Bastion and Lilia were sitting through a rather awkward dinner at Diamondhart Castle. Their guest, Baron Valemont, insisted on staying to wait for his daughter Ariel's return. It was understandable given the circumstances.
Bastion had given Seraphina free rein regarding the matter, and she chose this approach to the problem at hand. Rather than handle the negotiation with the father like a proper noble, she went straight to wooing the daughter. It was typical behavior for a romantic like Seraphina, so Bastion could hardly complain. He simply wished he'd been given a heads-up, though it wouldn't have changed anything.
Now, here they sat, eating dinner with a man who had stormed off in a dramatic fashion and returned to demand his daughter back, refusing to leave before he retrieved her.
"When will my daughter return?" the Baron asked for the hundredth time.
"Eli?" Bastion asked.
"They're at the castle gates as we speak," Elyra replied, standing just behind Bastion off to the side.
"They're already here and you didn't tell me? You incompetent—" the Baron berated before he was interrupted by an intense killing intent.
"While you are in my home or presence, I expect you to respect my family, Baron Valemont," Bastion said, staring the Baron down.
"Understood, Your Grace," he mumbled. "May I be excused?"
"You may."
The Baron got up from his seat and walked out of the dining room in a hurry.
"Do you think Seraphina managed to convince her?" Lilia asked.
"Almost certainly. The question is whether Ariel is confident enough to resist her father's control. It's a difficult thing, fighting back against ingrained habits."
"Wanna go see the drama unfold?"
"Not really, but I'll have to go anyway just to keep the Baron under control."
Lilia chuckled as Bastion got up and escorted her toward the main entrance.
Once they arrived, it was chaos, as expected. Seraphina was shielding Ariel against the Baron, with her phoenix hovering threateningly above. The Baron held his ground, confident he wouldn't be hurt as a guest.
"For the last time, Ariel! We are leaving this place—NOW! COME HERE!" the Baron barked, his voice snapping like a whip.
"NO!" Ariel shouted back. "I'm powerful now. I don't have to listen to you anymore. I don't even need anyone to look out for me. I'm strong enough to go on adventures of my own."
"What lies have they whispered in your ears? Do you really believe that just because you've gained a few levels, you're immediately ready to reach Rank 1? You're nowhere near prepared to fend for yourself in the outside world. Now stop throwing a tantrum and come with me."
"I'm level 45 now! I've unlocked all my skills, and I have the strength necessary to wield a proper bow. I can track the speed of Rank 1 enemies with ease, so no one will ever escape my sight. I am ready to go off on my own, whether you agree or not!"
"And where will you get a bow? Do you even have money? Will you prostitute yourself on the streets to get your proper equipment?"
"I will sponsor her if need be," Seraphina interjected.
"You stay out of this," the Baron shouted, enraged. "You've done enough damage as it is filling her head with nonsense. You… you…"
"Careful with your words Baron," Bastion interjected. "I will not warn you a third time."
The Baron quickly turned to Bastion behind him before shouting back, "You! You planned this, didn't you? You distracted me just so your wife could go and fill her head with this ridiculous nonsense. Now she wants to go off on her own and get herself killed. You're responsible for this. I demand justice."
Bastion chuckled in response before saying, "Let's be honest, you've really shot yourself in the foot here. You should have accepted my offer earlier today instead of letting your greed take over. Now, you leave me no choice but to respect Ariel's wishes, since I've heard her declaration. Legally speaking, she has rejected your guardianship and is no longer your dependent. You no longer have any authority over her. If you insist on seeking justice and bring this before the Queen, this would be my defense. Good luck convincing her that you still have any rights over your independent daughter."
The Baron narrowed his eyes and thought it over. Everything Bastion said was correct. All it would take to break his case was a small confession from his daughter, and the matter would be settled against him. He had no legal ground to stand on. Still, he had one last desperate trick up his sleeve.
He turned back, looked his daughter in the eyes, and said in a quieter tone of resignation, "Is this really what you want? Do you really want to be independent from now on? Once you accept, that'll be it. I can no longer protect you."
Ariel stared at her father with a hint of self-doubt. Her father had always watched over her, making sure she was always protected. During parties, he would introduce her like a piece of meat on the market, but at the same time protect her against those with obvious violent intentions.
