"One day, a man of noble blood and heart will be corrupted by darkness and restore to me my ancient power and glory."
Qui Mortem – Demonic General.
The first rays of dawn filtered through the window of the tallest tower in the castle. Leonor, son and heir of the Dragonoid clan, was sound asleep. Unfortunately, some maids arrived to wake him up, as his father needed to speak with him urgently. The young boy, still groggy, grumbled against the maids. Nonetheless, he got out of bed.
- Why must I rise at dawn? I am a noble! I am supposed to do as I please - complained the child as the maids removed his pajamas and led him to his dressing room to clean and dress him.
- Sir, as a noble, you have many responsibilities. One day, you will be the Lord and must lead the people of the city. Being a spoiled child should not be the way you are known - said a man who had entered after the maids and directed them on what to do. He was an older man, with a trimmed beard and gray hair. His name was Federic, and he was in charge of overseeing all the castle servants - besides, your birthday gift will be delivered today.
- Really? - said the boy as his eyes lit up with excitement - it's about time; my birthday was two weeks ago.
- Your father wanted to ensure that your birthday gift would be majestic. After all, ten years is an important age - said Federic; the boy quickened his pace and dressed. He was so excited about his gift that he forgot his annoyance. Once he finished dressing, he descended quickly from his room to the throne room where his father awaited.
His father, Lord Fender, smiled upon seeing him enter through the main door. In front of him were Sir Draco and a boy he did not know. The young noble ran to his father's side, passing by the Guard.
- Well, well, you finally arrived, lad. I've had Draco waiting for you for an hour - Lord Fender reproached him with a very cheerful tone as he tousled his son's wet hair.
- It's no problem for me, Lord - said Draco, trying to disguise his annoyance, although his tone betrayed him.
- Well, I trust Federic has told you about your surprise.
- Yes, after so much waiting, it must be a gift worthy of a king - said Leonor, jumping with excitement.
- Indeed, I took my time because I was looking for the perfect gift - The Lord rose from his throne and stood in front of Leonor, gesturing to a servant who quickly moved to bring the gift - you have just turned ten, and as you know, it is tradition for noble children to be evaluated at that age to decide their future roles and political functions through various tests. Depending on that, it will be determined if you could...
- What does that matter? You told me that I don't participate in those tests because I am your only heir - Leonor said impatiently.
- I told him, sir, he is not patient enough for an inspiring speech - Frederic chuckled moderately. At that moment, the servant returned to the throne room with a ceremonial pillow, and what was on it was covered by a blanket.
- I didn't say it for you... the point is, you are a lucky boy. You were born into a noble clan, one of the few who are fortunate enough to live a comfortable life without many worries... at least until I retire from my position - he walked towards the servant and took the pillow from her hands, which bowed and withdrew to give Lord Fender space - but still, you have many responsibilities, and when I am too old to rule this city, those responsibilities will be even greater. This gift represents that... the enormous burden you will have to bear - he removed the blanket, revealing a golden crown with multiple gems embedded all over its surface, shining in an almost hypnotic manner. With reliefs on the front forming the Dragonoid clan's shield, the noble clan to which they belonged: a dragon with a ruby in its eye.
- It's incredible! Is it really for me?... Thank you!! - Leonor smiled from ear to ear, fascinated by the ostentatious gift.
- Go ahead, try it on - Leonor took the crown and put it on, although it tilted and covered one of his eyes - it will fit better in a few years, but isn't it great?
- Yes, it's the best gift of all! - he exclaimed, jumping and twirling to show off his crown.
- And it's not over yet; I have another surprise for you.
- Really? - Leonor's eyes sparkled with excitement.
- Yes - said Fender as he approached Draco and the boy - do you remember what sir Draco's role is in the castle?
- He is the Grand Guard, in charge of protecting you and our family explicitly - said Leonor, curious.
- It seems you pay attention in Miss Muffin's classes. Yes, sir Draco is in charge of our protection. He leads the noble troops to keep us safe. And you'll know that these troops are trained from childhood. Precisely, the Grand Guard is a special soldier who is the Lord's main protector. These are children chosen to accompany the future lord from childhood; so... - Fender looked directly at the boy accompanying sir Draco. He took a step forward and executed a clumsy bow.
