As the maid leads Alexander through the marvelous halls, decorated with paintings of all the previous heads of House Draymere, he couldn't help but slow his pace, observing all the previous heads. All of them looked different but strangely the same. One was wearing a grayish-black armor with the crest of House Draymere on his chest. He had pepper hair with a stern face and a scar over his left eye.
The one next to him wore a black robe with the crest on his right chest. His face was calming; he held a slight smile while holding a child in his arms. It must have been his son.
Before I could continue observing all the paintings, the maid disturbed my train of thought. "Mister Alexander, we have arrived," the maid said while stopping in front of an oak wood door with traces of gold embedded within its carvings. The gold shimmered under the lantern's lighting. I was mesmerized by the beauty—it was nothing like I'd ever seen. The maid stepped forward, raising her hand and knocking on the firm door. It echoed throughout the hallway.
Moments later, a stern voice came from within.
"Enter." It was Lord Cedric's voice.
As the maid entered, she never looked up. While looking down, she responded, "Lord Cedric, I've brought Mister Alexander as ordered," the maid said humbly, gesturing to Alexander that he may enter, all while she stood by the door.
"Thank you, Elira. You're dismissed," Lord Cedric said, his eyes never leaving the stack of documents in front of him, all the while he scribbled across the parchments.
Elira gave a soft bow and exited the room, closing the door behind her. The room was eerily quiet. All Alexander could hear was the faint scratches from the quill Lord Cedric was using.
Without looking up, the silence was broken by Lord Cedric. "Take a seat, Alexander," he said, gesturing to the seats across from his oak desk.
Alexander stepped forward, moving across the grand study hall, arriving in front of two chairs in front of the oak desk. He pulled out one of the chairs and sat down, his back stiff in the chair.
He looked around the study hall, his eyes wandering over the bookshelves filled to the brim with books, to the fireplace that was emitting a faint warmth, to the war artifacts—each different and unique. Finally, his eyes wandered to the oak desk in front of him. The desk was simple but quite elegant.
Without looking up, still engrossed with the paperwork, he could feel Alexander's eyes wandering over the study hall. "With each new head that takes this seat, they all change the study hall to their liking—the paintings, the artifacts, even the bookshelves. But one thing that stays constant is this desk." He looked up, meeting Alexander's eyes, setting the quill to the side and resting his hands on the desk. "It reminds the new lord that some burdens stay the same even if the surroundings change."
Alexander was taken aback by his words, perplexed by the new information. It was too much for an eight-year-old's mind. "Now, Alexander, could you go over the details that happened that night for me?" Lord Cedric instructed while leaning back in his seat and crossing his fingers.
Alexander looked down at his hands, fidgeting from the flashbacks to that horrible night. "...I..." he tried to utter words, but they just didn't want to come out. "It all happened so fast. One moment everything was so peaceful, and the next, the village was on fire. Mother's... mother's lifeless body was next to me. And those horrible, horrible creatures. It was all their fault." Alexander's fists tightened as the memories flooded back to him.
"They came out of nowhere," he said through clenched teeth.
"They were black as night, their eyes red as fire, like burning coal. They were monsters from the legends, not sparing a single soul—not the women, not the children. They rid the place of all life... except... except for me. Why me?" Alexander said, holding back the tears.
Lord Cedric leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. His piercing gaze never left Alexander's trembling form.
"There are a lot of questions we don't have answers to, and you are one of them," Lord Cedric said as he slowly rose from his seat. "But do not fret, young one. We will find these monsters and get revenge for what happened to you and your village. I promise you that, on House Draymere's name," Lord Cedric said while looking out of the window with his hands crossed behind his back.
"Thank you, Lord Cedric," Alexander said while standing up. He gave a slight bow and walked towards the door.
"Alexander, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like," Lord Cedric said, all the while looking out of the window.
"Thanks, Lord Cedric. You really are as nice as Mother said you'd be," Alexander said as he passed through the door and closed it behind him.
Lord Cedric remained motionless in the empty room, still looking out of the arch window. As the door clicked shut behind Alexander, Lord Cedric said with a commanding voice,
"Kaelen."
A mysterious figure appeared in the middle of the room, already in a kneeling position. The mysterious figure was covered in a black and gray cloak. His face was concealed so no one could know the identity of this figure.
"You summoned me, my lord," the figure spoke, his gaze fixed on the floor in front of him, not daring to meet the gaze of his lord.
"Travel to Valeshire and inspect the surroundings for any traces of dark magic and any remains or signs of the shadow beings. Don't be spotted. And lastly, find out if he is her child," Lord Cedric instructed.
"As you command, my lord." The figure stood up and gave a slight bow before vanishing into thin air.
Lord Cedric turned around and sat back down in his chair, crossing his fingers and resting his chin on them, staring at the door Alexander had passed through moments ago.
"You're the spitting image of her," he whispered with a heavy sigh. Leaning back into his chair, he looked up at the ceiling, haunted by memories long buried.