With an alcoholic beverage in his hand, Cale stood in the large reception room while Ahri stayed with Ben and his mother. Silently, he watched as the dragon made the woman beam with her laughter. Cale himself had never spoken to Madam Freigoud, but Ahri successfully built a good relationship with this part of the family. Only Ben seemed uneasy about the whole situation, as he regularly looked around for his father, who was distancing himself from the king. Loys of Freigoud came straight up to Cale, so he quickly took a sip and greeted the duke with a smile.

  "Is everything all right with you?"

  "Everything's fine. I'm just observing what's going on around me", Cale explained, nodding in the direction of Ben, Gloria, and Fengari. When Duke of Freigoud returned his son's gaze, Cale continued his sentence. "Your son has been watching you for quite some time."

  Shortly thereafter, Sir Freigoud raised his hand to signal to his son that he could now come to him. After saying a few words to his mother, Ben left her side and ran over to them. He was small, smaller than Cale remembered, and considerably more slender. It was hard to believe that he would one day resemble his father so closely.

  "Father!", Ben said in his childish voice and fell at his legs, causing Sir Freigoud to lose his balance briefly before placing his hand on his son's head with amusement.

  "Slow down. Did you miss me?"

  Ben nodded in agreement and looked up with wide eyes, as if he had just woken up from a terrible nightmare.

  "Are you enjoying the performance?"

  Ben immediately shook his head.

  "No?", Sir Freigoud asked in surprise. "Why not? Is it boring?"

  This time, Ben nodded in agreement and buried his head in his father's coat, causing him to sigh.

  "It won't be long before you can go home."

  "Are you coming with me?"

  "I have to accompany King Leonhardt back to Bellator."

  "Can't he go alone?"

  "You know very well why that's not possible, Benjamin", Sir Freigoud said, making Ben suddenly sad and look away from his father. "Don't be like that. I'm not gone forever. Come and say hello to Sir Adenia, you know him, don't you?"

  "I know... he's Ahris' father", Ben interjected, giving Cale a disapproving look, which made Cale smile. He put his glass down on the table and crouched down, ignoring the fact that a nobleman would not normally do such a thing.

  "I'm Zod Adenia. You can call me Zod if you prefer", Cale said kindly. "We've met a few times, but I never had the opportunity to properly introduce myself."

  "Pleased to meet you, I'm Benjamin of Freigoud", Ben replied hesitantly, so his father had to tap him to indicate that he should bow. Ben did so, while Cale watched him with a grin on his face.

  "So the concert here doesn't appeal to you? You probably don't like this type of music that much."

  Ben nodded in agreement.

  "Hmm, that's a shame to hear. Ahri would certainly have enjoyed talking to someone about it. I myself am not particularly knowledgeable about this type of art. What is it that piques your interest, then?", Cale asked calmly, while Ben held on to his father's coat with one hand.

  Ben also seemed to be a little uneasy around the crowds, which is why he behaved this way despite being only 7 years old. His gaze wandered to his father and lingered on him, causing Sir Freigoud to look down at him in irritation.

  "Are you interested in your father?"

  Ben immediately shook his head, causing Sir Freigoud to look down at him with disappointment.

  "Then it's probably his sword skills, right? Do you want to be like your father?"

  Ben immediately nodded vigorously and pointed with one hand to the broad sword that Duke of Freigoud always carried with him. Loys himself also glanced at his weapon before he understood what his son actually meant.

  "I think the weapon will be a little too heavy for you", Loys of Freigoud finally said.

  "Right now, yes. However, I can see that you too are made for such a sword. You will become very much like your father when you are older", Cale encouraged his old friend.

  "I will?", Ben asked, while Cale sat up again, amused.

  "Definitely. I have a good eye for these things, believe me. But to achieve this, you must listen to your parents and not act rashly. Can you do that?"

  "Yes", Ben said cheerfully and nodded as Cale's attention turned from Ben to his father. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched King Leonhardt talking to Duke of Caplens, and judging by his expression, it was not a very pleasant topic.

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  "Is it okay to leave the king alone like that?", Cale said quietly, picking up his glass as he scanned the area with his eyes. "Or are your shadows on the move today?"

  Surprised, Sir Freigoud tensed his body as Ben slowly approached Cale.

  "Forget it, I don't know anything", Cale quickly interjected and took a big gulp. His gaze wandered to his old friend, who had stopped just in front of him and was looking up at him. Instinctively, he reached out his free hand to him, which Ben accepted, much to Cale's surprise.

  "Will I be as big as Father one day?", he asked, drawing out his words so that Cale couldn't help but grin broadly.

  "I'm pretty sure you'll be just as tall as your father. If not taller."

  "That's very tall!"

  "It is, for people in Sylve. But you'll definitely meet people who are even taller than your father."

  "Even taller?"

  "Hmm, yes. In Frignez, most people are over two meters tall and massive, like the primal humans used to be", Cale explained, putting his glass back on the table and reaching under Ben's arms with both hands to lift him up. He was heavier than he looked, but that didn't bother Cale. He easily held Ben against his chest with one arm while showing off his height with the other.

  "Chief Merensen is about this tall", he explained, stretching his hand above the head of Sir Freigoud, who also looked up with interest. "He is one of the largest and strongest men in all of Frignez."

  "I didn't know you knew Chief Merensen", Sir Freigoud said, glancing briefly behind him at the king and then back at Cale.