Now that she thought about it, perhaps he was just chasing away the flies that wanted to pollute his piece of meat in his stall. Were there any redeeming qualities at all?
She looked back on her past and truly examined all of her best memories. It all started when she was ten, when her father would encourage her to take classes in art and etiquette. Then she remembered begging him to learn how to fight like her brothers and sisters, only to be rejected. She was told over and over again how dangerous the outside world was, yet he never prepared her for it. It took her begging her brother for archery lessons before she learned how to use the bow.
Still, it wasn't quite enough, as the next day any target she hit would never allow the arrow to stick. Was she being manipulated from that far back? She was never his daughter at all, was she? She was just his property, his meat to be sold, his bargaining chip for whatever deal the Duke spoke of.
"Yes, Father," she said proudly. "I want to be independent. To go off on my own and have adventures. To no longer be afraid of the outside world."
The Baron sneered in response.
"Fine. Don't come to me for help ever again. You're on your own. I'm officially disowning you, you ungrateful brat," he snapped, then turned back to Bastion. "And this isn't over."
"Thanks for letting me know," Bastion replied. "I'll be sure to keep a careful eye on you."
A chill crawled up the Baron's spine at the way the Duke had phrased those words. Perhaps he had let his emotions carry him too far. Careful not to dig himself into an even deeper hole, he hurried to the waiting carriage and departed.
Ariel watched her father leave and finally let out a sigh of relief once the carriage was out of sight.
"Congratulations on your independence," Bastion said, trying to lighten the mood. "Why don't we take this inside for dinner? You're welcome to join us, of course, Ariel."
"Thank you for your invitation, Your Grace. I humbly accept."
"No need for the stiff nobility talk. Just call me Bastion."
"I could never, Your Grace."
"She said that to me too," Seraphina complained. "Come on, let's head inside and get something to eat. I'm starving."
The group went back inside and enjoyed an amazing dinner prepared by Elyra. She made sure to go heavy on the meat, given Seraphina and Ariel's recent exertion in the dungeon.
Once they were finished, Bastion announced, "Now that you've finally gained your independence, it would be wrong of me to insist on moving forward with our marriage."
"I don't mind at all, Your Grace—"
"Let me finish," Bastion interjected. "The fact that you still call me 'Your Grace' means you're not comfortable with us, which is to be expected. I would like for you to take some time for yourself to decide if staying with us is truly what you want or if it's simply the only option you have now. You are free to take the weapons Seraphina gave you and come back for maintenance free of charge. Someday, when you're comfortable around us, I'll propose marriage again and we'll take it from there. In the meantime, you're free to stay at the castle for training or leave at your leisure. Just let Elyra know so she can protect you from the shadows. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes, Your Grace. Thank you for this opportunity."
"Welcome to Diamondhart Castle, Ariel Valemont. We're happy to have you," Bastion finished.
"It's just Ariel now, isn't it?" Seraphina asked. "I mean, she was disowned."
"What does it say on your status?" Lilia asked.
"It… it just says Ariel."
"Fascinating," Lilia said. "A simple declaration can affect the status. Why doesn't mine say Diamondhart? We did get married in the eyes of the Goddess, didn't we?"
"I don't know, but I'm assuming changing a name isn't as simple as calling yourself whatever you want. Perhaps even marriages don't count."
"I read about that in the library," Seraphina added. "I think it was mentioned that adding anything to the name requires an official registration with any of the empires, while taking a name away is automatic. Something about the bureaucracy of true names. I'm not entirely sure, but if I had to guess, it does make it easier for people to hide their true names."
While Bastion and the girls continued their discussion, Ariel thought about her name change. It was inconsequential once she considered it. No, it felt liberating, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, the name that once bound her finally cast aside.
She took a moment to look around and found herself in the company of people she enjoyed. These were people she could see herself sharing a life with. All it would take was a bit of effort on her part. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she still yearned for a taste of freedom. Now that she had it, perhaps it was best to follow the Duke's intent. She should go and try to live on her own terms for now, just to give it a chance.
If she failed, that would be on her. If she succeeded, it would be because she dared to try. And for the first time in a long while, Ariel felt a quiet hope settle in her chest, a feeling that perhaps, just perhaps, the future was hers to take.
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