Days passed like the flowing river. The number of reported cases of maddened beasts has grown since the start of the month. It wasn't only happening in Pantera but the entirety of the continent. People grew more worried, and the groups of the Zeal-less which held signs about how magic is the cause of the problem had a gradual increase in their number. Even those who blame people who bear what they call a demon's mark or Zeal also increased.
Still, it was quite peaceful at the Caspius manor. Arsen and his knights only missed their training when they were asked as reinforcements or needed to slay a maddened beast near the village, while Aeneas and Tiriara never missed theirs. Whenever Arsen and the other knights would head out, Donos would remain at the manor. Ensuring that there was someone of his caliber guarding the fort.
In the afternoon of the twentieth of the month, Aeneas asked his uncle Donos to train with him at his spot in the woods south of the residence. The boy did train with Arsen and the knights in the morning, but as the day for his next tournament drew closer, he wanted to put more time into training.
Donos accepted his request. He was as proud as Adrian would've been if he was still with them. Of course, Tiriara was there to join them. She also plans to participate in the upcoming tournament in Pergis at the end of the month.
After around an hour of ceaseless battle training against Donos. Tiriara and Aeneas stopped and took a breather. They sat on the wooden chairs and drank from their canisters.
Tiriara stared at Aeneas as she sipped from her water container. The boy noticed her stare, "What?" he asked.
She shook her head as a response and said, "Nothing."
Yet, as they sat there, resting before they continued the training, Aeneas noticed that Tiriara kept on staring at him. He felt that the girl had something to say but wouldn't.
Aeneas sighed, "What? Why are you staring?"
"I—I'm not staring at your stupid face!"
The boy rolled his eyes, "You were…" he said.
Tiriara scratched her head, strong enough for her golden straight hair to be disheveled.
Aeneas snorts, "Have you gone mad?" he asked.
Tiriara took a deep breath, "You didn't hear this from me, okay?"
Confused, Aeneas asked Tiriara about what she was trying to talk about. The girl began looking into and away from his gaze.
"Oh, just tell me what it is."
After a long silence, Tiriara spoke, "I kind of heard that… You're adopted."
"Huh?"
Tiriara explained what happened on the night of Lyra's return. She told the story from her perspective. How she woke up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, and as she passed the door of Arsen's office, she heard their conversation.
Aeneas turned to Donos who was sitting at the wooden chair far from them, "Uncle, Tiri said that I was adopted... was I?"
Tiriara tried to cover the boy's mouth but he dodged her attempt.
Donos bursts out laughing. Tears even fell from his eyes, "Where did you hear that, Tiri?" he asked. As a reply, the girl told the same story to Donos. Although this time she was quite timid.
"I see," Donos nodded, "But based on your story, there wasn't any mention of Aeneas being adopted," he continued.
"What else could it be?" Tiriara asked. Aeneas was also nodding, he was curious about the secret they were trying to hide from him.
Donos shrugged, "I don't know," he looked Aeneas in the eyes, "What I'm sure of is that you weren't adopted. I was there calming your father outside of the room."
The renowned knight told them about Aeneas's birth. He has a joyous face as he remembers the past.
"Your father was supposed to be in the room when your mother was birthing you. But, he felt like he was about to pass out when he saw your mother having a hard time. So, they asked him to leave before he lost consciousness and made your tired mother worried. I was there assuring him that all will be fine."
Both Tiriara and Aeneas were chuckling at his story.
After a while, Tiriara let out a huge sigh of relief. She smiled, and said, "I guess you're not adopted, I was wrong."
"But what was that about? What are they hiding from me?"
Donos didn't say anything, while Tiriara shrugged and told him to ask his mother.
"Ah, I was wrong, don't ask them," the girl continued.
"Why?"
The girl pointed out that if Aeneas asks them they might know that she eavesdropped on them.
"Well, you did do it, didn't you?"
"I did. But not on purpose!"
***
On the morning of the twenty-fifth of the month, both Aeneas and Tiriara went to the town of Pergis to register for the upcoming tournament.
As the day for the event drew closer, Aeneas put more time into his training. Donos would sometimes use his wise words to convince the boy that he needed to rest as well. But, the overused body and pressured mind of the boy gave in on the evening of the twenty-eight. He collapsed while he was swinging his sword, and has caught a fever. People in the manor were glad that it wasn't his illness that attacked him.
