Lady Regina takes her kids away with a glare. It's not like I care what she thinks of me. My sympathies are with Kris and Valona.
"Master? Are you alright?" Milia approaches me and extends her slender hand to me.
"I'm quite fine. It's nothing I can't handle."
"If that is your wish, Master, I won't interfere."
"Is Celia in the kitchen?"
"She is. Shall I fetch her?"
"No need. Can you check up on Tia for me, at least? I haven't seen her once today."
"Worried about your future wife, Master?" She says with a wide grin.
"Don't make this more difficult than just simply answering."
"Hehe, sure, I can see where Miss Tia is off to."
"Thank you, Milia."
And with that, she leaves with a bow, her cat-like ears twitching and the sly smile etched into her lips.
Upon her departure, a man of wealthy standards subtly walks by me. I don't fail to hear his snicker toward me. It seems like a typical day for me, being looked down upon. I ignore the apparent remark and walk around to see all the guests.
Father speaks with the knights and fathers of those knights. He has a soft smile during conversations, hiding something behind the mask. Catching me a little off guard, I wonder what is on his mind.
"Are you Lord Aris's son by chance?"
"Hmm? Yes, I am Lord Aris's son, Caleb."
With a standard greeting, a young boy roughly the same age as me, maybe a few years older, stands before me. His tanned skin and slicked-back curly hair don't hide his unique features. With my glance, I can surmise that he is from the Empire, maybe close to the ocean town of the empire where the complexion of his skin is typical. His dark brown eyes light up in wonder as he goes and shakes my hand suddenly.
"Wow! It is an absolute pleasure to meet you!" He grins excitedly.
With a shocked expression, I shake his hand back but with less enthusiasm. "Nice to meet you...-?"
"Oh, where are my manners? I am Carlo Tanios; my family has served for generations in service of the orders. Let me offer myself as a humble servant to you and your great house!" With a massive bow, Carlo extends his respect far more significant to me than anyone has ever had.
"Carlo, that is quite alright; I don't think someone of your caliber should be in the service of someone who is a Nix-"
"I want to be in service of house Aris!" Carlo interjects with great passion. "I have dreamed of serving under Lord Valum and his blood since I could remember!"
"You're really passionate about such a position, aren't you?"
"I wish to learn under such a great man so that one day I can join the Scarlet Order and become an Obsidian knight!"
So that is what he wants. To use my father and our house to rise the ranks. I should have guessed that a simple boy like him was too naive to be this excited to serve anyone.
"Was your family invited to the party?"
"Never."
"Yet you still came here. Is your father with you?"
"He is not."
"So, you came here, uninvited, alone?"
"That is precisely correct."
"How did you get here from wherever you are from?"
"Oh, you know, I spent several days on foot before hitching on a carriage to Heistorm, and here I am!"
"You sure you don't have anything loose up there?"
"Nope."
It's official. He is a weird one.
"Okay then... What do you exactly think is going to happen that an uninvited child is going to do?"
"I... Never thought that far other than serve house Aris."
Oh boy, he's an airhead.
"I don't know where to start, uhh... At least you look nice for traveling for days on foot."
"Oh, this? I stole it."
"You... Stole it?"
"Yep."
"Huh..."
Slowly backing away from Carlo, I take a moment to think about such an "interesting" character.
"Is this boy troubling you, sir?" Zao approaches, standing behind me.
"This boy he... Well, not really."
"Shall I escort him off the premises?"
Looking at the kid, seeing how cheerful and bright his ideals seem to be, I can't help but chuckle to myself. This might be an interesting fellow to keep around.
"That won't be necessary. However, I think he can greatly benefit us and the Kingdom. Zao, can you introduce him to Commander Eckhart as a new squire."
Carlo blinks for a second. It's almost like he is dumbfounded that he got a positive response. His eyes gloss as tears seem to well behind them.
"Are you sure that is wise?"
"Tell him it is father's order. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility for Carlo here."
"Very well, young Master."
"Does this mean...!?" Carlo steps up with a bright, shining glow.
"Carlo Tanios, please follow Zao; he will take you to see Eckhart for your possible future here in these lands."
"You are the best! Yahoo! Thank you, Caleb!" Expectedly, he jumps up and down, causing a scene. A hand is placed on his shoulder, which stops his actions.
"Zao, expressing yourself to such a degree is unbecoming of a knight; Commander Eckhart will ensure you learn this lesson."
With a gentle gaunt, Zao takes Carlo away to find Commander Eckhart.
With that faithful encounter out of the way, I am pulled to the side by Milia.
Explaining on the way, she explains that Tia and her father have been greeting the guests coming to the party.
Milia smiles gleefully, leading me to one side of the manor as she talks about some random nonsense about me and Tia. Ignoring her remarks, I begin to think back to last night. The sudden warmth of her lips on my cheek still causes a slight tightness in my chest.
Maybe moving to Duldat with Tia doesn't sound too bad...
