The Lightning Kid grew a little every day. People who went for more than a week between visits wouldn’t recognize him when they’d see him. Before they knew it, the King and Queen had to plan the official Reception of the Coronet that the Prince would wear upon his head (when he felt like it; Shark Boy rarely wore his).
This ceremony was generally regarded as officially the official announcement of a Royal heir, and would be the confirmation of the Lightning Kid’s status as a Prince. The King and Queen fulfilled their usual tasks: she organized the food and all the details of the ceremony, and the King tried not to think about it too much so that he wouldn’t become a nervous, insufferable control freak.
The difficulty arose when choosing the Lightning Kid’s Godparents. It didn’t take them too long to figure the Godmother should be a Fairy friend of the King’s, who had not only been like a sister to the King, but also very helpful in the early days of navigating the portents of doom that so many of the sages had predicted. She had even stood at the King’s side during the Royal Wedding. So it was only a logical next step to consider the Fairy’s counterpart on the Queen’s side of the wedding party... a fiend known as the Handsome Devil.
“Don’t you think it just makes sense?” asked the Queen.
“Sure... it’ s just...” stammered the King.
“I think he’d make a great Godfather.” continued the Queen.
“I just wonder if...”
“What? You don’t think he’ll be a good Godfather?”
“Of course I do! I just wonder how people will react to a Godfather who is also...
you know, a fiend!”
“That doesn’t mean anything - we’ll be inviting Elves and Trolls to this ceremony
too.”
“You’re right. The Handsome Devil is getting married this year, and I know he’ll be
a great father to his own children someday. He’s the perfect choice; I never
should have hesitated.”
And so the Lightning Kid was anointed while being held by his Fairy Godmother and Handsome Devil Godfather. Shark Boy was well behaved and sat still as befitted the solemnity of the occasion, much to the surprise of everyone. Later, with tears in their eyes, the King and Queen reflected that the day had contained a level of joy that had been absent on the day of the Lightning Kid’s birth. That alone, had made organizing the day worth it. And the Lightning Kid, did nothing but stare in wonderment at the Fairy Godmother, her daughters, the Handsome Devil and his fiancee, and wonder how he got so lucky to have made his family that much bigger and better.