Hours of rest and Lyra's medicine and care were enough to heal Aeneas and for his fever to subside. When he woke up the next day, only a faint lamp served as lighting in his room, and the sun was still asleep. He tilted his head to the left to see his mother sitting beside his bed and laying her head on it.
Aeneas felt better, he wanted to scoot over without waking up his mother and continue his training. The boy managed to sit at the side of his bed, he stood up and went to get his wooden sword.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Ah, mother. You were awake?"
Lyra's face was serious, "Get back on the bed and rest," she said.
Aeneas smiled, "I'm fine now thanks to you, Mother. I need to train. The tournament is only a day ahead."
"No, you need to get back on the bed and rest."
"But."
Lyra stood up. Her expression didn't change, "How many times do I have to repeat myself?"
"Mother… please?" The boy's eyes were pleading, and although Lyra was weak and spoiling when it came to Aeneas, she didn't falter.
"If you go out there and train at this hour, I won't allow you to participate in that tournament."
The boy realized that there was no way he could talk out his mother. He returned the wooden sword and went back to bed. Lyra scooted at the same bed and hugged him.
"Aren't I too old for this, mother?"
Lyra smiled, kissed the boy on the forehead, and said, "You'll always be a baby to me," she paused, "And to make sure you won't sneak up on me again."
His mother's presence calmed him, and it didn't take long for him to fall asleep again. When he woke up hours later, his mother was gone and Issa was beside him, telling him that breakfast was already prepared.
At breakfast, Arsen asked Aeneas to take a day off their training. The boy argued that he couldn't, since the tournament was in the morrow and he already wasted hours of training.
"I'm the one who asked your brother," Lyra said.
Aeneas looked at her, he pleaded his case but his mother didn't allow him. Annoyed, the boy stood up without finishing his meal and dashed off to his room. Lyra didn't like Aeneas's reaction, but she understood him. She waited a few hours before following him.
Outside the door, Lyra could hear Aeneas swinging his wooden sword. She knocked on his door and heard how his child stumbled as he placed the sword down, took a book and sat in his chair near the huge window.
Lyra let herself in. Aeneas didn't look at her and pretended to be lost in the book he was reading. It's the one Lyra gave him, the copy of a mysterious book found in an ancient ruin.
"How's the book?"
Aeneas took a glance at his mother, "It's interesting," he said.
Lyra took a deep breath, "You know that you do not have to be a knight like your brother, right?"
The boy's shoulder twitched. His grip on the book tightens. He turned to his mother, eyes coated with a glass of tears, and biting his lips, Aeneas spoke, "I—I can become one… Even if no one believes in me, even if I'm a boman, I will be a knight."
Lyra's heart gave in, she reached for the boy and gave him a tight hug.
"You are my son. I believe in you. But no matter how great my faith in you, it wouldn't change what other people think. More than anyone, I believe that someday you'll be someone great. It doesn't matter if you're to become a knight, a merchant, or anything you want. You will always be as perfect as the day I first saw you."
Aeneas wept like a newborn as he clung tight to his mother. His cries also made Lyra tear up.
"Oh, Aenie. I want to see you succeed with what you want. If it was up to me, you'd be knighted here and now. But it isn't. Not a single Zeal-less person made it into the order of knights. As your mother, it is my job to protect you from any harm. I do not want to see you broken when they do not see the greatness I see in you."
Still chasing his breath after crying, "But, it is my dream to become a knight," Aeneas said.
Lyra took a deep breath, "I know. I'll support you as much as I can but promise me that you'll look after yourself first. I don't want to see you passing out in the middle of the day because of overusing your body. You already have an illness I'm so worried about, please do not do it again for my sake. Or you'll leave me no choice but to go against your dream."
Aeneas nodded, "I understand, mother," he said.
Lyra smiled, "Why don't you follow me and become a researcher?" she joked.
Her comment made Aeneas chuckle and replied that he'd think about it if he didn't pass the knighting tests.
Lyra stood up. She wiped her tears and smiled at Aeneas, "What are you doing? Aren't you going to join your brother's training?" she said.
Aeneas's face lit up, he hugged his mother and thanked her.
"Rest after the training, okay?"
The boy nodded and dashed towards the door. When he opened it, he saw Tiriara standing in front of his room, bursting into tears with her snot dripping from her nose.