It's a certain white-eyed boy's birthday. Enjoy!
-

Hero was in his training attire, cleaning the barrel of his rifle with a gun oil soaked towel. He was at the base's shooting range, and was cleaning his rifle up after a round of practice fire. The shooting range was fairly empty save for him and a few other soldiers sharpening their skills in their free time. He chose a lane far from them though, wanting a bit of privacy and alone time.

Unbeknownst to him, on the other end of the range was Steve, staring at him as he went about his day. The lieutenant general was attempting to memorize his friend's routine and schedule, a self-issued assignment. It was Wednesday, four days away from the general's birthday. He had found out about the date from King Bergensten, who expressed his own concern for celebrating his adoptive brother's birthday.

He and the king spoke about him one night. King Bergensten explained how they celebrated his birthday back when Markus was still king. They were all busy, and Hero was a workaholic, so they didn't put too much effort into his birthday. He admitted to struggling to find a time where they were all free to celebrate. Even if they could, it was not for long either. Eventually Hero proposed to not celebrate it, not wanting to burden them. When King Bergensten looked back, he regretted agreeing to it.

Now Steve and King Bergensten were planning to celebrate it once again. Luckily the latter remembered the date after all these years. Steve had asked to be in-charge for the shift arrangement for the week. Hero had let him do it with a raised brow, knowing well enough that Steve loathed paperwork. However, so did he so he gladly handed over the work.

Steve had arranged it so Hero would be free on the 29th of September, a Sunday. If Hero suspected anything, he didn't say so. Steve then went about following the man, ensuring he doesn't somehow give himself errands on Sunday. At the moment he was watching what Hero did with his free-time, and so far he gathered that all the general did was training, paperwork, training and even more training.

Steve was somewhat impressed by the man's fitness. He had asked to join him do his morning laps some time ago, and the man agreed, usually doing it alone. Steve had assumed the Swede would do rounds around the football-field sized practice field like normal people would but no, he had to do more than five rounds around the castle walls. Steve knew it was more than five rounds but he forgot the actual number since he slowed down and eventually gave up.

Steve perked up from his thoughts when he saw his general move from leaning against the wall. He placed the cleaning towel down next to the ammo then readied his rifle again. Steve studied his perfect stance and posture, and marveled at the fact that Hero foregone earplugs when shooting. It was impressive, since Hero had complained to him many times of his sensitive hearing yet he still was able to shoot at close-range without flinching from the sound.

He watched as the Swede execute his next round in a short burst of bullets. When he was done he extended a hand and the target paper shot into his hand. Steve could see multiple holes from where he stood, in two areas of the target. A few at the centre of its chest and multiple to its head. He watched Hero study it for a bit before rolling his eyes and setting it aside.

-

It was Saturday, and this time it was Steve's off-day. He arranged for it to be so, so that he could run down the palace market and buy some things for the following day's celebration. He was on his blood bay Cleveland, Arrow, as he rode through the market. He had chosen to wear civilian clothes for the day, but had his pistol sheathed on his belt for safety. His horse attracted attention, people staring at Arrow's crimson metallic sheen.

The horse was loving the attention, raising his head and wiggling his nose happily. Steve rolled his eyes, making sure they didn't falter. He wanted to get this quick and over with so he could go about preparations. He stopped near where he wanted to go and hitched Arrow to a post. He patted his horse on the neck and whispered for him to behave before leaving with a bag of emeralds.

He could tell some curious children were already approaching his horse, and he paid no mind as he approached a fruit stall. He greeted the lady manning the stall and asked for her berries. She gestured to a corner filled with all kinds of berries, and Steve squeezed through to make his pick.

He knew Hero well enough to know the man adored fruits, especially berries. His go-to snack from the kitchen were always blueberries, and he liked to indulge in desserts that contained the fruit. Instead of sticking to blueberries, however, Steve added a bit of variety to his choices, adding in raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. Hero didn't eat much so one part of the Great Birthday Plan was to prepare a variety of dishes Hero was sure to love.

