Seth finally sighed in relief after his wife and twins cried themselves to sleep. He never consoled anyone in his life and when she broke into tears it scared him to death. He didn't feel like this even when navigating a high-class dungeon alone. It took him back to his childhood when he felt helpless and scared about almost everything. He shouldn't have asked her about her family. It was his mistake so it startled him even more when looking at her tears.
Was she anxious? He gently brushed the strands out of her sleeping face and behind her ear. Her nose was red from the crying and cold. Just when she was getting better, she had to cry until she was tired enough to fall asleep. He sighed and picked up the two boys from the bed. They might catch her cold if they fall asleep here.
The weight of his twins in his arms reminded Seth of the first time he laid his eyes upon them and held their fragile but warm bodies. It was certainly not planned and he was sure he consumed various herbs that would keep him from conceiving a child on his first and only night with Grace Finely. It was a necessary act since it was the King of Verdant who arranged this for him and seven years ago was when he barely had power. He was a young ruler who was struggling to strengthen his people and his land's power amidst many scheming old men.
When he heard the news of pregnancy, he didn't know what to do. He was at the verge of asking Grace Finely to get rid of the child but in the end he couldn't get himself to do that. He never had the intention to continue this cursed bloodline. He was struggling to keep himself in check. He was having a hard time with himself, what was he supposed to tell his child? But he stayed a coward in the end, he couldn't get himself to end the little life.
Grace Finely made a ridiculous deal in return for giving birth to his child, he wouldn't have a say in whatever she does. He didn't care what she did anyway, all he wanted was for her to stay alive. Then the twins came into this world. Grace Finely didn't even look at their faces which made him wonder if she felt even a tiny bit of affection for these fragile little lives she gave birth to. Even with his cursed blood and after closing off himself to any sort of attachment, Seth felt his heart skip a beat when he held the baby twins. Watching Grace Finely scowl everytime she looked at them over the years made him feel like he was more human than her. That he was still a human who was capable of caring for others. He held on to this one assurance for years. Everytime he came out of a battlefield, he would assure himself with this. The twins were such a presence for him, the last string that held Seth from losing himself. But he made a mistake. When he thought that he gave his children everything they ever wanted and let them do whatever they wanted, he couldn't give the most important thing, protection. A safe place. A safe place that Seth desperately wished for as a child.
"It was a good thing you have each other." He smiled at the two sleeping boys in his arms. At least they didn't have to face this alone. Then there was the woman who suddenly appeared one day and that too in the most absurd way one could think of. She was a storm, a storm that swept the kids' fears away and a storm that might have managed to make a crack on the walls that Seth built over the course of his life. At times she was like an innocent young lady who was full of life and shined brightly then sometimes she was like someone strong enough to face anything and everything with willpower alone.
Everytime he spoke to her he felt like speaking to an old friend. He never had a friend, if he does then his aide would be the closest thing that comes to it. Her company puts him at ease and every conversation felt like it was about the most mundane things. Casual fights and an immediate thought of how this doesn't matter much. But over the course of these few months, Seth realised that was more dangerous than talking to his enemy while standing at the edge. She began to chip at his walls little by little. The things he thought that were of little consequence, at some point became the most important in his life. They became the treasures he would desperately try to protect.
Because he knew that the person who made him feel this way meant no harm and doesn't want to do anything with him as long as she could go home, rendered him even more defenceless.
Even though he should stop this he couldn't help himself. There was already a crack in the walls around him, now he took what meagre thing that could pass through that small opening like a starved beggar finally getting his hands on the crumbs that fell on the ground. This was fine, right. He deserves at least that much. He has confidence that he wouldn't get greedy.
"She was like the wish that I wished for my whole life." He spoke softly while putting the kids in bed and tucking them in.
"She said you are strong because you take after me. I wonder if she would say the same thing if she heard my pathetic thoughts." He said kissing the two little heads.
Seth walked out of the room taking his time to look around the kids' room that she prepared in such a short time but actually had careful thoughts put into them.
If he were to make flippant comments about how he wanted to stay with them as well, She would laugh out loud and tell him to stop acting spoiled before kicking him out.
Seth laughed mirthlessly at his thoughts and left to meet his waiting aide and the pile of work that he put off for an entire day.
"How are the preparations for the festival?" Seth asked as he looked at the budget and security details. It was a small Valorian festival that was celebrated at the end of the summer. He wasn't sure why it was celebrated but over the years it became just a local festival for everyone to celebrate sharing the end of summer. A seasonal festival to celebrate the last longest days. Though he only checked the event details and never put much interest in how it went, this time he wanted to make it an even better one. He wanted his twins and wife to have fun at the festival. This was the most enthusiastic he has been about something other than territory conquests and it made him feel content.
"And this is?" Seth asked, looking at a stack of papers.
"The number of new dungeons that's been discovered, Your Highness." Jasper informed him.
"All are middle to low class, Thankfully." Seth commented as he leafed through the papers.
"Thankfully. However, Your Highness, It isn't exactly good news." Jasper reminded Seth.
"I realise that but It is not like we can make the dungeon we want to appear at will." Seth sighed a little exasperated. He needed another high class dungeon to appear near one of the free territories for him to occupy it under the pretext of clearing the dungeon. That's the easiest way to conquer an occupied land without any fights. That's how Seth had been faring all this time.
"I will clear as many as I can before the festival. The ones near Eonon, I will take care of them. Use the rest for the knights' training." Seth informed casually. For a disaster class like him, Mid-class dungeons were as easy as killing a rabbit. It wouldn't take much time but it was still a little work. It will keep him busy for a while.
A few days later after bidding farewell to his wife and kids, Seth led his cadre and entered a low class dungeon.
There were a lot of flowers and it was no different from a beautiful garden that has grown out of order. But there was a serene feeling to that disorderliness.
The boss of this dungeon should be the pixie type from the environment. They are usually small creatures and not very quick but a very difficult target. Seth found these types a little annoying.
"Take care of the hogs." He ordered his team as he went deeper to catch the air borne monsters. He lifted his hand covered in an aura that transformed into fire and right before he burned everything around him, he stopped. An idea popped into his head but before he could dwell on it, he felt two familiar presences that shouldn't be in the dungeon.
"Cleo!" He heard Noah shout and a small basic shield was formed around the two boys but that wasn't powerful enough to stop the pixies from getting through but another sturdy shield formed around it as Seth made his way towards them.
Noah never felt this terrified as he saw his father. Noah being magically gifted, he could tell by the aura his father was covered in. He shielded Cleo behind him and the two boys shrank into the flower bushes as if trying to hide from an approaching beast.
"Both of you!" Seth caught the two by the back of their collars.
"Do you know how dangerous it is?! Do you?" He shouted. Noah whimpered and Cleo's tears were already flowing out.
"You could have been hurt gravely. You could have died!"
"I told you that I would take you both to the dungeon and I also specifically said that you are not ready. Did I not?" He asked them but only met with crying in response.
"Your Highness…" One of the knights from his team called, trying to calm Seth a little. So Seth stood there in silence staring down at his sons as they stood guilty in front of him. At least they knew they were wrong and how dangerous it was for them to pull this stunt.
"I didn't notice nor did the rest of my Cadre, I give you both that." Seth sighed.
"But, I will tell your mother." As soon as he said that, the twins were horrified, "NO!"
Why was it they are more scared of their mother finding out than Seth catching them red-handed? Seth wondered. It was a weird feeling that someone would fear his wife more than him. As far as he knew, He was the most respected and feared person in all of Valoria and before he knew it someone beat him to it.