"Danger is… quite dangerous" – a simple philosopher

The door slams open, and a servant enters with haste.

"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me" Walter stands up from hugging his son and starts walking towards the servant, "What is so important that you would do so?"

"Well, sir, you see… I hate being the bearer of bad news... but there's an army at our doorstep, sir," the servant says, fidgeting, under Walters harsh glare.

Walter's face falls, and he opens the curtains and a view of lights spreading to the distance, "Do you know what banner the bear, I cannot see it from here."

"Sir, they seem to be from the western duchy…"

"Don't we have the towns of Irkshire, and Balsdom, between are manor and there," Walter says while eyeing the flickering lights as the sun sets in the distance, "They shouldn't have fallen so easily, especially with the new barriers, and even then I would expect some correspondence or warning."

"Well, sir…" the servant's eyes flicker back and forth, "It seems that they were allowed to pass through…"

Walter sighs and turns around, and starts walking towards his servant, "A revolt it is then, I assume you don't know why?" Walter looks directly at him.

"No sir, but I can speculat-"

"No need," the duke says, his head turning to his son, "what we need to do now is retreat with the knights to a friendly province, are the communication lines down?"

'it seems nothing in my lessons could have prepared me to keep my head like he is… So this is how a duke is supposed to handle a crisis,' Alex thinks while staring at the majestic figure of his father.

"No sir, thank goodness for that, but we cannot get in contact with any of the mayors, nor with the knights for that matter," says the servant, his eyes downturned.

Walter looks shocked for a moment, then closes them, breathes, and speaks, "Well, something good for once is going to come from my father's cowardice. Alex?"

"Yes, father," Alex says, somewhat dazed by all the events happening at once.

"Follow Aldi here to the cellar, behind the third wine stack to the right there should be a lever, pull it. There should be an exit around three miles away guarded by an illusion matrix, make your way there and take the go pack and leave. Oh, and make sure to pull the second lever in the cave before you do so…" Walter says, once again facing the window, "Go on now, and Aldi."

"yes sir."

"I trust you know the way and are willing?" Walter says, turning to his servant.

"Of course, sir."

"let's go now young sir, we have to leave now," Aldi says while pulling Alex's sleeve.

Alex gets up and starts towards the door before, deciding otherwise.

"Father, come with us, or we aren't going," Alex says, turning to his father.

"Son, it's the duty of a duke to lead their armies into battle, to protect their citizens, and to improve the livelihood of their estate. I cannot leave now, not without forsaking all that my ancestors have built, go, my son."

"So where does that leave me," says Alex, now upset at the notion of leaving his father to die.

'I'm not going to let you die.'

"It leaves you, my son, as the precious heir to be protected, now go," Walter says, staring into his son's eyes with a forcefulness he hadn't seen before, "If you don't leave now you forsake me and my house, and are no son of mine. We are done here." Walter says, walking to the window once more.

"But father…" Alex says.

And then the arrow pierced his heart.