Life in Darian’s household was always interesting. He was a fortunate man, blessed with a loving wife and two wonderful children, one six and the other just a year old. They were a young family, but they had managed to do something right and they lived happily. 

Every day, Darian had the joy of coming home to see his wife and daughter preparing dinner while his son happily amused himself with small toys at the kitchen table. He looked forward to that sight each evening when he made his way down the steps of the castle.

A sense of accomplishment flooded his chest tonight as he watched the crystals in the street lamps glowing brightly, a testament to his success in his line of work. He smiled to himself, leaving his work behind him and ready to focus solely on his family for the rest of the evening. Rounding the corner to his home, he saw a little shadow curled into a ball on the roof above his door and was certain that tonight would be no different from the other nights. He opened the door and hummed knowingly at the sight of his beautiful wife, Elene, stewing even more than the seething broth that she was tending to.

“Have a nice day, dear?” Darian asked, wrapping his arms around Elene. She didn’t miss the note of humor in his tone and she turned to glare at him, but that was always a useless effort. Darian’s smiles were far too contagious. Instead, she found herself resting her head on his shoulder and allowing him to ease her temper. He knew very well the type of day she’d had. It had been the same ever since their daughter’s crystal had taken its glow and the color had been an exact match to her father’s.

Darian felt Elene’s shoulders slowly relax as she released a calmed sigh. “Tell me about it,” he urged her.

“Same as usual.” Elene shook her head, throwing a hand in the air while the other rested on her hip. “I don’t know what to do with that girl, Darian. It was cute at first. I was so proud, but now it’s really starting to concern me.”

“She’s still young, Elene…”

“She’s setting herself up for disappointment, Darian.” Elene’s tone was flat and final as she narrowed her eyes at him. Again, he only smiled and poked Elene’s blazing crystal where it hung around her neck. 

In response to his gesture, Elene said, “She’s on the roof again.”

Darian nodded. “I know. I saw her when I came in. Should I try it this time?”

Elene’s eyes softened into a pleading stare to which Darian genuinely laughed. He pulled her close and gave her a reassuring squeeze. As he left the room, he pointed to their youngest child and said, “Enjoy him while he’s still easy.” The wet dishrag missed its target as Darian made his escape up the stairs, laughing all the way.

Darian had to admit that he found it difficult to be bothered by the situation. He’d been extremely proud the day it was revealed that Ness would be following in his footsteps as the People's Liason, and who could really blame him? But Ness had chosen to see her future responsibility with wide and wondrous eyes.

Darian’s crystal placed him in charge of maintaining the people’s strength. He could, in some ways, be considered the Keeper of the Fyre. As long as the citizens of Gelyfed felt secure in the Fyre and their own abilities, Darian was doing his job well. He built their confidence in the Fyre and in themselves. He ensured that they felt safe. It wasn’t a difficult task to manage in such a peaceful kingdom, but Darian did his best to leave nothing to chance. He frequently went into the city and allowed his crystal to guide him to those that might need his reassurance, though it normally wasn’t necessary. More often than not, he would take a walk, mingle with the people with a smile, and report the usual to King Arisan: All is well.

But when Ness’s crystal began to glow, the girl decided that she was meant to be the protector of the Fyre and of the people. She insisted that she would be their superhero, though no one could fathom what she’d ever have to protect them from, and Elene, after several months of this, had begun to worry. She took it upon herself to help Ness understand what her crystal really stood for, but Ness never heard her words, choosing instead to become frustrated and escape to her favorite spot on the roof.

That was where Darian found himself now as he leaned out of Ness’s bedroom window to see the little girl hugging her knees to her chest and scowling at the house across the street. Darian couldn’t help but smile at such a young face making such an old expression. He stepped through the window and sat quietly down next to his daughter. He didn’t say anything at first, and neither did she. They simply sat in silence while Darian allowed Ness’s anger to subside like her mother’s had. The two were so alike.

After a few moments, Darian nudged her gently with his elbow and was pleased to see her give a small smile.

“Rough day?” he asked as an invitation.

Ness heaved a dramatic sigh, one leg escaping her embrace to dangle over the edge of the roof as she turned to him. “Dad, we protect people, right? We make sure they’re happy and we make sure their crystals stay bright. Right?” Her eyes were pleading with him to agree with her, to give her the victory of being told that she was right and her mother was wrong.

Darian canted his head to the side, searching for words. “Yes, we do,” he said, and Ness’s eyes lit up. “But there’s a bit more to it than that.” 

Ness’s face scrunched inward to make plain her confusion. 

“More how?”

Darian frowned as he searched the world around him for a good way to explain something so very abstract to the mind of a six year old. Then something caught his eye. He pulled his daughter to his side and leaned down to her level.

“You see the lamppost at the end of our street?” With wide eyes, she nodded. “You see the crystal inside?” Another, more eager nod. “They’ll help you, Ness. As long as those are shining brightly, you only have three things to worry about.” 

He paused and waited for the girl’s curiosity to grow even further, knowing that she would be more inclined to remember his next words that way. “Always believe in yourself, Ness. Don’t let anything change that.” 

Elene would smack him for how Ness would choose to interpret that one later. 

