I let out a satisfied sigh and rubbed my eyes. It wasn’t often I didn’t have a nightmare-filled sleep, but it appears I managed to avoid one last night. I felt well rested but still somewhat tired. I suppose we stayed up awfully late and yesterday was…rough.

I looked over to my side, and Ren was sleeping soundly wrapped in my old blanket as the morning light bathed the room. I spent a few moments watching her…which I imagined was weird, but I couldn’t help myself.

She seems to be at peace right now as her chest rises and falls to a soothing rhythm. From what little experience I had watching others sleep, people tended to be what could only be described as…ugly sleepers, and I’m sure I fell into that category as well. Limbs tossed around, sweating, drooling, and making weird noises are all common when people sleep. But Ren…

Well, she sleeps like a princess.

I decided not to bother her and left my blanket with her. I went above and beyond and opted to lift myself from the bed with gravity magic so as not to wake her. I wasn’t sure why I felt I needed to do this, but something was telling me that if I woke Ren up, I would regret it. Maybe I just didn’t want to ruin her sleep, or perhaps it was something else.

The second my body lifted from the bed, Ren stirred, and my neck snapped towards her. She let out a low grumble and flipped over, but it appeared she didn’t wake up. I felt mana leaving my body in ridiculous amounts of maintaining this stupid spell, so I sped up the process and righted myself as soon as I was at the end.

My feet softly hit the ground, and I checked on Ren once more before nodding to myself. With that, I got ready for the day…a little more quietly than I usually do.

—

I quickly and silently closed the door behind me and immediately felt a few pairs of eyes staring into my back. Then, I caught the distinct noise of a cup hitting a plate and turned around slowly to find Lauren just casually sitting in a chair, surrounded by two Praetorian Guards…in the middle of the hallway.

She had a smile on her face when I first turned around, but that didn’t last. She furrowed her brows in confusion as she looked me over slowly. Finally, she wrinkled her nose at me and eyed me suspiciously.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” I said with a short bow.

Lauren let out an annoyed huff, but I didn’t miss the smile that briefly tugged on the corner of her lips. “I take it you enjoyed yourself last night?”

“That depends on your point of view.”

Lauren stood from her chair and pressed down her luxurious morning gown. I felt that it was a bit too early to wear such an extravagant dress, but a princess does what a princess must. She motioned for her guards to stay back and pointed a hand towards the hallway.

“Care for a morning walk, Sir Dragonslayer?”

“As long as it's towards the front door,” I told her.

Lauren frowned at my words. “Fine…”

The two of us walked in silence for a while, her two guards staying close behind us. People were moving around the palace with speed and precision as servants went into the rooms to clean or carry out the trash. Guards patrolled the halls, and hungover nobles wobbled around. It gave the palace a sort of lively air that it lacked the previous night. If I had to guess…this was probably closer to what it was usually like.

Maybe with fewer people…

Lauren kept sneaking glances at me, and I could tell she was looking at my Dragon eye. Most people would just walk up to me, look at it for a time, and not say anything, probably not wanting to offend me. For those who were a bit more curious and actually asked me, I simply shrugged and told them the Dragon did it.

“So, you didn’t do it, did you?” Lauren asked me quietly.

I looked over at the young princess and tried to understand the face she was making. Lauren kept her eyes straight ahead, and she seemed frustrated yet satisfied. Or was she maybe relieved or indifferent?

I couldn’t tell.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked her casually.

Lauren clicked her tongue, and whatever look she was giving me before vanished as she glared at me. But that glare softened somewhat after our eyes met. “I told my mother she should have sent me. All that nonsense about saving my innocence was for naught, it seems. And she genuinely believed that Ren fit your…type more than I. Despite me telling her I catch you staring at my chest often,” she said somewhat playfully.

I uh…

Lauren covered her face and giggled. “What? Did you really think I didn’t catch you from time to time? At the very least, I know you weren’t doing it maliciously. You never did strike me as that kind of man.”

