Kaladin Shadowheart’s POV

Varnir looked at me with pleading eyes as the two royals of Tel’an’duth quarreled. Varnir tried to slowly back out of the conversation, but the moment he took a step, the male placed a hand on his shoulder and brought him back into the fray.

The poor guy seemed moments away from begging for my assistance. A part of me enjoyed watching him squirm, but the truth was there was no way I could get involved with them. Making a scene would do me no good. Varnir would have to make it on his own.

Lin chuckled to herself and crossed her arms over her chest. “If last night never happened, this would be hilarious.”

I grunted in agreement. “Do you know who the male is? He must be a high-ranking noble if he is able to talk down to a princess like that,” I asked her.

Lin nodded and licked her lips. “That’s the first prince, Leopold Tel’an’duth, and the number one student of the Arcane College.”

Arcane College? That must be the other institution, along with the Saber Academy from Tel’an’duth. Although I haven’t heard much about them, they must focus on magic, or so the name would suggest.

“The first prince…” I muttered as I looked at the two siblings.

They look somewhat alike, and both of them have features of Elven royalty, but…

“Don’t tell me they are fraternal twins or something? Shouldn’t the age gap be wider for them?” I asked.

Lin shrugged nonchalantly. “There is a five-year age difference, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility for a High Elf trying for children. The princess is only fourteen.”

“…” I looked back at Princess Seraphina, and I found it very hard to believe that she was a year younger than me. But at the very least, her childish attitude made more sense. “I thought puberty hit me like a truck…”

Lin flicked her hair and rolled her eyes at me. “Looks like it’s in your blood. But honestly, a decent haircut and some makeup do wonders for anyone, including her.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

We continued to watch the two as their arguing boiled over into straight-up name-calling. It was quite the sight to behold.

Are all royal siblings destined to fight amongst each other? What a hassle…

“Aren’t they embarrassed?” I asked Lin quietly.

“No, probably not. I can’t imagine that either of them cares one bit. Prince Leopold is known as an eccentric even amongst royalty,” Lin explained in a whisper. “He’s a meritocrat to the extreme and only values those he has personally vetted. Apparently, as a child, Leopold dismissed all his personal guards, chefs, maids; all of them, and hand-picked replacements. There is even a rumor that he walked into the slums with only a hand-selected maid as a bodyguard to find a chef. He fancied a food cart cook so much he hired him with a salary fit for a noble.”

“I had heard that Tel’an’duth has a loose meritocratic system, but that does seem excessive. It’s surprising that your intel seems rather lacking on the first prince of a nation compared to the princess,” I commented.

Lin nodded her head slowly. “Indeed. One of the many perks of personally scouting and hiring your own people is the loyalty that comes with it. Leopold doesn’t discriminate against sex, religion, race, or status. If you have talent and he recognizes you as being worthy, he will accept you as one of his own.”

“A troublesome man for your people, I imagine.”

Lin sighed and let her shoulders droop. “Yeah…”

I let out my own sigh and gave Lin a single nod. She returned it, and the two of us parted ways without another word. Lin had a match to win. Well, sort of.

I looked over to Cerila and Sylvia, the two of them sitting side by side on a bench in the corner of the room not too far from me. Both of them had dead serious looks of concentration. The air around them was sharp, and I genuinely hoped that the two would not face each other now or in the tournament.

I might actually have to step in…surely they wouldn’t do something so drastic…right?

I already told both of them I would return back to the villa the moment my match ended. I had already spent more time watching Varnir’s fight and talking with Lin than I had anticipated. There was also no point in breaking their concentration and distracting them from their task. I would see both of them later.

I weaved through the tunnels and back out to the loading area. There was a horse-drawn carriage system set up to shuttle students around safely. Naturally, there were private carriages to send back people who were staying in the noble district with all the villas.

I asked a coachman who pointed me to the correct area, and I immediately opened the opulent red and gold door to the carriage. My eyes met someone else’s, and I felt a wave of confusion roll over me as I doubted my own sight.

The woman wore a simple gray and white dress that somehow managed to be fitting for a noble but did not stand out too much. Her dirty blonde hair was in a single ponytail, giving her a youthful appearance as she stared back at me with tired hazel eyes—a thin smile on her lips.

Does Lin have a sister that I’m not aware of?

