The two parents were gladdened by the presence of their new child, they called their messengers and told them to declare the arrival of the newborn to the people across the barony.
In fact, the Lord was so pleased that he declared the next three days as free work days for his serfs, three days to celebrate his new child.
They wrote to their daughter in the city, telling her about her new brother. The Lord had asked to visit if she could but that was nothing but a gesture of familiarity, of belonging, for they both knew that she wouldn't, she still hated them for 'selling' her to that merchant, but what were they supposed to do? Certainly she couldn't marry the peasant she had eyes fall, that would be as big of a shame as their other son getting crippled, they did what was right as parents, they secured her future.
The Lord passed it to one of his messengers, the letter would get to her in a week if the times were favorable.
And all these occured at the night of Xeyus birth.
Before the midwife left, she had heckled the baron on the needed importance of notifying her of any strange activity the boy might show, she had been obstinate, but he took it as just her insisting that her services be procured first.
The baron didn't have money to make her visit a regular thing, it was just this one time.
He moved to the room of his wife and heard her singing to her new boy. The Lord smiled and entered.
"Adler, I didn't notice you there."
He raised his right hand and then sat by the bed. The boy didn't seem anything out of the ordinary, his eyes were opened and he suckled on his mother's tits.
"In the next two months, we will go assess his innate prima. We will know how to proceed with him after. "
"Adler dear, isn't it too soon?" There was worry in her voice.
"It's for the Garidon house's future, he is going to lift the weight his brother dropped."
Manai let out a sigh, she understood Adler's obsession with the family gaining fame and power, though he was a baron, only a barely fertile piece of land was attached to his name, and though fortunately, he had very few relatives, of which none were interested in splitting an ugly cracks-ridden land with him, and still, it was nothing satisfying to the baron, he wanted more, and this new child was going to be his ticket.
She loved that ambitious part of him, but she was afraid for her new boy, afraid that he might be pushed to the edge just as her first son was.
Manai, mother of Xeyus, wife of Adler Garidon and baroness, was a woman of ordinary features. Black eyes, and a black long hair, which contrasted her husband's choice of a bald head, she was slim, and tall. Though she had significant cultivation prowess, she barely used her prima for anything, not even on the simple task of cooking as the maids did that for them.
Adler on the other hand trained religiously. His eyes were black, his head bald and he was slim–not the lanky kind, but the well muscled kind, and he could be stern. Manai thought of his sternness as a sort of double dagger to him and his loved ones.
"Dagai mastered the Danlai at age 4, he was a prodigy, he must be as good as the very least."
'And Dagai ended up crippled.' she thought. It was the night of her son's birth and Alder was already speaking of the future, and how he would grow so he could be utilized, she hated it, so much.
She had let him had his way and It had resulted to a son that would be totally dependable on them as long as he lived. She felt bad for Dagai, but Xeyus would be her focus now.
She had wanted to leave, but married women of this world didn't simply just leave, they never did, at least in this part of the world.
*****
Dagai was laying on a mat in his room when the door came and a maidservant approached and knelt.
"What was said between them?"
The maid then proceeded to narrate what was spoken between the two parents, of their expectations for Xeyus, of Manai's hesitation, everything.
"That fool, does he want to push this one till he breaks too?" He blurted, surprised by the energy behind his voice.
He let out a sigh, 'I shouldn't care. I might as well just enjoy watching him break.' he thought and his lips curved into a wide grin.
The celebrations went on, food was made in abundance, work was postponed, it was almost a miracle to the peasants, that they prayed their Lord had a child everyday, but alas, these days would end, and they would be back to farming for their lords, it gave them purpose but no will.
The days passed, then weeks, and then two months.
It was time to go assess the cultivation talent of their boy, who has grown quite fast over those months.
Adler stood, dressed in a black robe with golden designs embroidered on it, they were heading to a nearby school to assess their son's talent, and being the baron he was, he needed to look his best.
Manai came forward, a boy with short white hair and a fruit in hand was in her arms.
Adler was certain Dagai nor Majena were this large at two months, their boy seemed like a one year old child and he could speak, though mostly gibberish.
Manai wore a white dress of similar design to her husband, while Xeyus had thick coats and mittens on. Their little boy hadn't begun learning how to manipulate prima for temperature regulation, and it was winter, there was snow everywhere.
Maids lined up towards the door awaiting their masters' leave.
Adler crouched to meet his strange son,
"Let's see who you are, boy." He said and smiled.