"Loys", he heard a woman's soft voice say as Loys of Freigoud entered the dimly lit room. "I was wondering who would come in without announcing themselves. Why are you here?"

  "I just felt the need to come home today", Loys explained wearily, closing the door behind him. His wife Gloria was lying in their marital bed, dressed in the pink nightgown that Loys had gifted her a few years ago.

  "Really? Why didn't you mention it before? Benjamin and I could have come to Bellator with."

  "Benjamin almost fell asleep standing up, so I didn't want to put him through such a long journey."

  "And you yourself sacrificed hours to ride from Oriann to Bellator and back - in the middle of the night. Come to think of it, you were relatively fast. Poor horse."

  "How quickly your sympathy changes, Gloria", Loys said with a mocking undertone, dropping himself and his uniform onto the large bed where she was lying. "How come you're still awake?"

  "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk in the garden and just came back to the room."

  "No wonder the soldiers knew you were still awake", Loys muttered, closing his eyes. A moment later, he felt his wife gently stroking his head and smiled. "I set up the meeting with Zod Adenia for you, as you wanted. How did it go?"

  "Relatively calm."

  "Calm?"

  "I expected something to happen. Like a wheel breaking or us being attacked by criminals."

  "Why's that?"

  "Well, to see him at work. You know, protecting the pretty woman and two little kids."

  "Shouldn't you want that from me?"

  "I know you inside and out, a breath of fresh air would do me some good."

  "You do realize how jealous I'm getting, right?"

  "I know, I know", the woman admitted amusedly, so that Loys sat up straight and propped himself up with his elbows on the bed. "I'm just kidding. Even if, theoretically, he could be available."

  "Isn't he a little too young for you?"

  "Are you saying I'm old?", she exclaimed dramatically, putting her hand over her mouth to show her horror.

  "Who says that? Me? To you?" he replied amusedly, causing his wife to laugh and fall back into the pillows. For a few moments, only her laughter could be heard before she fell silent and looked up at the ceiling.

  "How old is Sir Adenia?"

  "25."

  "That's really young, especially considering he has a 6-year-old daughter. How does he manage to take care of so many things at once? Even we can't keep up with Benjamin, and there are two of us."

  "Now imagine how Leonhardt feels with his three sons", Loys replied, looking at his wife with a gentle smile. "So, are you going to tell me how your little date went?"

  "He's exactly as you described him. A very calm, polite, and courteous person who knows exactly what to do and what not to. If I didn't know better, I would compare him to a nobleman of our status."

  "He knows our customs rather well, that's true."

  "Knowing them and perfecting them are two different things. Didn't you say he's from Altona?"

  "As far as I know, yes. Why?"

  "I noticed a few... strange details. After you left, I was alone with him and that's when I really became aware of it. When we walked to the carriage, he kept a perfect distance from me and walked slightly to my left the whole way, his daughter right next to him. Commoners don't do that, at least not so meticulously. And even when we walked down the steps, he offered me his hand without me saying anything. I can understand that, because it's easy to observe such behavior, but... after that...? When the doorman asked him a question... every commoner I've ever met bows when someone asks a question, except Sir Adenia. Loys, these are habits that cannot be learned in a short period of time. Are you sure his... documents are not forged?"

  "They bear the seal of the Magistrat, and upon inquiry, the council has also confirmed that the documents are complete and correct. Although I have to agree with you that he is very good at adapting to his surroundings. Unusually good."

  "So you've noticed?"

  "Yes. I see him practically every day. Only from his appearance and choice of words, you can tell he's not from here. Sometimes he uses expressions I've never heard before."

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  "Like what, for example?"

  "By the beard of the Eldest."

  "And what does it mean?"

  "As I understand it, it's a kind of shocked exclamation when you don't know exactly what to say."

  "Never heard it before."

  "Me neither", Loys confirmed thoughtfully. "His daughter too. At first, I thought it was because of our title, but now..."

  "Everyone tries to show us their best side, but Sir Adenia is... different. Much more natural, if I had to describe it. More confident than any other commoner, yet extremely attentive. At times, I had the feeling that he was having entire conversations in his head before he dared to give an answer."

  "I wouldn't have noticed such long pauses. When I talk to him, he usually responds immediately and says pretty much the first thing that comes to mind. Although I have to say that sometimes it seems to me as if he can read my mind. He says things that I'm thinking or that seem logical to me before I have a chance to say them out loud."

  "Are you saying that you two are similar?"

  "I'm not sure, yes and no. Sometimes I find him suspicious, but at the same time I let go of pretty much all my inhibitions around him. I now talk to him as if I were talking to Julius."

  "Isn't that a good thing? You always say that you run out of people to talk to, which is why you appreciate Julius so much."

  "Julius is just the princes' teacher."

  "Oh, come on, Loys, he's much more than that. Even I know that he's now taking on palace duties as if he were the king's second right-hand man. Or his left, his left fits better."

