The Princess Bride

Happy Birthday, Your Highness

ALEX

"Happy birthday, Darling," Mother said grandly as a servant placed a large package in front of me on the table after my breakfast dishes were cleared away. Another servant quickly added two smaller boxes that were probably from Isabelle and Juliette.

"Thank you." I sent a smile toward my parents and then my sisters.

"Sixteen is an important age, Son," Father said. "You're a man now."

I nodded, feeling awkward but looking perfectly at ease. It was a talent I'd mastered at a very young age. My father was technically correct. Society considered me a man now, but I didn't feel like a man. Men, in my opinion, made their own decisions. Men had some control over their lives. Men accomplished something. I was rarely ever allowed to make any real decisions and I certainly wasn't able to control anything. I'd never even been given the opportunity to accomplish anything more than making the servants feel like they were being asked something rather than ordered. But that wasn't exactly hard when most people didn't care about how a servant felt. Any measure of kindness or consideration was a novelty. I guess it could be counted as an accomplishment that I'd figured out how much better they responded to you if you did care. I hardly had to ask for anything anymore. My servants were eager to see to my needs.

"Go ahead and open them," Mother prompted.

Knowing that the large one was from her, and therefore the one she was eager to see my reaction to, I reached for that one first. It wasn't difficult to guess that it was a saddle, but I acted surprised anyway.

"Thank you," I said, looking over the brown leather saddle with too many embellishments for my taste. I knew my mother had spent time choosing the one she thought was perfect, so I gave her a genuine smile. "It's beautiful, Mother. Looks like fine quality."

She looked pleased. "I was assured that it's the best in the kingdom."

"You have excellent taste, of course." I might not care for this particular style, but many would.

"That is only from me," she said. "Your father has his own gift that he's been quite secretive about."

I turned toward my father, expecting him to present whatever it was. This was our family breakfast time, so no one but ourselves and the servants were present, but it was essentially a ritual. Birthday gifts were presented at the beginning of the day. We had never done any differently.

"It's not here, I'm afraid." He looked amused. "You'll just have to wait a bit longer."

How odd. Father rarely broke protocol, and why should he seem so satisfied? His gifts were always expensive and essentially meaningless trinkets I didn't need. He gave gifts because it was expected and for no other reason.

Deciding I didn't much care one way or another, I said, "that's fine. I'm sure it'll be worth the wait."

"That it will," he answered with another oddly entertained look.

Brushing off the strangeness, I turned my attention to the gifts from my sisters. I received a gold pocket watch from Juliette and diamond cufflinks from Isabelle. I wondered if either of them picked those things out themselves or if they'd even seen them before now. Not because my sisters didn't care, but because their opinions didn't matter to the people who made sure they gave "appropriate" gifts.

After a sufficient amount of attention was lavished on my new things, Father gave the signal that we were all dismissed. After he and Mother left the room, my sisters each gave me a hug - a far better gift in my opinion.

"Happy birthday, Alex," Juliette said, giving me a healthy squeeze for a nine-year old.

"Thanks," I hugged her back.