"I don't have to explain my reasoning to you, Rael," Aurelius replied, his tone unyielding. "Just follow my orders. You will be trained by Selene, and that's final."
Rael, determined to gain some control over his situation, spoke again, this time with a firm tone and a look of stubbornness. "I don't want to be separated from Eon. If you don't want to train me, that's fine. I don't need a master. I'll train on my own. If all you want is to keep an eye on me, Val is there anyway..."
Selene watched him for a moment, and then Aurelius spoke again, already with a solution, as he expected the same reaction from his son. "You want to stay with Eon? Fine. How about we make a deal? There's a tournament coming up in about six months. It's for rookies—those above eight years old but below twelve. If you reach the top 3, I will never try to separate you two, no matter how much of a mess you both cause, in the future."