The cooks in the kitchen were already given the recipes, but they requested for a few extra items they believed 'would add just the right kick', so Steve had generously offered to fetch them on his trip. He was in the middle of bargaining with a rather sweaty man over a certain vegetable Steve didn't know the name of when he heard murmurs rise from the crowd he's in.

He cast a quick look over his shoulder, and noticed how people were staring at something. Narrowing his eyes, he leaned away from the stall and ignored the protesting stall owner. Over numerous heads, he caught sight of a rather magnificent horse, its stallion crest heavy and large. It fiddled with the bits in his mouth, and his ears were focused on his rider. Steve was about to continue enforcing his bargain when he did a double take.

Oh shit.

Steve may have said that out loud as he started to rush the stall owner to just give him the damn vegetables, and that he'll pay whatever the amount it was originally for. The pleased stall owner took his emeralds and handed him the vegetables in a paper bag, which Steve stuffed into his satchel before ducking out of sight of a particular man.

He had shoved his cloak's hood on top of his head and blended in with the crowd near the next stall. He faced away from Hero, who was sat on top of his friesian, in full uniform. Behind him were two soldiers, and Steve suddenly remembered he had assigned Hero the job of enforcing more patrols in the market because of the recent rise in robberies and theft.

He didn't expect the man to come down to the market himself!

Steve grumbled his head, only turning a little as the steady thud of hooves grew louder. The market was a tight, crowded place, but Hero and his accompanying soldiers were on horseback, gently pushing past people. Tightening the hood around his head, Steve grabbed a mirror the stall he was hiding at was selling and pretended to inspect it. He used the reflection to look at Hero.

The man was nodding to civilians who greeted him and was talking to the soldiers behind him. While doing all this, however, his bright white eyes scanned the crowd, ever-so-sharp and vigilant. He turned towards Steve's direction and the lieutenant's breath hitched nervously, before the Swede turned his gaze away.

Steve thought he was clear until he saw his general stop his horse. He cursed under his breath, staring at the reflection of Hero. He was speaking to a group of civilians, no doubt inquiring about any suspicious figures or activities related to the recent robberies and thefts. Kaizer, his horse which was now stationary, stopped fiddling with his bits, nose flaring instead.

The horse raised its big head, sniffing at the air curiously. His ears snapped to different directions, first at his owner as he spoke, then to the civilians who answered, and then towards the crowd who didn't stop its hustle. Kaizer tossed its head before looking towards Steve's direction, seemingly looking straight at the mirror.

Alarmed, Steve raised the mirror and declared loudly, "I'll take this!"

The lady manning the stall who was preoccupied with another potential customer swerved around. She clasped her hands together in delight and grinned, "That's great! I've been waiting for someone to take it off my hands!"

She went over to him, taking the mirror from his hands and preparing it for purchase. As she worked, Steve took his chance to glance back while getting his pouch of emeralds out. He breathed a sigh of relief once he saw that there were no signs of horses, and looked down the narrow road. Hero and his soldiers had moved on, and Kaizer seemed fine.

"Present for a lady, mister?"

Steve snapped back around, chuckling and replying, "Er-no. I'm shopping for my boss' birthday, actually. I just... The mirror caught my eye when I was looking for something to give him."

The lady cocked her narrow face, "Oh? Why don't you take a look around, then? Maybe you can find something he'd like."

Ah, well. No backing out now.

He smiled easily at her, "Well, do you happen to have anything that'd be useful for someone who... Who is a busy but very outdoor-ish man?"

The lady perked up and declared, "I may have just the thing!"

She gestured to a number of things. Steve wouldn't blame her, his description of Hero was very vague. He couldn't possibly give Hero the mirror, it was rather atrocious. He understood now why the stall owner wanted to be rid of it. Even his wife, Alice, wouldn't want it. Perhaps he could get it melted down and turned into a bracelet for her.

