"Good Morning, dad, mom, sis." He said as he sat down on the table sending a wink at his sister.
This was the usual greeting among the family, cause even though they were nobles, Counts to be exact, they had a pretty good relationship. Something not quite ordinary among the noble families in this world. As far as his previous memories go.
"Your birthday and the academy admission is approaching Angel," said Aragon, Angel's father.
"Yes, I know. For the past, month this is the only topic you keep talking about." Replied Angel.
"And as I've said before birthdays or any other social events are not just that for us nobles. You should know that by now."
"Angel, we were informed last night that the King will be attending at your birthday." Angel's mother, Amelia, chimed in.
"The King? Attending the birthday party of the son of a Count? Isn't that crazy?" asked Angel still not believing what he had heard.
"The situation in the court has been a bit complicated for the past months, so the King is making extra effort to gather support from wherever he can." Replied Aragon.
"Why what's wrong?" asked Angel.
"We'll discuss the details in my office later. Talking work while eating is not good." Replied Aragon.
I mean you started the conversation in the first place, thought Angel as he continued eating his food.
"Dad I don't think it's a good idea to put that much pressure on Angel. He still has not even attended the academy." Liz said with a hint of concern in her face.
"What pressure am I putting on him? I'm just informing him relax." Replied Aragon.
"Yeah I have a first hand experience on it." Replied Liz.
"Liz don't talk like that to your father." Amelia chimed in
"Yeah sure." Replied Liz
"No it's okay let her speak her mind. Did I pressure you when you placed second during your admission? On the contrary I congratulated you. What pressure are you talking about?" replied Aragon while banging his palm on the table making Amelia and Liz flinch.
"I was going against Jonathan, the King's son, what would you like me to do dad? Kill him to get the first place?" replied Liz as she stood up from the table and started leaving the dining room.
"If you start something you must also finish it. Come on continue your train of thought, don't leave like that. We hang on your every word." Replied Aragon with a hint of mockery in his tone.
Liz paid no mind to the provocation as she left the dining hall not before asking Angel to meet her later.
"You shouldn't have talked to her like that Aragon. For a year now you two get into a fight for the exact same reason." Said Amelia.
"I didn't even say anything. Don't make my mood any worse now. Breakfast is over. Angel, follow me to my office."
Damn, I can't even finish my food.
"Okay." Replied Angel.
Getting up from the table, Angel started following his father to his office in a remote room of the castle. The fireplace burned low, offering more shadow than light. Coupled with the still heavy rain outside, it gave off a mysterious kind of vibe.
Aragon sank into the heavy armchair near the fireplace. He reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a thick envelope. For a moment, he weighed it in his hand, staring at the broken wax seal with a look of distaste.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it onto the slow burning fire.
He tossed two fresh logs onto the fire, crushing the burning paper beneath them. The fire snapped and roared to life, the sudden flare of orange light chased the darkness into the farthest corners of the room.
"That was from Duke Clithford," Aragon said, watching the letter turn to ash. "He has officially thrown his support behind the second prince. The court, and the Kingdom will start facing some real issues henceforth."
"This move changes everything. The Barons, Counts, and whoever is in the dukedom of Clithford will support the second prince. The king is already starting to poach other nobles to continue supporting the crown prince." Aragon continued.
"But dad, isn't just one dukedom that supports the second prince? I mean there are two more dukes in the Kingdom of Kremia, it doesn't seem like one duke supporting another prince might affect that much the whole new King selection."
"You are not entirely wrong but not entirely correct either. The mother of the third prince is the cousin of Duke Richmond. It is widely known that the third prince is unfit for the throne and the second prince is currently poaching him to his side. You are a smart boy I think you know where I'm going with this right?"
"Yeah, I understand it now. Thank God we aren't in Duke Richmond's dukedom because we would be even more entangled in this mess."
"So, dad, what would you like me to do now?"
"When the King arrives at your birthday party he will try to analyse my stance through you, or try to get you in his side, who knows. How he'll do that I'm not so sure yet, I'm giving you a heads up so nothing may come as a surprise to you."
"Also, for the next two weeks your training will be more intense. I want you ready for whatever it is yet to come. Your time in the academy may take you higher, but the foundation is built here, with me. You understand boy?"
"Yes, father. But I would like to ask you, what's the point of me going in the academy? I mean I get it, to build relationships with other nobles but that can be achieved through Liz. Can't I stay here and learn from you and mum since I possess both her magic and your swordsmanship."
Aragon went quiet for a moment, the crackle of the fire filling the space between them.
"You are not wrong. You could stay here," he said at last. "And you would become strong. But you would become strong as our son, protected, sheltered by the name, expectations, and mistakes our predecessors built."
Aragon met his eyes.
"At the academy, no one would care about who your parents are. They will try to challenge you, judge you, and sometimes hate you for reasons you may never be told. You will learn how the world reacts solely to you, not how we hope it will."
He exhaled slowly.
"If you can stand there on your own… then staying here later will actually mean something."
Even here, reborn, gifted, surrounded by power, I was still afraid of standing alone. Habits are hard to change.