Chapter 10 — Truth and New Life
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Kael Grenfort:
We came home.
Father gave me a serious scolding — "Why did you leave without telling us?", "Why did you go to the forest alone?", "Don't you know how dangerous this world is?"
I hung my head and listened silently. He had been truly afraid. I could see it. Beneath his anger lay fear — the fear of losing me.
Well... after that, days passed in the same rhythm.
Quiet. Peaceful.
Father went to work every morning and returned in the evening. Mother was busy with household chores. I practiced in my room, read books, and occasionally looked out the window, remembering that incident.
That hooded man. His cold gaze. And Mother's name — Joanna Grimjaw.
Grimjaw...
This name circled in my mind. But I didn't ask Mother about it. Father had said, "You don't need to know." I decided it was better to wait.
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And now, a whole month had passed since that incident.
1614, January 23rd. Still winter. Snow was falling outside the window — soft, white, blanketing the world in silence.
Father wasn't home. He had gone to the city for trade business. Mother and I had finished eating and were just talking. She was combing my hair, and I was watching the snow fall gently outside the window.
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Joanna Grimjaw:
Well... what should I do?
I needed to make a decision inside. My son already knew my name — he had heard it that day. Eventually, he would need to know what we had been through. There was no point in hiding it.
Telling him... I don't think it's a bad decision.
I took a deep breath.
"Alright, my son," I said softly. "We need to talk about something."
Kael looked at me. There was curiosity in his eyes — and a little fear too.
"You know, that man who told you my name that day... There's still a lot you haven't heard."
He remained silent. Just looked at me.
"Yes, Mother, I was very curious," he said slowly. "But Father said in a firm tone, 'You don't need to know.' So I didn't ask."
There was weariness in his voice. A boy who respected his father's words, but inside, questions were piling up.
I looked at his face. A boy about to turn seven — but his eyes held wisdom far beyond his years.
"I will tell you," I said firmly. "You're about to turn seven. After summer, we're planning to send you to school. So... you need to know."
He listened attentively.
"Alright, let's get to it. You've never heard about the ten great families, have you?"
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Kael Grenfort:
"No? There's such a thing?" I asked in surprise.
Ten great families...
An image immediately formed in my mind. The world's elite. The most powerful. The rulers.
"Who are they?" I asked hurriedly.
Mother began to speak slowly.
"The ten great families are clans. Some of them are even more powerful than nations. Well... I'll tell you everything."
She paused for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts.
"Six of the ten families live within the empire's territory. And they pay tribute to the Sigmond clan. The Sigmond clan — they are the ones who hold the empire's crown. The imperial family."
Emperors...
"And the Von Sizer family," Mother continued. "They possess enormous power. Almost equal to the empire itself. They could easily conquer small countries on their own. But they also pay tribute to the Sigmonds."
I listened in amazement.
"Next — the Larses Vane clan. They control nearly 40 percent of the sea trade routes. If people call them the lords of the seas, they wouldn't be wrong."
"The Linx Seet clan... There's little concrete information about them. But it's clear they hold great power. Secretive, mysterious — no one knows much about them."
Mother paused again. A complex expression appeared on her face.
"And the Grenfort family."
I froze.
"What? Father... no, we? Are we really one of the ten great families?!"
Mother shook her head.
"Listen," she said calmly.
I nodded. Remained silent, listening.
"This family is a mix of elves and humans. Mostly elves. And your father... he was supposed to be the next patriarch of this family."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"But because he fell in love with me... he didn't want to do it. And the reason was — me. And I am from the Grimjaw family."
Grimjaw...
"This is also one of the ten great families. A dark clan. It has split into three branches, crumbling from within. The relationship between my family and your father's family is very cold. I won't say they're enemies, but... they don't like each other."
Tears welled up in Mother's eyes.
"So we ran away. The Grenfort family disowned your father. And my family... they don't want to lose their pride. They chased us, wanting to take me back. We escaped and have been hiding here in these lands."
She sighed. Sadly. Very sadly.
I remained silent for a few seconds. Then — I stood up and hugged Mother tightly.
"Mother," I said quietly. "None of this is your fault. You both chose the right path. Fighting for love — there's no righter path than that."
Mother froze for a moment. Then she hugged me back — tightly, firmly, as if vowing never to let me go.
"The rest — the Smiths, the Xaviers, the Drakos, and the Zenith clan," she whispered. "I don't think I need to describe them."
We stood like that — Mother and I. For a long time. In silence.
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The next day
I stood by my bedroom window, looking down, thinking.
Well...
This shocked me. Honestly, I hadn't expected it.
I'm connected to not one, but two great families. The great families... how powerful are they? I think each one has enough power to conquer lands in the world I live in.
I sighed deeply.
Okay. I need to start practicing. I'll be going to school — after summer. Now it's January 23rd, 1614. How boring, huh?
I sighed again.
And so many secrets. And I'm just a little kid. Damn.
I smiled at my own situation.
Well, well. Time to practice. Alright, practice.
---
And so I began practicing.
Meditation every day. Exercises to increase my mana reserve. Repeating the spells from the book. The water dagger now appeared in my hand instantly. I tested small wind whirlwinds not in my room, but in the yard — after Mother's earlier warning.
