The time for the party was in about an hour, and everything was prepared. Tasha, who was turning two or had already turned two, was already dressed up. She was so cute; she wore a white dress with different pebbles designed around her clothes. It was meant to match her mother's clothes—but only she was dressed up yet.
"Dorian, Elric, time to get dressed up. It seems your uncle might invite a lot of nobles," she said. Elric usually didn't like being bathed, but since today was a special day, he didn't have a choice. If he tried to throw a tantrum, it wouldn't go well with Viera, but usually he would still protest. "I am a big boy now," he usually said.
The three of them would bathe together, but something was off. Elric didn't put up a fight. Viera knew something was wrong between them, so when they were all in the bathtub she asked, hoping they could resolve it.
"What happened today?"
"Dorian got a new girlfriend," Elric mumbled.
"And are you scared that she is going to replace you?"
"No."
"What's her name?"
"Mia."
"Oh," she was startled. She was both shocked and not shocked at the same time. "Now, that's nice."
"Sure, real nice."
"What's the problem, Elric? Do you want to tell me?"
"I don't feel like it," he shrugged.
"Come now, you are making us worried and upset."
Dorian was indeed sad. He hadn't talked since they returned. He hadn't figured out why Elric left the room or called him bad.
"I don't care about his feelings; he didn't care about mine anyway."
This was when she knew it was serious. They had never fought to this extent before. She asked Dorian to leave politely, saying they would come and meet him when they were done, and Dorian just got up and went. He staggered towards the door without saying a word and shut it.
"Now tell me what happened."
Elric didn't respond. He turned his face the other way; he didn't want any advice after all. He didn't need anyone to tell him the obvious: "be happy for your brother—that's how it should be. Brothers should support each other regardless."
Her fingers found his chin as she slowly tilted his face to meet her gaze.
"Look at me, tell me what happened, please."
She lifted him from his position and placed him on her lap so they could be up close. Silence filled the room for a while.
"I like Mia," he mumbled. "I've told you; can I go now?"
"No, tell me what's on your mind, tell me how you feel."
"Angry."
"You are not angry; you are just trying so hard to be."
"Oh wow, so I don't get the privilege to be angry? Don't worry, I won't allow my gloom to ruin the party. That is what you want, right?"
"I never said that, and I will never think like that. All I want is to know everything: what happened, how you feel, and maybe, if I am lucky enough, know what you will do about it."
"Don't you ever think I would disregard your feelings or emotions. I am your mother, in case you had forgotten that part, and I don't care about the party right now. I am not moving an inch from here, even if it takes me hours, until you tell me everything."
For some reason, Elric wanted to see how long she would last. He wanted her to quit the facade so they could go to the party; maybe after that she would ask about it. But Viera was going to keep her word. She was going to wait till he opened up. This was because she wanted to get to the bottom of this, and that was because Elric had developed a new trait.
Ever since Derek died, Elric had always tried to be brave. He wanted to be a good Duke, a great one, as fast as he could. This made him undergo different changes.
First, he wanted to be courageous like his father. Whenever he was scared when his father was still alive, he always told him that courage is not all about never fearing; it is also doing something even though you are shivering to the bones.
Secondly, he had to be strong to protect everything he loved, so he trained every night regardless of whether he liked it or not.
And lastly, he had this conviction that it was his duty to fix every problem. And since it was his duty, he didn't have to whine or complain about it, so even though he hated something, he shoved his weak and immature feelings down his throat and smiled, so he could deceive everyone and, most importantly, himself that he was okay with it.
And it made Dorian and Viera worried, and that was why Viera wanted in on this case—not for the quarrel, but to make him know he should share his burden with people that love him.
"I told Dorian I liked Mia last night," he said in a soft voice as his gaze went down.
"Mia confessed to him yesterday, and he told me. I was jealous, so I didn't want to talk about it, so I left him. But he asked me again in the night, so I had no other choice than to explain to him."
He pressed his palms together while fighting the weakness he felt in his eyes.
"He doesn't even know what it means to like someone, and today he told Mia he liked her back. It's not fair, it is not fair. I know right now I am a bad brother. I am supposed to be happy for him, right? But I can't, and I don't know why."
"Sorry for being so selfish," he spoke even softer.
"Wrong, you are so very wrong," she said with a voice that sounded as if it were breaking. Elric turned as he felt teardrops on his shoulder and realized she was crying.
"You are not selfish, do you hear me? You care way too much, you beat yourself up way too much, but somehow you don't see it; you don't see how you are the best son or brother anyone could ask for."
"You are jealous right now, it's okay, it's normal, you are human. You can't just tuck all your emotions under the bed. So stop being so harsh on yourself, stop it, please."
"You don't get it, you just don't get it, do you," he mumbled.
