Consequences-1

At the Sureva Estate:

Luenor was crying. His mother, Rhea Justine Sureva and elder sister Hera Sureva were trying to calm him down but the waterfall didn't stop.

Ultimately, Arhenius Sureva entered Luenor's chamber. When Hera and Rhea saw Arhenius, they got up and quietly left the chamber.

Arhenius: It was never your fault. Men don't cry over such trivial matters, do they?

Luenor: But-but they removed you from the Royal Palace. It severed your friendship with the King. I see you worried about the recent riots in the Duchy.

Arhenius: You don't need to worry about that. You are still young. Enjoy your childhood while it lasts. When you become an adult like me, you have to do so much work. Then you will get all wrinkly and there will be pain in your knees and stuff like that. Anyway, Happy Birthday sweet cheeks.

Luenor: I had a sweet stuck in my cheek for one time!

Arhenius: And you didn't even know! You were running all around the Estate with that sweet stuck in your head. It creates a bad image for the future Lord.

Luenor looked at Arhenius with a look of horror. He quickly shook his head and tried to wipe his tears.

Luenor: I don't want to remember that. It brings some bad memories. I have something to ask you.

Arhenius: Ask.

Luenor: Sometimes, I see you limp when you and mother come out of your chamber. Is that the pain in your knees?

Arhenius: It's not a pain in the knees. It's pain somewhere else.

Luenor wanted to say something but Arhenius just picked up Luenor and carried him out of his chamber and to the Estate Training Grounds.

At the Estate Training Grounds:

There were people, wearing red and white colored armor covering their entire body except for the head, sparring with swords. Their Supervisor and Captain of Duke's Army, Hunter Gardan, a Intermediate Seven Star, was watching them.

When Hunter saw Duke Sureva approaching the Training Grounds, he shouted-

Hunter: Halt! Bow before the Duke!

Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and sheathed their swords. They knelt down on one knee and bowed with their left hand on their right chest.

Hunter and the Duke's Army: WE GREET THE DUKE AND HIS SON, THE FUTURE LORD!

Luenor's ears were hurting. They are so loud. Arhenius, seeing his son's reaction, just chuckled before putting his son down. He turned towards the still kneeling Army and bowed in return.

Arhenius: Everyone, stand up. I am just showing my son the Duke's Army. Carry on with your training. We won't interfere.

The guards looked at their Captain, Hunter who nodded at them. Then they all went back to sparring. Hunter, meanwhile, walked towards Duke Sureva and bowed before speaking.

Hunter: I greet the Duke of Sureva.

Arhenius: I have told you to call me Arhenius.

Hunter: Maybe in private, but I have an image to keep up in front of my comrades.

Arhenius: You are stubborn, you know that?

Hunter: It's what I have developed for protecting the Sureva's for fourteen generations now. Stubbornness.

Luenor: You are immortal?

Arhenius and Hunter laughed at Luenor's curiosity.

Hunter: No Young Lord, my family had been protecting the Sureva Household for ten generations now. I am just the current Gardan protecting you. My son will become your protector.

Luenor: Oh, so this is a family thing. I get it.

Arhenius: Anyway, Lui, you see how the guards train? They are the true guardians of the Household. You have to keep them loyal to you.

Luenor: You do know that I am only ten?

Arhenius: You are the heir of the Duchy. You have to learn management and other things starting today. First, get the loyalty of the Army.

Hunter was shocked. He didn't know about Arhenius's decision to start Luenor's heir training so soon.

Hunter: Isn't it a little too soon, My Lord?

Arhenius: It's his birthday gift.

Luenor: Dads don't give their child such bad news on their birthday.

Arhenius: And what do the Dads do?

Luenor: Allow their child to just frolic around the entire Duchy.

Arhenius sighed. No matter what he did, he couldn't get Luenor to get interested in being like him.

Arhenius: You may go with Hunter. But come back before evening. Or your mother will make me limp for two days straight.

Hunter stayed silent. Luenor just looked at Arhenius wierdly before shrugging and going towards the Knights.

Arhenius gave a nod to Hunter before leaving.

–

It was lunch time. After seeing the Knights spar for the hundredth time, Luenor was really looking to have a nice lunch.

His butler, Eamon would come soon to take him for lunch as in Eamon's own words- 'Nobility shouldn't be on the same level as the commoners, and that applies to food too.'

While waiting for Eamon, Luenor saw a huge line for food. Hunter, being the Captain, was the first one to be served. Hunter sat down on the ground next to the bench where Luenor was sitting. The rest of the knights also sat down on the ground and no one used the table or chairs.

Just then Eamon arrived to take Luenor. When Luenor saw the food on Hunter's plate, his mouth salivated.

Luenor: Give me some of your food.

Hunter: This is the food for us commoners. You have cooks preparing the best for you, Young Lord.

Luenor: No, I want to eat from your plate.

Eamon: It doesn't work that way, Young Lord. You can't eat from a commoner's plate, even if he is a Knight such as Hunter.

Luenor: Then I won't eat today's lunch. Tell that to mother.

Hunter: You have to eat adequately to stay healthy.

Luenor: Then. I order you to give me the sweets from your plate, uncle.

Hunter's heart was touched when the Young Lord called him uncle. In shock, he gave his plate to Luenor who began to eat it happily, not concerned about the words he had just said.

Eamon: Yo-Young Lord! You can't make anyone your uncle or aunt! It ruins the elegance and ruthlessness of an esteemed noble like the Sureva.

Luenor: We are the rulers because the commoners allow us to rule over them. Without them, there will be no Sureva.

Now Eamon's heart was touched. The future of the Sureva House was in good hands.

But then something surprising happened. The knights who were just eating and enjoying the drama slowly stood up one by one and walked towards Luenor.

First, it was Hunter's right hand man- Oliver Kahn who put the sweets from his plate in Luenor's who accepted it happily.

Seeing Luenor's acceptance, the rest of the knights also followed Oliver's example and gave their sweets to Luenor.