However, sitting next to her was a man in his late fifties with gray hair. He was someone I was familiar with. I hadn’t seen him in a very long time, but I could never forget the face of the man who came in the middle of the night to help save Mila’s life. He sat there with his sleeves rolled up, exposing his thick muscled forearms despite the weather, and he had a curt look on his face that turned into one of understanding as he nodded a greeting at me.

I returned his simple greeting while the woman bowed at the waist. “Hello, Sir Dragonslayer,” she said in a polite tone.

The coachman grunted in annoyance, and I scrambled into the carriage and into the seat across from the woman. “Yes, it’s nice to meet you…Archduchess Paine?” I guessed.

The woman covered her mouth and giggled. “You really are quite cute, aren’t you, Kaladin?”

"I…thank you for the compliment,” I said with a nod, a bit embarrassed.

“Even though all these crazy things have happened to us, this is the first time we are meeting. It’s nice to finally get a chance to speak with you, but please, you can just call me Destini. I’m sure you have already met my brother-in-law,” she said with a kind smile.

“Yes, likewise. Sir Paine, it’s good to see you are well.”

Lin’s uncle nodded in a friendly manner. He was a rough-looking man and a former soldier from the previous war. But despite that, he had the disposition of a healer of his status and was a kind gentleman.

“Is the child well?” he asked simply.

“Thanks to you, yes. She’s grown up healthy,” I told him. He simply smiled at my words and nodded as the conversation petered out.

So, this really is Lin’s mother. The resemblance is striking, and she looks far younger than she really is. At a glance, it was no wonder I almost mistook her for her daughter. But…there’s something else to her.

I observed the Archduchess carefully, and the more I tried to get a read on her, the more mysterious she appeared. On the outside, she looked like a typical prim and proper noble lady befitting her title, but that was only in her looks. The way she held herself felt practiced to an uncanny degree.

I got the feeling that if I looked away even for a moment, I would be stabbed in the back. Could it be that Lin’s mother was trained as an assassin? There’s no way she is unaware of her family’s secret. That was impossible.

The Archduchess covered her mouth again as she let out a hearty laugh that felt more genuine than her giggle from before. The carriage rocked into motion, and she smiled brightly at me.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the Dragonslayer would attempt to appraise my abilities.” Her smile grew. “So, did you find something interesting?”

“No, which makes it all the more concerning…” I told her truthfully.

The Archduchess nodded with a smile. “Sylas and Lin both said you were a serious man, and I can see that now. I appreciate your honesty, Kaladin. It’s good to know that my many years of training have indeed borne fruit. I heard you have quite the discerning eye, so making you uncertain makes me quite happy.”

“So you know that I know?” I asked her vaguely, looking at Uncle Paine as well.

“Of course we do. My sweet little daughter trusts you explicitly, and it’s a mother’s duty to look into her daughter’s acquaintances. As a doting father, don’t you agree?” The Archduchess sent with a thin-lipped smile.

“Yes, I can agree with that sentiment. But I thought you would be more… frustrated. Maybe even attempt to silence me,” I said.

Honestly, after Lin and I revealed ourselves to each other after our duel, I had half expected that her family would catch wind and attempt to kill me behind their daughter’s back. After all, I knew a secret that could bring down a noble house and endanger an untold amount of lives. Not attempting to kill me would be weird.

But here I am. The Paine’s never sent assassins after me and have fed me important and even top secret information.

The Archduchess put a thoughtful finger to her chin and hummed. “Well, it’s not like we didn’t have our concerns. But for the first time, my most trusted daughter asked for forgiveness, not permission. She also asked you to be trusted as a member of the family…imagine my surprise upon hearing that. I thought you were a swindler.”

“…I hope I’ve met your expectations,” I said, concerned.

The Archduchess and her brother-in-law just smiled at my words. It was disconcerting to hear from an assassin, but I really did not have any intentions of tricking Lin and her family or outing them. I would take their secret to the grave if possible.

“You’ve done fabulously. You should consider yourself quite lucky. Outside of the family, we can count the number of people who are aware of our secret on two hands,” The Archduchess said as she counted in the air with her fingers.

“I’m honored.”

She stopped counting, and her smile changed somewhat. It was different from before….it was warmer, in a way, kinder. “So humble. Kaladin, thank you so much for being someone my daughter can trust. I’m afraid that despite her abilities and being a model daughter, she has never been able to call someone a true friend. Please continue to be a shoulder she can lean on in the future.”

“Yes, I will. I won’t leave her behind,” I said seriously.

Not again.

Both of the Paines looked surprised and raised their eyebrows at me. “Did I…say something wrong?”

