Percival Gulliver had seen the Duke of Abaddon arrival, it was so bizarre to see such a petite figure to be avoided like a plague.
Just like himself, the young Duke would see if he could become a Dreamer.
Percival was doing this out of curiosity, he had no hope of being awakened since there wasn't a single person in his family that was a Dreamer.
So he was more interested in the situation in front of him.
Abaddon was the last name to be called, and Percival could see the disdain in the face of the noble children on the noble side of the room.
It made him frown.
The sequence of names is called based on the prestige of each family, but putting Abaddon in the last is publicly declaring that the House of Dragonflies is the last prestigious and most insignificant among all.
He knew Duke Abaddon was not only responsible for most of the military power of the whole country, but also for the food and drink that circulate not only in this country, but in the whole Empire.
Not only that, he was the only one with a noble title in this whole room full of noble children and commun folk.
So how could they make such a public humiliation?
They weren't only humiliating Duke Abaddon, but the whole duchy!
He saw as an elderly woman (really well preserved if you asked) pushed the wheelchair to the altar, each step that she made brought an icy chill on everyone in the room as the young Duke, occulted by the hood and turtleneck of his jacket, was brought to the front.
Percival saw her face and Gracious Morpheus, if looks could kill.
He saw how the two of them interacted and how she grabbed his wrist and made his hand touch the Artifact.
He remembered the rumors about the young Duke, how he was a cripled that couldn't move anything below his neck, and it seemed that the rumors were true.
He watched with curiosity, after all, who didn't want to know if the infamous Monster Duke, The Cursed Child, the child who devoured his own mother after birth, would be a Dreamer?
He heard so many speculations that he might as well become a Nightmare Beast on the spot that Percival became a little unsious.
He was already ready to flee when the Duke touched the Artifact, but stopped with what he saw.
The artifact shone in a golden light and a Golden mark appeared above the Duke's head.
A dragonfly.
The crest of the Abaddon family shone brightly.
"How beautiful"
He could only say that as the crest dissolved slowly in a rain of golden dust.
It was beautiful, but also meaningful.
These events only happen when Morpheus blessed someone, but even the way they are blessed differ from one another.
Lesser blessings would come in a bronze color, a small crest would appear, the family's symbol, if it was noble, and a crest to be the family crest.
An Intermediate blessing would be in silver color, a medium size crest would appear.
And a Great blessing would be in gold color accompanied by a giant crest.
If a common folk received a blessing, they would automatically receive a noble title of a baron or baroness.
But the only person to be blessed in this magnitude in the last years was Duchess Abaddon.
Not even the royal family received a Great blessing in decades, only intermediate and Lesser blessings, and, sometimes, not even that.
The king himself didn't have a blessing, nor did most of his children.
Only the third prince, who got an intermediate blessing today, has such an honor.
It spoke volumes about the family itself.
But it is not like anyone would say a thing out loud.
And now here we are.
Watching the Cursed Child receive a Great blessing when the prince himself only received an Intermediate one.
That was a sight.
A sight that made him smile, a vixen smirk reached his fox-like eyes that opened a little, revealing purple irises.
Things might not be as boring as he thought.
***
Dove still couldn't believe his eyes, much less the situation.
He could see and feel the dragonfly in his hand.
It was warm and comforting, but also brought a sense of solitude too, he could only feel the warmth it brought, not the hand.
He thought for a second that he might be able to feel again, but he was met with disappointment.
It was a bit sad.
But the feeling was washed away.
He was used to disappointment.
That is what a fruitless visit to every doctor, physician or Healer in the nation does to you.
He just watched with fascination the mark in his hand as Frida pushed him somewhere.
Well, the ceremony was just the start.
After the awakening, the Dreamer will be directed to the Academy, where they'll learn how to properly use their new abilities and adapt to their new body, because yes, the body changes a lot.
The body inside and outside the dreams are diferente, but also the same.
Some types of changes inside the dream will be brought to the real world, like new ears, additional limbs or even change in size.
