The Return of the Betrayed Heir

29

Reyla sent letters to her young son, Alex, with strict regularity, yet no reply ever arrived. She had often wished to travel to the Dragon Fortress and bring him back, but Aenys exerted every effort to prevent her. Standing by her bedchamber window, she gazed out into the starlit expanse, sipping her warm tea as silvery starlight illuminated her sorrowful expression.

"This is unfair," she murmured softly. "He is my son, yet I am forbidden from even seeing him. Just like his father, he never responds to the letters sent to him."

Aurora's voice echoed in her mind: "Indeed, he is precisely like his father."

"I wish to see him as soon as possible," Reyla sighed.

"If you wish, we could slip away in secret to visit him," Aurora suggested.

"No," Reyla countered firmly. "Aenys gave strict orders." She paused, her eyes softening. "Yet you know how deeply the Patriarch loves me, don't you?"

Memories of her first pregnancy washed over her—times when Aenys remained constantly by her side. Despite his stern exterior to the world, he possessed a deeply affectionate heart. However, when their first child was born stillborn, Aenys locked himself in his study for an entire week. When he finally emerged, the warm, smiling man she knew had vanished. The crushing weight of his duties as Patriarch, coupled with the tragic loss, had changed him permanently. He swore never to seek another child, yet the necessity of securing a bloodline forced him to yield.

A tear slipped down Reyla's cheek. "Reyla, what transpired was not your fault," Aurora consoled gently.

"I know," Reyla whispered, wiping her cheek. "Yet I failed to support him when he needed it most. Even so, I bore him three healthy children."

Two years after that tragedy, she had given birth to Baela and Baelon. Yet Aenys had not smiled at their birth, barely able to bring himself to look upon them.

"All of that remains in the past," Reyla insisted softly. "The Patriarch loves all his children." Yet a lingering question gnawed at her: *'Why did he allow Alex to be sent away?'*

She knew Aenys too well; he never agreed to anything without a distinct purpose. When Baelon had previously proposed a similar arrangement, Aenys had rejected it outright. Was he planning the very thing she feared?

"Could he truly be planning that?" Aurora mused thoughtfully. "It is entirely within his nature."

Before Reyla could ponder further, Aenys entered the room quietly.

"Ah, it is you," Reyla murmured.

Aenys offered a faint, teasing smirk. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"That isn't amusing," she pouted.

Approaching her, Aenys gently wiped the moisture from her eyes. "You need not distress yourself so."

Gazing into his eyes, she whispered, "I miss him terribly."

Aenys pulled her into a warm embrace. "Do not worry. He will return soon."

Resting her head against his chest, Reyla added, "Whenever I look at him, I see you... He ignores my messages just as you do."

A genuine, rare smile touched Aenys's lips. "I love you, Reyla," he whispered, pressing a tender kiss to her lips.

***

II. Corlis

By nightfall, the surrounding area had been entirely cleared of stray beasts. Corlis glanced back at Alex. "It appears our work here is finished."

Relief washed over Alex's face. "Is that so? Then let us depart immediately."

"Do not forget that you owe me a detailed report," Corlis reminded him with a grin.

"Rest assured, Commander, I shall report every minute detail," Alex replied sarcastically.

Corlis chuckled, flicking Alex's forehead lightly. "Sarcastic as ever, I see."

"Hey, that actually hurt!" Alex protested, rubbing his forehead.

Nearby, the Blood Knights escorted the rescued villagers from the cavern. A young girl stepped forward, holding Alex's three-eyed black blade, Greed, in both hands. "This belongs to you, My Lord," she said softly, extending the sword.

Taking the weapon, Alex offered a gentle expression. "Thank you... And I am sorry I could not save your friend."

Tears welled in the child's eyes. "Y-you did everything you could..."

A woman rushed over, pulling the girl into a protective hug. "Emilia! Are you unharmed?"

