Ruena did not have to fake her eagerness nor her nervousness as she rushed to the scene. It had only been a few days but she already couldn’t wait to see Bastion again. How did he plan to introduce himself? Would he wait for her to arrive? If so, she needed to get there quickly. Even Leopold was ignoring his usual strict decorum to rush right behind her.

  One man stood alone in the wide entrance hall, unbothered by the hundreds of stares that followed his every movement. Now that he was here, the resemblance hit even harder than before. The way he stood there as if he belonged, the casual yet noble attire, and even the patient expression on his face was like seeing her father come back to life. Even though she had known he would be coming, she hadn't been prepared to truly see him walking the halls of Alodan.

  The moment he caught sight of Ruena, he smiled. "Ruena, my beloved granddaughter," he called, stepping forward without hesitation with outstretched arms, "I came as soon as I heard of your return. How have you been?"

  Leopold stepped in before she could answer, his tone filled with distrust, "You must state your identity before you approach the heir of Alodan," he warned.

  "My apologies. It has been a long time since I have been among nobles," he replied, his tone mild as if the distrust did not bother him in the least, "I am Bastion Alodan, the great grandfather of the current heir and once Duke of Alodan."

  There were likely a few more greats that were left out, but his words were otherwise truthful. Ruena found herself watching him closely, trying to glean whatever knowledge she could.

  "I have not heard of a Bastion Alodan," Leopold muttered, "In that case, there is an easy way to prove your lineage. There is a door within this mansion that only one with the blood of Alodan can open."

  Whether if was because they had just been discussing it moments before, or it really was a convenient heritage test was hard to say. Hopefully if the door was made after his time, it would recognize ancestors as well as descendants. However, Bastion answered in a way neither her nor Leopold expected.

  "Why should I have to prove myself?" he demanded, "I have not come to claim the duchy or anything from it. I am only here to spend time with my grandchild."

  "I won't ask you to prove yourself," Ruena told him before Leopold could say anything, "but the door he mentioned was one I was going to open anyway. There is no harm in accompanying me to see it."

  They locked eyes for a few moments as he searched her gaze for her intentions. Ruena knew what she had just suggested was dangerous, but she didn't care. The servants could gossip about how she was being deceived by a lookalike of her father. By now everyone should know how obsessed she was with his death. Besides, showing weakness like this would do more to help than hinder her. It was a wonderful bait for vultures.

  "Since my only granddaughter has invited me, I would be more than happy to go," Bastion answered finally, stepping confidently towards Ruena. The servants and even the guards obediently moved out of his way.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Though she left the entryway in a far more composed state than she had arrived, Ruena's excitement was only growing. For the first time she could ever remember, she would get to see her father's prized weapon room. Not only that, she would witness her father's only untouched memories alongside someone who looked almost exactly like him. Ruena knew well that he was someone else, but she couldn't stop the automatic rush of feelings.

  The weapon room was closer to the training ground than the main part of the mansion, which was fitting for a room full of weapons. The room itself looked rather unassuming from the outside. The stone structure blended in with the other storage sheds if you didn't look closely. The main difference was in the door. Rather than a wooden door with an iron bolt, this door was made of stone. Not only that, there was no visible handle or way to open it. She had waited for her father outside this door many times during her childhood, but Ruena had never tried to open it.

  Now that she stood before it, Ruena felt her excitement fade into nerves. Would the door open for her? Bastion was a powerful magical being, and her father had been noted for his own talents in magic. If the proof of heritage was magic, she would be left standing in front of an unresponsive stone wall. Then again, Bastion didn't seem concerned. Putting her trust in the first Alodan, Ruena reached out her hand and gently touched the center of the stone door.

  The moment her fingers brushed the stone, the door sunk inward with an impossible silence. Was this how it had always opened? Ruena couldn't recall ever seeing it open before. Since neither Leopold or Bastion seemed surprised, this must be normal. Bastion must have been involved in its creation after all since he seemed so familiar with it.

  "It's more normal than I expected," Ruena muttered once she got a look inside.

  "No matter how well guarded, a weapon room is just a weapon room," Bastion pointed out.

  That was true. The room itself was ordinary, though well maintained despite the fact no one had been able to enter for over a decade. The weapons also appeared ordinary at first glance, but Ruena's staff was proof that her father enjoyed adding secret functions to ordinary things. She did notice there was an empty place. He must have had his favorite weapon on him when he died. Had it ever been reclaimed? Knowing Velcorna, probably not.

  Bastion also noticed the hole in the well organized weaponry, but he seemed to think nothing of it. “I thought your staff looked familiar,” he mused, “It was one of the Alodan collection.”

  Ruena looked at the empty place again, then at the staff that she always had on hand. For a moment, just to test, she gently set her staff on the hooks and took a step back. It looked perfect there, like it belonged. All this time she had no idea the significance of the present her father had given her.

  “How did you know?” Ruena asked Bastion finally, after retrieving her staff once more.

  “The Alodan Armory was created when the Duchy of Alodan was founded,” Bastion explained, “There is no Duke of Alodan who would not be able to recognize it. Each weapon is uniquely crafted, destined to carry the future of Alodan.”

  “If my staff was the only thing missing, does that mean he didn’t take anything that day?” Ruena wondered.

  Bastion looked around the armory once more. “This may be a room for weapons, but it is also a gathering of treasures and heirlooms,” he told her, “I am sure he only took weapons from this room for special occasions.”

  That made sense, but Ruena could not feel relieved. Part of her wondered if taking one of these weapons would have saved him, but she knew better. If someone was strong enough to take her father down, a simple change in weapon would not have changed much.