The lady had shown him a platinum compass, but Steve knew the man had no need for those when he had his own. There was also a switchblade, but it was too flashy and Hero had many of those already. She even offered a journal charmed with organization spells since his boss was a busy man who 'could use the help of an organizer'. Steve politely declined, he knew all too well that the general's brain was practically a huge, organized planner. He rarely forgot anything. Just maybe his own birthday.

The lady was clearly growing a little tired, each and every one of her suggestions getting declined. Steve was about to apologize and just buy the mirror when something caught his eye. Something that was folded haphazardly behind the stall owner and was close to dropping into the mud. He pointed it out to her.

She picked it up and unfolded it before him with a questioning look, "This, mister? For your boss? It's some training pants that was meant for me. It's unused and brand new, don't worry! Just a little too big."

She paused, looking at it before looking at him with a raised brow, "But for your boss?"

Not answering the question, Steve extended a hand, "May I?"

Blinking, the lady slowly handed it to him. He let his fingers fiddle with the material. It wasn't the ironed, cargo-like material of the military training kit. It was smooth and long. It was black and was tightened with a string. There were no revealing cuts, just some plain, stretchable pants that could be used for light exercise. Steve looked at the pants, wringing its hem of a pant leg before looking at the lady, sizing her up.

As much as Hero worked himself hard, the man also enjoyed to stretch his body. He was madly flexible, which never stops to surprise Steve. After an extremely tiring jog around the castle- at least, for Steve -, the general had led their post-exercise stretching. Steve had expected some long, smooth stretching but was about to collapse when Hero sat down, stretched one leg before him and had the other tucked against his body, before going all the way down to grasp at his extended foot.

His chest aligned with his knee, and Steve swore the man could go even farther if he wanted to. He stayed in that position for several seconds before releasing his leg and doing the same for the other. Steve may or may not have lost a few inches of his spine trying to keep up.

Hero had once complained of how his usual training pants, which were the military ones, would always hinder his stretches and thus affect his training. Steve had claimed that he was fine just as it is, but the general was still frustrated. The material would pull at his skin, stretched beyond its limits. Steve would be able to hear the material's sharp crinkles whenever Hero would stretch, the pants threatening to tear open.

The stall owner was around Hero's size, though her hips were more slender. That wouldn't pose a problem because of the pants being supposedly bigger and adjustable with a string. There was also the issue of it obviously being a woman's pants, but Steve dismissed it quickly.

Everyone knew of that mission to catch a recurring thief during one of the castle's balls. Hero, with his long hair, could pull off a rich, gorgeous noblewoman. He looked foolproof in a delicate ballroom gown together with a few charms. The poor nobleman thief wasn't able to stand a chance.

Besides, the Swede hardly cared of such trivial things. He'd caught the man staring at a soft blouse when they went out to fetch a quick snack together, and a few days following that, he walked in on an off-day Hero lounging over paperwork in said blouse.

He handed it back with a firm nod, "I'll take it as well."

The lady folded it and put it in together with the mirror, shrugging, "You know your boss more than I do, mister."

Steve paid the amount and bid goodbye to the stall owner before going off to buy the rest of the things he needed. His satchel started to sag against his hip, pulling roughly at his shoulder as he went about his errands. He went back to Arrow to pack a few of the things into his saddlebags before going back to market at one point.

After a few hours of weaving his way past tight spaces packed with people, Steve finally arrived at his final spot. The stall owner specialized in making candles, and people surrounded the stall, sniffing at scented ones. The stall owner, a lanky young man in an apron, spotted Steve join the people at his stall and welcomed him with a grin.

He went over, "How can I help you?"

Steve looked at the array of candles. All of them were scented, with tiny paper descriptions of the scent next to them. Unfortunately, he wasn't looking for those.

He looked at the stall owner and politely asked, "Do you have any Presence Candles by any chance?"

The stall owner blinked at him before going to work. He bent down and pulled a chest from under the stall tables. He pulled it open and carried a thin but long box from it and laid it on the table in front of Steve.