  "You're right", Loys replied, and fell into thought.

  "Did you notice how Benjamin behaved towards him?"

  "Yes! You too? I was really surprised", Loys exclaimed in shock.

  "Ahri told me that she mentioned Sir Adenia in Ben's presence? Do you think that had an effect on his behavior?", the woman asked curiously, causing Sir Freigoud to fall silent and become pensive.

  "Now that you mention it", he began a few moments later. "I also told him that Zod is a friend and that he should behave respectfully towards him. Maybe both of those things had something to do with it. But it wasn't until Zod himself spoke to Benjamin and piqued his interest that he really opened up. Maybe it's a combination of all of those things that made him behave so familiarly towards Zod."

  "What did he say to Benjamin?"

  "Oh, basically just that he looks like me and has definitely inherited my strength and size."

  "Well, I have to agree with him on that. Every day Benjamin looks more and more like you."

  "You think so?"

  "Yes, I do. He may not have your stature yet, but his features are exactly like yours."

  "It always seemed to me that he took more after you."

  "Perhaps when he was younger, since he's quite small and slight. But just wait, in a few years he'll be just like you."

  "I don't know how you can tell so precisely."

  "Call it a mother's intuition."

  "But Zod isn't Benjamin's mother?", Loys exclaimed confused, which made Gloria start to laugh.

  "Who says that?", she mumbled indistinctly. "I was talking about Ahri. He's her father and mother at the same time. That's probably how he learned to recognize people's facial features."

  "Oh, I see", Loys replied and began to laugh as well, so that it took the couple a good minute to calm down. When Loys finally caught his breath, he sat up and began to unbutton his light-colored vest while Gloria watched him. "Did you notice what he calls our son?"

  "Ben?"

  "Yes."

  "It's a nice abbreviation, if you ask me. Ben. Short and sweet, but also somehow graceful and full of strength."

  "Oh please, let's not have that discussion about names again."

  "I'm not trying to. It just sounds nice, I'm surprised I never thought of it myself."

  "Did she get that from Ahri? Do you know what she calls him?"

  "I didn't notice how she addresses him, I have to admit."

  "I see", replied Loys, looking out the window. It was the middle of the night, but thanks to the clear weather and the faint moon, it was relatively bright and pleasant outside.

  "You haven't mentioned how the conversation between Sir Adenia and King Leonhardt went", Gloria said shortly afterward, drawing his attention back to her.

  "You would have been surprised at how honest and direct Zod was. At times, I was afraid Leonhardt might take it as an insult."

  "What did you talk about?"

  "About the swords of Kama, his training, and his past in general. At some point, however, they got onto the subject of children", Loys explained, pausing briefly as he took a deep breath. "Gloria, do you feel like we're imprisoning Ben?"

  "No, not at all? Why do you ask?"

  "I'm not sure, it just struck me today during the conversation between Zod and Leonhardt. Zod mentioned that Ahri was able to make her own decisions from an early age, which is not the case with Ben and the princes. They are constantly on the estate and surrounded by dozens of soldiers who can watch over them."

  "They're still children, Loys."

  "I know, but I can't stop thinking about it. What if we worry too much about him and predetermine his whole life, so that he doesn't develop a will of his own? You see how much Ben avoids the public and he doesn't even like school that much, unlike Ahri."

  "I understand what you mean. But every child is different, Loys. Some just need a little more time than others, that's all. I don't think we're bad parents, just as I wouldn't claim that Sir Adenia is a bad father."

  "And apart from Ben, what do you think about how Crown Prince Edward and his brothers are being raised?"

  Gloria looked at him wordlessly as she sat up and adjusted her top, which had slipped slightly. Even before she said anything, Loys sensed that she had been thinking about this topic for some time.

  "On that point... I have to agree with Sir Adenia. I've also noticed that the princes hardly ever leave the palace, and when they do, they always seem very... sad and fearful."

  "Is that what you think?"

  "It's not meant as criticism, Loys. It's just something I've noticed as a mother, you know. At first, I thought Edward was acting this way because he missed his mother. But Marion and William are just like him. You can see that the children are curious, but at the same time, their caution paralyzes them."

  "I never noticed that."

  "They don't have a proper parental figure, you know? King Leonhardt is always busy with work and rarely has time for his sons, which is why they are basically raised by servants. Don't you think that's a little sad?"

  "Do you think Leonhardt should spend more time with his sons?"

  "That would be a good start. Someone needs to show them that the world isn't just full of dangers and that they're better off observing it from their window. Do you know what I mean?"

  "Basically, yes. Someone should take the time to show them the world they're supposed to live in. Someone like Sir Venlan, but not in theory, but in practice."

  "Exactly. Someone who is a parent, friend, and protector to them. Someone they can turn to with all their questions and concerns", Gloria explained, running a hand through her open brown hair. "Someone who can take on some of Queen Kiana's role."