The infirmary of the Coliseum in Pergis became second to Aeneas's room when it came to places he woke up in more than once. And like the other times, hours have passed since he was once awake. Soon as he opened his eyes, his disappointment towards himself made his body heavier and prevented him from sitting up on his bed. It was the same scene of the setting sun shining its orange light through the window and the boy's face.
Sitting beside his bed was his mother, reading a book she bought at the local bookstore. Lyra noticed her son was awake. "How's your head?" she asked.
Without looking at his mother, Aeneas said that he felt fine.
"I didn't enjoy seeing you hurt, but, you were great out there."
The calming voice of his mother reassured the boy and washed away a portion of his doubt about himself.
Lyra reached for her son's head. Gently, she caressed his hair, "I'm proud of you, my son," she said.
Aeneas took a deep breath. He looked at his mother, holding back the tears that wanted to form in his eyes. Looking around as he sat up, he noticed that no one aside from Lyra was in the room.
"Did the others already leave?"
Lyra shook her head. She said that Nireus invited everyone to join him for dinner. They went to the best restaurant in town. Hearing his mother's answer, Aeneas tilted his head, "You didn't dine with them, mother?" he asked.
"Oh, how could I leave my baby unattended," Lyra replied. She reached for her son's cheeks and pinched it with her gentle mother's touch.
"By the way, mother. Who won the tournament?"
Lyra placed the book she was holding at the table near her. She looked at Aeneas in the eyes, "Tiri won," she said.
Aeneas was speechless for a while, then, he smiled. But, it soon disappeared as he stared down his bed.
"Mother…" he paused.
"What is it?"
The boy's lips were quivering, "Should I just follow you in being a researcher?" He said while forcing a smile.
"You know I would love that," Lyra stood up and sat at the side of Aeneas's bed, "But, would you?" she asked.
Aeneas gulped, "I lost at the first match, again. My last win was only possible because he was looking down on me."
"I didn't want to say this, but, seeing you fight was exhilarating. If there was a fine candidate for a knight, I bet it would be my baby," Lyra hugged the saddened boy, "It's true that there isn't a Zeal-less person in the order of knights. But, you'll be the first."
The kind words of his mother echoed in his ears, "You think so?" he asked.
Lyra let go of him. She kissed Aeneas on the forehead, and spoke, "Oh, I know so. But if you still want to follow me and become a researcher, I'd be happier."
Aeneas chuckled, "Maybe when I fail to become a knight, I would."
From the door far to his bed, emerged the victor of their age bracket. Tiriara was holding a wooden circular container when she saw Aeneas already sitting up.
"Aenie, you're awake!" she exclaimed. Then, the girl hurried to him, still being careful enough to make sure that whatever she's carrying wouldn't spill.
"I heard you won, Reo Preda," Aeneas replied.
Tiriara giggled. She placed the container she was carrying at the small table with Lyra's book, and with a grin on her face, she showed the medal she received for winning the tournament. It was the size of an orange with the depiction of the Proud Lion embossed in it.
Aeneas smiled at her. Even so, Tiriara felt that he was still disappointed in losing against her. So, the girl stopped showing the medal and hid it.
Konon, Eluard, and Donos followed Tiriara from the door. Eluard carries a wooden container similar to Tiriara, while Donos holds two cups of iced drinks.
"Where's brother?" Aeneas asked.
Donos explained that after eating, the lord of Arsida took a short visit to the office of the lord of Pergis and said that he would head home afterward. Theresa accompanied him, while Arsen also offered to escort them.
"Ah," Aeneas muttered.
"Did they use the carriage?" Lyra asked.
Donos shook his head, he smiled before he said, "Sir Nireus said that they only need two of the steeds while winking at me."
Lyra smiled, "I see," she muttered.
Tiriara stared at Donos, "Why did father winked at you, uncle?"
Donos laughed. His deep voice bounced around the room. As her question wasn't answered, the girl tilted her head and turned to Eluard. He was also chuckling and shrugged his shoulders when he saw the girl's baffled expression. But, Tiriara didn't give up and directed her face of confusion to Lyra and Aeneas.
