I stared at Dad for several long seconds. The coldfire, the divine power that House Kaltbrand wielded, was one of the reasons why they were so powerful. Dad wanted me to inherit this power in order to become the heir of House Kaltbrand while still remaining in House Guld’s family register? Was that even possible?
“What do you mean?” I asked.
After I accepted this commission from Dad, I wanted to learn more about divine power out of curiosity. However, that fell by the wayside because of how busy I was from the banquet and dealing with Fallen Leaves. Even when I learned that I was a Kaltbrand, it never occurred to me that I might inherit the coldfire.
“The Emperor is the highest authority in the land.” Dad said. “While the nobility have many rights and privileges, the ducal families in particular, the Emperor is still the undisputed ruler of the Reichwald Empire.” He pointed a finger up. “However, there are higher powers whose authority supersedes even that of the Emperor.”
“The gods.” I said.
I was never the most devout churchgoer. Not because I denied the existence of the gods, I had seen too much for that, but because faith was a personal matter for me. The occasional prayer and offering at the nearest temple was enough for me. Though, I admit that I was an unusual case. Most people attended church on a regular basis, even if they couldn’t go every week.
“Yes.” Dad said. “If you inherit the coldfire, a divine power gifted to House Kaltbrand by the God of Darkness, not even the Emperor could deny your qualification as heir to House Kaltbrand.”
That made sense. House Reichwald’s legitimacy as rulers stemmed from two major factors: they are the descendants of the hero who saved the world from demons, and the divine power gifted to them by the gods. If I inherited the coldfire, the Emperor would have no excuse to interfere with House Kaltbrand’s succession. Otherwise, he would be denying the will of the gods and undermining his own legitimacy.
Not only that, but he would face opposition from the other ducal families. Each of them wielded their own form of divine power, which was the foundation of their power and legitimacy. If the Emperor still interfered with House Kaltbrand’s succession, even if I inherited the coldfire, the other ducal families would see that as a threat and take action.
“I see.” I said. “How do I inherit the coldfire? And how does it differ from the divine power wielded by priests and priestesses?”
“For priests and priestesses,” Dad said, answering my second question first, “Their divine power comes from their faith in the god they serve. The deeper their faith, the stronger their divine power. This is why higher ranked priests and priestesses have more power than their juniors. They are the most devout and thus have the most divine power.” He gestured to himself. “For House Kaltbrand, it is more akin to a contract. As long as we adhere to the contract, the coldfire is ours to wield as we see fit. Faith has nothing to do with it.”
I blinked at him in surprise.
“Wait a moment,” I said, “Does this mean that the coldfire isn’t something passed down from parent to child?”
Dad took a moment to think before responding.
“Yes and no.” He said. “It is more akin to an inherited duty rather than an inherited trait.” He gestured to me. “Each heir of House Kaltbrand becomes a new signatory of the contract, and thus gains the ability to wield the coldfire. However, there have been instances where the reverse was true. A Kaltbrand inherited the coldfire first before becoming the heir.”
I frowned.
“It can’t be that simple.” I said.
“Simple? Yes. Easy? No. In order to wield the coldfire, you must prove yourself to the God of Darkness and pass his test. This test is dangerous, and you may even lose your life.” Dad sighed. “I wanted to wait until after everything settled down before taking you to be tested. However, given the situation, we might have to expedite the matter. I leave the choice to you.”
I mulled over Dad’s words. If I didn’t take the risk, I would have to get House Guld to remove me from their family register, which none of us wanted. Not only that, but I would be delaying the inevitable. In order to become the next head of House Kaltbrand, I would still need to go through the God of Darkness’ test and inherit the coldfire.
Viewed from that perspective, the choice was simple. Since I needed to risk my life either way, I might as well choose the path that let me remain a part of House Guld even as I became a part of House Kaltbrand. I could be both a Guld and a Kaltbrand. I didn’t have to choose one or the other.
“I’ll do it.” I said. “It sounds like I need to go through this test anyway if I want to become the next head of House Kaltbrand, so I might as well get it over with.”