He patted the box, "This batch just arrived from the church this morning, so you're in luck, sir. How many do you need?"

Presence Candles were a Minecraftian tradition. They were unscented, thin, white long candles. They may look like an average candle but they are blessed by an Aetheric priest, a priest who worships Lady Aetheria primarily. The candles go through the blessing process in a church, before being shipped to sellers and business to be sold to the people should they need it.

Each Presence Candle represent one deceased member of your family or friends. When they are lit, it is said that Lady Aetheria will give them permission to cross past the clouds and walk among the living. The dead will be able to visit their living loved ones, basically. Should the candles be extinguished or melted off, the dead must return to the Aether or else they risk being stuck in the real world.

Which was why the Presence Candles were blessed in churches. Together with being blessed, magic folk will charm the candles to withstand the elements or last longer. Hence, the fires of these candles were hard to put out and they cost quite a bit.

The Presence Candles are usually used on the birthdays or death anniversaries of the dead or their living loved ones' major life events. Some couples light these candles on their weddings or anniversaries so that their deceased loved ones may be present during the occasion. They were mainly used for Offering Days, which occurred at the last week of every season. Some even invite the dead on their birthdays, which was the case for Hero. King Bergensten had requested for Steve to get a number of these candles.

"Six, please."

The stall owner nodded and opened up the box with a pocketknife. He carefully took out the necessary amount of holy candles and placed them in a silk pouch, securing them with a string.

As he was putting away the rest, he asked absently, "You need a matchbox, sir?"

"No, thank you," replied Steve, looking at a particular candle that was scented 'Pastures at Night'. What the hell was that supposed to smell like?

The stall owner gently handed over the pouch of candles as Steve paid him with emeralds. He then hurried to tend to other customers as Steve left while gingerly cradling the candles in his arms. He took a shortcut to back where Arrow was waiting for him. The horse looked grumpy from having to wait almost all day for Steve, so the lieutenant fished an apple from the bottom of his satchel to cheer him up.

He arranged Arrow's saddlebags before unhitching him and mounting him. He decided to go slow to appreciate the setting sun. The last rays of light brought out Arrow's coat, and Steve didn't want to force him into a gallop. The horse deserved to stretch his legs a bit.

He eventually reached the castle gates, which opened for him. The guards stationed there greeted him with a wave, and he returned the gesture before going straight to the stables. Might as well spend a bit of time with Arrow to make up for the boring day for him. He untacked the horse, hanging his saddle on his stall and removing his bridle. He settled the heavy saddlebags by the stall door and got to work on Arrow's coat.

He brushed the dirt gathering in the horse's fur while he was nibbling at a hay net, humming to himself. He combed the tangles out of Arrow's mane and tail before settling him in his black stable blanket. As he was clasping the blanket, he was unaware to the person approaching the stall with his own horse in tow.

"Steve?"

Startling, Steve swerved around and almost passed out at the sight of Hero and Kaizer. He must have just come back from his patrol earlier. Kaizer was still in his tack, and was clearly growing uncomfortable as he was used to being ridden bareback.

Steve forced something, anything to come out of his mouth so he wouldn't appear suspicious, "Good evening, Hero! What a surprise! ...Seeing you here, that is."

Hero raised an eyebrow, "I was about to say the same to you... You rarely go out and buy groceries during your off-day."

The man looked down at the clearly full saddlebag by the stall door.

Shit!

Hero was closer to the saddlebag than he was, he couldn't possibly come any closer and conceal it without seeming awkward. Quick, distract him!

"You clearly don't know me, then," said Steve a little too harshly.

Hero narrowed his eyes at him, his hands clenching Kaizer's rein a little too tight. The horse responded to the rather rude-sounding statement as well, huffing in annoyance.

Steve suddenly remembered that Hero was perfectly capable of sneaking into the lieutenant's head to find out the truth. The room seemed to grow hotter as Steve started to gather sweat at his temples. He self-consciously rubbed at them, smearing the sweat into his hair, smiling awkwardly at his general.