“You can’t marry her—gah—”

Smack.

“Please ignore my brother, Kaladin. He can be quite tactless at times,” The Archduchess interrupted after smacking her brother-in-law behind the head. “I believe my daughter will find a lovely man someday; however, I am more afraid she won’t be able to find a friend like you. Just remain friends…unless she becomes an old spinster, then do take care of her for me.”

“I don’t think that is going to be a problem, but if it comes down to it, I promise I’ll value Lin til the day she passes on,” I told them.

The Archduchess smiled at my declaration. “A fitting answer for a knight and a friend.”

I hope so…

I wonder what you would think of me if I told you what I put your daughter through in another life?

—

The children and my parents decided not to attend the tournament today for various reasons. Mainly as it wasn’t worth the time, but it was also for us being fresh off of our journey across the Luminar, so people wanted a day or two to rest and recuperate.

This meant I could leave Mila and the others in good company. They could gather themselves and prepare for the long weeks ahead with a refreshed mind and body. Well, that was my hope anyway.

As I made my way up the stairs toward Mila’s room, I hesitated as I heard a quick set of panicked footsteps in the hallway. My neck snapped to the right, and I peered down the hallway with my Soul Sight. A small person was hiding behind a cabinet.

Could it be? Why would—

Curiosity had killed the cat, so to speak. I peered around the cabinet, and my jaw dropped. I was at a loss for words and desperately wanted to rewind time. It would have been better for both of us.

I wanted to say something to the little child wearing a white dress, but they looked absolutely mortified to see me. Their golden hair shone from the window's light, and if I didn’t know better. I would have thought they were an adorable young girl. However, I figured it would be for the best if we didn’t speak about it.

And as his brother, he would probably appreciate it. I’m not sure how much Rosemary played a part in this, but…well, if Dallin enjoyed it, then he was free to do what he wanted.

Without a single exchange of words, I left him with a mental promise to talk with him later. To be fair, I hardly knew what my brother enjoyed doing…or maybe I shouldn’t ask him….

With a sigh, I made my way to the room, and the door creaked open with a gentle push. The room was lit up from the afternoon glow, and I nodded at my mother, who sat in a chair in the corner of the room. A little green ball moved across the bed and dropped onto the floor. Mila looked up at me with puffy red eyes that she rubbed with the corner of her sleeve, the bunny ears flopping to the left and right with the movement of her arm.

What is the point of giving her an outfit that has animal ears on it? She has literal cat ears on her head already…well… It's adorable.

There was the sound of metal dragging across the floor as Mila waddled over to me, her knight doll lazily held in one hand. She stopped right in front of me, and knowing what to do, I picked her up and held her close to my chest in a tight embrace.

There was no need for conversation as I rubbed her back. All that mattered was that she was feeling better and moving about. Time healed all wounds, or so they said. I’m not sure it helped me any, but maybe Mila could benefit from that.

—

Later that evening, I sat on a park bench with Cerila, who was silently reading a book close to me. The two of us hadn’t said much since arriving, but we enjoyed the atmosphere in companionable silence.

Sylvia was busy training with Varnir upon his request. After today’s bouts, all my friends took their first match, excluding Varnir and Lin. Everyone else would also hopefully continue to win matches. Everyone besides Lin, that is. She would purposely throw her next match and not participate in the tournament of her own accord.

After all, it wouldn’t be the most brilliant move for an assassin to broadcast their abilities on such a large stage. Even though her family was a newly appointed Archdukdom in Luminar, it wouldn’t do her any good to draw attention. It would be better if she slowly and quietly faded into the background.

Either way, the sun was setting, and a calm, comfortable breeze was rolling in from the ocean. Not too far from the villas was a tiny park overlooking the sea. It was relaxing as the children’s giggles and laughter carried over to us. A few guards and maids from the royal villa stood off to the side, watching over Rosemary and, surprisingly enough, Lord Marino’s daughter, Cordelia.

Mila was also with the two other girls, trying her best to be there in the moment, but she was still slogging from the previous night’s incident. I’m sure it would take some time for her to return to her usual state, but she showed valiant effort in trying so early on.

Also, spending time with her friends would help brighten her mood, and Rosemary kept Mila engaged at all opportunities. Even the newly added Cordelia appeared to enjoy playing with the younger children. She also seemed to fit into the group and may take on the older sister role judging by her kind and caring disposition. Who knows how their dynamic will work out in the future?