I felt my ears heating up, and all I could do was shrug. “What can I say…I’m a completely normal half-Elf…quarter Dragon…man…thing.”

Ah…that doesn’t sound right. I’m even more of a freak now, aren’t I?

Lauren gave me a side-eye. “It appears you are just afraid of women to me,” she said bluntly.

I felt taken aback at that. “Afraid of women? What gave you that idea?”

Afraid of women? I’m not certain about much these days, but I’m confident I don’t fear women. Well…there is one woman I fear now, but she is hardly a woman at all…more like a monster wearing the skin of a beautiful lady.

Lauren scoffed and jerked her head back to let out a small laugh. “What kind of man turns down a night with a princess, especially her first? I know you are odd Vo—Kaladin…but you are still a man.”

“You mean turning away a drugged, confused, and terrified girl?” I said pointedly.

Lauren raised an eyebrow at me. “You know, for someone so handsome, you can be awfully terrifying with that glare of yours. I’m starting to see that your scowl is just a permanent feature of your face.”

“Thanks?” I muttered. “Anyways…I would never take advantage of a girl when they are at their lowest, even more so Ren. My mother would be very displeased with me.”

Lauren laughed at something which was apparently funny. “Your mother would be displeased? Now I may be biased, but I’m confident that most mothers would be overjoyed with having their sons turned into a prince via a passionate night with a princess.”

Now it was my turn to be annoyed.

I narrowed my eyes at Lauren, and she seemingly shrank back from me a little. Lauren was still afraid of me, although she did a phenomenal job at hiding her fear, unlike her sister. “You don’t know my mother very well then. I was given a great piece of advice from a friend. Never to do something that would make my mother sad. That advice has served me well. I would have regretted it deeply if I had done something to Ren…who is your sister may I remind you.”

“I’m aware of who I’m speaking about. I offered on multiple occasions to take Ren’s place, but she wouldn’t let me. With my mother pressing the issue, I had no room to wiggle. So she set herself upon this journey,” Lauren said flatly.

The conversation petered out for a moment, and a beautiful, genuine smile appeared on her face. “But thank you, Kaladin. You are truly a good man. Thank you for saving my sister and me, along with our kingdom. I…I wouldn't know what to do if it weren’t for you.”

I felt my mouth go agape for a moment, and I was at a loss for words. Lauren’s voice was filled with so much emotion that I had to make sure I was looking at her and not some imposter. She quickly averted her eyes but not before I saw the sad smile on her face.

That’s right…Lauren… isn’t a bad person.

She loves her sister and this country. Lauren is far from perfect, and she is attempting to shoulder the burden of an entire nation on her tiny shoulders, which must be a daunting task. She even mentioned to me on that balcony all those nights ago that once she graduated, Lauren wouldn’t be able to enjoy this time anymore, that she would have to be a princess full time essentially. I can’t say I agree with her choice of how to spend said time, but…it is what it is.

That’s why she is acting odd right now. Because she is in her princess mode…

Lauren made the sacrifice a long time ago…the sacrifice to stop being herself for the sake of her people and family. After spending some time with her mother, I see something now that I didn’t before. Her acting annoyed and pissed off is just her way of being defensive. At least, in my opinion, it is. She’s not actually like that.

She’s just a girl…a girl with big shoes to fill. Her mother is undoubtedly a successful ruler, and Lauren must feel pressured to meet that high standard. And knowing her, she probably wants to surpass it.

All while playing the tough guy.

I chuckled, and Lauren looked up at me, confused. “You really are a big softy at heart,” I told her.

A mischievous smile spread across her face as she giggled and grabbed me by the arm, enveloping it in her soft chest. “And what exactly do you mean by that, mhm?”

My heart skipped a beat for a moment, and I had to remind myself that when Lauren really wanted to; she could be quite charming. “Can I ask you a question?” I asked, trying to deflect to something else.

