“So, what’s your objection this time?” Lysander asked, his displeasure evident. “Nephew, I’m warning you; this better be good.”
“Uncle, you’re right that Edmund might not skin me alive or sell me to slavers,” Elysian admitted, acting afraid of the piercing stare he was receiving. “However, my father would, or he might even resort to something worse.”
“What are you talking about?” Lysander questioned, sighing in exasperation at his nephew’s antics.
“Did you know that Lyra was previously engaged to someone else? She was engaged to Sybil, who is a very talented soldier. Both my father and brother have very high expectations of him. Do you know what that means, uncle? If the Baron finds out, he will not just sell me to the slavers; he will kill me outright,” Elysian declared, locking eyes with the older noble. Seeing the realization in his eyes, he quickly added, “It’s not only me that’s in trouble, uncle. You’re the one who orchestrated this engagement behind his back. Even though you have good intentions, it doesn’t matter. You already know how he is. You will be in a lot more trouble than me.”
“Is this true, Edmund?” Lysander demanded, rage boiling from his voice.
“Hmm..”
“You better not lie!” the older noble yelled. “I’m warning you!”
“Yes, my lord, this is true,” the merchant quickly said, bowing his head in a panic.
“Why didn’t you tell me, you f*cking imbecile?”
“I’m sorry, my lord. I just thought that if you know, you won’t agree to the children’s engagement.
“Of course, I will not agree!” Lysander roared in anger. “Are you aware of the consequences of your actions? If the Baron finds out, rest assured, I’ll make sure to tell him that it’s all your fault!”
“My lord, I’m not the only one who’s at fault for this,” Edmund quickly said defensively, realizing that if he did not speak out now, all the blame might be put on him. “You’re the one who approached me first, asking for your nephew to be engaged to my daughter.”
“I’ve said before that if I had known she was already engaged, I wouldn’t have pursued it.”
‘Yes, blame each other. Keep fighting!’
Edmund said in a defeated voice, “I just want my daughter to be happy. She didn’t want to marry that lowly soldier.”
“Seriously? If you didn’t want him, why did you agree to their engagement in the first place?!” Lysander yelled in frustration.
“Isn’t it obvious, uncle? He saw the opportunity and grabbed it,” Elysian scoffed.
“You!” Edmund bellowed, glaring at the young noble. “Do you even like my daughter, or is this all just a game to you?”
“Stop glaring at me, you greedy old man!” Elysian snarled, standing up and looking down at the kneeling merchant. “Do you want me to pull your eyes out?!”
“Nephew!” Lysander admonished. “Mind your manners.”
‘Let’s turn up the heat a bit, just to spice things up!’
“I’ve had it, uncle,” he declared. “We are in this mess because of this greedy b*stard! Now, he is blaming me for this problem. The gall of this vermin. Of course, I like Lyra. It doesn’t mean, however, that I will steal someone else's fiancée. More so if the person I’m stealing it from is a talented soldier that my father had an eye on. I'm arrogant and sometimes crazy, but I’m not stupid. I will not willingly die for anyone, especially for your daughter’s hand. I’m not that desperate. If I want to, I can be engaged to anyone—single—in the entire barony. Why would I force myself on someone who is already committed?”
The merchant slumped once again onto the floor with nothing to say.
“We’re already in this mess, nephew. We should stop blaming each other and focus on finding a solution to this problem,” Lysander said, sighing.
“I have an idea, my lord,” Edmund beamed, looking up to the older noble. “Perhaps we can make the young soldier disappear. With your influence, it wouldn’t be too difficult.”
‘Are you out of your mind? That boy was once engaged to his daughter, and he casually talked about eliminating him? What am I even thinking, being in-law with someone so vile?’
“That’s one possibility,” Lysander acknowledged, turning to the young noble. “What are your thoughts on this, nephew?”
‘Both of them are absolutely insane! Well, not exactly shocking. My uncle had killed my father and me in the past. No doubt, he can kill a complete stranger without a second thought. He’s a total psychopath.’
“Have both of you lost your minds?” Elysian asked, aghast at their suggestion.
“This is a valuable lesson for you, nephew,” Lysander said, smiling. “As a ruler, you will sometimes need to make tough choices for the greater good of everyone, and oftentimes, sacrifices must be made.”
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‘I’m disgusted by the fact that I’m related to this person.’
“I get your point, uncle,” Elysian sighed, weary from dealing with these vile creatures. “However, we are taking unnecessary risks. Killing that poor soldier could backfire on us. At the moment, this problem is still manageable. We can simply cancel the engagement and wash our hands of this whole mess.”
Lysander and the merchant exchanged a brief, meaningful glance, communicating silently through their eyes.
‘This greedy b*stards! Even in this situation, I bet they’re attempting to salvage their malevolent plans.’
“Don’t worry, nephew. I can ensure the soldier vanishes without a trace. I can promise you that this will not come back to haunt us,” Lysander assured, smiling. “You can trust me on this.”
‘Do you take me for a fool? If this mess backfires, I’m certain I’ll be their scapegoat.’
“After you kill the poor soldier, would you kill Commander Cedric too?” Elysian asked, shaking his head in disgust.
“Wait, Cedric is aware of this?” Lysander asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Of course, he knows,” Elysian said, smirking. “And it’s not just him; every soldier in the barony knows. What, are you planning to eliminate them too?”
‘Idiot!’
