To Ruena’s surprise, Soral was waiting quietly on the other side of the door, playing a match of chess with Xandus. Their games of chess were always full of trickery and open cheating, but they seemed to enjoy them. When she stepped out, Soral immediately abandoned the game and jumped up.

  “How did it go?” he asked.

  "Soral, you know exactly how it went," Ruena pointed out. She had no doubt he had been eavesdropping on their thoughts, intentionally or otherwise, the entire time.

  "That doesn't mean I don't want to hear the answer," Soral argued, "I want to know what you want me to know so I can make sure to forget the rest."

  Xandus also rose from the chessboard when Gorgon stepped through the door. He greeted him with a bow. "It is a pleasure to see you have awakened. I had lost all hope that any of you would ever wake up again."

  "I am not here to become involved with the affairs of the world," Gorgon warned, "Only the affairs of my granddaughter."

  Soral suddenly cut in, taking a close look at Gorgon's face with his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "I know I heard it in Ruena's thoughts earlier, but you really do look just like her. If it is true that those who inherit your appearance also inherit your power, why doesn't she have any magic?" Soral demanded.

  "Because she did not need it," he replied without any hesitation, "If no magic awakened even after everything she told me occurred, then it is not something she needs. My magic is a double edged sword. It is powerful, but it comes with a heavy price."

  "Alright," Soral said, accepting the answer and backing off, "Let's see, you wanted me to give you a nickname, right? Based on what I have heard and seen in your thoughts, I think Bastion suits you."

  There Soral went again, naming people after things. He had never once given someone a normal name. At least Ruena had managed to stop him from naming anyone after food. She was always dreading a day when some poor soul would be running around with the nickname 'Cupcake'. At least the Valen Title did not seem offended by his suggestion.

  "Bastion," he repeated, "A fortress made of stone. I agree. It does suit me. I will go by that for now."

  Ruena momentarily worried about how much access other nobles would have to the Alodan family records. To have such a young looking grandfather with an unfamiliar name was bound to draw suspicions. Then again, that was the whole point.

  "How should I introduce you?" Ruena asked, "We snuck out of the estate so it would be odd for you to suddenly appear."

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "I will arrive on my own," Bastian assured, "Rather than you looking for me, it would make more sense if I came looking for you after hearing of your return. If the nobles believe you are also uncertain about my identity, they will be open with their opinions about me."

  "In that case, take Ruena back first," Xandus instructed Soral, "I will help Bastion prepare. We should also polish my chess set while we are at it. Have to make it look like it got a proper fix."

  "If you are referring to the chess set I think you are, it would be faster if I helped with it," Bastion pointed out, "I can give it an upgrade while I am at it. The magic must be growing dull after all these years."

  Before Ruena had a chance to ask about their conversation, Soral had already sent her back to her room. It was probably for the best. She didn't need to dig any deeper into Valen secrets or risk scaring Bastion away. Despite the fact that the outing had taken barely any time, Ruena was exhausted. Since she was meant to be resting anyway she decided to make the excuse a reality and take a nap.

  By the time she woke up, both Xandus and Soral had already returned, and she heard several comments about how much better she looked after taking a rest. Had she actually looked exhausted enough for it to be visible? That was a bit embarrassing. Luckily Leopold had everything handled, as promised.

  “Did you succeed?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Ruena replied, “A very important guest will be arriving soon.”

  The next day Xandus announced his departure at a party he was invited to. He was still a king, after all. He couldn’t afford to overstay his welcome or abandon palace affairs for too long. No one seemed to actually believe he did anything involving palace affairs. It was much easier to imagine his aides were nagging him to leave since he was the only Valen that was not intimidated by the social pressure of Altea.

  He didn’t bother to explain his sudden departure to Ruena either, but she suspected it had something to do with Bastion’s impending arrival. She made sure to see him off properly, both as the royal he was and a friend. It was a complicated balance, according to Leopold, but she thought she pulled it off well enough.

  Since Ruena did not know when Bastion would arrive, Ruena could do little else but wait. Perhaps it was because of the striking resemblance, but every time she thought of Bastion, she would recall memories of her father. For the first time since her arrival at the Alodan mansion, she dared to ask about the things he had left behind.

  “Did that woman get rid of father’s weapon room?” Ruena asked.

  “She could not,” Leopold reported, “Only an Alodan can access that room, as it is passed down from each head of house.”

  The idea that there existed an untouched space full of memories of her father both warmed her heart and made tears prick at her eyes. “I thought for sure she would have gotten rid of all traces of him. I am glad there was a place she could not touch.”

  Before Ruena could seek out the room, there was a commotion. A servant came rushing in, out of breath and trembling. “Someone… There is… It’s impossible, but the duke has returned?”

  “The Duke?” Ruena asked. Did Bastion not introduce himself?