Lauren cocked her head to the side and let go of me. “Oh? What would that be?”

I scratched the back of my head and just shrugged off the concerns building in the back of my mind. Perhaps I was reading too much into things, but I had to wonder…

“Lauren, this may sound odd, but I want to know something. Do you have romantic feelings for me?” I asked her.

Lauren’s green eyes went wide, and she took a single step back and doubled over. Her laughter filled the hallways, and she was going at it so hard she started snorting. I felt my face flush with embarrassment and cleared my throat to get her to stop, but she just continued laughing at me.

I don’t think this is the answer I was looking for. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

“Lauren…it was a serious question,” I said under my breath.

Lauren wiped the tears from her face, and she was holding onto her stomach as if it hurt. “Oh god, Kaladin…you really are the biggest fool I’ve ever met. What kind of man looks a girl in the eyes and asks such a question with a straight face?” she said in between barely suppressed chuckles.

“I…just wanted to know…” I grumbled.

I don’t believe I love Lauren, not even a little. She is a charming and beautiful girl, that much I can admit. But if I go back to what Varnir told me, I don’t feel myself thinking about her all that much. I don’t necessarily want to know more about her in some romantic way or ask her about her day, or even ask her about her hobbies.

I don’t hate Lauren, but I don’t necessarily want to be around her, either. I mean, we are friends, I hope…but that’s all. And I…I was just curious.

Lauren stood a little straighter, let out one more laugh, and cleared her throat. “It’s because I know you are dead serious that I can laugh like that. Promise me you’ll never change, Kaladin. You are amazing the way you are, regardless of what some might say.”

I looked at her suspiciously. “I’ll keep that in mind. But what exactly are people saying about me?”

Lauren waved my concerns away. “Forget about it. It shouldn’t even matter to someone like you, and I know for a certainty you don’t give a damn about what others think.”

Then she stopped in the hallway and looked up at me. Her green eyes seemed to roam around me, and a very sad smile appeared on her face. “To tell you the truth, Kaladin, I don’t love you at all. Instead, I love the idea of being with you,” she said with a hint of sadness.

“Huh?”

Lauren giggled and shrugged as her sad smile seemed to grow. “It’s true. I don’t think what I feel towards you is love. I just know what kind of man you are and when I think about it, I tell myself I’d rather be with you than anyone else.”

“Care to explain?” I asked cautiously.

Lauren nodded her head and smiled while looking down the hallway. “I know that if we were together, I’d never have to look over my shoulder, wondering if you were going to stab me in the back. I know that if you loved me, you would protect me with your life just as you do for that Vampire. I also know that if you and I had a family, you would protect them as you protect Mila. And that if I asked you to help defend this nation that my family built and the place I call home…you would help me.” Lauren looked me up and down, then winked. “I suppose it helps that you are rather attractive and powerful as well. Not many men would be able to best you in well…anything.”

I had to blink a few times to clear my racing mind. I…I hadn’t been expecting to hear that today. I didn’t really know what to say. My head was spinning, and I felt light on my feet. Hearing those kinds of compliments and how much Lauren values me… made me happy. But there was something she said in that little speech that soured my mood the second I recalled it.

Something I wouldn’t stand for.

Lauren’s eyes went wide again, but this time for another reason, as she took a shaky step back from me as sweat beaded down her forehead. “I’ve heard more and more of those remarks recently, Lauren. And although I appreciate what you said about me, I won’t accept that kind of slander towards those I care about. You can say what you want about me. You don’t even necessarily need to get along with Sylvia, although I wish you would. I once told you that I wish to be your friend and not your enemy, and I stand by that statement even now, regardless of what actions I take in the future. However…”

I lowered my face into hers, and she backed up frantically. I could hear the guards shuffle as they looked at one another and began walking towards us with increasing speed.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“If you continue to belittle and vilify Sylvia, we are going to have a very serious problem, do you understand?”

