The Emperor led our group back to his study. Knight Commander Bennett accompanied us, but didn’t go into the study itself. Instead, he remained out in the hallway while the rest of us went inside. Despite the addition of two more people, the Emperor’s study didn’t feel cramped or uncomfortable. If anything, the minimal furniture and the lack of decorations gave the room an empty feeling.

Tower Master Katarina looked around in surprise when the five of us entered, acting as if she had never been here before. I found that unusual. As Tower Master, it wouldn’t have been unusual for her to meet with the Emperor for one reason or another. Perhaps they had met outside his study.

“Now then,” the Emperor said after he sat behind his desk, “I am not in the mood for any more nonsense, so let us get this over with.” He glared at everyone else. “This little conflict of yours ends today. I don’t care how you do it, or what kind of agreement you come to, but none of you are leaving this room until it is done. Is that understood?”

We all glanced at one another, before we faced the Emperor again and nodded.

“Good.” He said. “State your cases.”

Tower Master Katarina stepped forward.

“Your Imperial Majesty,” she said, speaking with deference, “I implore you to order House Guld to hand Lord Emmerich Guld over to the Tower of Magic.”

“Over my dead body.” Father said, glaring at her through narrowed eyes.

The Emperor ignored him.

“Why would I do that?” He asked instead.

Tower Master Katarina gestured to Father.

“This whole conflict started because Lord Emmerich put my disciple, Valerie, in a… compromising position.” She said. “Rather than taking responsibility for his actions, he decided to run away and hide. I simply wish to see justice done.”

To her credit, she put on a good performance. If I hadn’t known any better, I might have believed her.

“I thought this conflict started because of negotiations over the price of magic tools in the Riverlands.” The Emperor said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Tower Master Katarina shook her head.

“That was a deception, Your Imperial Majesty.” She said. “An attempt to lure Lord Emmerich out into the open. We believed that if we pressured his family, he would reveal himself in order to aid them.”

“Nonsense,” Father said, “You tried to kidnap me. How do you explain that?”

Tower Master Katarina flashed him a glare.

“That was our back up plan.” She said. “If Lord Emmerich refused to show himself, we planned to exchange you for him.”

“See?” Father said, gesturing to her. “She admits to attempting to kidnap the head of one of the ducal families. If you leave this unpunished, not only will it damage the honor and dignity of the nobility, but it will also weaken imperial authority.”

That was a fair argument. If word got out that the Tower of Magic attempted to kidnap the head of one the empire’s most prominent noble families, and the Emperor did nothing about it, it would cause discontent among the other nobles.

“Father,” Prince Jeremias said, stepping forward to stand next to Tower Master Katarina, “While I understand Duke Guld’s perspective, Tower Master Katarina was simply trying to protect the dignity and honor of an innocent young woman: her disciple.”

I resisted the urge to snort at that. Valerie was a young woman, but she wasn’t innocent.

“Not only that,” Prince Jeremias continued, “We should take Valerie’s status into consideration. Though she may not be a noble, as Tower Master Katarina’s disciple, her rank is no less than Lord Emmerich’s.”

The Emperor looked thoughtful at that. Father’s left eye twitched. I wondered why he didn’t refute the original charge, that Emmerich compromised Valerie’s honor. Then again, if he did, it would turn into a mire of “He said, She said”, which would just distract from the real problem.

“In that case, why not have Lord Emmerich and Valerie marry one another?” The Emperor said, a small smile on his lips. “That should be enough to restore your disciple’s honor, Tower Master Katarina. In fact, if we invite both of them here, we can go through with it today. I’m sure we can find a priest lurking about in the imperial palace if we search hard enough.”

Tower Master Katarina’s eyes bulged out and she gaped at the Emperor. Meanwhile, Father’s expression turned unsightly.

“Father,” Prince Jeremias said, a nervous expression on his face, “There is no need to be hasty-…”

“Why not?” the Emperor said. “You wish to restore Valerie’s honor? This is the quickest way to do so.” He nodded towards Father. “Yes, Tower Master Katarina could punish Lord Emmerich for his… Actions, but I doubt that House Guld would let that happen. Having Lord Emmerich atone for his actions by bringing Valerie into House Guld seems like a suitable compromise to me.”