He clenched his fist tightly, annoyed by his mother's ignorance.
"You don't get it." He shouted. "You want me to feel okay for being jealous; that is not a virtue I am supposed to have. I'm supposed to be strong, be brave, be smart, be perfect like dad. I'm supposed to be dad. I don't have time to be feeling jealous just because Mia doesn't like me. The only thing that should be in my mind is studying and training and all of you. I can't slack off. I have to be good so I can protect us from that self-centered bastard who constantly tries to take everything from us. I have to be good so I show all those worthless pieces of trash that turned their backs on us when we needed them the most why they should have never done that. I have to be good so I can make you happy, make Dorian happy, make Tasha happy..."
"Then what about you? What about your happiness? That comes first. You are already doing enough. I see you train every night till you pass out; I see you every time you lock yourself up in the library even when I know you despise reading. So don't devalue all your efforts. I might not get how you feel, all the pressure to deliver, but take it easy sometimes, please. I'm here to protect you, not the other way around. Forget about your uncle, forget about all those traitors, forget about being perfect, okay? It will all work out. Just try and be happy; that is your first and most important duty. Share your burdens with me, and Elric, we will fight them together, so please stop trying to be all grown up. Be a kid—that is what you are, and that is what you deserve to be."
"But that will make me incompetent. I don't want to fail you. I don't want to fail dad. I don't... I just don't want to fail."
"You are not failing any of us; we are so proud of you. We are our greatest accomplis..."
He hugged her tight before she could finish.
"I want to cry, don't laugh... okay."
"Never."
---
Dorian was waiting in the dressing room until they arrived. He tried to hide his gaze from reaching Elric.
"I'm sorry," Elric apologized.
Dorian gasped. "For what... I'm the one who messed up, so I'm sorry."
"I'm pretty sure you don't know what you did," Elric chuckled.
"I don't."
"Well, don't worry about it. As far as we are concerned, nothing matters."
"Yes," Dorian replied with a blast of optimism. "Let's get dressed for the party."
The boys got dressed up with the supervision of Viera. Dorian wore his regal uniform and looked quite charming in it. Elric wore white regal clothes too, so he was kind of matching Dorian. Everything was the same except the color, and Dorian had more ornaments and fancy designs. Elric picked up his dad's scarf. He wanted to wear it for the first time during Tasha's party because he thought it would make it special. He wrapped it around his neck. It felt as if he was being hugged by his dad in spirit. He squeezed the scarf to his chest.
"Dad is with me today," he thought.
He looked at Dorian for a while and wrapped the scarf around him.
"You wear it; Dad will be so proud of you."
"It suits you. Ha ha, I'm good," he remarked.
"What is this for? The scarf is for your dad; you should..."
"Our dad," Elric interrupted. "I'm doing this to make things right. Plus, I want dad to hold you throughout the bestowment. So wear it, it is only for today. Tomorrow, you better take it..."
Dorian hugged Elric before he could finish his statement.
"Let's never fight again, please. Let's never be mad at each other, promise."
"Yes, no fights." Elric hugged him back.
"I hate to ruin the mood, but it sounds like the guests are coming," Viera said. "Let me check."
Viera went to the window to check, and she was frozen on the spot. She started shaking; her body slowly got drenched in sweat.
Outside the window, she saw dozens of knights fully armed from head to toe at every corner of the estate. A man came forward and opened a scroll, and at the top of his voice, he shouted:
"HEAR YE, HEAR YE!
By the unimpeachable authority of His Grace, Duke Melvin Lyza the Third, Head of the Illustrious Roswell Family and Sovereign Lord of the Rosa Duchy, I, Sir Francis Meruim Waterfell, Chief Knight and Shield of the Roswell House, stand before you to declare the Duke's will.
Let it be known throughout the land, by the power vested in His Grace and the ancient laws of this realm, that Lord Derek Vaelthrone is hereby and forthwith raised to the station of Count of the Vael County. He shall be granted all lands, titles, and privileges pertaining to that noble rank, and shall govern his people with justice and honour under the Duke's benevolent eye.
Furthermore, in the enforcement of this transition and the preservation of order within this new Count's dominion, be warned: any person found upon these estates or lands who refuses to acknowledge the authority of Count Vaelthrone, or is discovered to have taken up residence herein without lawful right or title, shall be deemed an unlawful inhabitant and a disturber of the peace.
The punishment for such defiance shall be death, to be carried out without delay, that their souls may find final rest.
Let all be witness to the law and submit to His Grace! The Gods bless the Duke!"
"[Sigh], how long will your greed go, Deren, for you to try and kill your family for power," a distant voice coming from the top of the estate said. "Anyways, I, Theranor Clark, hereby proclaim, any man with the intent to kill on these very grounds is a moving corpse."