When he got back to his room, Keagan placed the shield on the bed and held the short sword. He had finally managed to retrieve them all. At one point, he had wondered if he should just leave them behind, abandon the pursuit altogether. But...

He held the sword, this one he doesn't use much compared to his main one. This one measured only about 60 cm from the tip to the guard. The sheath fell to the ground, revealing the exquisite blade beneath.

This one lacked the quality of his main sword, the longer one, but it was still a good weapon nonetheless. He saw his blurry and faint reflection on the blade's surface. Silence filled the room before voices, echoes from memories long ago, entered his ears.

"This symbol of our love didn't even make it in time for the wedding. Do you think that means something?"

"It means nothing, love. You of all people should understand that."

"Of course I do, it's just... I commissioned it just for you. I think a ring is too boring, hehe."

"Oh, I recall you practically demanded a ring from me a while back, almost beating me up then!"

"Well, a ring suits me better, but for you, a sword."

"Sir?" Keagan snapped out of his reverie when he heard a familiar voice. Turning slightly, he saw Russ standing there, along with the two kids peeking at him from behind Russ's back. It seemed he had just remembered that he'd left the door open.

"I'm guessing things didn't go well?" Keagan asked with a sigh. He then sheathed the sword and laid it on the bed.

"No, sir," Russ said awkwardly. "I found the house you mentioned, but... their situation wasn't suitable for children. I looked for others around the city, we traveled quite a bit. Some mothers offered to take them, but it was only after they I was with castle servant, I wasn't comfortable leaving the kids with them..."

Keagan nodded in understanding. He couldn't exactly leave the children with just anyone. He knew this deeply, but he also couldn't keep them with him permanently. In his opinion, only the Sky Tower was an acceptable place for them.

"Sir, if you'd be alright with it, you could leave them with my parents!" Russ said immediately, as if trying to compensate for his earlier failure.

Keagan's expression turned to surprise. He chuckled and shook his head. "There's no need to go that far. Have you eaten? Let's grab some food in the city. What's the use of being here without exploring it?"

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"Someone sent to assassinate Father? In the High Council, no less?"

Aria couldn't believe what she was reading. The tension between the five houses was high, especially since House Allista had been dethroned as the continent's ruler. With everyone now relatively equal in strength, the other houses couldn't help but be greedy and on guard. She knew this, but to send assassins after the head of House Jade? The ruling power of the southern region?

"Someone wants to increase the tension, whether the assassination is successful or not, doesn't matter," her grandfather sighed.

Aria paused for a moment, then said slowly and softly, "Will there be a war?"

Her grandfather paused, trying to formulate a response, but in the end, he simply sighed and shook his head.

Aria paused. The brief event that had just happened that momentarily distracted her from her grief quickly returned after hearing such news.

The world seemed less brighter again.

Fear gnawed at her. 'We can do this, together,' his voice echoed in her ears, the words he said to ease themselves, only this time, she was alone. The loneliness threatened to engulf her.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she finally asked, "What does the other letter say?" She remembered that two letters had arrived for her grandfather.

Her grandfather had a slight frown on his face. "You are to return to Jade Capital immediately. An engagement awaits you."

Aria was stunned. Anger then filled her face. "Who sent that?"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Her grandfather simply handed her the letter, and she saw who it was from. "That brother of mine..." It was the heir of House Jade, her own brother, who had sent the letter.

The letter gave no indication of whom she would be engaged to, nor did it consider her wishes at all.

Since her husband died before they could have children, she was now free of House Reede and eligible to marry anyone.

"Young people are always too eager," her grandfather said, leaning back in his chair. "They only truly learn from their mistakes."

"Do you know what made him decide this?" she asked, wondering what her brother had decided before consulting her.

The High Lord paused for a moment before answering, "War..."

Silence filled the room. After a moment, Aria asked, clutching the letter so tightly it crumpled, "When?"

"It depends," the High Lord said. "Someone is trying to hasten it, but at this point, it doesn't matter who anymore." He paused again, his voice heavy. "It will come..."

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This was only Keagan's second time walking around the city. The buildings were plastered in bright colors, people with sacks on their shoulders hurried by, some loitering around, others hawking their wares. Most, however, were simply busy with their daily lives.

"Have you seen any good places to eat around here?" Keagan asked Russ, with the two children by his side. If Russ and the children weren't with him, he might have just sought out a tavern to hear rumors and news. But he also wanted to try the best food this new land had to offer.

