Caedmon’s face darkened, appearing to absorb the heat of the surrounding lanterns.

“Listen closely to what I’m about to tell you, and never forget it. Those of House Silverkin place value on strength and ability above all else. It was my father’s hope to sire many male heirs, and to charge them with overseeing his lands in place of the previous lords, my uncles with whom he had strained relations. He did just that, only, my mother passed away during childbirth, and the last child that she bore was your mother. Since Father is a devout follower of the faith, he had sworn himself to a single woman, and thus couldn’t remarry.

“He…wasn’t pleased about the situation, and things only became worse when he learned that Laisha’s talents in the arcane were limited to the healing arts. He was more upset about this than losing my mother, just as he’d been when he learned that I preferred fine arts over the study of battle magics and swordplay.”

Alistar remembered how much his mother had hurt after his father died. She was never the same. Suddenly, he felt sorry for his grandmother.

“Frankly speaking, Father didn’t like us. We weren’t allowed to attend social gatherings of any sort, or to leave the capital, regardless of the circumstances. When he learned that I preferred the arts over swordplay, he had all of my possessions burned, and forced me to watch while he and my brothers laughed at my misery. Since then I have been all but disowned.”

Alistar found it difficult to believe that people could treat their family members so poorly. His father and his uncle Raidon had been the best of friends, and neither had been anything less than kind to him.

“Once, Laisha had become stricken with the son of a lower nobleman that he disliked, so Father had the poor lad killed. He was never fond of me, or your mother. My point is that, revealing your existence to the family is more likely to put you in danger than anything else. Your other cousins will look at you as competition for my title, and so will your uncles.”

What kind of family was this? His existence alone was a grievance for them?

“Uncle, you said that you were all but disowned. How can that be? You’re the Count of Distan!”

Caedmon’s eyes sank. “When I became ruler of this region, there were no more than two thousand people in Mayhaven, and less than eleven thousand in the county. Only the city had any sort of fortifications, and these were just poorly constructed palisade walls. This was—and still is—the most dangerous area in the kingdom. This far into the Tall Mountains, Distan was doomed to fail from the moment that the first settler stepped foot on its soil.”

“But the city is beautiful. How is that possible if it was as bad as you say?”

“I’m glad you think so, Alistar. It’s because I’ve endeavoured to make it a place where people can live happily and without fear. Taxes are low, which means that I don’t pull in nearly as much funding as my brothers, but it keeps the people happy. Instead of spending my inheritance on the construction of a grand castle like each of my brothers did—and how small it was in comparison!—I spent it on the walls that surround the county.” He folded his arms. “Governing this territory has just been one long headache. In my father’s eyes, he wasn’t gifting me with Distan. He was burdening me with it.”

It seemed that even nobles could have it rough, thought Alistar. His grandfather sounded like a very unpleasant man. To treat his family in such a way, did he even want such a person to accept him?

“But he has yet to meet me. Perhaps if we get to know one another…”

Caedmon shook his head. “If you were any other child, then I wouldn’t say something like this, but you deserve to know. You must know.” His uncle paused to take a breath, glancing at the door to make sure that it was shut. “Simply to avoid a small dispute, he married your mother off against her will the moment that she turned sixteen. At the time, terrible things were happening in region where he sent her, and he knew that she would surely suffer because of this. I’ve never met your father, but it seems that he had his fair share of problems, and these problems led to your family’s enslavement. I know your grandfather well, and should he learn of your existence, the first thing that he’d think of is the possibility of you seeking revenge somewhere down the line.”

Alistar’s hands were clenched up into fists, which shook at his sides as he struggled to absorb all of what Caedmon had told him. His mother’s life had taken such a terrible turn for the worse because of his grandfather? His mother, the kindest, gentlest, sweetest person he had ever met, had died as a slave because of her own parent? The cruelty was almost too much to bear.

“And he would be wise to think so.”

Caedmon flew from his chair as if he’d sat on a nail. “I’ll only tell you this once. If you ever decide to take revenge, you will longer be welcome here.”

“What are you saying?” Alistar couldn’t believe his ears. “My mother died because of him!”

“And so would you,” Caedmon snapped. “You need to understand that he wouldn’t fear you, yourself. He has many enemies, people that would seek you out. My uncles, for instance. He has all of his grandchildren under a tight leash, and even my brothers wouldn’t dare to challenge him, and for good reason. You’re the only one in our family that hasn’t been bound by magical oath, the only one who could openly act against him. You also have reason to do so. In the eyes of others, you would be the perfect pawn to take advantage of.”

“But—”

“Quell your anger, Alistar, and listen. I would not see you to your death, not after all that your family has sacrificed so that you may lead a life worth living. Would you go against the final wishes of your parents, even knowing what they endured for you to be here today? Of your uncle, who so valiantly laid down his life to protect you?”

Alistar was silent, his mind erratic. What was he supposed to do? Now that he knew the cause of his family’s misfortune, he was filled with the same sort of hatred that he’d only ever felt for a handful of people, namely the guard captains back at Crystellum.

“Promise me that you will never seek revenge against your grandfather.”

Staring deep into Caedmon’s eyes and seeing the concern swimming beneath, Alistar all but deflated. Who was he kidding? He was just a child, an ex-slave drowning in an ocean of ignorance and depression. How could he ever hope to go against a king and his kingdom when he didn’t even have the power to rescue Kaila from the mines?

“I promise,” he whispered.

After staring at him for a long moment, Caedmon clapped his hands together with sudden enthusiasm, the change in his mood so abrupt that it left Alistar befuddled.

“Good. Now, although you’ve sworn off revenge, the risks of being discovered still exist. Should something happen, I want you to be prepared for anything that might come your way. That’s why I’ve decided that you will learn the ways of the sword, starting as soon as possible. Also, you’ll study under a home tutor the moment that you come into your energies, even if I have to hire a High Arcanite to be your teacher. I promise you, Alistar, I’ll do everything within my power to keep you safe, as if you were my own son.” Stooping down, Caedmon pulled him into a rough embrace that smelled of old parchment.