"Your father wanted to let my brother and your sister, ride the same steed," Aeneas explained.
"Ah," Tiriara muttered. "What's the fuss about it, they'll get married anyway," she continued.
Her comment made the adults drown with laughter.
Tiriara went to the table with the container she brought, "You should eat, Aenie," she said.
"What is it?"
Tiriara smirked, "It's roasted dooen."
A dooen is a flightless bird resembling a mixture of a modern-day chicken and a dodo bird from the past.
Eluard also handed one to Lyra who hugged him and said, "Thank you, my son."
Although Aeneas was responding and smiling back at the talkative girl, Tiriara couldn't help but feel that he wasn't as playful as he normally was with her.
After a while, they left the infirmary and headed back to Heos. Tiriara persisted in mounting Orion with Aeneas even though the carriage was spacious and only had Lyra inside it. On their journey home, Tiriara was still talking about random stuff with Aeneas. The boy would respond but with less interest and chuckled only a few times.
***
The next day was the first of the month of Cancer (July). But, to Aeneas, it was the same day of training with his brother. Tiriara also appeared in the morning, as she always does, and joined Arsen and the knights. After hours of break by reading in his room, Aeneas would start his training again in the afternoon and before dinner. Since the backyard of the main residence would be empty at the time, he would just stay there so he didn't need to ask his uncle Donos to accompany him. He would even refuse his uncle's offer to help him train.
This went on for days, and the boy's attention towards his friend, Tiriara became less as days passed. She would always try to get his attention, asking him to play with her after their daily training. Scoot over his chair with a book to try and read beside him, asking him questions about whatever she was reading. And although Aeneas didn't ignore her, all he would do was answer and then go back to his own business.
In the afternoon of the ninth of the month of Cancer, only a few knights, Konon, and Arsen were together in the Caspius manor with Aeneas and Tiriara. Lyra went to the city of Byllenes to buy some stuff together with the other women in the manor. They were escorted by Donos and some of the knights, including the two female knights under Arsen.
Aeneas was training on his own in the backyard of the manor. While Tiriara sat there, watching the boy swing his sword for a hundredth time.
"Come on Aenie, let's go to the store, there's a new toy. It was like a crossbow that shoots water. I saw the other kids play and I thought we should also do it. I bet it would be fun."
Tiriara gestured with her hands showing how other kids play with the new toy as she tried to convince Aeneas to go with her and play.
Aeneas replied with a stern "no." He said that he'd rather train than do something childish. The girl stood up. She reasoned that he wasn't even planning on participating in the next tournament in Pergis, so he didn't have to train as hard. And that they could have some fun for a bit.
"I'm training so I could become a knight when I turn eighteen," Aeneas replied. He continued saying that he was done with tournaments and would just focus on his growth.
"That's still more than five years from now!" Tiriara exclaimed.
Still swinging his wooden sword, "It's less than five years," Aeneas said.
"Oh, come on. It's still a long time. Playing for a bit won't affect your growth. When did you become so boring?"
Something snapped in the boy's head. He stopped swinging his sword, and turned to Tiriara, "I'm boring?" he asked.
"Y—yes, you would come and play with me before. But now all you do is swing your sword. Doing that won't even help you become stronger by much."
"With your mouth that won't shut up and your attempt of always causing a disturbance, of course, it won't."
Tiriara glared at Aeneas, "I'm a disturbance? I was the same as before, why didn't you act like a baby back then?"
The boy reciprocated with a glare of his own, "I couldn't handle your annoying personality anymore. And you're the one asking me to 'play', who's the baby between us?"
The girl tightened her fists. Her glare became piercing, "Fine, I won't ask you to play with me anymore. Stupid!"
In the heat of the moment, Aeneas didn't think before he replied, "Who wants to play with you? Stop annoying me and go home! Why do you even keep coming here? Find other stupid kids to play with!"
He was chasing his breath, still glaring, when he noticed Tiriara's lips quivered. She blinked a lot of times, then tears fell from her eyes.
"I hate you!" Tiriara shouted before running out of the Caspius manor.