I backed away from her and drew my bloodlust back in. I could hear Lauren gasp for breath as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She stuck out a hand while glaring at her guards. She looked at me with a strained smile. “I…I’m sorry…I suppose I’ve been a little too harsh towards her recently. I—I just—”

“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to her. Understand?” I said coldly.

She nodded her head and sighed while wiping the sweat from her face. “I understand.” Then she smiled mischievously again at me and poked her cheek with her finger. “And I stand corrected. How is it that you can be so frightening yet so attractive? I may just wet myself next time if you continue to glare at me so hard. Are you into that by chance?”

I rubbed my face and laughed slightly. Lauren really is something…being able to bounce back like that… she might just make a fine queen after all.

“No…I can’t say that I am. Who even likes that kind of stuff? What kind of degen—”

I flicked around as I felt the familiar sensation of a spell core approaching me. I scanned the hallway in front of me, but I didn’t see anything immediately, and I didn’t have enough time to put mana into my eye. Then, an inky black figure seemingly sprung from the shadow of a nearby column and lurched at me.

I was about to punch it with a mana-enhanced fist when I stopped myself just in time. I was suddenly swarmed and consumed by a bone-crushing hug. “Kaladin! I finally found you!” a familiar voice said excitedly into my ear.

“General Shadowstorm?! What are you doing?” Lauren squealed in shock.

My aunt tilted her head to the side and looked at Lauren. “Ah, Your Highness, good morning,” she said simply.

I could feel Lauren glaring at the back of my head, most likely trying to discern why a Shadow Dancer, and apparently a general at that, had suddenly appeared only to embrace me. I pulled my aunt off of me. “Uh…good morning.”

“I’ve been looking for you all morning, Kaladin! We can finally have some time to talk,” she said with a wide smile.

A lot like Dad…

“What is the meaning of this? Why do you need to speak to him now, of all times?” Lauren whined.

My aunt looked over to the princess again with a smile that didn’t quite reach her droopy ears. “Why don’t you run along, Princess? I need to have a talk with Kaladin here.”

“Why—”

“Run along, Princess,” she said in a cold tone.

I looked over my shoulder, and Lauren gave me a pleading look, but I could only shrug. We had a good little conversation, and I did want to talk to my aunt, who I had never met before. I imagine the two of us had much to speak about.

Lauren seemingly understood my gaze and gave us a slight bow. “General Shadowstorm. Sir Dragonslayer, I’ll leave you two now.”

“I’ll see you around, Your Highness,” I said playfully.

Lauren raised an eyebrow at me, then winked. “Oh, you will indeed.”

My aunt waved Lauren goodbye and practically dragged me across the hallway. Looking at her made me feel a bit nostalgic after all. She was practically the female version of my father, especially with her soft facial features and kind smile. In addition, she was tall for a woman nearing around six feet which was tall even for a Dark Elf.

Her bright swirling purple eyes looked happy as she pulled me along. Her dark skin was marked with white scars, and her arms flexed with well-toned muscles through her lavender blouse. And her black pants weren’t doing much to hide her giant thighs.

Huh…she is even sort of built like Dad…you know what…I’m going to keep that part to myself.

She must have felt my gaze and turned around to look at me. She tilted her head to the side, but her smile never faded. “Something the matter, Kaladin?”

Man…that smile…

I tried to return it, but I felt like I was straining myself. “It’s…you just remind me of Dad when you smile like that,” I told her honestly.

The look that spread across her face was not one I was expecting. She looked surprised, even slightly angry at that comment. Her brows furrowed, and she narrowed her eyes at me, and it looked like she was about to yell at me. But that quickly faded, and she looked at me with a deep sadness.

“Is…did I say something wrong?” I asked, unsure how I soured her mood.

She shook her head and took a deep breath. “No…well…yes. You see…the Alanis I knew never smiled,” she told me without a hint of sarcasm. She was being deadly serious.