"Yes, Mother, I am fine." Recognizing the noble knights, the woman bowed nervously. "Forgive my daughter if she caused any disturbance."

"Not at all," Corlis replied kindly. "In truth, the fault lies with us; had we arrived sooner, this tragedy could have been averted."

"Please do not say that!" the woman insisted. "It is thanks to your intervention—especially this young master—that we survived."

Alex shook his head modestly. "I merely performed my duty."

Observing the striking resemblance between Corlis and Alex, the woman hesitated. "Pardon my intrusion, but... is the young master your son?"

Corlis and Alex exchanged startled glances. Realizing her assumption, the woman blushed. "Did I say something improper?"

"No," Corlis smiled faintly. "He is actually my nephew."

"Ah, forgive me. The resemblance between you two is quite remarkable."

"I hear that quite often," Corlis chuckled.

A spatial portal opened nearby. Bowing deeply, the woman said, "It seems our path awaits. Thank you once more, Master of the Black Blade."

"Master of the Black Blade?" Corlis mused, raising an eyebrow at Alex. "You aren't even nine years old and you already possess two titles! I am beginning to feel envious."

Alex scoffed playfully. "Hilarious."

A Blood Knight approached Corlis. "My Lord, what shall we do with the mana crystals discovered inside?"

"I will inspect them," Corlis replied, turning to Alex. "Wait here; I shall return shortly."

"Take your time," Alex remarked dryly. "It isn't as though I can run far."

Entering the subterranean vault, Corlis found it overflowing with high-grade mana crystals. Picking one up, he marveled at its density. "A true treasure trove... Transport everything back to the fortress immediately."

As the soldiers began moving the crystals through the portal, Corlis glanced back at Alex, who was conversing with his dragon. The woman's earlier words echoed in his mind, bringing a subtle smile to his lips.

*'Corlis,'* Rouge's voice interrupted mentally. *'His fractured mana core remains a fatal flaw. You managed to stabilize it temporarily with your mana, but had you not arrived in time, he would have perished.'*

Corlis's expression darkened. *'What choice do we have? Even Aenys cannot find a cure for a fractured core.'*

*'What of forbidden blood magic?'* Rouge suggested solemnly.

*'Are you insane?!'* Rouge snapped internally at his own thought. *'Do you realize the cost? Forbidden blood magic requires the sacrifice of five innocent lives to restore one! If you commit such an act, Alex will never forgive you!'*

Corlis clenched his fist. To him, his nephew's life outweighed all else. *'I will consider it.'*

*'If you resort to such dark methods, it will end in disaster,'* Rouge warned sternly.

Ignoring the warning, Corlis walked back to Alex. "Let us depart."

Alex stretched his legs. "I cannot wait to collapse into a warm bed."

Mounting his dragon, Corlis noted, "You must eat something first."

Taking to the skies, the two dragons flew toward Dragon Crag. Gazing at the massive fissure carved into the mountain peak, Alex asked, "How did you manage to cause such damage to the mountain?"

"That was Rouge's doing, not mine," Corlis replied smoothly.

Rouge delivered a mental thwap to Corlis's mind, prompting a quiet chuckle from Alex.

Gazing at the starlit sky, Corlis remarked, "The night is far more beautiful than I anticipated."

Alex looked up in admiration, while sorrow weighed heavily on Corlis's heart as he contemplated the boy's imperiled future.

Noticing his uncle's quiet demeanor, Alex asked, "Uncle, are you alright?"

"Yes," Corlis replied, startled. "Why do you ask?"

"You are crying."

Touching his cheek, Corlis realized tears were indeed falling. Alex smirked teasingly. "Is there someone special occupying your thoughts?"

Wiping his eyes, Corlis laughed softly. "Just dust in my eyes, that's all."

"Right, of course," Alex giggled.

"Are you mocking your commander? I should have my dragon swallow you whole!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" Alex urged his dragon forward, Tessarion unleashing golden flames across the night sky as they raced back toward the Dragon Fortress.