The study of Duke Skyrim was a place Kael rarely entered. Heavy shelves of tomes lined the walls, the scent of parchment and candle wax thick in the air. His father sat at the broad desk, quill scratching across paper, eyes as sharp as the hawks that circled the northern peaks.
Kael stood silently, fists at his sides, until the Duke finally looked up.
"I have been hearing things," the Duke said, voice steady, measured. "That my son—" he paused, as if weighing the word carefully, "—has stopped lashing out like a cornered beast. That he now uses words as deftly as blades."
Kael swallowed. "I… have been learning."
The Duke's eyes narrowed, studying him. For a long moment, silence pressed on Kael's shoulders heavier than armor. Then, with the faintest nod, his father leaned back in his chair.
"Good. A man who cannot master his temper cannot master a house. You are walking a path worth watching, Kael. Continue keeping company with those who refine you. Do not waste this chance."
The words struck deeper than Kael expected. Not affection. Not warmth. But acknowledgment. For the first time, his father saw him as something more than a burden.
When Kael left the study, his chest felt strangely light. Pride, unfamiliar and almost uncomfortable, stirred within him. And with it came a realization: Alex had been right. Every lesson, every patient correction—Alex had been shaping him for this moment.
That evening, without hesitation, Kael made his way to Alex's courtyard.
—
Alex was seated beneath a lantern-lit arbor, a book resting in his lap. His white attire shimmered faintly in the moonlight, making him look almost untouchable. Yet when Kael approached, Alex closed the book and smiled as if greeting an old friend.
"You came," Alex said simply.
Kael nodded, a little stiff at first. "I… received my father's approval today. He noticed the change. I thought you should know."
Alex tilted his head, studying him with that infuriating calm. "Approval from a Duke is no small thing. You've earned it, Kael. But remember—society is not your father's study. It's harsher. More cunning. Every step will test you."
"I know," Kael admitted. His voice was steadier than before, though. "That's why I'm here. I want to continue learning. Not just to win fights… but to survive them."
For a moment, Alex said nothing. Then his lips curved into a quiet smile. "Good. That resolve will carry you further than fists ever could."
The two sat in silence for a while, lantern light flickering between them. Kael realized that for the first time in his life, he was not standing alone.