“Huh?” I blurted out in disbelief.

My father? Not smiling? I mean, he had his moments like everyone, but he was a cheerful and joyful man…his smile was comforting.

She looked about, ready to cry for a moment, but she shook her head, her long, raven black hair following her movements. Her hair was straightened, and it was so long it went past her hips. “I’m not sure if you telling me that Alanis smiles like me is a good thing or not. He… never really smiled back in the day. I could probably count on one hand how many times I saw my little brother genuinely smile.”

Ah…that’s right, she is the older sibling. If Dad was nearing two hundred eighty almost seven years ago, and it takes Dark Elves two to three decades to conceive…that means she is probably well over three hundred.

She squeezed my shoulder and gave me a wry smile. “I apologize…I learned from Bowen that you were separated some time ago. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories, Kaladin…it’s just…hard.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “Yeah…it’s okay.”

It must be hard for her as well. I imagine she assumed her brother died thirty years ago.

She sighed and motioned for me to follow along with her when she suddenly stopped on her heels and squeezed my hand. “I am so sorry! I realized I hadn’t even told you my name. My name is Illyssia Shadowstorm, and I am Alanis’s older sister.” She gave me a playful wink. “But you can just call me Aunt…or Aunty? Wait, don’t call me Aunty. That makes me feel old. Aunt will do.”

So…did Dad model his personality after his sister then? He must have…, but why…

“Aunt Illyssia, I see…” I mumbled. I caught her staring at me with a sad smile. “Ummm, Aunt Illyssia?”

Her sad smile only grew more as she gently rubbed the side of my face. “You told me that I remind you of your father, but for me…you remind me of him. That stoic expression on your face was how I knew your father.”

“I don’t understand how that could be. The man who raised me was nothing like me. He was kind, caring, and a great father who always smiled and laughed. He seldom wore the kind of faces I do,” I admitted.

“I’m happy he became that kind of man in the end. You see, your grandmother passed away giving birth to your father. That fact always weighed heavily on him, and I practically raised him on my own. When…when he was old enough, he took him… and—”

She stopped talking, and at that moment, things began piecing together for me. Shadowstorm…Terstus is my cousin, and Illyssia is his mother. Why I couldn’t tell we were related was something for me to consider another time, but it helped put two and two together.

Alanis wasn’t some simple Dark Elf Shadow Dancer…if Terstus was going to be the next clan leader, that meant…father was probably the next leader…

“Father… was going to be the next clan leader, wasn’t he?” I muttered in disbelief.

Aunt Illyssia’s eyes went wide. “He never told you then? Just like Bowen said?” I nodded. “I see…he never did tell you…your father… he was an important man. He led armies, Kaladin…he was the best of us. Your grandfather trained him from the moment he could hold a spear despite my pleading.”

“Father was trained from birth to be a warrior? He…I don’t understand…how…”

Dad was trained to be a soldier…just like I was? She tried stopping it as well?

Aunt Illyssia looked behind me and flicked around to see if anyone was watching us. The occasional guard patrol or servant would pass by, but nothing more. “The night your father agreed to take over as clan leader was the same night…I…we thought he was dead, Kaladin. We’ve spent the last thirty years trying to fill the rift Alanis left with his death.”

“What happened? What kind of death did my father suffer to change so much?” I asked.

“It was the fact he died. He was the only eligible son to take over for our father. He was loved and admired by everyone. He had strong ties with Brax and all of their commanders. Even the Emperor had nothing but praise for Alanis. He was the stout defender of our clan…our number one…we thought him to be unkillable, yet he died right at the end…” Illyssia muttered.

I could see the tears welling up in her eyes as she clenched her jaw. She appeared to be getting angry but was managing to plug the dam on her emotions.

