Chapter 10 Rohan's Family

The castle was aglow with the sun's first morning light, its rays piercing through the grand windows of Aldric's office. The room was filled with a solemn stillness.

"I would take another military campaign over whatever the hell that was..." He sighed, exasperated.

Last night, after the confrontation in the grand entrance hall, Lady Agatha had stormed off into her chambers, and the gathering had come to an abrupt and awkward end. The servants, with apprehensive expressions, had swiftly packed up the remnants of the celebration, dispersing the guests in a hurry.

Aldric, standing by the window of his office, watched as the ornate carriages of the departing guests rolled away, disappearing down the cobbled path. It was a relief that the message had been clear, and they had chosen to leave without further incident.

One could almost taste the anxiety in the castle.

Aldric, a viscount and a commander, understood that the consequences of the previous night's confrontation were far from over. There would be rumors, people who would take advantage of this incident, and Agatha's family to deal with.

The day after the incident had dawned with a sobering clarity, and the decisions he would make in the coming days would shape the destiny of those within his charge.

In the somber days that followed the confrontation in the grand entrance hall, Viscount Aldric found himself standing at a crossroads in his life. Now, the cracks in his marriage to Lady Agatha were painfully obvious to everyone who had witnessed that night, and he knew that a decision was overdue.

Aldric's resolve was strengthened by a letter that had arrived from the king's court. It was an announcement of his impending elevation to the title of Marquis, a recognition of his meritorious service in the recent campaigns. The honor bestowed upon him by the king was a validation of his abilities as a leader and a commander.

Aldric took a quill into his hand, "I really don't deserve it, but I'll take it."

With the marquis title, Aldric no longer needed the peerage that came through his marriage to Lady Agatha to bolster his status. His own merits on the battlefield and his dedication to his kingdom had secured his place among the nobility.

It was in this moment of clarity that Aldric made his decision. He would break things off with Lady Agatha, ending a marriage that had long been strained.

As the ink of his decision dried on the parchment, Aldric couldn't help but feel a sense of liberation. The marquis title, earned through his dedication and valor, symbolized not just his status but also his newfound freedom to make his own decisions. Of course, along with the heavier responsibilities that come with it.

The decisions made in Aldric's office were the first steps toward a future where he would no longer be bound by anyone.

Rohan was too busy to spy on the ongoing events in his father's office that day. If he had, he would have little problem convincing his mother.

The air was thick with tension as Anne, her eyes filled with determination, began packing her bags, her mind made up to leave.

"Mother, please! Why can't we stay?" Rohan pleaded. This was not the reaction he had hoped for in his mother. After all that planning, he didn't take into account the feelings of those closest to him.

Anne ignored him. Even if Rohan continued to take out the things from her bag, Anne would just put them back without saying a word to him.

Rohan, desperate to stop his mother from departing, pleaded with her. "Mother, please, you can't leave now," he implored, his voice filled with a sense of urgency. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her, not after all they had endured.

Eliza, on the other hand, stood by her mother's side, torn between loyalty to Anne and her pleading brother.

Despite the disagreements and discord, Anne remained gentle toward Rohan. She understood her son's pain and the longing for the stability they barely knew. Her heart ached for him, torn between her love for him and the desire for a future that was no longer tied to the castle's troubles.

"We are not welcomed here," Anne said, giving up on packing if Rohan was so stubborn. "Rohan, you made me regret telling you who your father was."

Mother, in my past life, I only found out the truth after we were kicked out by Agatha. Please, give us this second chance.

Rohan wished she knew what he went through. But, he knew he was but a thirteen-year-old boy as of the moment; he held little sway over what his mother should do. Anne was the adult here while he was but a child. Her child. He had no choice... Rohan did not want to do this to his mother, but he had no choice.

Rohan slowly held his hands over his face... And began to cry. As his previous life's mentor, Varian, once said, 'even the most powerful kings cry in the embrace of their mother.'

This is so embarrassing! I hate this! I'm no longer a child! Well, Mentally. You made me do this, mother! I hate this. Why did it have to come to this!?

Anne, who always thought her son was so resilient even in their hardship, saw him cry for the first time in years. Eliza, who had been watching the whole scene unfold before her, began to cry as well.

Good job, El! Now she has to yield!