“It is your fault really, Father.”
The Fire Dragon stared at his father and,
“You shower us with too much love, so every time you get hurt, we blame ourselves and it crushes us when that blame is much stronger. So much that…”
Igni glanced at his sister and,
“We tremble in fear and guilt, even while we are asleep.”
“…”
Kael turned silent.
He didn’t know what to say, or what to do.
His little Cirri’s body was still trembling, she still looked like she was in pain, what was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to help her?
And as if knowing what Kael was thinking,
“Do what you are best at, Father.”
Igni answered.
“Stay with her, continue to pat her, continue to shower her with your love, just like you did with me and she will be fine.
If anything, it will only motivate her even further and she will be determined to get stronger.”
“I don’t want her to get stronger.”
Kael countered as he stared at his daughter.
“I want her to be cheerful instead. I want her to stay like she is. I want her to keep being my little princess.”
Igni chuckled at those words.
“She is a Dragon, Father.”
He repeated his words.
“She will be your little Princess, yes, but she will be an extremely strong princess.”
Kael chuckled as well.
“I just… don’t want her to feel the same pain you and I did…”
“We should wait for her to grow a little then.”
Igni muttered, staring at her sister.
“Mhm.”
Kael nodded.
“And she cannot help me with the new mission. It feels… difficult.”
“Hm?”
Igni tilted her head.
“I have to fly.”
Kael explained.
He needed to reach the Throne to complete the Mission, since he couldn’t just jump his way up, Kael knew that he needed to fly. Cirri was a Sky Dragon, but her body was too small for him to fly with her, only Igni can do that.
“Oh?”
The Primordial Fire Dragon glanced at his father and Kael grinned.
“And this time, it seems like I will be flying on your back instead. It is a good thing that you are now big enough.”
“I’ll show you why Birds aren’t called Dragons.”
Igni declared proudly as he thought about that little beast who tried to take his father away from him.
Kael laughed at that as he rubbed his forehead with his.
“Oh Igni…”
He whispered softly.
Then, he kissed Igni’s snout and,
“You really are the best thing that happened to me…”
He muttered as he closed his eyes.
“Me too, Father.”
Igni nodded in a light voice.
“I am glad Father is my Father…”
The not-so-little Dragon closed his eyes as well, his heart feeling at ease since he was close to his father.
…
Time passed, Kael took Igni and Cirri inside the Sanctuary of the Ancients and slept with his four children. About 2 hours later, Igni sensed someone walking towards their room and Kael walked out of the Sanctuary.
Knock Knock
A knock was heard.
Kael opened the door and greeted the woman standing in front of him.
“Lady Veylara.”
Yes, it was Veylara and unlike the casual clothes she wore yesterday, right now, she was wearing a deep blue battle robe with silver embroidery shaped like lightning bolts. A dark steel chest plate covered her torso. She wore black leather gloves and knee-high boots, with a storm-forged pauldron on her right shoulder, crackling with faint energy.
“Come with me.”
The woman instructed, not wasting any time.
“What happened?”
Kael frowned, somewhat confused.
“The King has summoned you. The Meeting will be held in 15 minutes.”
“15 minutes?”
Kael raised his eyebrow.
That was… quick.
This was a grand meeting between the King and high-ranking nobles to decide Drakthar’s stance on Xenthalor’s… new discovery.
To summon everyone in 15 minutes…
Didn’t it look a little too informal?
“I thought meetings like this were scheduled after proper considerations.”
Kael commented.
“Since it is an urgent matter, the message was delivered yesterday night.”
Veylara nodded at his words.
“And you are telling me right now…?”
“Is there a problem?”
Veylara raised her eyebrow.
“No, there is not. I just… haven’t taken a bath yet.”
“You have 10 minutes, should be more than enough for a man.”
“Aren’t we supposed to get there in…”
Kael wanted to question, but he soon turned silent on his own. Since Veylara had given him 10 minutes, she must have something in her mind.
He didn’t have to think it through and waste time.
“Good.”
Veylara nodded at that reaction, satisfied.
Kael took a quick bath and soon, he and Veylara sat on top of Inkar and flew towards the Royal Palace.
In 5 minutes, the two were standing in front of the meeting hall.
‘That was… convenient.’
Kael commented in his head, everything happened so quickly that he didn’t even know how to react.
“Focus.”
Suddenly, Veylara called out.
Kael turned towards her and the woman continued,
“You are going to see a few of the most influential people in Drakthar. You must have seen a few of them before, but this will be the first time you will interact with them.
Analyse them.”
“What should I analyse?”
Kael questioned with a curious look on his face. At his question, however, Veylara just chuckled.
“Everything.”
“…”
Kael didn’t know what to say.
“I am not telling you to form any conclusions,
Just observe.
This might be the most boring thing you ever attended or… it will be the most entertaining one.”
The woman grinned as suddenly, she wore a midnight-blue cape and walked forward. Kael observed how the cape she was wearing had the Stormhold Family Symbol—a raging storm surrounding an unshakable fortress—embroidered at the back.
Kael finally realized why she was wearing a different set of clothes today.
Today, she wasn’t Veylara, she came here as the Head of the Stormhold Family.
As Kael thought about all this, the woman walked into the Meeting Hall. He took a deep breath and followed in and just as Veylara told him, the moment he walked in, all eyes fell on him.
“…”
He observed everything in silence, not reacting to their gaze, especially the Crown Prince’s. Of course, being stared at by a few of the most powerful beings of the Kingdom was nerve-racking. Fortunately, Kael had Veylara.
“You old things, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
The woman greeted everyone with a big wide grin on her face.
“Why are you here? Didn’t you retire because you were too old for this? You aren’t getting any younger, you know? In fact, I can already see a few more wrinkles on that forehead.”
A man called her out.
Something that surprised Kael. He turned to see who here didn’t value his life and his eyes fell on a tall and imposing man. He had sharp, angular features, accentuated by a strong jawline and high cheekbones, framed by silver-streaked auburn hair tied neatly at the nape of his neck.
His Amethyst eyes shined excitedly as he stared at Veylara with a wide grin on his face. Yes, the man was daring enough to do that.
And seeing his dark, military uniform with a crimson cape draped over his shoulder and the sigil of a crimson spear engulfed in roaring flames embroidered on his chest, Kael quickly understood why that was the case.
That Sigil…
It was the Ashveil Family. Second of the three Founding Families of the Kingdom, a family responsible for Warfare, Expansion, and Elite Combat Forces and the only man who would be daring enough to taunt Veylara like this would be…
Varyon Ashveil, the Grand Marshal of Drakthar Military and… the strongest man in the Kingdom.
“Has that foolish title of yours gotten in your head? Do you want me to punch it out for you, Varyon?”
“…”
“…”
Silence.
Absolute silence fell over the meeting hall.
The rest of the nobles gulped, not sure what would happen next, but…
“Heh, as if you ever managed to do that.”
Varyon just laughed.
“It won’t be the same anymore.”
Veylara was confident.
“I missed your boldness.”
Varyon nodded, satisfied. Then, his violet eyes fell on Kael and,
“Why is the Hero with you?”
“Have you forgotten how to read? The Hero was invited to the meeting.”
“I know that, I am asking why he is coming with you.”
Varyon questioned, his playful expression disappeared almost instantly.
“Oh? Did you not hear?”
Veylara questioned.
Then, with a wide grin on her face, she announced.
“The Hero’s marrying my daughter.”