A baby slept peacefully in his cradle, alone in the quiet room, as a gentle breeze drifted in and out through the open window beneath the soft glow of the full moon. Silver moonlight bathed the chamber in calm radiance, making the scene seem almost dreamlike.
Then, without warning, two figures appeared beside the prince's cradle—one the silhouette of a man, the other of a woman. As the moonlight touched them, their features became clear. The man was middle-aged, dressed in a long robe adorned with magnificent jewels and diamonds, his posture and sharp features revealing the bearing of a trained soldier. Beside him stood a woman of similar age, wearing a flowing black dress embedded with sparkling gems along its entire length. Though she too appeared middle-aged, there was hardly a trace of age upon her graceful face.
For a few moments, they stood in silence, gazing down at the sleeping child with tenderness in their eyes. Then they turned to each other and smiled.
"Looks like we are grandparents now, aren't we?" the man said warmly, his smile broad and full of pride.
"Yes, darling, we are," the woman replied softly.
She gently lifted the baby prince into her arms. The child remained fast asleep, unaware that he was meeting his grandparents for the very first time in the stillness of the night. His tiny face remained peaceful as ever, untouched by the excitement surrounding him.
The two grandparents spent several quiet moments admiring and playing with the prince before carefully placing him back into his cradle and tucking the blanket snugly around him.
After making sure he was comfortable, the grandfather let out a faint sigh and turned to his wife. "Where is our son? Doesn't he know that his parents have come to visit their grandchild today, or is he simply too busy to meet us right now?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice.
"I am sure he is busy. Managing a kingdom is not an easy task, my love," she replied calmly, clearly accustomed to such moments.
With that, the two sat down on the sofa in the room to rest from their journey. The grandfather picked up a book from the table beside him and began flipping through its pages, while the grandmother leaned gently against his shoulder.
She then sent a message to her son: "We are here and waiting in the prince's room for you to come meet us. And your father is getting more upset by the minute, so do hurry up, son."
After sending the message, she closed her eyes for a moment to rest. The long journey had taken its toll on both of them. Though they were stronger than most and less affected by fatigue than ordinary people, they were not immune to the exhaustion that came with traveling such great distances from their retirement home to visit their children.
Meanwhile, the king sat alone in his office—a beautifully minimalist chamber designed with elegance and restraint. At its center stood a sleek desk crafted from the finest wood in the kingdom, polished to perfection. Aside from the desk, the only other furnishing was a tall bookshelf, mostly empty except for a few volumes lined neatly across the top shelf.
In his hands, the king held a document labeled Annual Grain Reports, carefully reading through its contents when his mother's message arrived. He paused, read the words, and then placed the report down on the desk. Stretching his arms into the air to ease the stiffness in his shoulders, he let out a quiet breath before saying to himself, "Looks like we are done for now. The rest of the work can wait—family comes first, and always."
Slowly, he rose from his chair, stepped out of the room, and closed the office door behind him. As he walked down the hall toward the prince's chamber, he suddenly glanced down at his clothes. He was dressed in nothing more than a simple shirt and comfortable trousers, as he faithfully followed one personal rule above all else: Comfort is king.
But then he stopped abruptly. He had forgotten something important.
Turning on his heel, he hurried back to his office, pushed the door open, and rushed to his desk. From one of its drawers, he retrieved a beautiful vial filled with shimmering yellow liquid. Holding it gently in his hands, he smiled as though cradling something priceless.
"Oh, how forgetful of me," the king said softly, hugging the vial to his chest. "To nearly leave without you, my dear little potion."
He gazed lovingly at the glowing liquid. "So much money was spent obtaining you, my dear. Do you think I would go without using you? No… never."
As he finally arrived at the prince's chamber, the king opened the door and stepped inside to find his parents waiting exactly where his mother had said they would be. His father still held the book in his hands, though he was no longer reading, while his mother sat beside him with her usual calm smile.
The moment they saw their son, both parents rose from the sofa. The king's stern royal composure melted away at once, replaced by the warmth of a son seeing his family after too long. He crossed the room quickly and embraced them both tightly, first his mother and then his father, who returned the hug with firm affection despite his earlier irritation.
"At last, you decided to show yourself," the grandfather said, though the sharpness in his voice had softened into amusement.
"I had kingdom matters to finish," the king replied with an apologetic smile. "But I would never keep my family waiting longer than necessary."
Then, with a small grin, he reached into his robe and carefully brought out the shimmering vial of golden liquid. The moonlight caught the glass, making the mysterious potion glow like captured sunlight.
"I nearly forgot this," he said, holding it out before them. "A rare and costly potion, prepared specially for your visit. It took months to acquire, and I thought it only right that the two of you should have it."
His parents exchanged surprised glances as the vial gleamed between them, its contents swirling faintly as though alive with magic. Even the grandfather, usually difficult to impress, raised his brows at the sight of something so obviously precious.
"For us?" the grandmother asked softly, touched by the gesture.
"Of course," said the king. "You traveled all this way to see your grandson. I could hardly greet you empty-handed."