"They are not yours to take."
He said, releasing his mana; his blade flared into a crimson light once again.
"They are mine."
Valdris's expression cooled.
"You have no right over them," he said. "They are royalty. They bear the blood of an Emperor and the blood of one of the mightiest witches this age has known. You know nothing of their heritage, their potential, or the responsibilities attached to them."
His gaze shifted briefly toward the sisters.
"Do you truly believe you can raise them properly? You cannot guide them toward their rightful future when you do not even understand the world they were born into."
"I took them in knowing what they were capable of," Ulrich replied.
His eyes never left Valdris.
"Each of them possesses talent beyond anything most mages will ever have. Airam, Hermione, Esther, every one of them has power that could grow beyond the limits people believe possible."