Tower Master Katarina clenched her fists so tight, her knuckles turned white.

“Your Imperial Majesty,” she said. “I can’t-…”

“Let me reiterate,” the Emperor said, cutting her off, “I don’t care how this matter is resolved, only that it is resolved today. Making Lord Emmerich marry Valerie is one such solution.” His expression hardened. “If you’re unhappy about that, then drop the act. Everyone here knows that you’re merely using Lord Emmerich’s actions as an excuse to hold him hostage and use him as leverage against House Guld. However, if you insist otherwise, then I will take you at your word and act upon it.”

When the Emperor said that he wasn’t in the mood for nonsense, he meant it.

“I will say this,” he continued, “If the Tower of Magic and House Guld can’t settle the matter themselves, then I will hit both with sanctions.” He pointed a finger at me. “And don’t even try to bring House Kaltbrand into this, Lord Wulfe. You acted as a member of House Guld in this matter, not House Kaltbrand. Unless I hear otherwise from the Grand Duke himself, I won’t change my mind on this.”

Ah, so that’s why he wanted to settle this matter today. Mom and Dad were still a few days away from Haven. If we dragged this out until they arrived, it would become an even bigger headache for the Emperor. While he could somewhat ignore me, he couldn’t ignore Dad. I was the heir to House Kaltbrand, but Dad was the Grand Duke.

“Now then…” The Emperor started to say, but stopped when we heard a commotion outside the study.

It sounded as if a bull were charging towards us. Everyone turned towards the door just as Knight Commander Bennett’s voice rang out.

“Your Grace, you can’t-”

The door to the study exploded inward with enough force to almost knock it off its hinges. A massive figure stepped through the threshold, like a beast from some ancient legend. My heart lit up with joy when I saw who it was.

“Dad!” I said.

Dad nodded towards me and smiled, before he turned towards the Emperor and his expression hardened. He marched forward, each step as loud as thunder. Mom walked into the study behind him, a calm expression on her face. Knight Commander Bennett followed behind them, looking helpless.

“Grand Duke Kaltbrand!” the Emperor thundered. “What the blazes do you think you’re doing?”

He stood up and his divine power exploded out, flooding the study with heat. Everyone had to back away from him, lest they be burned.

“I should be the one asking you that, Your Imperial Majesty.” Dad growled.

His own divine power exploded out and met the Emperor’s. The study became simultaneously burning hot and freezing cold. Everyone tried to protect themselves as best they could, with varying degrees of success. The weakest among us, Prince Jeremias, fared the worst. He summoned a barrier to shield himself, but it looked ready to collapse at any moment. The rest of us fared much better, including Father.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

When it became clear that neither would back down, the both of them withdrew their divine power and the study returned to normal.

“I received word not too long ago that Tower Master Katarina dared to kidnap my son.” Dad growled while glaring at the Emperor. “However, imagine my surprise when I heard that instead of punishing her, you let her walk around free.”

“That doesn’t excuse your actions, Grand Duke Kaltbrand.” The Emperor said. “How dare you barge into the imperial palace like this? Your insolence borders on treason!”

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to find Mom standing by my side. She gave me a quick smile, before she turned her attention back to Dad and the Emperor.

“If it bothers you that much, feel free to punish me however you like.” Dad said, before nodding towards Tower Master Katarina. “However, you must do the same to her. Her actions went beyond the pale when she kidnapped my son.” He gave the Emperor a savage smile. “Otherwise, I will march upon the Tower of Magic, put every magician there to the sword, and turn it into a frozen tomb.”

Silence filled the study following Dad’s declaration. Everyone stared at him, their mouths agape. The Tower of Magic was an institution almost as old as the Reichwald Empire itself. The magicians there and the magic tools they created played a fundamental part in our society, especially for nobles. Not only that, but the Tower of Magic was protected by the Pact. Threatening to turn it into a frozen tomb was too much, even for Dad. At this rate, we risked making enemies of everyone, including House Reichwald.