Dad nodded.
“Yes.” He said. “To become the next head of House Kaltbrand, you need approval from the God of Darkness. This is why I never chose an heir from the potential candidates. None of them would have passed the test.”
“What would you have done if I hadn’t existed?” I asked, more than a little curious.
Dad shrugged.
“I would have found a worthy heir to bring into the family.” He said. “Either through marriage, adoption, or both. It wouldn’t be the first time in House Kaltbrand’s history that we had to pull a trick like that. How do you think we’ve managed to maintain our power over the last thousand years? We ensure that only a worthy heir inherits. Otherwise, we would have fallen a long time ago.”
I stared at him in shock.
“One doesn’t even need to be a Kaltbrand by blood in order to inherit the coldfire?” I asked.
“Correct.” He said. “Blood is important, but approval from the God of Darkness is even more important.”
Doubt filled my heart.
“What if I don’t pass the test?” I asked.
Dad gave me a reassuring smile.
“You will.” He said. “While the test is dangerous, you have all the qualities needed to earn the God of Darkness’ approval. However, I’m afraid that is all I can tell you about it. You’ll have to find out the rest yourself.”
His faith in me put the doubt in my heart to rest.
“Thank you.” I said. “When do I take the test?”
“Tonight.” Dad said. “I need some time in order to make arrangements with the Church of Light and Darkness, but no more than half a day.”
I frowned.
“What about the banquet?” I asked.
“We can afford to miss one night.” Dad said. “This takes precedence. Father and Sophie can host the banquet in our place.” He nodded at me. “In the meantime, I suggest that you rest and calm your mind. You’ll need a clear heart for the test.”
I didn’t mind that at all. In fact, I felt relieved that I wouldn’t have to deal with the northern nobles tonight. After everything that had happened today, I was exhausted in both body and spirit. A good rest sounded like heaven right now.
“In that case, I’ll take my leave.” I said.
“Go.” Dad said. “I’ll send someone to fetch you when the time is right.”
I nodded, before leaving the northern gardens.
----------------------------------------
After leaving the northern gardens, I decided to check in on Lina and Mika before retiring to my rooms. The sight of Mika fleeing the dining room earlier still haunted me, and I wanted to clear the air between us before I took the test tonight. I also wanted to see Lina. The two of us hadn’t had a moment to ourselves since she arrived at Kaltbrand Castle. We hadn’t seen each other in three years, and I wanted to spend some time alone with my spring queen.
When I arrived at Mika’s rooms, the maids assigned to serve her led me to the sitting room. They informed me that Lina was tending to Mika, and that I might have to wait a while to see either of them. I told the maid that I was fine with waiting, before I settled in the sitting room. The maids offered to bring me refreshments, but I declined.
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About ten minutes later, Lina arrived in the sitting room. She looked a little worse for wear compared to before. The moment I saw her, I stood up and took her into my arms. Lina accepted my embrace and leaned against me, letting out a contented sigh. Neither one of us said anything at first. We just enjoyed the comfort of each other’s presence.
“How is she?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“Asleep.” Lina answered, sounding tired. “After I managed to calm Mika down, I put her to bed so she could get some rest. The journey up here was a difficult one. That, in addition to the fear of losing you again, proved too much for her.”
Guilt pierced my heart.
“I’m sorry.” I said. “I hadn’t realized that running away from Guld Manor would hurt everyone like that.”
Back then, I wanted to leave as soon as possible to avoid running into Emmerich Guld.
“No.” Lina said, her voice sharp. “You were too focused on your own troubles that you never stopped to consider how your actions would affect the rest of us.” She sighed, before continuing in a softer voice. “Though, the fault lies with us in the end. If we maintained better control over our own servants, none of this would have happened. We didn’t realize what Nanny did to you until after you left.”
“How did you find out about that?” I asked. “I never said a word of what happened to anyone, and I doubt that Baroness Lafrenz would have told anyone.”
Lina snorted.
