Avaos didn't place too much pressure on his son, letting him remember in silence.
That said, Avaos felt it was his fault that Ishvar grew cooped up in his own room. After all, the Heir must live up to the expectations of not only his parents but also the common people and nobles alike.
Initially, he forced his son to behave in a certain way, talk in a certain way, and even think in a certain way.
At the time, Ishvan was nothing more than an image of his, a concept of what should be the 'perfect' Heir. Avaos didn't see his son for what he was, a son, but as something he could go around at parties to flaunt, something to showcase to others. A mere object.
The boy's thoughts didn't matter. His wants didn't matter either. He was a Count's son. He must behave in a certain way, just like a proper noble should.
Only after long years have passed and Ishvan grew up exactly as Avaos thought he wanted his son to be -arrogant, though short-sighted; prideful but gullible- did the Count realize his actions. Mistakes, rather.
Alas, by that point, young Ishvan wasn't looking to better himself or want to help empower the Ato family. All he wanted was to party some more, meet new noble children that thought like him and endorse in talks much too complex for such young kids. Everything he did was to show his etiquette, his knowledge, and his bearings.
In the eyes of nobles, Ishvan was a wonder child, each congratulating Avaos for siring such a genius. He, however, saw just a kid, confused and lost in a world much too vast and treacherous for someone so young.
If he were to be honest, that time was the first time he ever saw Ishvan as his son, as blood from his own blood.
His mother was always protective of him, not allowing young Ishvan to even approach anything remotely dangerous. Unlike Avaos, his wife cared about their son more than he could ever say.
In the end, even after Avaos changed how he behaved towards his son, it was too late. Ishvan didn't want to change. He thought that was what his father wanted from him, and he will not change that.
Avaos then tried to keep his son indoors as much as possible, but that didn't work either. He tried forcing his son to read more, study more history, and Ishvand did just that. Alas, that only served to push his son away from Avaos.
And it all resulted in the situation Avaos found himself in right now.
Although his son grew up as an intelligent and astute person, he wasn't the most empathic man out there.
Of course, Avaos didn't want Ishvan to be some righteous paragon or saint or anything, but what he wanted the least was for Ishvan to be a callous person.
A sigh shook Avaos from his daydreams and focused on Ishvan.
"I don't think I have anyone in mind, I'm afraid." The Heir shook his head, shifting his gaze outside the carriage.
"Hmm." Avaos hummed as his mind shifted through several potential young women. "Well, I do have some in mind, but it will be a bit hard for you to meet them at this moment, considering everything that's going on."
Ishvan nodded from the sidelines, expecting such an answer. What kind of father didn't have at least one potential partner for his son in mind?
However, a thought suddenly came to his mind, causing him to shift his attention back to his father.
"What if we hold a banquet?"
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly that. We can hold a banquet for the recently found ruins, or something similar. We should invite every noble in the kingdom, big or small, to see whether we can strike some alliances between us."
Avaos frowned.
"At this time? There's enough tension between noble families, you can practically feel it, and you want us to hold a banquet?"
His son only nodded.
"It would serve as an outlet to give off this tension. What better way to relax than to have a glass of wine in hand, having a conversation with a noble?"
Avaos shook his head.
"Son, all that will achieve is to further strain the already tense situation between nobles. The finding of a ruin isn't some insignificant event. The amount of resources one can bring back is enough to raise a Baron to a Count in a few short years."
Avaos rubbed his forehead, internally lamenting that he didn't allow Ishvan to research more about the noble families. As such, the young Heir would often make false assumptions or outright false statements about the situation between nobles.
Hearing his father not even consider his words, Ishvan frowned deeply. Not because he was displeased by this, quite the contrary. He picked apart Avaos' reasoning and words, looking further than what seemed obvious.
After a moment, his eyes glowed a faint light.
"If that's the case, what about a banquet for us, Heirs?"
As soon as Avaos opened his mouth to object, he stopped. This certainly was something worth considering.
If, previously, the problem was the tense atmosphere between nobles, now such a problem was outright removed. Not only did this serve the same purpose as a true banquet, but it also allowed the Heirs to make ties with each other. This would make the nobles more inclined to accept such an invitation.
"Alright then, let's go with your plan." Avaos nodded, wanting to see what would come out of this plan of his son's.
Looking outside the window, the Count searched for a particular structure built in this forest before turning to face his son once more.
"It seems we're getting close."
Hearing the cryptic words of his father, Ishvan could only frown, confused. They weren't anywhere near the capital city of Blackwater. How could his father say they were getting close?
Seeing the look on Ishvan's face, the Count could only smile, tapping a finger on the wooden wall in a certain way before the carriage came to a complete stop.
Staying silent, Avaos led his son outside and walked east, where a small watermill came into focus.