Sitting down at the little table in Ca's house were Ca's mom and a strange lady wearing what looked like a silk dress with flowery patterns. The lady was pretty looking but not as much compared to Yan, according to Chan's memories of how Yan looked.
"Mother is everything ok?" asked Ca, who was worried about his mother.
"Honey everything is fine, your sister is just visiting," Ca's mom replied.
Ca was confused as he grew up all his life without knowing he had any siblings.
"Mother, what are you talking about?" Ca asked.
Ca's mom explained everything to him. Ca's mom used to be a servant for the king of Biyou and was also his mistress. The king impregnated her and when the others found out who the father of her kid was, she was kicked out and had to survive on her own.
Hearing the story told by his mother, Ca couldn't hold in his frustration any longer and blurted out, "So all the suffering me and my mother went through were caused by you guys, and now you dare to barge in our house to have a conversation!".
Clenching his fist as hard as he can, there was now droplets of blood coming off his palms.
"I'm sorry for what you and your mother went through but I am here to take both of you back," said the princess in a cold tone.
Thinking about all the suffering his mother had gone through his whole life, he thought maybe if they went back she wouldn't have to work so hard anymore.
Trying his best to calm down and think, he realized why would a family who kicked out his mom would want them back. So Ca asked the question that was on his mind, "If you already kicked my mother out, why would you want us back?"
The princess, also Ca's stepsister, told them about the situation that the royal family was in. The king and the queen of Biyou only had 3 kids, 1 boy, and 2 girls. The 2 girls were the oldest and the son was the youngest. Ying Biyou was the first princess, Ting Biyou was the second princess, and lastly was Gin Biyou the first prince of Biyou.
Ying Biyou informed them that she had come get Ca, as the king was on his death bed and that Gin Biyou had died a while back as he was a sick kid. So the royal family was left without any other male successor other than Ca.
The world that Chan had come into was a patriarchal time. As only kings were able to lead a kingdom.
Chan was shocked to hear that he had been training ( beating ) the crown prince of Biyou this whole time.
"My father and mother had been trying to make another boy but were seen with no results. Our father said he wanted to see his kid before he passed, be it either a boy or a girl, as he did also love your mother. Now please come with us as we don't have much time." said Ying Biyou.
"Ok, I'll go. Only on two conditions though," Ca replied.
"What are those conditions?" Ying Biyou asked.
"I'll only go if my mother and also Chan are able to come," answered Ca as he pointed over to Chan.
"Huh?" Chan thought to himself.
Ying Biyou took a second to think before answering Ca's conditions, "We were already planning to bring your mother with us, but for the boy, we can probably make arrangements for him to work as a servant in the palace."
Ca opened his mouth attempting to reply but Chan cut him off, "No, I'm ok with staying here and not being a servant.". Chan hated the thought of serving someone as a servant.
"Well, you heard his answer. That will be all for today. I will be back here in the morning and we'll head off to the capital," Ying Biyou told the others in the room as she was walking out.
"Men get ready we are heading out," instructed one of Ying's bodyguards.
The carriage and men left.
"Are you crazy, who are you to decide what I want?" Chan questioned Ca.
" I don't know, since you are about to be of age and you always told me you wanted to get out of Nos and do something," Ca answered.
"Yea I want to get out of Nos, but that doesn't mean I want to become a servant," Chan replied.
"Then what is it that you want? I can ask her tomorrow about your request." Ca told Chan.
"What I want is something that can only be achieved on the battlefields," said Chan.
"Haha, you boys keep talking as I'm going to get us something to eat," said Ca's mom as she left.
"Come with us and become one of my soldiers," Ca told Chan.
"Why would I do that when I don't even know what your future plans are and also I don't even know if I want to follow you," said Chan getting annoyed.
"Then tell me, who do you want to follow and I'll try to be it," Ca pleading Chan.
"Ca, you have to have your own morals and beliefs, I can't tell you how to act as I'm not your dad," Chan told Ca.
"Yea your not my dad, I get that. But you're the only person in my life other than my mother who cared about me. Not only did you help me get stronger, but you also helped me get smarter and taught me how to think. So am I wrong for asking you to help me be a person who is worthy of you to follow?" Ca choking up as his tears were starting to come out.
"Ok, ok, stop crying," Chan told Ca.
"But – but –," Ca tried to talk while crying.
"I want to follow someone who has compassion for not only his people and also for those who he conquered. I hate the thoughts of slavery. Also, I want a king who will give up his power if it is better for his people. I want a king who is fair and righteous and not greedy and spiteful," Chan told Ca about his ideal ruler.
"I promise you, I'll try to be that and if I don't become that you can leave me or even kill me," Ca said seriously.
"So you're willing to go against the way of the world?" Chan asked Ca.
"If the way of the world is wrong, why follow it." said Ca.
"Ok, I'll come with you, but you have to wait as I need to repay my debt to Qu In first then I will come," Chan told Ca.
"Ok, as long as you promise to come." said Ca with a smile on his face.
"I promise," said Chan.
Chan headed back home before Ca's mom returned, as he knew how hard she worked and didn't want to think about eating the food she worked so hard to get.
The next morning Ca and his mother left with Ying. They headed for the capital and Chan was getting ready to also depart as well.
When Ying visited she knew Ca's mom was in Nos like how she told Ca. What she left out was that, before going to talk to Ca and his mom; she had tasked her guards to go around the city and ask around to gather information on Ca's mom and the gender of her kid. If Ca would've been a girl, Ying would've returned to her father and lied about not being able to find Ca's mother and her kid. Luckily Ca was a boy and they needed a male figure to run the Biyou kingdom.
Ying and her mother already had a plan thought out, trying to control Ca as they thought Ca was a dumb kid, who was easy to manipulate, as he would've grown up poor from being raised by a single mother. What they didn't expect was an unknown variable in Chan, Chan taught Ca to always be aware of those around him, as not everyone is concerned about your best interest.