  "I don't really know him...", Cale replied and fell silent for a moment when King Leonhardt suddenly turned his gaze on him. "I've visited Frignez a few times and saw him briefly back then."

  Cale didn't know why King Leonhardt was looking at him like that, but he didn't like the look at all. Had Duke of Caplens told him about the events in Groka and recounted the eyewitness accounts of the village's two heroes? Or could King Leonhardt hear the conversation between Loys and him from a distance?

  "Our free bird from Bellator", Sir Freigoud said amusedly, following his gaze to King Leonhardt. "I must excuse myself. Work calls."

  "Go ahead."

  "Can I leave my son in your care?"

  "Of course", Cale replied, smiling down at Ben, who was holding onto his shoulder with one hand and looking up at his father.

  "Benjamin, don't cause any trouble for Zod, you hear me?"

  "All right, Father", Ben replied, waving to the man as he distanced himself from them. Cale, on the other hand, reached for his almost empty glass and looked down at Ben.

  "Shall we go to your mother and Ahri?", he asked, receiving a nod in response.

  So he sipped the rest into his mouth and walked over to the group that had gathered around Ahri. Some people were high-ranking nobles who seemed to know Gloria of Freigoud, but they were all talking to the girl, who appeared to be telling an exciting story. She was just raising her hands in the air when she noticed Cale and turned around.

  "Father!"

  "I hope you are not bothering the lovely ladies here", Cale began and placed his free hand on her head while continuing to hold Ben with the other. "I hope my daughter has not disturbed you."

  "Not at all", said the slender, brown-haired mother, smiling. "It's very fascinating to talk to your daughter, Sir Adenia. She is incredibly mature and grown-up, despite her tender age. We were just talking about the performance."

  "Thank you for your kind words. Some time ago, Ahri developed a keen interest in music and art."

  "Art?", a dark-haired woman at the edge of the group asked, drawing Cale's attention to her.

  "Yes, my father is incredibly talented at drawing, and that made me curious", Fengari added, causing the strange woman to look at him with interest.

  "Really?"

  "Yes, that may be true, but I specialize more in portraits. I'm not familiar with other art forms, and the same goes for music. That's why Ahri is interested in anyone who can explain these things to her."

  Gloria laughed at this statement and raised her hand to cover her mouth.

  "We noticed that. She couldn't get enough about the first act."

  "I apologize."

  "It's okay, it's nice to see young people who are enthusiastic about music", she explained calmly, lowering her hand. She placed both hands neatly in front of her body and looked at her son with a gentle gaze. "Isn't Benjamin heavy for you?"

  "He's light as a feather to me", Cale said, tossing Ben lightly into the air with his arm before catching him again. "Do you want me to put you down again, Ben?"

  Ben shook his head and clung to his neck with both arms, as if afraid Cale would shake him off. Instead, Cale held him with his other hand on his back before Ahri spoke up.

  "That's actually my spot", she said slightly defiantly, but it was enough to make everyone present start laughing. Confused, she looked up at Cale, who could only look at her amusedly. "Did I say something wrong, Father?"

  "No, no. It's fine, Ahri", he explained to Fengari. <"The statement was just unexpectedly funny.">

  <"Oh really? So I'm funny?">, she replied in her mind and began to beam with pride.

  The ladies cleared their throats amusedly before returning to the topic of the first musical act and discussing which scenes were new and which they had particularly enjoyed. Cale, on the other hand, only half-listened to the ladies, as his thoughts drifted completely away.

  The whole evening went surprisingly well, almost too well. Everyone present was respectful toward Fengari and him, which was most likely due to King Leonhardt and Duke Loys of Freigoud. However, Cale saw no point in befriending other high-ranking individuals - after all, Loys and Julius were enough work. Not to mention King Leonhardt. Something about his behavior was different from what he remembered. More suspicious, yet at the same time much more open. Cale couldn't really put it into words and had even asked the Eldest if he had noticed such behavior.

  However, the Eldest had no answer.

  A soft ringing sound could be heard, causing the guests to look up at the ceiling. A male voice informed everyone present that the performance would resume in 10 minutes and that the guests should return to their seats. The group slowly dispersed, and Cale, Gloria, and Fengari walked over to Sir Freigoud and the king. Only then did Cale realize that Ben had fallen asleep in his arms and was leaning loosely against him. To prevent him from falling over, Cale now held him steady with his other hand, which Sir Freigoud immediately noticed.

  "Did Benjamin fall asleep?", Loys of Freigoud asked in surprise, causing Gloria and Ahri to turn to him in astonishment.

  "Yes, he did ."

  "By the gods, forgive me, I hadn't noticed", said Gloria of Freigoud.

  "It's all right, who would I be if I couldn't handle a tired child", replied Cale with a smile on his face as he gently stroked Ben's head.

  "Ahri doesn't seem exhausted at all", Sir Freigoud said, approaching Cale. Without a word, Cale handed the sleeping boy to his father, who gratefully accepted him and held him with one hand.

  "I could stay awake all night", Ahri commented before stretching her hands upward.

  Moments later, Cale realized that she also wanted to be carried. So Cale did her the favor before turning to the king, who had been watching the whole scene in silence. He looked a little envious, but said nothing. Instead, he turned away and led the entire group up the stairs to the second floor without looking back.