“Always have faith in the potential of others. No matter where they’re from or who they are, everyone is capable of doing great things.” 

Ness’s face scrunched up again. Where else could people be from if they weren’t from Gelyfed? 

“And always trust your heart.”

“Hearts don’t talk, daddy,” Ness quickly pointed out, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

A glint entered Darian’s eye. “Of course they do. You just have to figure out how to hear them.” The girl’s mouth opened in preparation to ask the predictable question. “You’ll figure it out, Ness. I know you will. Just remember those three things, and you’ll be great at this.”

That seemed to satisfy her. The girl smiled and kept her gaze fixed on the lamppost, infinite possibilities in her eyes.

“Come on,” he gave her two pats on the shoulder and braced himself to stand, “let’s go help your mother finish dinner.”

The next morning, Darian woke with the earliest rays of the sun. Taking a deep breath, he relished in the feeling of looking forward to another day of work. 

Doing his best not to wake anyone, Darian readied himself for the day, kissed his wife goodbye, and crept out of the house, inhaling the crisp air with pride. He made his way to the castle and entered through the doors. All was quiet, or so it would seem, but Darian knew that one person in the castle was awake at this hour, so he proceeded to the king’s quarters. 

Well-rehearsed customs took over and Darian quietly knocked twice on the thick wooden door before opening it and slipping into the candlelit room. 

And there he was, sitting at his desk, the King of Gelyfed, writing by the light of a candle.

“Good morning, Darian. How is your family?” It was the same question every morning, and Darian never failed to appreciate it.

“They’re doing well, Your Highness. Thank you. How were things at the castle overnight?”

King Arisan laughed softly and shook his head. “Peaceful as ever.” But there was a slight hint of something strange in his tone. Darian almost questioned it, but Arisan moved on. “I assume the lamps are still bright?”

“Bright as ever, Your Highness.” Darian was having difficulty maintaining his usually complacent response. His crystal flickered in the darkness. Arisan noticed but only smiled down at his paper. Something was wrong here…

“Griselde will be waking the boys soon.”

That was a polite request to be left alone. Darian was confused, but he respected his king’s wishes. He bowed his head and left the room.

Several hours later, business at the castle was in full swing. The king was in his throne room, hearing what his people had to say to him, and Darian was by his side until the very last visitor was happily appeased. 

As the sun moved past its peak, Arisan began to look tired. He offered Darian a cordial smile and left the throne room without a word, leaving Darian with nothing to do but stare around the empty room. He would’ve liked to go to the king and offer an ear for whatever was troubling him, but that was not his place. There was still work to do, and Arisan would have asked for a confidante had he required one. The king was a wise man and left nothing unaddressed just for the sake of sparing his pride. When Arisan needed assistance, he never hesitated to ask.

So Darian found himself with time on his hands. He stepped through the large doors of the throne room and was met with a jarring collision. Caught a bit off guard, Darian looked down to find two equally baffled boys shaking their heads and looking up at him. One of them smiled, but the other cast a nervous glance behind him.

“Oh, Darian, I’m so glad we ran into you. And I am sorry about…running into you.” Even at such a young age, the clean-cut Prince of Gelyfed was already well spoken.

Darian heard a youthful yet frustrated sigh that reminded him a lot of his own daughter’s. His eyes moved to the other boy. He had clearly dedicated much less time to his appearance this morning, with wayward brown hair that was highlighted by many hours spent in the sunlight to rival the dark brown hair of the prince. 

“Good afternoon, young Highness…” Darian frowned at the second boy’s fidgeting. “Something the matter?”

“Darian, perhaps you could talk some sense into Pyram for me,” the prince said in a rational, conversational tone.

“Oh, come on, Fyn. Don’t be so boring,” Pyram droned. “It’s just one day. It’s not like we’re going to make a habit of it.”

“I don’t want to go into the city, Pyram. I’m perfectly happy right here,” Eofyn insisted under his breath in an attempt to maintain decorum in front of Darian. Pyram folded his arms across his chest and stuck his tongue out at the prince. Eofyn’s eyes flattened at him. “Oh, very clever.”

“Young prince!” a squeaky voice called from an adjacent hallway. “Prince Eofyn, where’ve you gone?”

The pieces fell into place for Darian, and he couldn’t resist a bit of a smirk at the boys. 

The sound of a throat being cleared brought Darian’s attention to Pyram. The boy had an intense look in his eye that made it difficult for Darian to believe he was just ten years old. The pulsing glow of Pyram’s crystal earned him a frown from Darian, but Pyram only glanced downward in a gesture for Darian’s eyes to follow. From his pocket, Pyram subtly tugged at the corner of a folded piece of paper, and Darian understood immediately. He gave the boy a single, conspiring nod.

“To the right, I think,” Darian said. 

Pyram grinned and Eofyn frowned in confusion. The sound of the voice getting closer encouraged Pyram to grab Eofyn’s arm, while the prince had only just opened his mouth in question, and yank him away. 

And not a moment too soon, because Griselde had just rounded the corner. Darian folded his hands behind his back and gave her a welcoming smile as he stepped into her path. 