“Dad,” I said, stepping towards him, “There’s no need to go that far. Yes, there are plenty of magicians in the Tower of Magic who deserve punishment. However, there are just as many who don’t. A few of them helped Emmerich rescue me from Blackhold.”

Dad turned towards me and blinked at me in surprise.

“You call him by his first name?” He asked. “I didn’t realize you two were so close. Wasn’t he the reason why you ran away from House Guld in the first place?”

I stared at him in disbelief. That’s what he decided to focus on?

“We can discuss that at another time, Dad.” I said. “Right now, we have more important things to worry about.”

“Your well-being is more important to me than anything else.” Dad said. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have even bothered coming down this far south.”

His words warmed my heart, but this was neither the time nor the place.

“Dad,” I said, “Please focus.”

Tower Master Katarina, who looked like she was about to have an apoplectic fit, pointed a finger at Dad.

“You brute!” She yelled. “How dare you threaten the Tower of Magic?! I will-…”

Dad waved a hand and engulfed her in a gout of coldfire. It froze her magic barrier, imprisoning her within. I felt a little envious. It took me great effort to incapacitate her, while Dad did it with ease.

“That’s enough out of you.” He snarled.

“Like son, like father,” the Emperor muttered.

He waved a hand at Tower Master Katarina. As he did earlier, he freed her with a mote of golden fire. Once free, Tower Master Katarina backed away from Dad, her face pale.

“Anselm, enough.” The Emperor said, sounding exhausted. “You’ve caused enough trouble. Don’t make it worse. I already have enough of a headache.”

Dad crossed his arms.

“Fine.” He spat. “But only if you punish her for her sins. Otherwise, I will.”

“Compensation from the Tower of Magic wouldn’t hurt either.” Father piped in.

Dad eyed him and pursed his lips. However, he didn’t say anything.

“I think I preferred it when you stayed in the Barrens.” The Emperor said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine. Tower Master Katarina, you are banned from entering Haven and participating in high society for a period no less than five years.”

Tower Master Katarina nodded, moving her head up and down so far that I feared she would pull a muscle. Prince Jeremias, on the other hand, looked horrified.

“Father!” He said.

The Emperor ignored him and continued on.

“The Tower of Magic must also compensate House Guld for the trouble they’ve caused,” he said. “However, House Guld must do the same. While the Tower of Magic started this whole mess, House Guld is not completely innocent either. You two can discuss the details later. Understood?”

He glared at Father when he said this. After a moment, Father nodded, though he looked unhappy.

“As for you, Grand Duke Kaltbrand,” the Emperor said, “As punishment for barging into the imperial palace and making a nuisance of yourself, I order you to participate in every social season for the next five years.”

Dad stared at him in disbelief.

“What?!” He exclaimed. “Why not just banish me from the capital for five years?” He jerked a thumb towards Tower Master Katarina. “Like you did with that one?”

“That would be a reward, not a punishment.” The Emperor said, giving Dad a sadistic grin. “And, to make sure that you don’t just hole up in your home the entire time, you must participate in at least one social event a week.”

Dad gave him a horrified look.

“You’re a monster.” He whispered.

The Emperor let out a derisive snort, before he regarded everyone in the study.

“This matter is over and done with.” He said. “I don’t want to ever hear about it again. If I do, I am going to punish whoever is responsible.” He pointed to the door. “Now, all of you get out.”

No one moved right away.

“Out!”

With that, everyone rushed to leave the Emperor’s study. Mom and I had to grab Dad and pull him along, since he seemed dazed. The moment everyone left the study, the Emperor slammed the door shut behind us. Tower Master Katarina scurried off without looking back. Prince Jeremias threw me a venomous look, before he ran off to chase after her.

“Tower Master Katarina!” He cried out. “Wait!”

I let out an amused chuckle. Tower Master Katarina’s banishment from the capital was a serious drawback to Prince Jeremias’ plan to become the next emperor. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tower of Magic broke their alliance with him. This particular foray into politics had ended rather poorly for them. They might just give up altogether and stay holed up at home.

“Grand Duke Kaltbrand,” Knight Commander Bennett said, “I’ll escort you out of the imperial palace.”

