There wasn't much time to get used to Vertalis. When he had arrived in the evening, a meal had been waiting for him and afterwards he had been shown his room. His father he had seen only briefly. They'd had a meal together, his father had asked him if he was well, and then told him he would be shown around Vertalis in the morning, after breakfast and before his lessons.

The king would arrive in a day or two and Lucius knew it would be odd if he wouldn't know his way around the home he was supposedly living in. He wasn't sure how his grandfather would react if he found out Lucius had been living at Boncini until now, but it couldn't be good. Lucius didn't want to cause trouble. Not for his father, but also not for his aunt Vara and uncle Iason. But he also knew it was wrong to tell a lie. He wondered which would be worse.

Perhaps he could ask his teacher.

Achaikos would know.

He would make sure to ask during his lesson today.

It was strange, not having any chores this morning. He was used to waking up early and feeding the animals. Vertalis didn't have chickens. At least not that he knew of.

Quietly, Lucius followed after the servant that was giving him a tour of Vertalis. He supposed the man was a steward, like Lykander was for Boncini. The man had introduced himself as Amun and was showing him the most important rooms. The main hall, dining hall, study, kitchens, and the wing where his bedroom was, next to his father's.

After that, Amun showed him to the stables and training grounds. Lucius took the opportunity to check on his horse. The animal was peacefully chewing on his hay and only briefly looked up when the boy peeked over the stable door. It snorted once and then returned to his food.

"Your Highness, we must return," Amun urged him, "it is time for your lessons. Your father, the crown prince, will be attending. He wished to evaluate your progress."

Lucius withheld a sigh. He probably should have expected as much. The king would want to know what he had learned too.

Still, Lucius followed the man back without complaint. He had promised his aunt and uncle to make an effort to try and get along with this father. He didn't want to disappoint them.

When Lucius stepped into the study, his father was already there, talking to his teacher.

Achaikos bowed at the young boy. "Good morning, prince Lucius. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you," Lucius muttered. He looked at his father. "Father."

Cyrus nodded in his direction without acknowledging him directly. He motioned with his hand towards Achaikos. "You may begin."

"Your Highness," Achaikos bowed. He motioned for Lucius to take a seat.

The next few hours were spent going over foreign texts, reciting historical events, and calculus. All the while, Cyrus sat in the corner of the room. Lucius wasn't sure if his father was pleased or not, but after what seemed like an eternity, Cyrus nodded and stood up. "That's enough for today," Cyrus said, "I need to speak with my son. You can resume the lessons tomorrow."

Achaikos bowed again. The teacher collected his scrolls and left the study.

Once they were alone, Cyrus took a deep breath. He knew he'd have to communicate with his son at some point, preferably before his father was here. It just had been such a long time. How should he even talk to a child?" Do you like your room?" he started off.

Lucius kept his eyes downcast at the table and gave a nod. "Yes. The room is fine," he muttered.

Cyrus nodded. "Good. That's good. When the king is here, it is best not to tell him you stayed with your aunt and uncle, understand?"

Lucius nodded again. He already knew this. He had meant to ask his teacher for advice, but with his father present during his lessons, Lucius hadn't had the chance. Perhaps it would be best not to say anything at all. Unless, of course, the king would ask him a direct question. Then he'd have no choice but to answer.

"Did you eat?" Cyrus asked awkwardly.

"Yes," Lucius whispered.

Cyrus nodded and wondered what next to ask. His mind wandered to the letter Vara had sent him when she sent Lucius, telling him to mend the bond with his son, to take him out riding, to tell him about Cyrus' own youth. She reminded him that this was not just his son, but Ariane's as well. 'Do right by her', Vara had instructed him, 'raise him well'. The boy was his responsibility. He had the chance to do things better now.

Of course Cyrus knew this. He just wasn't sure where to start.

"The king will be here soon," he informed the boy, "you will have to come with me to greet him. Afterwards, he'll probably want to speak with me alone. Can you play by yourself?" Vara had written him that Lucius usually played with the daughter of Chloe and Lykander, but there were no young children at Vertalis.

Lucius nodded meekly and Cyrus studied the boy cautiously. Was his son always this quiet? Or was it his fault?

Cyrus cleared his throat. "Perhaps... if I'm done speaking with the king, we can ride out together. You can see the land surrounding Vertalis."

Now the boy's head slightly titled up and there was a hopeful shimmer in his eyes. Was he truly that happy to spend time with his father?