“That’s where you're wrong, Wulfram.” She said. “About a month after you left, Nanny mentioned to Emmerich that she was glad to have him back instead of the fake who took his place. Emmerich found this odd and questioned her. Nanny tried to evade his questions, but he persisted and soon she told him the full story. Afterwards, Emmerich brought the matter before the rest of us.”
I stiffened when I heard that Emmerich Guld, the one member of House Guld who I harbored ill feelings towards, was the one who discovered the truth of how Baroness Lafrenz treated me. That was a bitter sort of irony.
“When I heard about what she did to you,” Lina said in a hard voice, “I wanted to strip Nanny of her title and wealth, before tossing her out onto the streets. Father and Mother disagreed because of Nanny’s many years of service.”
I figured something like that would've happened, though I still felt a measure of disappointment. No matter how poorly Baroness Lafrenz had treated me, she served House Guld as a loyal vassal for decades. They didn’t bear the same loathing towards her that I harbored.
“However, they agreed that Nanny deserved some form of punishment.” Lina continued. “So they banished her from Guld Manor in disgrace and forbade her from ever returning.” She paused. “They also let me cut out her tongue.”
I blinked when I heard that, before I pulled away from Lina and looked her in the eyes.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
I heard her just fine. It was just that I couldn’t believe what she said.
“I cut out Nanny’s tongue as punishment for what she did to you.” Lina said in a matter of fact tone. “Father and Mother agreed that it was a suitable punishment, one that matched her crime. After all, she whispered poisonous lies into your ears for years. It was only fitting that she lost her tongue as a result.”
I stared at Lina for a moment.
“You had her tongue cut out?” I asked.
“No.” Lina said, as if speaking to someone hard of hearing. “I cut out her tongue myself. Knights from the Order of the Golden Rose held her down, but I was the one who wielded the knife.”
I was at a loss for words.
“Lina, Baroness Lafrenz was a loyal vassal of House Guld.” I said after I regained my composure. “I’m not defending her or justifying her actions, but she served House Guld for years. Not only that, but she raised and educated you and the others. You cut out her tongue? Just like that?”
“Yes.” Lina said, a merciless gleam in her eyes. “She forgot her place and insulted House Guld with her actions. Father and Mother chose you as their son. You were not, and never were, a fake or a substitute for anyone. Nanny disrespected House Guld with her actions. Worst of all, she caused you pain. For that alone, she deserved severe punishment. The one reason why we only cut out her tongue was because of her long years of service to House Guld. If Father and Mother had let me have my way, Nanny would have suffered a far worse fate.”
I smiled at her words.
“I’m touched, and somewhat horrified, by how far you would go for me.” I said.
“Of course,” Lina said, as if stating the obvious. “That is how important you are to me. And I know you would go just as far for my sake.” She snorted. “You came to this forsaken land in order to earn a noble title so you and I could marry without issue. That alone speaks volumes about your dedication towards me. How could I not do the same for you?”
Lina reached over to cup my face, before kissing me on the lips. I leaned down to meet her halfway. Unlike our kiss from earlier, when we first saw each other after spending years apart, this one was soft and gentle. It contained none of the desperation and hunger.
“I missed this.” Lina said after we pulled apart, her eyes closed. “You have no idea how difficult it was to remain at Guld Manor, despite knowing where you were.” She opened her eyes. “After going through that once, I’m never letting you go again. I did so the first time out of respect for you and your wishes, but no more. Where you go, I go. Understood, my Winter King?”
“Yes, my Spring Queen.” I said, before kissing her on the lips again.
This one was more heated, more passionate, than our previous kiss. Despite this, I made sure to keep myself in check. As much as I hungered for Lina, there were certain proprieties that we needed to adhere to. So, with great reluctance, Lina and I stopped kissing instead of going further. The two of us took a moment to cool off and calm down.
“It worked out in the end.” I said, picking up the conversation where we left off. “If I hadn’t come to the Barrens, I would have never found my birth family.”
Lina scowled.
“I don’t like them.”She said. “After abandoning you for more than twenty years, now they want you back? How dare they? If they truly cared about you, they should have looked for you sooner.”