There was also someone else sitting off to the side, alone. Dallin let his short legs dangle off the side of the bench as he read a book quietly. Occasionally our eyes would meet, and he would instantly look away in embarrassment.

I didn’t know how to handle my little brother. After our first meeting and reconciling with each other, I got a glimpse at Dallin’s kind personality. We didn’t have any strong feelings for each other, or that’s what it felt like. At that time, he had cared more about Cerila’s happiness than anything else. She was more of a sibling to him than I was.

Of course, that saddened me as I loved my brother, and I would do anything for him. I just didn’t know how to go about getting close to him. We did some things together, we held conversations that seemed natural, and we weren’t on bad terms…it’s just…there was this barrier between us that I didn’t know how to cross.

Was it a barrier that could even be crossed? We were separated for seven long years. I missed a lot of his formative years and was not able to be a big brother to him. I’m very thankful for Cerila and Padraic, who were able to fill in for me during my years of captivity. Our separation was out of our control, but it was the truth.

What to do…what to do.

I looked to my side, and Cerila looked up from her book and smiled at me. Well, that answered that.

I asked her.

Cerila tilted her head to the side, and her snow-white ears wiggled. she signed with a smile.

I repeated, unsure what she meant.

Cerila’s smile grew as she looked up at the sky.

I told her, unable to hide my fond smile.

Cerila returned that smile and nodded.

“I don’t think that is anything like me when I was a boy…” I mumbled.

Cerila made a weird sound that was her giggling and grabbed my hand. My heart leaped in my chest, but I shook away that feeling as she was being sincere at that moment. she signed, perhaps understanding my anxiety.

Cerila giggled again and nudged me hard with her shoulder.

I hesitantly got up and made my way toward Dallin. He flinched slightly, but at least this time, it wasn’t in fear but awkwardness stemming from his somewhat estranged older brother catching him dolled up and wearing a dress in the middle of the day.

“Can I sit with you for a while?” I asked.

“Mhm…” Dallin hummed meekly.

…

…

Damn, this is way more uncomfortable than I had anticipated.

“Do…do you enjoy doing that kind of stuff, Dallin?” I asked him.

Dallin's golden eyes went wide as saucers as he stammered over his words. “Ah, it’s uh…I…don’t hate it…I guess.”

“Is Rosemary or Mila forcing you?”

Dallin immediately shook his head. “No!” he squeaked and covered his mouth, his face flushing.

“That’s good. If you don’t want to, you just have to tell her. I think Rosemary is a nice girl,” I said honestly.

Mmm, she definitely is. She comes off as an eccentric noble child, but she actually has a bleeding heart. She really cares about her friends.

“I…it makes Rosemary happy, so I don’t mind it. Mila seems to find it funny as well,” Dallin added quietly.

“So you do it for them then? Because they are your friends?”

Dallin’s head dropped slightly. “Yes…”

“I see. Well, if you don’t mind, then there’s nothing to say, really. I won’t bring it up again.”

Dallin’s face morphed into one of worry. “You don’t think I’m weird?”

“No, why would I? Mom used to dress me up sometimes as well, so I understand your situation to an extent,” I said, remembering some fond memories.

Ahaha, back then, I would curse my own mother for being a witch. In the end, I wasn’t too far off now, was I?

Dallin chuckled as he observed me. Perhaps wondering about the types of outfits our mother forced me into. “Mom would make me some weird clothes as well,” he said with a smile.

“I’m sure she did.” I titled the cover of his book up and nodded. “The Wild Adventurers Of The Sorcerer Supreme, huh? Do you like it?”

Dallin’s eyes lit up. “You know this book?!”

I laughed at his enthusiasm. “Of course. It was one of the many books Grandpa gave me to read to learn the Human Language.” I put a finger to my chin. “Let’s see, that looks like the second book, right? So Magnus should be clearing the Crystal Dungeon if I remember correctly.”

It was a simple story of a mage adventuring around the world, slaying monsters and clearing dungeons. Grandpa even told me that the book may have been a true story, although I found that hard to believe.

Just with that faint memory of the book Dallin launched into an excited explanation. He told me all about the characters I had long since forgotten and what he liked about them. It was a passionate speech from someone who sincerely enjoyed the story within. Despite not remembering too much of the book, I was able to remember key points with Dallin’s leading and hold a proper conversation with him.

It was the first time I had a true brotherly talk with Dallin. There were no ulterior motives or lingering worries—just a simple conversation about a simple book.

It was nice.