"I haven't had a chance to fully inquire about information," Russ said, but hurriedly added, "But I did see a luxurious building that looked like a restaurant."

Keagan nodded. "Then lead the way."

They soon arrived at a part of the city where the number of dirty people noticeably decreased, indicating it was a wealthier district. A large building, elevated about half a meter from the ground, caught Keagan's eye. Through its windows, he could see people eating and figured this is it.

A well-dressed attendant stood at the entrance. He looked surprised upon seeing Keagan's group taking the steps and approaching, but quickly regained his composure. "Welcome, good sirs and miss," he greeted, opening the door for them.

The interior was clean, with smooth wooden furnishings for the floor. Sunlight streamed through the windows, naturally illuminating the place without hitting the tables where people ate. The spacious interior prioritized wide spaces over cramming in more customers and tables. The ceiling, adorned with ornaments with shiny surfaces of different colors, reflected the sunlight and bathed the restaurant in a soft, vibrant light. To the side, musicians played a soft tune that further enhanced the atmosphere.

Keagan had to admit, this was the first truly decent restaurant he'd been in. Eberia wasn't exactly known for such cleanliness and elegance.

"This way, sir," a hostess guided them to a table. His unique appearance garnered attention from the other diners. Keagan was accustomed to such stares and whispers, but Russ seemed a little stiff beside him. The two children, on the other hand, were simply curious about everything around them.

Soon, they were led to their table. Another host approached them and, after a moment of surprise at Keagan's appearance, asked professionally, "What can I get you, sir? Would you like to try our recommendations?"

"Meat," Keagan said simply. "Something that will really fill my stomach."

"I want meat too!" Livia chimed in.

"Something healthy for them," Keagan interjected, causing Livia to pout as Keagan smiled.

When the waiter reached Russ, Russ turned to him. Keagan shook his head and said, "Order whatever you want, it's on me."

"May I interest you in Ciefs wine? Our recommendation for the day" the waiter offered.

Keagan, unsure about the type of wine, simply asked, "Can it be served cold?" He didn't expect anything, but to his surprise, the man nodded.

"Yes, sir," the waiter replied. "And the full bottle of wine costs only 50 selke. We can easily wrap it for you to take with you."

"I'll have a taste first," Keagan said.

"And for your companions?"

"Fruit juice for them, no alcohol," Keagan replied. Russ seemed to want to protest, but he held his tongue. Keagan shook his head with a small smile. 'This kid is still too stiff,' he thought.

As they waited for their food, Keagan gazed out the window. This district wasn't as bustling, cramped, or smelly as the others, but there were still plenty of people coming and going.

"Uh, sir, was the sword from before..." Russ said hesitantly...

Keagan smiled and said, "Yes, I managed to retrieve them, although I think we'll need to stay here for a week or so because of it. And again, you don't have to be so formal around me."

Russ heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good sir," he said.

Keagan's smile faltered as he looked at the two children, who couldn't seem to sit still in their chairs. Russ sensed Keagan's mood shift and quieted down the children.

"I told you, that guy deserved it!"

"Yeah, well now we're out of a job," grumbled a voice, a woman, in reply.

Keagan's attention was snagged by a conversation. Turning to look outside, he saw three people: two men and a woman.

"Sir Leo is a harsh man," the woman said. "We were lucky to get off easy."

"Well, Jace didn't," the other man, skinnier, said with a smirk. His remark was followed by a laugh from his companion.

"Knock it off, alright?" the woman scolded them, pinching and ruffling them.

They soon left, laughing and teasing each other, but in good spirits nonetheless. Their camaraderie was clear to see. Keagan's eyes followed them until they disappeared from view.

Soon, food was delivered to their table, sizzling and smelling far better than what they ate while camping. A large steak was placed in front of Keagan, while Russ received a smaller portion of the same dish.

When Ollie and Livia saw the vegetables on their plates, they pouted. Seeing them, Keagan decided…

"If you follow me, you need to eat better. Your bodies need to be strong," Keagan said finally, his words brightened the children's expressions immediately.

"Definitely, sir!"

"Yes, sir!" They both chirped cheerfully as they dug into their food with more energy than Keagan had ever seen from them.

Russ was slowly infected by their energy, and soon the table was filled with merry chatter.