They stared at each other for a while before Hero turned away, heading towards Kaizer's stall. His stern expression remained as he called out half-heartedly, "Rest early, Winchester. You have work tomorrow."

Steve replied weakly, "Yes, sir."

Staring after Kaizer's swishing tail, Steve wondered whether he destroyed years of friendship with one sentence.

-

"Is there anything else I can do?"

King Bergensten laughed heartily, resting a hand on Steve's shoulder. He shook his head, "You've done enough, Mr. Winchester. You look like you're about to faint."

Steve folded his arms, looking at his polished boots, explaining his anxiousness, "I don't know if General Persson hates me now! I can't believe I said that! 'You clearly don't know me, then.' What was I thinking?!"

King Bergensten laughed even harder, wiping away tears that gathered in his eyes before reassuring, "Oh please, don't get so mixed up over this. I'm sure he'll be fine. Especially after what we've prepared."

He gestured to the bustling room before them. They decided to use one of the many rooms in the castle where King Bergensten and General Persson usually have tea with guests. They had spent the whole morning of Hero's birthday prepping the room, waking up in the middle of the night to get things ready. The cooks were bringing up the food, and servants were rearranging the furniture. Steve had one of his soldiers spy on Hero and some others make sure the man doesn't pass the hallway they were in.

Steve looked at the food the cooks had prepared. The blueberry cheesecake they made looked amazing and was well-decorated with candy leaves and intricate placing of cut blueberries. Some sort of non-alcoholic berry-based drink was also prepared. There was also wine resting in a bucket of ice, while some cooks were bringing up meat and some vegetables.

It was quite... Much. Considering Hero didn't eat much to begin with. King Bergensten had suggested giving the leftovers to the servants or soldiers though, so there's that. Steve then looked at the fireplace, where a maid busied herself with poking at the flames and feeding logs into it. On the mantlepiece were the Presence Candles prepared in their handles. They remained unlit, as King Bergensten wanted Hero to be the one to invite his loved ones over.

People had also prepared gifts for Hero. Steve had hastily wrapped his present and placed it hidden behind some of the servants' presents. King Bergensten had brought over a not-so-discreet black case. It was thin and square-shaped, but was rather large, reaching Steve's knees in height. The King let it rest against the wall as he surveyed the progress.

Once the last of the food was brought up, King Bergensten gestured for a maid to call Hero up. The plan was for her to find him in his rooms probably doing paperwork and to inform him that the King requested for his presence. They originally planned to tell him that the King was in need of help, but Steve pointed out the man would just teleport over when it concerned safety.

The servants rushed out of the room after her, leaving King Bergensten and Steve alone in the room. The King gazed over at the Presence Candles before asking softly, "Have the soldiers been informed of their general's birthday? I imagine they mist be quite curious."

Steve laughed awkwardly, "I'm sure they've figured it out before I did. They have the means to do so."

King Bergensten chuckled at that, before moving forward to the prepped table. He looked over the food before eventually picking up a bit of bread. He took a quick bite, humming at its taste. Steve settled into his typical soldier stance, hands behind his back and feet apart. He was in full uniform, supposedly on duty, when in fact he didn't prepare much for himself that day. He grew more nervous by the minute, staring at the fire and listening to it crackle. Sweat formed under his tight beret and he itched to adjust it until there was a soft knock on the door.

A familiar voice sounded from the other side, "You asked to see me, Your Highness?"

Steve gulped. King Bergensten let himself pause before calling out clearly, "Come in."

Slowly, the door creaked open, and Steve was surprised to find that Hero wasn't in training attire. Even on his off-day, the man would wear his military pants or boots together with a training shirt or something. However, today, the man had chosen to wear something smart and semi-casual. Hero was in ironed black dress pants and a sleek white button-up. He had ditched his gloves and was wearing polished black dress shoes that clicked as he came in. He also had wore black leather suspenders, and was holding a black coat over his left arm.

