Chapter Text
Bruno woke to a cheerful knock on his door and smiled to himself. It was a habit of Mirabel’s to run past all the doors and knock to wake the family up for breakfast.
He yawned and stretched as he sat up, Casita pulling the curtains open to allow the sunlight to fall on him. It burned his eyes a little but the sentient castle knew that he liked seeing sunlight first thing in the morning.
“Gracias,” he murmured, patting the wall as he climbed out of bed.
He leaned on the windowsill and stared out at the city. People were already up and rushing around as they prepared for the festival.
He could hardly believe that it had been a year already…
Bruno quickly got ready and left his room to head for the kitchen but he was ambushed before he got very far.
“Happy birthday Tio!” Camilo and Mirabel chorused as they both pounced on him in a hug.
He staggered back and almost fell, Casita catching them at the last moment. With a chuckle, he hugged the two menaces back, heart warming at the excitement clear in their eyes. They’d been looking forward to his birthday almost more than he was.
“Are you going to let Tio get his breakfast?” Dolores asked as she approached from down the hall, amusement clear on her face.
Camilo stuck his tongue out at his hermana and Mirabel gave a sheepish laugh.
“We just wanted to be the first to wish you Tio,” she told him.
He smiled at her and ruffled their hair, getting whines and protests as they ducked out of reach.
“Gracias you two,” he chuckled as Camilo pouted and fixed his hair. “But let’s get moving before your mamás have to come fetch us.”
The pair didn’t need any more incentive to hurry off to breakfast and Dolores moved over to link her arm through his.
“Happy birthday Tio,” she said with a warm smile and he couldn’t help but return it.
They walked down towards the dining room together and everyone they passed greeted them cheerfully and wished Bruno a happy birthday. He was still a bit awkward with people outside of the family but the people who worked in the castle were all kind and genuine and they didn’t seem to mind his social anxiety. They’d grown used to it over the last year.
He still remembered how skittish he’d been of everything in the beginning, jumping at every unexpected sound and turning into a stuttering mess around new people. But his family had been patient and helped him the entire way. Things weren’t perfect, but they were a hell of a lot better now than they had been.
The family mingled with the townspeople now, making trips into the city to take walks or visit shops. The people adored the entire family more than ever and loved seeing them in town.
Pepa and Julieta had been the most anxious about it. Which was understandable. They’d been locked inside as long as Bruno had been. But Felix and Agustin had helped them a lot when it came to opening up to the people in the kingdom.
Camilo had led the kids in visiting the town. There’d been many townspeople who’d been stunned to learn that the mischievous boy they’d known was actually the prince shapeshifted so that he could sneak a bit of freedom, but they’d welcomed him back regardless. They understood the deception. Mirabel, meanwhile, tackled her new freedom with the same enthusiasm that she showed everything else in her life and she won the townspeople over almost immediately. Antonio followed the pair easily and the entire city adored him in a matter of days.
Isabela, Dolores and Luisa were a little slower to get used to their new situation. Luisa was a little shy and Dolores more reserved than the others. But Isabela took the bull by the horns and threw herself into the new experience.
And honestly, it had been good for her. She felt the need to act like a perfect princess less these days and instead showed the kingdom the confident and wild girl underneath.
And they loved her.
Bruno was pulled from his thoughts as they entered the dining room to find the family waiting for them. He was immediately mobbed by everyone, getting hugs from his hermanas and sobrinas. He laughed, returning the hugs and wishing his hermanas who were beaming at him.
His mamá shooed them all away after a moment to go to the table.
“You’re smothering him,” she scolded gently.
Then she turned and pulled Bruno into a warm hug and he melted into it like he always did.
“Happy birthday Brunito,” she murmured.
He hugged her back tightly for a moment before she shooed him off to the table as well.
“It’s going to be a busy day,” she reminded him.
How could he forget?
After a lot of talking, they’d chosen not to stop the lantern festival. Bruno had admitted how much he’d loved seeing them every year so the family had decided to hold it again this year.
It just had a different meaning.
Instead of calling a lost prince home, the lanterns were going to celebrate that the family was finally whole again.
The townspeople had been ecstatic when they learned the festival would continue and everyone had been busy the last few weeks getting ready for it.
It was humbling to learn that everyone was so excited to celebrate his first birthday back home. Then again, he’d never been more excited for one of his birthdays before. He was finally going to be celebrating with the right people, with his actual family. The triplets would finally be together for their birthday again.
He wouldn’t be locked away in a tower with a woman who wanted to own him this year.
Breakfast went by in a blur of laughter and teasing of the triplets getting older. Camilo had to dodge a swipe from his mamá but Pepa couldn’t even pretend to be annoyed. She was too busy smiling every time she caught Bruno’s eye.
After the meal, they got caught up in the preparations for the festival and the day sped by, laughter echoing throughout the castle.
Before he knew it, they were getting ready to head out onto the balcony, the sun having just fully set. Julieta and Pepa had glued themselves to his side and he could understand why.
Last time they were getting ready to do this, they were still worrying about whether he’d make it home and where Camilo and Mirabel were.
He squeezed their hands in silent reassurance that he was here and looked up in time to catch his mamá watching them with a smile and tears glinting in her eyes.
He smiled back. Why wouldn’t he? He was surrounded by family. He had every reason to smile.
When they stepped out onto the balcony, the town cheered to see the Madrigal family together and whole again. Pepa and Julieta drew him forward and they accepted their lanterns from their mamá.
For the first time since the festival started, Bruno took his own lantern. He wondered how many times he’d seen the green lantern in the sky from his tower?
Pepa caught his eye and smirked. Julieta chuckled at the expression.
“About time you joined us. We’ve been doing your part for years,” Pepa quipped.
Bruno chuckled. “Better late than never?”
The triplets grinned at each other before letting their lanterns loose, a suspicious gust of wind pushing them higher than the rest of the family’s. Moments later, the town’s lanterns joined theirs in the sky.
Bruno stared at the sight with awe.
“It’s better seeing it from here,” he murmured. His hermanas leaned against his sides, watching the lights dance high above them.
“Happy birthday Bruno,” Julieta whispered.
He smiled a little. “Happy birthday, Juli, Pepa.”
For the first time in years, he knew he was where he belonged. His magic tangled lazily with his hermanas’ and his family chattered excitedly nearby.
He was home.