Cyrus suddenly felt uncomfortable. He had shunned the boy and now that same boy looked at him as if he was the boy's lifeline. "Would you like that?" he asked cautiously.

A smile broke through on Lucius' face. He nodded delighted.

"Alright," Cyrus said awkwardly, "now go play. I will call for you once the king arrives."

"Yes, father," Lucius nodded and he left the room.

Cyrus let out a long sigh and ran a hand across his face. He couldn't remember this being so hard.

He thought back on the first time he held his son in his arms. How happy he had been, how proud. All he ever wanted was a large family. Now it seemed Lucius was all the family he'd ever have. What was he even doing? He should cherish what he had left. He didn't want his son to grow up a stranger.

There was a knock on the door and a servant girl entered the study. "Your Highness," she curtsied, "the king is approaching. He will be arriving soon."

Cyrus sighed. He had dreaded this meeting. Last time he had seen his father, they hadn't parted on good terms. He didn't want to argue again. Vertalis was thriving, prospects were good. Surely his father would see that too.

Taking another deep breath, Cyrus readied himself for the confrontation with his father.

...

Elora closed her eyes and tilted her head upwards into the light breeze. It had finally rained last night, a rarity in the otherwise dry climate. It made the air smell so fresh and settled all the dust. She hadn't realized how much she missed something as simple as rain.

Inside in the room, her two youngest children were playing. Shahzad was currently teaching his little sister how to build a tower with a patience what was rare for the usually reckless boy.

It made Elora smile. He was such a good and protective brother. She wondered what it would be like for the next.

Her hand moved to rest below her stomach. After three children, she recognized the signs.

She had been feeling fatigued these past few days and the smell of fish made her nauseous. A physician still needed to confirm it, but Elora was certain she was carrying another child under her heart.

Elora's smile widened. It was good to have many siblings. They could take care of and protect each other. She herself was close with all her sisters, no matter how different their personalities. She wanted the same for her own children.

Still smiling, she walked back inside. It was a quiet day. Ardashir was out riding with his father. The boy had been so excited. It would only be a short trip. Ardashir wasn't an experienced rider yet after all. Still, Darius wanted to spend time with his eldest son that would one day follow in his footsteps.

Elora's attention turned back to Shahzad and Roshan. The little girl had just knocked over the tower and was now slamming two blocks against one another.

Across from her, Shahzad shook his head. "No, sis," he said, "like this." He started to rebuild his creation again, even though his sister wasn't paying attention anymore.

It would be time for their nap soon. Once they were asleep, Elora would try to work on her scented oils. They were in high demand in the marketplace, these days. Aside from that, she was working with the physicians now to produce medicinal tinctures. Some of the oils she made had a soothing effect on patients that had sleeping problems. Lately, Elora had been experimenting with scented candles. Here in Tirèze where flowers were hard to grow and nights were long and dark, having a scented candle lit would make everything seem lighter.

Elora smiled warmly at the prospect. It was a nice feeling to bring warmth into a house and ease someone's dreams.

She walked up to the children.

Time for their nap.

...

Lucius played his part well. He stood next to his father when the king arrived and followed them into the study while his father gave the king a status report on the situation at Vertalis. After exchanging formalities, the king turned to Lucius. "And how do you like Vertalis?" he asked, "has your father shown you the border defenses yet?"

Lucius shuffled uncomfortably. "Not yet, grandfather. But we will ride out later today."

"Will you now?" the king turned back to Cyrus skeptically.

"We were waiting for you to arrive," Cyrus said stiffly, "I wanted him to settle here first and set up a routine. I planned to take him out riding, but when I heard you would be visiting, I decided to wait." It was only half a lie.

"Then I will accompany you," king Marcos decided. He wanted to see for himself how the relation between father and son had improved and how much the boy had picked up on the way the troops were organized.

"Very well, "Cyrus said stiffly. He had expected as much. "We will leave after discussing business."

The king waved his suggestion away. "We can leave right now. Let's have the inspections out of the way. You can tell me all I need to know on our journey there." He looked at Lucius. "Or perhaps Lucius can tell me. Let's see how well you've done in your lessons, boy. Any questions I still have after, I will ask your father."

"Yes, grandfather," Lucius bowed lightly. There was not much else he could say. Requests from the king were, after all, not really requests.

The king nodded pleased and turned to a nearby servant. "Have our horses saddled. We will ride out." He instructed Cyrus to arrange for guards to escort them and for Lucius to change into his riding gear.

Once it was just him and Cyrus, king Marcos looked at his son sternly. "Now the truth, Cyrus. How is the boy really doing? He looks as if he might get a beating at any moment."