Steve found himself narrowing his eyes, he explicitly told Hero to rest on his off-day earlier that week. Why did he look like he was going somewhere?

His hair was neatly tied in a loose ponytail over his shoulder, and he even let bits of his messy fringe fall over his ears. He watched as his white eyes widened at the sight of the room.

King Bergensten had apparently poured himself some wine, raising it as he said, catching onto Hero's appearance as well, "I sure hope you're not going somewhere, big brother. After all, we worked hard on this."

The Swede stepped in fully, eyes raking over the whole room. He was amazingly speechless for a while, which was a feat in itself. He gave himself time to process what was happening before answering King Bergensten's question, "I... I think it can wait..."

He stepped closer to the table, his eyes going even wider at the sight of his favorite desserts and food on the table. He could feel the warmth or chill from each dish, and the smells were pleasant to his oversensitive nose. They were fresh, and they were good.

He looked at King Bergensten and a trembling Steve, "Was this why I barely saw you two this week?"

Steve answered that question, "Yes. I-I'm real sorry about yesterday, it's just that you almost caught me and I panicked-"

Hero burst out laughing, his free hand resting on his stomach as he doubled over. Steve was stunned to silence as King Bergensten joined in, chuckling. Hero quickly recovered, looking at Steve with a smile.

"No, it's alright! I just- How could I have been so blind? I should have figured it out. I'm so ashamed," he said with an easy grin.

He added finally, "You two are geniuses, I must say."

Steve let himself smile back, his nerves calming down at that reassurance and compliment. Hero was content and pleased, so that was a good sign. King Bergensten stepped round the table, guiding Hero towards the fireplace, Steve following close behind.

"Well, before we celebrate you being an old man, let's make sure everyone is present first," the King said as he gestured to the candles. He fetched a matchbox from the inside of his cloak, offering it to the Swede.

Steve joined at Hero's empty side, hands behind his back as he smiled politely. Hero looked over the candles, not accepting the matchbox just yet. He seemed to count the candles before turning to King Bergensten with a questioning gaze.

The King's smile dropped a little as he said softly, "Markus used to tell me stories of the two of you after you... Left. He told me about your family, and the friends you've made and lost."

Hero stiffened. Steve said nothing, looking at the fire once again. The King offered the matchbox again, and the Swede looked at it for a moment before pushing it away. King Bergensten frowned and was about to say something until Hero abruptly snapped his fingers, catching the attention of Steve as well.

Hero's fingers were alight with flame. He showed no sign of being hurt and he went to the first candle on his left. He paused before it, and Bergensten supplied, "Kaleb."

Hero lit the candle, and it blazed fiercely before settling. He moved on.

"Ivan."

King Bergensten's voice wavered at that name. Hero lit the candle and moved to the next.

"Dianne. Peter." Hero lit the next to candles. Two left.

Hero's fingers were shaking a bit at the last two. King Bergensten's voice was soft as he said, "Markus."

Hero slowly lit the candle. Final candle.

"Your mother. Mrs. Persson."

Hero faltered. Steve and King Bergensten waited for him patiently. After a while, Hero muttered, "She would have loved you." before he lit the final flame.

King Bergensten stepped back first, about to invite them to the meal until Hero raised a hand. He wasn't finished. He extinguished the fire at his fingers with a quick flick of his wrist and snapped his fingers again. This time, he summoned another candle to his fingers. It was clearly a Presence Candle, but Steve could see it emit a soft blueish-silver sheen, as if it was imbued with some sort of magical property.

It came prepared in its own holder and Hero settled it next to his mother's candle. He snapped his fingers again and it was aflame.

"Who's that for?" Steve found himself asking.

Hero's hand tightened on his coat over his arm, "He'd want to be here."

He then turned around, joining King Bergensten who waited for him by the dining table. Steve remained by the fireplace, looking at the candles before turning to rest his gaze over Hero's back as he laughed next to King Bergensten. Before he made to move, Steve swore he heard whispers accompanied by the flames from the candles and fireplace.