That's why demi-humans existed.
Well, more or less.
Technically 80% of the population was human, at least 30 to 40% were humans who had changed into demi-humans, but the last 20% are Locals.
Among the Natural Dream Rifts, there were some of these Rifts that are directly linked to the Dream tower, creating a way for the people living in the Tower of Dreams, also known as Locals, to come to the real world, but only them can use these Rifts.
Frida is actually a Local, an old animal spirit, to be exact.
She has been taking care of Abaddon for generations, and she's also the reason the family's symbol is a dragonfly, but it been so long that people forgot about it
She has been living in the real world for so long that her appearance has been stuck in the one of an old lady, her power has also weakened, but she refuses to leave the family's side, so nowadays she is just the head maid of the house Abaddon.
But he was grateful for that, Dove didn't know what he would do without her, she's the person he trusts the most.
"Master"
Her voice came from in front of him, he could heard the worry and sadness on it.
"From now own I can't acompain you" She said "The laws of the Academy do not let me in, but some acquaintances of mine live in there, they'll help you"
He couldn't help but smile.
Servents, family spirits and affiliated to your own house will be blocked on the way to the Academy.
He found a way to let Frida enter during the ceremony, but he couldn't throw the family's name at the academy to do the same.
"Don't worry" He said "I'll be fine!"
He doubted it, but how could he worry Frida?
Before she could say anything, he heard steps coming in their direction.
"Excuse me?" A young masculine voice said.
By instinct, he turned his head to the source.
"Yes?"
"Would you like me to take you in?"
There was a pause, and he could feel Frida's skepticism.
"And who might you be?"
"Leonel Frostine Solas" Said the boy "I just got a middle name"
That got Dove's attention.
To receive a middle name means that you are a commun folk that received a blessing or a noble who got a crest different from their family's.
But the thing is…
He bowed his head at the boy.
"Your highness the third prince"
Solas was the Royal family's surname.
And it is the third prince's mother, the empress, who defines what families are more prestigious than others.
Well, now that's awkward.
***
That 's awkward.
Leo did not expect to receive a respectful greeting from Abaddon.
He was aware of his mother's action of putting the house of dragonflies as the last was a petty act of revenge from her, since she was extremely jealous of the former duchess Abaddon for some reason.
He expected snarky comments from the duke, a cold shoulder, even an insult.
But he just treated Leo like any person would.
It was just his servant, an old Local if he remembers it right, that glared at him.
And Greate Morpheus, if looks could kill.
"Does the royal family intend to humiliate my master any longer?" She said "I'd rather try entering the Academy myself then let your dirty hands on him"
Ok, harsh, but deserved.
He was about to say something when Abaddon himself chimed in.
"Frida"
He had a stern voice, as if scolding the woman, who just let out a not so polite grunt and turned her face away and the duke turned to him.
"I'm sorry for her" The duke said "But what would be your intencion in helping me, your highness?"
Honestly? He wanted to be friends.
He sympathized with the duke for being an outcast, he himself was.
Leo was the third prince and son of the current empress, he wasn't the heir to the throne for lack of the emperor's favorability and he probably would be given the Duke status once he was old enough. His mother was also formerly a concubine who ascended to the throne in less than respectable ways, so his half siblings didn't have a good impression of him and, because of this, he didn't have the chance to have friends before.
So he might as well try his chance with Abaddon, the house his mother hates the most, but is dearly loved by his father.
But he couldn't just say that, they were already suspicious of him by just approaching.
So, under the servant's glare and the duke's expectation, he managed to create an excuse.
"I want to apologize for my mother's actions" He said "It was selfish and unnecessary"
The woman huffed, not seeming to believe him, but she nodded when he said it was selfish and unnecessary.
The duke's response was more surprising though.
"I don't actually mind being the last" He said "Not even the people in my duchy thinks I'm that prestigious"
Leo immediately froze, his blood started to boil.
"Excuse me!?"