Ten days had passed since Duke Reynold willed his sons to join the Training Camp, and knowing that distance from the fief to the capital is quite far, their father rushed them to pack their bags ahead of time, as they will be on their way 5 days before the start of the camp, which was exactly what today is.

With his clothes and other necessities all packed up, Lu Yan walk over to grab his rapier which was hanged on the wall beside his bed.

Hearing the calls outside his room he presumed that his brothers and their entourage are all ready to go, with that said he give his room a one last swiping glance, thinking to himself how he'll miss this huge room and his personal space, as he was quite sure that he might not even have the luxury of having a soft bed during the camp, all is well that he was used to it in his past life, just that once you experience comfort, the temptation is quite hard to resist.

Replacing it with his usual poker face the longing look that once appeared fades. Lu Yan walked up to the gates where his father and brothers are waiting, others might be curious as to why this noble family lacks a madame, well probably because the master of the house love his previous wife too much that he refuses to take up a new one, or maybe because his sons never once mentioned having a new mother thus leading him to think that they refuses to have one.

And as though to preserved the memories of her, the walls along the hall are littered with portraits depicting the lady's frail beauty, digging up Raghnall's old memory the images he have with this woman were quite few however rumors made by the maids about her, he knew some of it.

Like how they admired this woman very much, as they reminisce the days wherein this woman pursued his husband, following him everywhere during their teens, and even when the young duke goes off to the Academy, they would exchange letters and she even had the gall to sneak in with her brothers help.

And her efforts bore fruit as the man of her dreams married her, and she had even given him three sons as the symbol of their love, truly an admirable woman. Sadly, her body succumbed to an incurable illness that cuts their happiness short, leaving her beloved and little bundles of joy behind to cry on her wake.

Looking at the family painting in the middle, he remembered how the once young Raghnall back in the day asks his father about who's more beautiful his mother or Her Majesty the Queen, but alas his father in those days was full of happiness as though the blank canvas of his life was filled with vibrant colors calling upon envy in others eyes.

"Of course, who else would it be but my beloved wife, now look at your mother. You see those smooth pale almost transparent skin glittering under the sun, such a beauty! And look at those, faint blue veins running along her arms, others might see her frail but I thought otherwise! You might not know this son, but back in the days when your mother and I were young I always bullied her as I wanted her attention at that time, but your mother is such a brute, she actually gifted me a punch in the face, but alas fell enamored to that unlady-like temper of hers. Well, of course I'm most proud of my handsomeness, as without this face how would I swindled your mother to follow me wherever, and finally reluctantly asks her hand in marriage."

With him seated on his father's lap, his father continued telling stories of his past escapades with his mother, his eyes are full of love together with his gentle voice, the young Raghnall listened with great interest as he thought to himself of how wonderful his parent's love for each other is.

"But, little did I know your mother has long seen through me, quite a sly woman she is. And I'm quite sure those meetings with other men where a trap made by her to trip me into jealousy, but despite knowing that I still feel gloomy thinking how your mother might left me for another, thus after graduating from the Academy, I immediately hasten my plan for our wedding, else I might regret having her slip through my fingers."

This harmonious father and son bonding time was stop abruptly as a woman who's beauty and elegance was known all over the manor, walked up to them, with smiles in her face and love in her eyes as she watched her beloved and little dumpling having a sweet time with themselves.

But humans are such a fragile beings, they wear in time, and illnesses easily corrodes them inside. At the age of 4, Raghnall had been thought of the lesson of death in a hard way. Seeing his beloved mother, weak and in pain in every passing day his young heart feels needles poking through it.

And at last, he saw her sleep, young at that time he didn't know so he nudge her body gently afraid that he might cause his mother pain but after a long time she didn't wake up, his eyes slowly reddened and his stifled cries and sobs rung out of the room alerting the maids behind the door only to realize when they rushed inside that their Lady, though look like she was sleeping peacefully, was gone forever, never to open her eyes again.

And then, the fief entered a week of mourning for the lost of the Madame, his father the Duke from then on became a cold man, covering himself with piles of work as though, in this way he'll forget the pain of losing his beloved.

In this way, the once full of laughter and happiness house of Fitzgerald was gone, only left with sadness and melancholy.

Shaking his head to get the thoughts of the young Raghnall's past out of his mind, Lu Yan continued on his way after leaving a greeting and a farewell towards the portrait of the late Lady Riana Gallagher Fitzgerald.

In a distance, he saw his father together with his brothers waiting up for him, with horses lined up for them. Carriages were supposed to be prepared but his father said that it's better to be on a horse as it was faster compared to having carriages and also in this way they can practice their horse back riding skills along the way.

Saying up their greetings to each other, their father mentioned some things they must cautioned themselves whilst being in the training camp, he also gives them advices as to what to do when they get there, and finally he asks them to be brave and courageous as that camp wasn't made for the weak, also wishes them good health and a safe journey on the road.

And with all have been said and done he watches as his sons got up to their horses and gallop onwards until finally the dust they created settled back to ground.

"I wish you all the best, my sons. May this experience be helpful to all of you in the future."

A/N:

Riana: means "honorable" in Irish

Gallagher: means "lover of foreigners"