Alexander left the group in the garden and headed to the west wing study. The study was the last room on the left of the west wing of the chateau. The door was molded in a tapestry of gargoyles and large snake-like monsters coiling towards a head-on collision. The door is made of red oak, about three feet thick.

Inside, the study was filled with shelves mounted around the walls, with books and manuscripts of all shapes and sizes. Alexander was sitting at the large desk about three-quarters deep in the room, behind him sat a large painting of a map. The map had six nameless land masses colored in five different colors. The largest land mass is painted blue, and the second mass of land is connected to the south of the blue mass. Also connected to the blue land mass on its southwest border the land mass is painted red. The last mass attached to the large blue land is connected by an east border, painted yellow.

Northward of the large purple land mass was a long island-like landmass painted blue. However, there was another Land mass that was painted in black, that was as large as all the landmasses together.

Alexander was sitting at the desk with a large leatherbound book over a foot long, and more than two inches thick. On the Cover read a History of the Hermits Crusades in large gold letter. On his left-hand side, there was an ink pen, next to a piece of parchment.

If one looked at the parchment one would see written, “wolf-like beast with black orbs”.

As he was flipping through the book, passively tapping the pen, the door opened. Alexander didn’t notice as an older gentleman walked through the door.

“Shouldn’t you be out with your battlement? Or have you given up trying to leave Lysandra”

Alexander looked up with a cocky grin, “Ultred, you're as pessimistic as ever. You know I wouldn’t have anything to teach them or learn my valves have always been open.”

Ultred scoffed, “It’s not about that, you might think I’m always loyal to your father, but you don’t know as much as you think. Books don’t know everything, and words can’t tell everything”

Alexander closed the book with a glint in his eyes, causing Ultred to take half a step back, “You think I don’t know that” Alexander said as he stood up, quickly grabbing the parchment,” Nobody knows how dangerous it is more than me. Have you ever had to worry about being executed or forced into the military” he yelled.

Ultred was in shock, just staring at the young lord in front of him. He looked at the young man he had known since birth like he was a stranger.

Alexander laughed, a pathetic self-loathing laugh, “ Even if I go to the school I still couldn’t let loose, sure I won’t get hunted by the foundation, or some fanatic believers. Yet, I can’t escape the shame, the fear that someone at the school if I let loose would know about me. I mean who wouldn’t take the chance to have the son of a great family by his neck” He laughed again lighter this time.

Once the laughter died down the two stared at each other, Alexander's stoned face, while Ultred stared with pity.

“The school is my freedom Ultred, the only thing out of his reach.”

Ultred’s pity was turned to disgust “Your father cares about you more than you know, you may want freedom” he said as he lifted his hands mockingly.

“ However, I can see through you, even your father can see the difference in your eyes. You want power, we both have seen looks like that before during the last Crusade” When Ultred said this he looked at the desk, the large leather-bound book.

Alexander smiled dangerously, glaring at the butler who stood with a smile.

“so he does know, yet I'm surprised at you Ultred” Alexander said, his normal lax expression gone, a brilliant light now shining in his grey eyes. “Why do you seem to know this, yet not seem disappointed or surprised” he asked.

The old butler laughed, gruffly with a sparkle in his blue eyes, “ Your father and I may see that somehow you are different now, that even if he wanted to he wouldn’t be able to stop you if he said no”

Alexander nodded as a spark went in his eyes, “So that’s why he’s making Razier and Cyrus fight in the tournament. Will he let them fight fairly?”

Ultred dashed forward standing only a couple of feet away from Alexander, “ Your father will not stack the odds against you but he will not help you either for the first time in your life he will not help or hinder you.”

Ultred began walking towards the door but stopped right in front, “At the tournament, you will see that your father didn’t just fear that you would be executed or imprisoned to war.”

Alexander looked confused at Ultred who was about to leave the study

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“I thought that the families and foundation helped each other”

Ultred shook his head, “ I see you know less than I thought, I guess that makes sense knowing your father”

Ultred fiddled with the doorknob, as he seemed to be thinking to himself until finally, he turned back towards Alexander.

“I will tell you this but just know your father doesn’t tolerate any Foundation politics or policy in his kingdom. As you should know the only thing that connects the foundation to the families, and the countries is the Aspects. Yet they haven’t been seen in over a hundred years, and the world hasn’t stopped moving. Do not tell your father I told you this or even tell Cyrus and Razier but the foundation is not just one entity who with tips the aspects but now three factions”

Alexander not wanting to forget sat at his desk situating his pen and ink to write.

