“You already have,” came a caring response. Giving him a gentle push and then resting his hands on Alistar’s shoulders, Caedmon adopted a grateful look. “I lost my wife soon after your mother was sent off to marry your father. I’ll admit that I had never been so despondent in my life, a sort of sadness that I thought would last forever. That is, until Alder found you on the Winding Road and brought you here to our home.
“You, Alistar, have brought a fresh breath of life to this estate, of that I’m sure everyone here would agree with me on. Especially Anice.” Speaking in a tone of admission, he said, “I’ve always been far busier than I’d have preferred, and I fear it’s taken a toll on her. She was quite reckless in her younger days—Lucian knows that’s still the case—so she was rarely allowed to leave the property on her own. With you around, however, not only did she have a friend that was always within arm’s reach, I also knew that I wouldn’t have to worry so much about allowing her to venture into town if you were there alongside her. Because of you, she could finally see her friends as much as she wanted to.”
Feeling a small frown appear on his face, he said, “I’m afraid she doesn’t seem too pleased with me as of late. Not that I blame her.”
“She’s just confused, Alistar. You’re a smart young man, so I’m sure you know the reason.”
Alistar stared at the distant hill that Lessa had disappeared around a short while ago and recalled Alder’s words from a previous time when he’d sought the chamberlain’s counsel. “I just…I just don’t want to be like my uncles. My other uncles.”
Caedmon let out a light laugh, pulling back his hands and wiping a bit of sweat from his neck with the collar of his silver tunic. “You couldn’t be more different than them.”
He stared his uncle in the eyes. “I have romantic feelings for more than one woman. How can I ever be sincere to one without hurting the other?”
He’d already caused Anice a lot of grief, he thought with frustration, and would surely cause much more in pursuit of his future plans.
“This is but a chapter of your life, Alistar. When you’re older, you’ll come to understand that such feelings are part and parcel of growing up.”
When I grow older… Hearing the voices of his parents in his mind, he put on a small, melancholic smile.
“I suppose I will.”
“Besides,” said Caedmon, who fished something out of a pocket and handed it over to him. “You know better than anyone that if you never give up and keep on persevering, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel.”
Alistar opened his hand to reveal a brass stamp that he recognized as a noble’s seal, which lords and ladies relied on to seal important letters and to certify official documents.
“This is…?”
“There’s a small village on the western fringes of the county with about three hundred residents. Do you know which one I’m referring to?”
“Dalhem?”
Caedmon nodded, dark hair damp with sweat in the summer heat. “The lord of Dalhem passed away a few months ago. I’m sure you recall.”
“Uncle…”
“It’s fine, Alistar. You’re a Silverkin, after all, and one of prominent background within the house. Without an official title, you’ll only invite scorn from our relatives.”
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Staring down at the seal within his hand, Alistar felt conflicted. How could he oversee a territory, however small, if he planned to leave Distan for the foreseeable future? Turning the offer down, however, would invite unwanted questions that would be difficult to answer.
How do I refuse him?
He had been planning to leave a letter in his uncle’s study explaining his desire to find work as a mage in the court of some minor noble in another area of the empire, on the day that he intended to leave unannounced. As rude as that might have seemed, he couldn’t risk being tied down to the estate in the event that his decision was met with disapproval on his uncle’s end.
“Don’t worry,” said Caedmon, speaking in a sympathetic tone. “While officially you will be the head of the village and the hamlets around it, you won’t have to take charge of it for another year or so, and even then you can continue living here at the estate as you have been. You’ll only be a baronet, after all, which isn’t exactly a lord. Still, if you rely on our irrigation devices along with your own wit, you should be able to raise your status within the next several years. Do you understand what I’m getting at?”
I see, he thought, feeling endless gratitude towards his uncle despite the hesitancy that still dwelled within his gut. A baronet was essentially an esteemed commoner of special status, a title usually given to knights and arcanites in the service of prominent nobles. It was also the designated title for those of the nobility that couldn’t inherit the main titles and properties of their parents.
“Thank you, Uncle. It might be some time before I get around to overseeing that land, but I’ll be sure to develop it as best I can.” He would accept the seal for now, and if it didn’t seem like a plausible course of action then he would leave it in his uncle’s study along with the letter that he planned to pen within the next few days.
“It’s no inconvenience to me, Alistar.” Laughing to himself, he said, “If anything, you’ll make a fine town out of the place someday, and that will only help with things on my end.”
Alistar had been to Dalhem once before when he had accompanied Zech to go and meet with one of his brothers, who had moved to the small settlement years ago. The village was defined by weathered wooden buildings and dusty dirt roads, a community that largely relied on trapping and hunting animals in the forests that surrounded the county. Still, he was confident that he could create a fine system of cobbled streets by making use of an advanced earth shifting spell along with a reinforcement enchantment of the same level. Planting seeds, watering them, creating new buildings—such things could be accomplished over time with magic at no expense to his limited coffers, and the harvested crops and new homes for sale would surely generate a substantial amount of revenue. Even if Lessa decided to renounce her noble status, so long as he developed a decent town then she would have a chance at reclaiming her social stature.
“Come now,” said Caedmon, who fixed him with a knowing look. “It seems that I’m not the only one in need of a bath. Attending the parade in sweat-sodden clothes wouldn’t be a good look.”
Alistar forced a cough. “It’s quite hot out today. I hope it’s not too bad come afternoon.” Pausing as he followed Caedmon into the manor, he said, “Ah, I still have some errands to run, so I’ll bathe when I return.”
“Errands? I’d advise against it. The delegation is only a few hours out.” Seeing that Alistar had no intention to cancel his plans, he rolled his eyes and said, “Why not take Star, then? It’ll make things much easier for you.”
“It’ll be fine, Uncle. I’ll have you know that I’m quite fast these days.”
He bid Caedmon farewell and hurried to his bedroom, buckling his short sword to his waist and then snatching up a bag that he’d set aside the night before. Pushing his dresser aside and shifting a small section of the stone wall with a quick spell, he retrieved his mother’s locket along with the limiters that he’d relied on for years. He had stopped wearing the rings and bracelets several months back, after he had woken up one morning to find that his magical awareness had gained a heightened sense of clarity and that he had suddenly achieved full control over his aura. That was to say, from that day onward he had been fully capable of preventing any of his excess energies from leaking out of his body.
While he could now mask his aura with ease, this was only when he was in a level-headed state. If he was attacked by a dangerous animal on his way to visit Aglain, then there was a chance that he would lose control over his energies, which could prove disastrous if anyone from the church’s delegation was close enough to sense his location. In the event that they sent someone to investigate the area and it was made known that someone had discovered the cave where the tortured hero had been sealed, it could prove a tremendous complication to his plans.
Bishop Maels…