Happy Birthday, times twelve

The first sound Ember heard that morning was her father's call beckoning all of them down to the Great Hall. Before that, the girl had been sound asleep, still breaking in her new bed in her new room all the way up on the top floor of the castle. Ember liked it up there; it was quiet and private and her room had a spectacular view of the ocean! Sleeping on her own also meant she could sleep in as much as she wanted—which had 100% been her plan until her father had woken her up. Grumbling sleepily, Ember rubbed her eyes and sat upright in bed. What on earth could dad want this early? For crying out loud, it was her birthday and she was gonna sleep as long as she wanted- wait, it was her birthday!

The sudden realization snapped Ember awake in a heartbeat. Shoot, she was going to be late! Clambering out of bed, the leggy yearling girl hurried about trying to make herself presentable and not look like she'd just woken up two minutes ago. A smoothing of her ruffled fur here, a little spritz of perfume, and her tail... oh gods, her tail was a sight. All long and unkempt, just like her mother's but looking more like a heathen's. Ember groaned in frustration as she furiously brushed at her tail, barely making any headway before just giving up and deciding she was presentable enough. Then she was out the door, sprinting down the hall, and all but falling down the stairs, all the while internally swearing and hoping she wasn't keeping everyone else waiting.

Rushing up to the doors of the Great Hall, Ember skidded to a stop and took a moment to catch her breath and compose herself. Then, doing her damnedest to not look like a hot mess that had just raced downstairs, she trotted briskly into the hall, all smiles to her waiting family. Everyone else was gathered, save for her eldest siblings and Vendrick. Oh thank the gods, she wasn't the last one here! "Bună dimineața, familie!" she greeted her siblings and parents with chipper glee, taking her usual spot at their family's table beside Clove. As soon as she hopped up into her seat, Ember was struck by two things: the amazing breakfast spread their mother had prepared for them, and the very obviously sword-shaped gift wrapped in fine cloth laying on the table before her. The adolescent girl gasped in shock, glancing around at everyone else's wrapped gifts, her long tail wagging furiously as she looked to her parents. "Can we open them? Pleeeeease?"

"Ember"