----------------------------------------
“I’ve noticed you’ve changed, nephew,” Lysander remarked, watching the departing back of the merchant.
“Of course, I’ve changed, uncle,” Elysian chuckled, turning to the older noble. “Well, it’s more accurate to say I’ve grown. Your favorite nephew is starting to get a little more mature. Aren’t you proud?”
“Hmm, I don’t know yet,” Lysander answered honestly. After a moment of pondering, he turned to the younger noble, observing him. “The verdict is still out on whether you’ve completely absorbed the wisdom I’m trying to teach you.”
“I’m disappointed if you think of me like that, uncle,” Elysian said, suddenly chuckling.
“What’s so funny?” Lysander asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“I’ve just handed you five gold and earned myself the same amount, uncle,” Elysian stated, grinning. “Doesn’t that prove I’ve been an exemplary student?”
Suddenly, both of them burst into laughter, and even the eyes of the older noble started to water from laughing.
‘Idiot.’
“Now that I’ve thought about it, you’re absolutely right, nephew. You’ve proven to be an excellent student.” Lysander nodded in satisfaction, affectionately patting the boy’s head. “You’ve been quite a good boy. I’m proud of you.”
“Your words mean a lot to me, uncle,” Elysian remarked, grinning and staring directly into the older noble’s eyes. “You’re an incredible teacher. I’ll never forget what you’ve taught me. I’ll be sure to repay everything that you’ve done.”
‘Brutally and painfully!’
----------------------------------------
“Why are we back here, young master?” Bran asked, sighing as they strolled into the training ground. “Don’t tell me we have to workout again?”
“Of course not, you big oaf,” Elysian replied, sighing at the thought of overexerting his already sore muscles.
“Then what are we doing here?”
“Well, I have an urgent issue that I must deal with,” Elysian said, waving to the soldiers that were greeting him. “I can’t postpone this until tomorrow; it might be too late.”
“Why are you here, young master?” Sybil inquired, scowling at him. “I thought you only train in the morning.”
“My family owns this place. Do I need your permission to be here?” Elysian scoffed. Observing the boy, he suddenly chuckled when he realized that the young soldier had been avoiding him since their little incident. “Ah, perfect timing. Actually, I’ve got some good news for you.”
“What?” Sybil asked, looking at him suspiciously.
“I’ve kept my promise to you,” Elysian declared loudly, ensuring everyone in the vicinity could hear him.
“Did you mean…”
“Yes, I have finally broken my engagement to your precious Lyra,” Elysian nodded, feeling pleased with himself upon seeing the surprised expression of the young soldier. Turning around, he addressed everyone present, “As you have heard, I’ve committed a grave mistake, though the fault was not my own. Upon realizing my error, I vowed before you that I would right that wrong, and I have fulfilled that promise! So, let it be known that I—Elysian Ironheart—have not broken my word!”
Suddenly, the entire training ground erupted into applause. Some were even hollering with adulation.
With a satisfied grin, Elysian nodded at everyone. Walking slowly to Sybil, he said, “Now, we’re even. This matter is settled.“
Staring intensely into the younger noble’s eyes, Sybil nodded without saying anything.
“I don’t want to hear any more complaints about your girl,” Elysian stated, patting the arm of the soldier. “Just some friendly advice—don’t let your heart dictate your mind. There is a reason why the heart is always lower than the brain.”
Without waiting for a response, Elysian walked over to the commander, who observed his performance. “Commander, can I speak to you privately?”
Observing him for a moment, Cedric nodded and said, “Come with me.”
Upon entering his office, he signaled for everyone to leave. After they had left, he looked at Bran and said, “What about your servant?”
“It’s okay. He already knows what I will say,” Elysian said, sitting in front of the officer.
“Before we start, I’ve heard that Osric quit being a soldier and now works for you,” the commander said, frowning at him. “Is this true?”
“Yes, it's true,” Elysian nodded, grinning.
“Boy, I don’t know what you are planning, but I won’t sit around as you mess with my people,” Cedric remarked, shooting him with a piercing glare.
The boy suddenly chuckled and quipped, “So, it’s okay for others to mess with him, but not me? Is that what you’re getting at? Seems a bit discriminatory, doesn’t it? Tsk, tsk.”
“You!”
“Lower your voice, commander. I’m not in the mood to humor you,” the boy snapped, sitting back in his chair and glaring at the officer. “While you’ve been busy, Osric and his family were dragged to the streets and were about to be sold to slavery. What did you do?” he demanded, studying the officer's expression for a moment. Smirking, he added, “I’ve heard he’s more than an ordinary soldier to you. If this is how you treat your people, I’m confident that I’ll do a much better job.”
Cedric’s frown deepened; however, he remained silent, glaring at the boy.
“I, on the other hand, save him and his family,” Elysian said proudly. “Aren’t I great?”
“At what cost?” Cedric scoffed.
“For their freedom and lives? Absolute loyalty,” he replied arrogantly. “Isn’t that cheap?”
The commander snorted and said, “Osric is now the head of his family. Even though he’s young, he has to decide what’s best for them. I’ve already warned Osric about you. He won’t listen. I get it, since he hasn’t seen your true colors. But I have. Consider yourself warned, boy!”
“It’s rich coming from you,” Elysian snorted. Grinning, he continued, “I need you to do something for me, commander. Before my uncle can, I need you to bring a couple of your soldiers now and retrieve ten gold coins from a merchant.”