She looked up at me and must have sensed my uncertainty. “Relations with Brax weakened after we failed to assassinate Tel’an’duths Emperor. With the death of Alanis, there was nobody else to fill his position other than our father. With no son of my own and me not being eligible…things became strained not only with Brax but within the clan. Whispers of inadequacy and failure began seeping through the cracks. People were not happy that Alanis, our champion, died, and our family took the brunt of the blame. Smaller influential families began vying for power, and after Maxwell took over Brax…it was a mess, Kaladin…an absolute mess. It wasn’t until I gave birth to your cousin that things finally calmed down.”

“But…you tried stopping my dad? Didn’t you?”

Tears began flowing from her eyes as she weakly nodded her head. “Yes…I tried so hard to convince him to stop the path he was going down. I felt like I had watched my little brother turn into a monster right before my very eyes. He fought with the same emotionless face you wore during the ceremony… he fought for over two hundred years, Kaladin…he spent all that time fighting and killing…he doesn’t even know…I…never told him.”

“Never told him what?” I asked quickly.

She shook her head. “Your grandma’s last words to me…I can’t say it…not now…I…I need to know why he disappeared from us…why he spent all this time away from us…he even started a family…I never knew…I would have lived my entire life thinking he was dead…we all would have,” she stammered out.

Aunt Illyssia buried her head into my chest and began sobbing. I had been here before, so I knew what to do. I just gently returned her hug and allowed her a few moments to herself. I imagine seeing my face must be ripping open old wounds…I could never imagine what it must be like to believe your own family to be dead only for their son to show up thirty years later… especially when their son looks like me.

She pulled away from me and grabbed me by the face. A look of sadness and determination on her face. “I promised Bowen I wouldn’t tell you all of this, but it appears I’ve told you too much. Kaladin…I want you to know that you are family, no matter what anyone else says. You will always be my nephew. Do you understand me?”

“Yes…I understand. And thank you,” I told her honestly.

“And I…I won’t let them use you like they used your father. I swear on my life I won’t let them turn you into a monster as they did to Alanis. I just—Kaladin?”

My mind was numb, and my ears started ringing. I felt my heart sink as I wiped at my face, only to feel a warm liquid leaking from my eye. Aunt Illyssia was just watching me with wide eyes. I…nobody had ever told me that before… no one has ever said they would do that for me.

Although...she may already be too late.

“Kaladin? Hey? What’s wrong?” she asked, shaking me by the shoulders.

I nodded and grabbed her hand gently, and put on my best smile. “Thank you, Aunt Illyssia…I needed to hear that. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

She looked at me in pure confusion for a moment, but I soon lost sight of her face as she brought me in for another hug. Muttering that she promised not to let me down and that she was sorry for not noticing sooner. Of course, I assured her it wasn’t her fault. The whole point of me hiding was for no one to know it was me, after all.

Once we both calmed down a bit, we began walking down the hallway once more as we had created quite the scene. It was…embarrassing crying out in the open like that, where people undoubtedly saw me, but it is what it is. At least I wasn’t a sobbing mess.

But right now, I have a more pressing question to be answered.

“Saying I was part of the Shadow Clan is going to cause problems, isn’t it?” I asked.

Aunt Illyssia nodded. “Yeah, I’ve never heard of the last name Shadowheart, so it must be the name your father came up with. And although we didn’t know you were a Dark Elf, we did know quite a bit about you considering your…attachment to the princesses, amongst other things. But yes…you saying you were a part of the clan will cause a massive stir. And if people begin connecting the dots as I have, it will only be a matter of time before things explode on us.”

“Figures,” I grunted.

“But I swear I’ll stall as long as I can! Bowen told me Alanis is coming, so maybe I can buy you some time…” she said weakly.

I gave her a side eye and sighed. “It’s too late, isn’t it?”

Aunt Illyssia nodded meekly. “Probably… if your grandpa didn’t learn about your actual existence and claim last night, it’s bound to happen soon. Unfortunately, it may already be too late, and I’m certain my actions during the ceremony didn’t help. Sorry…”

“It’s fine, nothing to apologize for. I don’t have any plans of running the clan or trying to take it from anyone. I don’t even want it. And I’m happy I got to meet you, Aunt Illyssia,” I said honestly.

