Aldric sat alone in his room, a single candle flickering beside him. The dim light cast long shadows across the walls, making the space feel colder, emptier. A map of Eldoria and the nearby kingdoms lay open on his desk, its surface covered in marks and notes—each one a reminder of his failure.
For two years, he had searched. For two years, he had found nothing.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. His search had consumed him, drawing him away from his son, from his kingdom, from everything that once made him the man he used to be.
"Elara… I failed you."
His fingers brushed the edge of a locket on his desk. He hadn't opened it in years, not since the night she died. He didn't need to—her face was burned into his memory, just as Shaun's cries that night still echoed in his mind.
Aldric closed his eyes, and the memories came flooding back.
The sound of laughter echoed through the courtyard as Elara chased a young Shaun, her golden hair shimmering in the sunlight. Shaun squealed with delight, his tiny legs carrying him as fast as they could. Aldric watched from the steps, a smile tugging at his lips.
"You're going to spoil him," he said, his voice teasing.
Elara turned to him, her eyes sparkling. "And what if I do? He's our little prince. He deserves to be spoiled."
Aldric chuckled, his heart swelling with love. "You're impossible, you know that?"
Elara grinned, scooping Shaun into her arms. "And you love me for it."
Aldric's chest tightened, the memory cutting deeper than any blade. "You were right," he thought, his voice breaking in the silence. "I did love you for it. I still do."
The memories shifted, darker now.
The sound of screams filled the air as the manor was thrown into chaos. Aldric rushed through the halls, his heart pounding. He had been away, attending to council matters, when the attack began. By the time he returned, it was too late.
The manor was in chaos. He found a trail of bodies leading from the gate all the way to the courtyard. The air was heavy with the sharp scent of blood.
Aldric's sword was in his hand before he even realized he had drawn it. He moved through the chaos quickly, his mind focused on one thing: finding Elara and Shaun.
"Please," he thought, a desperate prayer in his mind. "Please let them be safe."
He rushed into the courtyard, his eyes searching for them. Then he saw it—a glimpse of golden hair, a familiar figure lying on the ground.
Blood pooled beneath her, staining the ground crimson. Shaun knelt beside her, his small hands trembling as he tried to wake her.
"Mother… please…" Shaun's voice was barely a whisper, his tears falling onto Elara's lifeless face.
Aldric fell to his knees, pulling Shaun into his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."
Aldric opened his eyes, the memories fading but the pain remaining. He stared at the locket, his fingers trembling as he picked it up. Inside was a small portrait of Elara, her smile as radiant as ever.
"I should have been there," he thought, his voice hollow. "I should have protected you. Protected him."
He set the locket down, his gaze shifting to the map on his desk. The marks and notes reminding him of his failure—a failure that had cost him everything.
"Shaun looks at me like a stranger," he thought, his chest tightening. "Like a man who abandoned him. Maybe he's right."
The next day, in Eldoria's capital, the council chamber was tense. Maps and reports covered the table, showing all the places they had searched for the intruder. Despite their efforts, they had found nothing.
Aldric sat at the head of the table, his presence commanding but his eyes empty. "Still nothing?" His voice was cold, frustration creeping in.
The council members shifted uncomfortably. "We've searched everywhere, my lord," one of them said. "There is no way the intruder is still in Eldoria, or he must be hiding somewhere we cannot reach."
Aldric slammed his fist on the table, the sound echoing through the chamber. "Then find a way to reach it! I won't stop until he is found!"
The council members exchanged nervous glances but didn't argue. Aldric's grief had changed him—he was no longer the man they once knew.
As the meeting dragged on, Aldric's mind wandered. He thought of Shaun, of the boy he had once been and the man he was becoming. He thought of the distance between them, of the words left unspoken.
"He trains every day," Geralt had told him. "He's pushing himself too hard. He thinks you blame him."
Aldric's chest tightened. "How could he think that? How could he not see that I blame myself?"
But deep down, he knew the truth. He had been so consumed by his grief, so focused on his search, that he had failed to be there for Shaun. He had failed to be the father his son needed.
The meeting ended, and the council members filed out, leaving Aldric alone in the chamber. He sat there for a long time, staring at the maps and reports, his mind racing.
"I can't keep going like this," he thought, his voice barely a whisper. "I can't keep failing him."
He stood, his resolve hardening. He would find the intruder. He would make things right. But first, he needed to be there for Shaun. He needed to be the father his son deserved.
Outside in the hallway, a group of council members stood together, speaking in low but tense voices.
"Who does he think he is?" one of them muttered, his voice full of disdain. "Ordering us around like we're his servants. He should be beneath us, not the other way around."
Another member nodded, his expression grim. "He's lost his way. His grief is making him reckless. Sooner or later, it will catch up to him."
A third member, a woman with sharp features and cold eyes, said, "Maybe it's time we reminded him of his place. The council rules Eldoria, not him."