- My name is Lodtrack, I have no last name, and I have been recruited to be a noble guard, specifically a Grand Guard in charge of your protection, Sir Leonor - Lodtrack was a rather thin boy of the same age as Leonor, with nothing particular about him; he looked like an ordinary peasant, except for his eyes: bright red eyes, like blood, and his peculiar name.
- So, you'll be my personal guard? Can you fight? - Leonor said, getting quite close to Lodtrack, which made the boy uncomfortable.
- Yes, I can fight - he replied, stepping back a bit.
- Well, he still needs a lot of training in combat... - sir Draco paused for a moment, seeming to choose his words carefully - although we could say he's a prodigy - Fender looked at him surprised. Sir Draco was not one to give compliments to anyone; it was very unusual for someone to impress him, and even more so to call him a prodigy.
- That's... quite interesting - said Federic - anyway, we know he's in good hands, and I hope you two get along well; after all, you'll be seeing each other every day from now on.
- Alright - said Leonor. Lodtrack just nodded and took a step back.
From that day on, Leonor's classes became more intense, aiming to make him learn as much as possible and avoid any distractions. At first, the young noble disliked it and avoided the effort, but one day he saw Lodtrack and the other aspiring noble guards training, noticing how hard they worked and how extreme their training was. In the end, he got used to his routine.
Sometimes he ran into Lodtrack around the castle or in the dining hall, although they didn't exchange words and ended up in awkward moments, they seemed to have nothing in common.
One night, Sir Draco and Federic were playing cards with a maid and an apprentice noble knight of the same age as Lodtrack, who was under Sir Draco's care. They drank cold, freshly served beers.
- You're still as reckless as you were 15 years ago - said Federic, looking at the cards the maid had laid out on the table - you just lost 10 gold to my girl - the butler laughed heartily.
- And you didn't tell me you had such a skilled girl playing cards- protested sir Draco, quite upset.
- What a disaster, I think I won't play for a while - lamented the apprentice of sir Draco, who had lost 14 coins against the royal flush of the maid.
- What can I say, I had a hidden beauty up my sleeve - said Federic, while caressing the maid's leg - what's your girl's name? - Federic asked as he looked at Draco's apprentice.
- Jill - Draco replied, uncomfortable with the situation - well, girls, you should go. I need to talk to Federic alone.
- True, it's a shame, but there are matters we'd like to discuss alone - the girls gathered the cards and left the room.
- See you, Sir Federic and Sir Draco - said Jill and left. The maid just bowed and left without saying a word. Federic made sure there was no one else and closed the door.
- My dear friend, we can finally talk without interruptions - said Federic, excited.
- Yes, it's been a long time since we talked - Draco replied - we've been very busy preparing the boys... Although I see you're still an old flirt - Federic laughed.
- Maybe - Federic took a bottle of wine and poured two glasses - how's it been going with your boy? I heard he's been giving you trouble lately.
- Yes, although I have to say that he has excelled in battle training - Draco took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp - this time he managed to land a blow on me, but he still needs a lot of training if he'll ever be the Grand Guard, especially with that confidence of his... How has it been going with the Lord?
- Well, his manners have improved a lot, and Miss Muffin told me that a few weeks ago, he showed a sudden interest in his classes. His historical and political knowledge has also improved; he lacks more knowledge of the commoners' lives, but nothing that can't be fixed in a couple of years... He will definitely be a Lord worthy of inheriting his father's position - Federic took a sip and looked at Draco with a troubled expression; Draco raised an eyebrow - are you sure about what you want to do with Lodtrack?
- I have no doubts; he will become my ambition, and I will do everything possible to make it happen - Draco replied. Federic sighed and looked out the window, noticing how a strong blizzard was hitting the castle.
- Winter is coming; we should worry about the food.
- Yes, but according to the prophets, the coming years will be virtuous for the city - Draco heard how some drunken soldiers passed by laughing outside the room. Once they passed by, they continued talking.
- There's a question that circulates among the servants, and honestly, I'm curious to know if it could be true - Federic said with a curious glint in his eyes.
- Well, go ahead, I hope it's interesting - said Draco.
- Many people wonder if the young apprentice is more skilled than the legendary Draco Marcos when he was also a young apprentice. And?... Is it true? - Draco thought for a moment about the question; he wasn't sure what to answer.
- Perhaps.