Sylphiette and I both got changed before the party officially started. Our clothes had been a mess. Downstairs, the party was waiting for us once we were dressed. I set aside the restoration of my ability to use magic, despite Ghislaine's curious inquiries. Sylphy's birthday has already been so chaotic, largely due to myself, and I just want her to enjoy this party for now.
For dinner, Hope had prepared some lightly charred fish that Laws had caught earlier today, seasoned with wild herbs that Hope foraged herself. It was a favorite dish of Sylphy's that Hope used to make all the time back in Buena Village. Lilia and Aisha had prepared the side dishes: A salad with locally farmed greens and a wild mushroom soup with some crackers for dipping.
After eating it came time for Sylphiette to open her gifts. She seemed a little overwhelmed, having already received too many to take home with her from her friends at school.
Zanoba and Julie gave Sylphiette a figurine made in her image. It was made entirely by Julie while under Zanoba's guidance. The figure wasn't perfect by any means. Julie hasn't mastered her earth magic yet so she had to carve it by hand. The legs were comparatively short and stout compared to the rest of the body, One of the elbows bent at a slightly unnatural angle and she wore gloves to avoid the complexity of crafting individual fingers. The facial features were generic. You could tell it was Sylphiette despite all this thanks to the good job she did painting the figurine, her green hair and crimson eyes a clear indication of who it was meant to be. Julie's face flushed red with warmth and pride as Sylphiette gave her genuine thanks.
Hope gave Sylphy a keepsake box, the only family heirloom she still had; the rest were lost to the displacement incident. The box was crafted from hardwood and lined with cloth. It was relatively small, only large enough to fit some jewelry or small mementos.
Laws gave Sylphy a hunting bow. It was just like the one that he used to use as a child when he was first learning to hunt.
She continued to be showered with gifts until finally it was my turn. I handed over a small box sealed neatly with a ribbon. Once she untied the ribbon and opened the box, she found the golden ring inside, set with an ornately cut ruby gem.
"Rudy, it's beautiful!"
"I thought the color was a great match for your eyes. Try it on!"
She slipped the ring on and examined how it looked.
"Oh, what's this? It feels warm."
I showed the matching ring on my hand.
"If you supply the ring with a bit of mana, the matching pair will radiate a slight warmth. I thought it would be a great way to let each other know that we're alright when we're apart."
"Thanks, Rudy. I love it."
Sylphy gave me an extended hug before moving on to the next gift.
Elinalise gave Sylphy a beauty-care set with different kinds of makeup and perfumes. Roxy gave her a bag full of magic scrolls that Roxy had inscribed herself. Being a silent spellcaster, Sylphiette typically had no use for scrolls, but these scrolls were inscribed with less commonly used spells including divine magic and summoning magic.
Eris gave her a dagger. It was on the larger side for a dagger, but not quite long enough to be considered a short-sword.
"I know you're a mage, but since you've been practicing with Ghislaine I think you should have something like this. You know, in case you can't use magic for some reason or something."
"Thanks Eris. It's surprisingly light."
"Yeah, I figured something small and light would fit your style the best."
By the time Sylphiette opened all her gifts, they were stacked in a large pile beside the couch.
"I don't know where you're going to put all this", Hope said jokingly.
"Just wait until you see all the gifts I got at the school earlier. Seren and Ariel are coming by tomorrow to drop them off."
For just a moment, a flicker of concern appeared on Hope's face. She really didn't know where she was going to put all of it. Right now they all shared the same room at the manor, after all.
Now that we were finally finished opening gifts, we started to play some party games. Norn and Aisha seemed like they were having a blast when we played impersonations. It was a game in which you formed teams and you had to impersonate someone that the other team assigned while your partner tried to guess.
Watching Ghislaine try to imitate Orsted had everyone laughing. Norn laughed so hard she started crying. Someone tasked Sylphiette to imitate Eris. Her face blushed a deep red as she tried her best to act brash and blunt without coming off as insulting. Aurora thoroughly enjoyed imitating her brother, Zanoba. Even Leo seemed like he wanted to join in; he started barking in a strange pitch and covering his eyes with his paws. Eris seemed like she had a lot of fun too. She kept playing with Norn and Aisha after most of the adults got tired of it.
After the games, the adults filled the seats in the living room just chatting about life. To be fair there was quite a bit to talk about. A lot has happened recently. As the night wound down though, people started saying goodbye before taking their leave. Just before the first group of guests (Zanoba and Julie) got up to leave though, Therese called everyone to attention. She had an announcement to make.
"Ahem", she said, clearing her throat. She seemed slightly nervous. "I understand this is a celebration for Sylphiette, but before people begin to leave, there is something important I must do."
The room immediately quieted down and everyone's eyes turned towards her. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. She turned to Aurora and steeled her resolve.
"Aurora Shirone, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Aurora, surprisingly, seemed completely calm. Zenith on the other hand, who stood directly behind her, had a face as red as a tomato. The whole room was completely silent as everyone waited for a response, although Luna seemed so excited that she looked as though she could burst any minute having to hold it in.
"Yes, Therese. I would love nothing more than to spend my life with you."
The room erupted in cheers. Therese rubbed her eye, trying to fight back tears.
"I always knew Milis had a plan for me", Aurora continued, "but for a while this past year I must admit that doubt began to creep in. That was until I got to know you, Therese. I've since come to realize that his plan is simply too grand for me to comprehend. I thank him every day for bringing us together."
The rest of the night focused on their engagement, Sylphiette's party effectively over. She didn't seem to mind in the slightest though. The two of us stepped outside, needing a breather from the excitement. We've both already had our fill of it for the day.
"I can't believe that Therese is going to be getting married", Sylphy said.
"Me neither. I didn't think she'd ever get married, to be honest."
"Love is truly a beautiful thing...", she said, her voice trailing off.
"It sure is", I agreed. "It's the most important thing in this world. It's the whole reason I've done everything that I do."
I closed my eyes, enjoying the crisp, night air that a small breeze brought my way. I felt a warmth as Sylphy grabbed my hand.
"I love you, Rudeus."
I turned to look at her, not nervous in the slightest.
"I love you too, Sylphiette."