I shook my head.
“There were extenuating circumstances.” I said.
Lina gave me a skeptical look.
“Before you scoff,” I said, “Listen to what I have to say first. Reserve your judgments until after.”
With that, I proceeded to tell Lina a brief summary of how my birth parents lost me, though I kept the more personal parts to myself. Those were Mom and Dad’s secrets and weren’t mine to share. When I finished, Lina’s scowl softened though it didn’t go away.
“I still don’t like them.” She said after I finished. “Though I dislike them less than before. Grand Duke Kaltbrand is a scoundrel, and it’s clear that Knight Commander Bardin views me as a threat.” She smirked. “She’s afraid that I’m here to steal her son away from her. Little does she know, you are already mine.”
I heaved out a heavy sigh.
“Please try to get along with them.” I said. “They’re going to become your parents too after we get married.”
“I make no promises.” Lina warned. “If your birth parents insult me or pick fights with me, I’m not going to smile and pretend as if nothing happened.” She paused. “However, I won’t insult or start fights with them first.”
I nodded.
“That’s all I ask.” I said. “I’ll speak with them as well. At the very least, I hope everyone can be polite and civil with one another.”
Lina sighed.
“You haven’t changed your mind, I take it?” she asked. “You still intend on becoming the heir to House Kaltbrand?”
I nodded.
“Yes.” I said. “I found my birth family, and I won’t abandon them.” I grinned. “Besides, the reason why I came to the Barrens in the first place was to earn a noble title. I think ‘Grand Duke’ is a fine one. Don’t you agree, future Grand Duchess?”
Lina snorted.
“As much as I dislike the Barrens and your birth family, I do like the sound of that.” She said. “This is the only situation in which I’ll marry into a family with a higher status than my own.”
True. Other than House Kaltbrand, the ducal families were more or less equal in status. Everyone else was lower than them. There was House Reichwald, but they were Lina’s family. The laws of the Reichwald Empire forbade any consanguineous marriages closer than six degrees of relation. That meant second cousins at most.
“I just don’t like the idea of removing you from House Guld’s family register.” Lina continued, her expression grim. “It feels too much like you’re abandoning us in favor of your birth family.”
“Oh, Dad and I discussed the matter.” I said. “There is a way for me to become the heir of House Kaltbrand without removing me from House Guld’s family register or giving the Emperor an excuse to meddle with House Kaltbrand’s succession.”
“How?” Lina asked with a frown.
“I need to inherit the coldfire.” I said.
Lina’s eyes widened.
“Of course,” she said, almost muttering to herself, “Why didn’t I think of that? The succession of House Guld works the same way. In the end, the gods are the ones who make the final decision. If you inherit the coldfire, then not even the Emperor can do anything about it.”
I tilted my head.
“What is House Guld’s divine power?” I asked, curious.
Everyone in the Reichwald Empire knew about House Kaltbrand’s divine power because they weren’t shy about using it. However, the other ducal families were more reticent about revealing theirs. Even I didn’t know much about House Guld’s divine power, and I lived with them for over seven years.
“Fertility and prosperity.” Lina answered. “It’s not as flashy as the coldfire, but it helped our family grow powerful and wealthy.”
No wonder a family like House Guld ruled the Riverlands, if this was their power. It was more subtle than the coldfire, but it was just as powerful. In fact, in many ways, it was even more powerful. I wondered how much of the Riverlands’ current prosperity was thanks to House Guld’s divine power.
“When will you be tested?” Lina asked. “I know that for our family, one must prove oneself worthy. I imagine that you will have to go through something similar to inherit the coldfire.”
“Tonight.” I said with a nod. “So, I won’t be attending the night’s banquet.”
“Then I won’t attend either.” Lina said. “There wouldn’t be any point without you there.” She smiled. “In that case, are you free until tonight?”
I grinned at her.
“Yes.” I said. “So you have me for the entire afternoon.”
With that, Lina and I spent the rest of the day with each other.