*
It has become evening, and the night sky is starting to encompass the bright sky. Milia took the time to refresh my look and tidy around everything. She nods when satisfied with her final touches and beckons me to head to the main hall again. Milia leaves me in my room to aid Celia in the final preparations for the party.
After looking at my attire, I feel confident enough to present myself, despite the apparent trouble looming around me.
Exiting the room, I bypass a common room door and quickly hear a conversation being discussed. Father's voice begins to peer through the door.
"Commander Eckhart, I am telling you, our borders are incapable of withstanding an overdue war with the Empire!"
"Even so, my Lord, our forces in the Scarlet order are stretched thin. Your son Dunick took our reserves when he married Lady Yuno. It will take weeks before he even arrives with the men."
"It will have to do."
"With all due respect, my Lord, but we barely have a personal guard in your own home! Twenty-three knights, including myself, isn't a fighting force, no matter how well trained and armed we are. The rest of the Scarlet order is stationed at the other Kingdoms and towns across Gana."
"What about our soldiers? We have enough for a decent army. They will have to do."
"Zao, please tell our Lord that we are not prepared for this kind of war; we don't have the funds or resources to build a formattable force against the Empire of all Kingdoms."
The mere mention of war had taken a hold on my mind. The shaking in the hands was uncontrollable. Holding it together, they continue to discuss it amongst themselves.
"If I may, we have more than enough allies with your children and their respective forces. If you allow it, I can send word to-"
"No! I will not drag any of my children into a war that is mine alone to face."
"My Lord, Valum, please listen to him."
"Zao, Eckhart, you are my most trusted advisors, but you cannot ask a father to condemn his children to war."
"Sir, your son Dunick has fifty Scarlet knights under his guard, including our reserve of five hundred infantry and two hundred cavalry soldiers. Your daughter Tara and her arranged marriage can procure us with another five hundred soldiers."
"I cannot."
"Valum, my friend, listen to yourself; they will be dragged into this no matter what. It would be better to get everyone before the chaos ensues. Runo is still on his crusade and journey across the land with the newly knighted hundred men. If the Empire reached them, they would stand no chance to defend against their armies."
"..." Valum holds his tongue. Distraught by their words.
"Zao, Eckhart, send word to Dunick, tell him to ready his men in secret."
"Thank you, my Lord."
"Don't thank a father dragging his son to the depths of hell."
"My friend, if this troubles you so, why go through the trouble at all?"
"What is it that you are implying, Commander?"
"If you give the church and Empire the Nixx, we won't need it for this war-"
"You have no right to bring Caleb into this! This is my decision and my decision alone! I will pay in blood to protect my son, her son."
A sudden twisting pain stirs in my stomach. Anxiety poisons my body and mind. Feeling sick, I could not listen any longer and ran away before any chance of my presence were to be noticed...
*
The men in the room look at each other. The violent outburst of their Lord and Master unsettled them.
"If they want to take my son away, then I will slay every single one of them before they can touch him."
"Valum... Will you take us to hell for a cursed child?"
"Cursed or not, I promised his mother that I would look after him."
"The child is all they want."
"So, he can be put into chains like the rest of the Nixx? The treatment and containment they receive is worse than a prison. The Empire only cares because I claimed him. His status as a noble only stains their fragile ego and faith. If a boy is enough to frighten them, then I will not give."
"If you believe in that, my Lord, I will follow. As your Knight and Commander, I will serve with utmost loyalty."
"Eckhart..."
"But this does not mean I agree with your ideals; that boy will cause nothing but suffering for this great house."
"Zao, what are your thoughts then?"
"I hate to admit it, but a single child can stop a war from the Empire is something to consider. I have carefully looked after every child born in this house for the last hundred years; Caleb is no different. However, I feel that our situation won't change your decision, will it?"
"It will not."
"Then there is nothing more to say."
Valum sighs deeply, leaning back in his chair and looking at the two men before him. Eckhart approaches the door and prepares to leave.
"I hope you don't die with regrets, my Lord."
"My regrets are far deeper than you can imagine, Commander. I this one... I will not regret."
"Very well." Eckhart leaves.
"I shall write a secret code to Master Dunick at once."
"Zao, a moment."
"Yes?"
"I need you to relocate my wife and her children."
"Lady Regina and her children to where?"
"Stonehill. it is neutral so that they can take refuge there."
"Shall I send young Caleb as well?"
"No, once he turns fourteen, he will marry Lady Tia and live in Duldat, away from the Empire and church. Until then, he will be under my protection and safe from the war."
"Will the war last that long until then?"
"It has to."
"We don't have the men or resources."
"That's why I need you to start inciting a militia and mass recruiting infantrymen. Build up an army."
"As you wish."
Zao proceeds to exit the room and leaves the Lord in his seat. The stress of the situation takes its toll on the man. A war not prepared for, a land hard to defend from such great foes, and a lack of commanders to control his armies, Valum takes in the situation and begins to formulate a plan on how this war will turn out...