Cyrus clenched his jaw. "He is still adjusting. Life here is different than at Boncini. He had more freedom there, I suppose. Expectations are higher for him here at Vertalis. There, he was a boy with lessons. Here, he is a prince in training. As you wished him to be."

"Don't make it sound as a punishment, Cyrus. There are things he needs to learn. Fact remains he isn't a regular boy. He is heir to the throne. Expectations will always be higher for him. You are well aware of that. But I do see your point. I know you had been searching for a playmate. In your youth, you had Iolaus. How about it? Have you found someone suitable yet to accompany Lucius?"

"I haven't," Cyrus said, "all the noble heirs are much older than him. The daughter of Iolaus and Ophelia is still too young, as well as the son of lord Riccardo Prias and lady Priskilla."

"I see," king Marcos mused, "yes, of course."

"Vara told me he played with the village children occasionally," Cyrus continued, "I could find him a companion out of the commoners."

"No," the king decided, "he needs someone at his side that can train with him, and later, as they grow up, advise him. It is important he gets to know the noble families better and ties their loyalty to him."

"What about the loyalty of the people?" Cyrus countered, "you allowed Vara to be my companion when we were children. She was village born. And you know she gives good advice. Grandfather loved debating state matters with her. He always praised her for her insight. Even you can't deny that."

King Marcos sighed. "No one denies Vara is well-versed and intelligent. She studied alongside you and has a sharp mind. But the only reason I took her in was because of her father. Had he not died, she wouldn't have become your companion. No. Lucius needs companions from his own circle. Ask around the lower nobility. If there is no one suitable, then we can discuss finding a companion amongst the lower class. Or we will wait for Iolaus' daughter to be older."

"Very well," Cyrus said stiffly, "I can ask amongst the vassals of lord Strega. They proved their loyalty while fighting alongside king Darius."

The king gave a please nod. "Do so. You can sent out letters tomorrow. Today we will ride to the fortification. Let's see how Vertalis is doing under your command."

...

He had learned all about the border defenses of course. Still, seeing them for himself was quite impressive. Large palisades, a stronghold, barracks for the soldiers, guards on the watchtowers, and riders going back and forth. Now everything he had learned in his lessons suddenly came alive.

The were greeted by captain Nereus and accompanied to his office where they were offered refreshments.

"You will be pleased to see the improvements on our defenses Your Majesty, Your Highnesses," the captain spoke, "we tore down the fort on Balor's side of the border and used the materials to strengthen our own. The horses we confiscated from Balor were sold at the market. We can't use them here so close to the border in case Balor tries to steal them back, but with the money we purchased new horses for our patrol. What was left was sent to his Highness in Vertalis."

Cyrus nodded. He had received the money. It had been a fair sum.

"Patrols are switched out regularly," the captain continued, "we have met up with king Darius' patrols near Boncini's border as well as with lord Matís in the Northwest. We also managed to close off the secret trails Balor has used in the past to cross our borders. They will not be passing by unnoticed anymore. Of course, the former lord Vertus might have had a hand in that too."

King Marcos nodded. "It is good to hear the changes that were implemented are working. Now, let us see these improvements up close. Prince Lucius will tell us what he has learned."

"Of course," the captain bowed. He didn't dare comment on the boy's age. It was not his place to have an opinion on the royal family.

They headed outside towards the barricades and the king looked at Lucius expectantly.

The boy swallowed nervously before hesitantly reciting all he knew, hoping he wouldn't make any mistakes. How many soldiers were currently positioned here. Where were they from. How large was one mounted patrol. How far West to the province border shared with lord Matís. What was the frequency with which the patrols were switched out.

At first he was nervous, but then Lucius realized how much he actually knew.

It stirred a certain pride in him.

The king seemed pleased as well. He nodded at the boy content.

Once Lucius had finished with his account of things, his father and the king continued to speak with captain Nereus.

Lucius did his best to pay attention. No doubt he would be asked to repeat what had been discussed later.

Hours later, they returned to Vertalis. Lucius felt exhausted. Still, he sat through dinner patiently and bid his father goodnight once he was excused.

Today had been a good day. It was almost like how it used to be.

Perhaps things would be better now. Perhaps staying here and living at Vertalis wouldn't be so bad. He would keep trying. He wouldn't give up. He would be a good son.

And perhaps then his father would remember to be a good father too.

A/N When Cyrus mentions Lucius' stay at Boncini, he means the first time Lucius stayed there, not the recent visit.