipation.
Cornelia laughed at her father's mysterious expression. In fact, she already had a good idea of what it might be. After all, what else could be inside such a long, thin box, if not a sword?
Still, she reached out to unlock the box and opened the lid slowly. But something unexpected happened!
Was it a cane for the blind?
"...?"
Cornelia remained silent. It wasn't that she didn't like the gift, but she couldn't understand why her father had made such a fuss about a blind man's cane. While it was delicate and beautiful, it didn't seem like the kind of gift her father would choose.
Aside from Cornelia, even Robb, Jon, and the others were momentarily surprised. No one would dare laugh out loud at a gift carefully prepared by Ned, but the astonishment was clear.
"Child, open it and take a look!" Ned said calmly, ignoring the confused expressions around him. He took the cane from the box and handed it to Cornelia.
Cornelia hesitated as she held the cane but noticed that the handle's position was different from the usual blind canes. It seemed more like the hilt of a sword.
"Hilt?"
Cornelia's eyes suddenly sparkled. Holding the handle with her right hand and the bottom with her left, she pulled hard.
With a whistling sound, the blade was unsheathed!
It was indeed a sword!
A sword that fit her perfectly. Looking closer at the blade, Cornelia realized it was made of Valyrian steel. She was familiar with her family's ancestral sword, "Ice," and had no doubt about the material. Even though this sword was smaller than Ice and used less steel, it wasn't easy to find enough material to forge a blade like this.
Cornelia looked at her father, incredulous, but saw confirmation in his eyes. Joyfully, she stroked the slender body of the sword. It was light, agile, and perfectly crafted for her.
"Father, thank you! This is my favorite birthday gift!" Cornelia said, placing the sword back in its sheath. What seemed like a mere blind cane transformed into an elegant and deadly weapon. Every detail revealed her father's affection and good intentions.
Arya and Bran, fascinated by the sword, moved closer to see it better. Robb and Jon also joined, bringing a contagious energy. The atmosphere of the banquet became even livelier.
Cornelia placed the sword on the table for everyone to admire, while stepping aside to stand by her mother, watching the fun with her parents.
Seeing everyone gathered, laughing and celebrating, Cornelia thought that this was truly the best birthday gift.
If only her birthday wish could come true.
She just wanted every year to be like this, forever!
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