“Afternoon, Miss Griselde. Lovely day, isn’t it?”

Griselde gave up searching the nooks and crannies of the hallway and finally focused her gaze on Darian.

“Darian, hello…” she said distractedly.

“Misplace something?”

Red highlighted the nursemaid’s cheeks as she trailed her eyes up to his. He could see her arguing with herself to decide her answer, but her eyes were a clear giveaway. She caught his knowing look and sighed in defeat.

“I have a talent for keeping children safe, Darian. That’s what it’s always been…”

“Of course, Griselde. My wife shares your talent.”

“Yes.” Griselde smiled politely. “But I just can’t seem to keep track of those two boys…”

Darian rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Don’t let it discourage you, Griselde. Perhaps your crystal is simply telling you something different than what you’re used to.”

He wasn’t surprised by her puzzled look, but he had an explanation to support his case. “Griselde, your gift is to help keep children safe and to help them grow, yes?”

“Yes…” The word was drawn out to sound more like a question than a confirmation.

Darian smiled. “And I think that’s exactly what you’re doing, and splendidly, I might add.”

Her eyes gained a glimmer of hope, but not enough. However, he had gotten her to open her mind from blaming herself, and now she was listening.

“Your crystal is partnered with your instincts, Griselde. Tell me, have you felt the little nudge that tells you something is amiss?”

Griselda’s jaw dropped slightly. “Well, of course I have, Darian. I can’t find the boys!” She glowered at the wall. “I don’t know why the king took in that little mongrel in the first place. He’s been nothing but trouble…”

Darian let that one go. She was panicked. She wasn’t thinking about her words. Personally, Darian really enjoyed Pyram. The boy kept things interesting.

“Are you sure it’s your crystal that’s telling you this, or is it your own fear?” 

Griselde was about to get frustrated, and no amount of calmness in his own voice would save him.

“What I’m getting at is, I think you’re worrying yourself over this. I’m not sure it’s your crystal. You have a talent for nurturing growth, and sometimes children need lessons in independence. Perhaps the boys are perfectly safe right now and simply learning a lesson on their own.”

“Perfectly safe,” Griselde scoffed, hands on her hips. “And how could you know that?”

“I can’t,” Darian admitted with a laugh. “But you can. Have you taken note of your crystal?”

Griselde was prepared to argue, but then she glanced down. Her crystal was glowing calmly with no alarming pulse to be seen. Her head shot back up to stare at Darian.

“You never faltered in your talent, Griselede, only in your confidence.” He smiled warmly and her wide-eyed expression. “They’ll be fine. Stop doubting yourself.”

Her face softened into a grateful smile. “Thank you, Darian.” She inhaled a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “But I’ve still got to find those boys.” A flare of anger crossed her face and she quietly excused herself to storm down the hallway, but Pyram would have been long gone by now.

Later, Darian sighed, standing outside of the castle to watch the sunset like he did every night. As the bright, yellow orb fell out of sight, the lights of Gelyfed became more noticeable, lighting the streets and blanketing the city in comfort and reassurance, and applauding Darian for another successful day.

Now he could return home to his family, the brilliant bundle of chaos that they were, and look forward to doing it all again tomorrow.

“All is well?” came an amused voice from behind him.

Smiling brightly, Darian turned around. “All is well, Your Majesty. Did Griselde ever catch up to Pyram and the prince?”

Arisan laughed softly. “Eventually,” he said. “But Pyram managed to elude her for most of the afternoon.” He wore a proud smile.

“Very good,” Darian agreed. “He’s teaching them both.” Darian’s eyes suddenly narrowed and he looked at his king. “And you intended for that to happen, didn’t you, Your Majesty?”

A satisfied smile was his only response. 

“And of the city, Darian? Is it well?”

Darian looked out to the lights of the city and then looked to his crystal for confirmation. “Yes, Majesty. As far as I can tell,” he eyed the king suspiciously, remembering his behavior earlier, “all is well.” Arisan nodded approvingly and Darian tried to contain his curiosity, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. Ness had gotten her impulsiveness from his side of the family.

“Your Highness,” he began with uncertainty, trailing his eyes up to meet Arisan’s. Arisan was already looking at him, as though he’d expected this. “Is all well, sir?”

Arisan rested an arm across Darian’s shoulders and smiled sadly. “Yes, Darian. Right now, all is very well. You can go to your family with a clear mind. I will see you tomorrow.”

Darian moved to ask for an explanation for Arisan’s eerily calm tone, but the king had returned to his castle, so Darian proceeded down the steps wearing a thoughtful frown. He looked up and again saw the crystals shining brightly, and as long as they were, what could possibly go wrong? But perhaps it was time for Darian to admit that perhaps, his position wasn’t one of all-encompassing confidence. Perhaps, on occasion, just like the king, who possessed the unfathomable knowledge of the Pure Fyre, Darian would have to accept that there was more to life than a crystal’s glow. 

For someone who was in the business of reassuring a kingdom, Darian found that, for the first time, he would’ve liked someone to reassure him. The king’s behavior today had unsettled him. And then another thought donned on him. If Darian was the height of the kingdom’s consolation…

Who consoled the king?