Ultred raised his hand interrupting before Alexander even put ink on his pen, “When I said you can’t tell anyone that includes any evidence of it”

Alexander blew at his hair, looking away embarrassed. Ultred shook his head as he spoke again, “The soldiers or as you know them the body of the foundation are one faction, who are loyal to the foundation based on an oath-bound”

Alexander Alarmed, was about to speak but Ultred cut him off, “ I will not be able to explain the details because nobody besides the soldiers knows the oath. I doubt he tells you but you could ask the commander.” He said with laughter.

“ I can say the oath makes him trustworthy if not your father would not have allowed him into the capital”

“Does my father know the oath?” Alexander asked.

“No, soldiers from the foundation have worked with the families for almost a thousand years, whatever the oath is it doesn’t seem to make them completely obedient to the foundation.

This seemed to answer any more questions Alexander had as he nodded in understanding.

, “Good, the other two factions are similar but different one of the factions is the Genome collective. The Genome collective is mainly filled up with scientists and scholars including clergymen you will probably meet a couple at your school. They are interested in how DNA can influence artifacts, such as your sister's technique is similar to her mother's. Your father dislikes them the most as he sees them as the faction willing to go the furthest against their kind, such as experiments on people that are different.” Ultred paused at this looking at Alexander before he continued explaining.

“The last faction is the Leviathan faction, and they are purist who are fanatics for the aspects and power.”

Alexander interrupted, “Sounds like my sister”

Ultred nodded at him, “She shares some beliefs and I’m even willing to bet she knows people in the faction, but she is not a part of the faction. They believe that not only should we, but we must go beyond the sea and wipe out all of the dark races before they can wipe us out.” Alexander glared at this, “ I can see where they are coming from, they have invaded and destroyed countless villages, towns, and even cities in the federation”

Ultred didn’t seem to agree as he said,” Nobody in any faction has ever been inside the capital your father would never allow. Why do you think that is?”

Ultred let his question hang in the air for a couple of minutes when Alexander didn’t answer he finally spoke, only making Alexander think more, “Remember this, extremism only breeds more extremism and it’s normally on the other side. If we attacked them and didn’t succeed, we would than start a cycle of violence that they seemed to have ended” he said as he turned about to leave again.

However, Alexander asked another question before he left, “What do you know about the school” Ultred fiddled with the doorknob, “ You seem to think your sword and shield will win the tournament” Ultred said with contempt.

However, his ridiculed face quickly turned to laughter as he turned and said “You know about the false family right?”

Alexander nodded a look on his face that disturbed the butler, as Alexander was almost reminiscent as he said, “ They created the school, I heard it's like its own nation”

When Alexander’s gaze returned to Ultred, the butler's questioning gaze quickly vanished as he said with an emotionless expression, “It's not like their own nation, it is their nation they rule. Besides being a school, nobody can do anything if the false family head doesn’t want it to happen.”

Alexander stared at Ultred in complete confusion. Ultred shook his head, “ The same reason why you want to go, is why it's dangerous”

This didn’t seem to help as Alexander still stared not understanding,“ You may think you finally can be free from the rules of the foundation or your father but that’s why it’s dangerous.” Ultred who has small framed monocles adjusted them. He finished adjusting and loudly dropped his right arm to his leg to finally speak again.

“ That school is a trap, disguised as a gift. If you get injured your father can’t help because the false family head doesn’t allow it.”

Alexander sat, his brows furrowed, “ that’s impossible not even my dad can make a law like that anywhere in Lysandra” he said to the the butler.

Ultred nodded in understanding, “ That’s how strong the false family head is, You don’t have to follow the rules if the power you wield is so great or important that losing it would cause the federation to collapse.”

Alexander looked like something was stuck in his mouth., “ That’s why my dad told people I was crippled because if he didn’t he would have to send me to the school. I didn’t know the school was that strong”

“ You could say the school but it’s mainly the false family head. The school isn’t as important as the common people think or say it is. The only reason all the families send their sons and daughters of both branches to the school is because they hope to sway the false family into marriage or some alliance.”

Alexander interrupted, “ I thought you said nobody risks interfering with the school isn’t that interfering?”

Ultred nodded, “You could say it is and I’m sure the false head realizes this which is why none of them have ever taken an apprentice or a marriage. However, even the school can’t escape politics, and I'm sure the false head knows this. If he did something about such low-level diplomacy as families wanting him to apprentice or marry one of their kids, the families would just pay for more tutors.”

He finally turned the doorknob and left. Leaving Alexander alone in the study, he found the words on the parchment again, and thoughts of what Ultred said went through his mind.

Finally, he pulled out some ink and wrote on his paper arrows pointing to the beast-like and black eyes, and under the arrows he wrote Foundation politics and faction with a question mark.