Days passed. Weeks passed. A month passed.
And then, Father's birthday came again.
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February 7th, 1614
I hadn't known about this last year. Even if I had known, congratulating him would have been different, I guess? Hehehe.
Anyway, this time I was ready.
We celebrated together as a family. Mother had prepared a big meal — Father's favorite dish. And I made a small gift out of paper — a drawing I had done myself. It showed three people: Father, Mother, and me. And one small dot — for the brother or sister in Mother's belly.
When Father saw the drawing, he was silent for a moment. Then he hugged me.
"Thank you, son," he said. His voice was a little choked.
We played, laughed, talked. Mother's belly was very big now — probably over eight months. Sometimes I would look at her belly and ask, "Little brother, when are you coming out?" Mother would laugh.
That day was so warm. Simple, but happy.
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March 3rd, 1614
It was Mother's birthday.
I had prepared a bouquet for this. A few days earlier, I had picked flowers from the edge of the forest — early spring flowers, just emerging from under the snow, white and soft. I carefully placed them in water, planning to give them to Mother in the morning.
But...
When I woke up in the morning, the flowers had wilted.
"Ehhh..." I said, disappointed.
What to do? No time to pick new flowers — it was morning, and Mother would wake up soon.
I sighed. I would have to go to Mother empty-handed.
I entered her room. She was already awake, sitting on the bed, looking out the window.
"Mother, happy birthday," I said with a smile. My hands were empty, but my smile was genuine.
She looked at me, and her face lit up.
"Oh, my sweet Kael!" she said affectionately. She pulled me into a hug and kissed my forehead. "Come, come, sit beside me."
"I prepared flowers, but... they wilted," I said shyly.
She laughed. "Even without flowers, my birthday is the best day. Having you by my side is enough."
Father also came in. He congratulated Mother and hugged her. We had breakfast together — sweet conversations, laughter, warmth.
And suddenly —
Mother didn't feel well.
Her face paled. She clutched her belly with her hand. Took a deep breath.
"Joanna?" — Father's voice changed. "Are you alright?"
She looked at him. There was something in her eyes — pain, but also anticipation, hope.
"Well... I think the contractions have started," she said slowly.
Father immediately stood up. His face became serious.
"Kael," he said, looking at me. "Run quickly and fetch the Old Midwife. She lives in the town — you know where?"
I nodded. I knew. The Old Midwife — they said she had delivered every child in this neighborhood.
"Go!" Father said.
I ran.
---
I rushed out the door and ran through the streets. The snow had melted, the roads were muddy, but I didn't slow down. My heart was racing.
Little brother is coming. Now. Right now.
This thought spun in my mind, giving strength to my legs.
I reached the Old Midwife's house. Knocked on the door. An old woman opened it — her face wrinkled, her hair white, but her eyes were as bright as a young girl's.
"Old Midwife! My mother! Hurry! Contractions!" I said, breathless.
She nodded silently. In an instant, she grabbed her bag and was ready to run with me.
"Let's go, child."
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When we returned home, sounds were coming from Mother's room. Father was standing by the entrance door — his face a mix of fear and hope.
The Old Midwife entered the room. The door closed.
I stayed in the hallway with Father. He sat beside me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Everything will be fine," he said. Trying to convince himself as much as me.
I nodded. But inside, I was afraid.
Mother... is she okay?
Time passed slowly. Minutes felt like hours.
Then — a sound was heard.
The cry of a newborn baby.
"WAAAAAA!"
Father and I looked at each other. A smile appeared on his face — a smile I had never seen before.
The door opened. The Old Midwife came out, a warm expression on her face.
"Congratulations. A girl. Both mother and daughter are healthy and safe."
A girl?
I froze for a moment.
I thought it would be a brother... Not a brother, a sister.
Father rushed inside. I stood there for a few seconds. Various thoughts swirled in my mind — surprise, joy, a little confusion.
Then I slowly entered the room.
Mother was lying on the bed, tired but happy. In her arms was a small, red, wrinkled thing — my sister.
"Kael, come," Mother said softly. "Meet your sister."
I approached. I looked at her tiny face. Her eyes were closed, her fists tiny, her breath soft. So small. So fragile. So beautiful.
"Her name...?" I asked.
Father and Mother looked at each other. Mother spoke:
"Cecilia. We named her Cecilia."
Cecilia...
I repeated the name in my mind. Cecilia. My sister's name.
"Cecilia," I said aloud. "Welcome, little sister."
I gently held her tiny hand. Her fingers were so soft. So small. She squeezed my finger — unconsciously, but it touched me deeply.
And at that moment, something changed in my heart.
I was no longer just a son. I was an older brother. A big brother. Someone who vowed to protect her for a lifetime.
Behind us, outside the window, the snow was melting, and the breath of spring could be felt. The sun was rising — a new day, a new life, a new beginning.
I looked at my sister's face and smiled.
"Cecilia," I repeated again. "I will never leave you alone. I will protect you. I promise."
Her tiny hand still held my finger. As if she recognized me, as if she trusted me.
On that day, March 3rd, 1614, I didn't just gain a sister — I also found my new purpose.
I — Kael Grenfort — was now an older brother.
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