He was smiling, but his eyes burned with anger. I… didn’t blame him for that. Dad’s actions earlier had humiliated him in front of the Emperor. There were sure to be repercussions for this, both for him and for us.

“Thank you, Knight Commander Bennett.” Mom said, speaking up since Dad was still dazed. “We appreciate it.”

Knight Commander Bennett turned towards her and his expression softened somewhat.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Knight Commander Bardin.” He said. “Or rather, Grand Duchess Kaltbrand, I should say. I wish it had been under better circumstances.”

Mom nodded, before she looked at Dad.

“Come along, Anselm.” She said in an amused tone. “Let us go before they chase us out of here with torches and pitchforks.”

Dad nodded, but otherwise didn’t respond. He wore a lost look on his face.

“Grand Duchess Kaltbrand,” Father said, “May I join you? I think it would be a good idea for us to get to know one another…” He glanced at me. “…considering the circumstances.”

Mom regarded him with a neutral expression on her face, before she nodded.

“You may, Duke Guld.” She said.

With that, the four of us left the imperial palace, shooed out by Knight Commander Bennett.

----------------------------------------

Half an hour later, the four of us were in the same carriage, heading towards Kaltbrand Manor. An awkward silence filled the air, and it appeared that no one was willing to break that silence. Dad still wore a lost look on his face, no doubt still in a daze after the Emperor’s punishment for him. Mom held her hands in front of her while looking out the window. This did nothing to hide her tension. Father tried to appear relaxed and nonchalant. However, like with Mom, it did little to hide his uneasiness.

And then there was me, stuck in between all of them. I let out a sigh as I considered how we got to this point. After we left the imperial palace, I learned that Mom and Dad hadn’t come here by carriage. When they heard about what happened to me, thanks to a message from the Blue Shadows, they decided to run here on foot. Since they were both Aura Masters they could run faster, and for much longer, than any horse in existence. They even left their escort behind.

While their concern for me warmed my heart, I scolded them for their recklessness. While they were both Aura Masters, that didn’t mean they were invincible. My recent kidnapping was a perfect example of that. Of course, that was a result of my own complacency and carelessness, but still. It didn’t hurt to be careful.

After I finished scolding them, Mom just smirked and mussed my hair. I narrowed my eyes at her, but otherwise didn’t respond. Instead, I invited them to join me in my carriage. Father joined us as well, after sending his carriage back to the House Guld townhouse. No one said a word after we all climbed into my carriage, thus leading to the current state of affairs. Sir Kane, who had been waiting by the carriage while I met with the Emperor, ended up riding with the driver.

I sighed. This wouldn’t do. House Kaltbrand and House Guld were going to be joined together through the marriage between Lina and myself. It would be unbearable if things remained awkward between my birth parents and my adopted parents. Though, I supposed it was better than them hating each other and arguing with one another.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, to break the silence. However, Mom beat me to it. She took a deep breath, as if to steel herself, before facing Father.

“Thank you.” Mom said, her expression of a mix of gratitude, shame, and relief.

Father blinked at her in surprise, taking off guard.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“Thank you for looking after Wulfe, and raising him to be the fine young man he is today.” Mom said. “I wanted to wait until I met with both you and Duchess Guld together, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer. So, thank you. If it hadn’t been for House Guld, Anselm and I might not have been reunited with our son.”

Mom’s words seemed to have shaken Dad out of his daze.

“Yes.” Dad said. “I always thought you were a greedy, money obsessed fool, Duke Guld. The way you proposed to your wife did little to improve my opinion of you.” He glanced at me. “However, based on Wulfe’s character, perhaps I had you wrong this entire time. I apologize, and thank you.” He nodded. “As long as I am Grand Duke, House Kaltbrand shall stand by House Guld.”

Father looked between the two of them, before he grinned.

“Well now,” he said, “This is much better than what I expected. I believe this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship between our families.”

I looked between the three of them, before I sagged with relief. It appeared that I was worried for nothing. We continued on our journey to Kaltbrand Manor, with the atmosphere in the carriage much lighter than before.