Her regular smile returned as she nodded at my words. “Yeah…me too, Kaladin. Me too.”

I caught her eye drift towards an open window, and I followed it. Sitting outside in a flower garden were two people I recognized. The older man from The Mists was Ren’s master and teacher. Mr. Maran and his two sons accompanied him.

Their long black hair draped to the sides from a bun, and they stood at attention in their eastern Asian robes. One son utilized a longer katana which I believed was called an Odachi, while the other used a glaive. One appeared to be slightly older than the other, but for the most part, they looked the same.

Ah…I guess the older one has a short beard and mustache.

But it wasn’t Ren’s master that caught my eye. It was the old lady from The Holy Kingdom that did. She seemed to be absent-mindedly staring into the garden as her two fully armored Paladins stood beside her. The old woman’s chair was more of a palanquin than a chair. And if I was told correctly, she was the Pontifex, the head of the church for Amon-Ra.

“Something the matter? Or is watching some old woman a pastime of yours?” Aunt Illyssia teased.

I shook my head. “There is nothing normal about that woman.”

I put mana into my Dragon eye and regretted it immediately as I shut it closed before any damage could be done. The woman was a beacon of light, and Soul Sight had revealed that not only was she at War God level, but her chair was also a huge source of mana as well. How was a soul ingrained into her…I didn’t know…but wait…

I opened my palm and summoned my dungeon core. I hadn’t brought this thing out in a long time, so I decided to feed my eye a bit, and—gah!

“Kaladin!? Are you alright?” Illyssia shouted while kneeling down to help me up.

I quickly put the core back into my ring and winced. “Yeah…I’m fine…that was just unexpected.”

I would have never thought my dungeon core would have been so overwhelmingly bright. It may have even been a level above a War God…but it was condensed into a crystal somehow. But if what I’m seeing is the soul…then how the hell does this thing have such potent energy?

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I could feel a powerful gaze. I looked back into the courtyard and caught the pontifex watching me with a lethal gaze. I thought for a moment that she was going to spring from her chair and attack me.

I looked at my aunt, but she didn’t appear to notice anything amiss. I gazed back at the pontifex, and I swear for a moment I saw something move behind her…I…wasn’t certain…but it looked like a bit of light…

“Kaladin? Speak to me, are you—”

“Ah, there you are. It looks like you ended up…finding…hey, are you guys okay?” an unfamiliar voice called out to us.

I turned my attention toward the newcomer, and I was met by a pair of light smokey gray eyes observing me. The handsome Dark Elf man was tall and dressed in pitch-black armor, his black hair falling to his sides. He was leaning against his spear, which was made from a similar metal that I imagined to be Mythril. The only thing different about him was that he wasn’t wearing his mask, and now I could see his face clearly.

Ah…Terstus got his looks from his father.

He looked over to Aunt Illyssia and then to me. “Seems you both have had a good cry recently.” He walked over to me and gave me a conflicted smile while extending his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Kaladin. I suppose I’m your Uncle Parhen.”

I took his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you, Uncle.”

He, uh…doesn’t look all that happy to see me.

He nodded his head and let out a satisfied sigh. “Lys, His Majesty wishes to speak to you.”

My aunt groaned and rolled her eyes. “But I’m busy! He can just—”

“Lys…language,” Parhen chided.

Aunt Illyssia puffed her cheeks out and sighed. She gently grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “I’ll talk to you some other time, Kaladin. After all, I want to meet my great-niece,” she said with a wink.

“Yeah. Well, you know where to find me,” I told her.

My uncle gave me a nod goodbye, and with that, the two Shadow Dancers disappeared into the shadows.

It’s time to go home. But I really should try this magic someday.