When most people saw Kadol, they saw someone they could trust; whether that be as the queen’s advisor, the leader of the Ravens, or even as a foreign noble that helped make Seothia believe in Qizar. While he was a man of power and many talents, that didn’t mean he didn’t have his flaws—that he didn’t regret anything up to this point.
He’d always been fond of Allen. It wasn’t the kind of relationship between a father and son, though many would mistake it for such. He would never admit it out loud, but Allen had been his choice in successor should he die or step down. In fact, he thought he was so close to seeing his personal goals fulfilled that he could actually let someone else take over his position. At least he’d had the foresight to wait it out to see what became of it.
Maybe his true mistake was allowing Allen to meet Zofie. Kadol hadn’t expected them to hit it off so effortlessly; it felt like he looked away for a second and, when he came back, they were poorly trying to hide their affections. So why did that have to change? Kadol hadn’t been expecting Allen to suddenly leave the castle, especially not when Zofie had such news to tell him. But that’s exactly what happened. Then Zofie started trying to figure out why. Kadol couldn’t stop her because he knew she would ask him questions he couldn’t answer without giving himself away. When she learned what her lover was involved in, she misunderstood the information and thought that the group—the Ravens—were responsible for the death of her mother. A manhunt was started for Allen, who was executed for treason with a warning for all others who served the Ravens.
It was how one of his biggest regrets revealed one of his worst fears. Kadol had always mourned what happened to Odelle, but it needed to be done for the better of everyone. He didn’t want the same thing that happened to Odelle to happen to Zofie. He’d wanted her on their side, the side that sought to distinguish the glorifications that had overtaken the truth. It wasn’t just for the influence like what other Ravens believed—at least, not completely. It was because of his care for her, his old promise to Odelle to keep her safe no matter what. That care only grew when her child was born, remembering the stories of Holy Queen Norah and Philomena, hoping that such a tragedy would never happen again.
Kadol had been watching the three of them for a couple of minutes now. He’d originally come to the garden to get Zofie to her next meeting, but… seeing what they were doing, he couldn’t bring himself to pull her away.
“Now it’s a… bunny!” Dimas was, honestly, exhibiting how much of his magical talent was wasted. Given the intricate—albeit small—animals he was creating using simple water magic, there was so much more he could be doing. But the only thing he’d ever been taught was a bit of fundamentals about water magic and how to use Life magic proficiently.
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Philyra clapped excitedly. “Another! Another!”
“When did you get so good at this?” Zofie’s smile wasn’t nearly as big as either of theirs, though they all knew it meant just as much.
“There were times when I tried to make Natheniel stop crying, and Minne didn’t come quick enough,” he began to explain as he changed the bunny into a bird. “Of course at that point neither of us really knew how to take care of a baby so I did this. It calmed him down immediately and I just stayed with him until Minne eventually took care of his actual needs. Unfortunately he’s too old for that now and he’s almost at the age to start talking back.”
Philyra tried to capture the watery bird, though obviously failed. “What..?”
“It’s magic,” Zofie explained gently. “Orestis gave it to us so we can better understand the world around us. Every child of Fleyw Bresh can wield it easily. One day you’ll be able to wield it too.”
She looked up at her mother with a confused expression. “I haven’t seen you use magic.”
Kadol felt himself stiffening. He knew from Dimas’s sideways glance to his sister that they shared the same thought. It was something that they all wished hadn't happened—or in Kadol’s case, prevented.
“That’s a story for another time,” was Zofie’s simple answer. That’s when she happened to look over and notice Kadol standing there. “Oh. I need to go. Philyra, why don’t you and Uncle Dimas go explore the garden for a little while? Once I’m done I’d love to hear about what the two of you found.”
“Okay!” Philyra jumped up and began running around Dimas. “Come on, come on!”
Dimas moved the water away from them and let it drop before getting up. “Alright, where do you want to go first?”
Zofie watched them for a moment longer before standing up and walking towards Kadol. “You should’ve told me you were standing there. I could’ve finished quicker so then you wouldn’t have to wait as long.”
“I couldn’t take you away from your family.” His gaze continued to follow the three-year-old as she ran from one bush to another. “You know… you’re not as subtle as you think you are.”
“What do you mean?”
It took him a moment to ask, quietly, “Was it worth it? Ridding yourself of the only person that you ever really loved? Keeping your daughter from ever knowing even the name of her father?”
She didn’t look at him. “We’re not talking about this. I’m assuming you’re here because I have a meeting to go to. Please just take me to it so we can get it over with and I can go back to spending time with my daughter.”
Any objections he thought of having were instead voiced in a sigh. “Of course, Your Majesty.”