At breakfast, Lucian finally met his family. His father, Lord Aldric Arden, was a tall, stately man with graying hair, and his mother, Lady Elara, was kind and elegant, her smile warm.
"Lucian!" Lady Elara's eyes sparkled with relief as he entered the dining room. "Thank goodness you're alright, my dear."
"Yes, I'm feeling much better now," Lucian said, feeling oddly comforted by her genuine concern.
Beside him, his older sister, Amelia, gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "You had us all worried. Don't scare us like that again, alright?"
Lucian chuckled. "I'll do my best, Amelia."
As they ate, Lord Aldric spoke up. "Lucian, I heard your magic studies are going well. Your tutor says you're gifted."
Lucian raised an eyebrow, amused. "I try to do my best, Father."
Lord Aldric nodded approvingly. "Good. I've arranged for you to attend the Royal Academy next year. It's the best in the kingdom and will open many doors for you."
Lucian's eyes lit up. An academy filled with human magic-users? He couldn't resist the idea of learning what magic meant to mortals and seeing if they could teach him anything new.