Chapter 476: The Father’s Pride

The quiet scratch of a brass quill against dry parchment was the only sound echoing through the expansive, high-ceilinged study of the Valtrane estate. Outside, the cold northern wind howled through the jagged mountain peaks, rattling the heavy glass windowpanes and sweeping across the endless white plains of the northern border.

Winston sat behind the massive desk, his spectacles resting low on his nose as he carefully reviewed the seasonal supply ledgers. The ink on his fingers was dry and dark.

For a man who had spent nearly forty years of his life in this very room, serving as the aide to the late Duke, being back here alone carried an almost overwhelming wave of nostalgia.

When the former Duke perished years ago, Winston had stepped up to handle the estate’s crumbling affairs, holding the territory together alongside a very young Zarius. Later, when he felt it was time to pass on his responsibilities, Winston handed the administrative reins over to his eldest son, Flio. Flio had done an extraordinary job stepping into those giant shoes, proving himself to be a brilliant aide who helped Zarius manage the duchy with quiet precision.

Seeing both of his sons now, Flio serving faithfully as the Duke’s aide and Reiner working as an attendant to the Duke’s partner, filled Winston with a quiet, profound sense of pride. They were both serving Zarius and Cherion loyally, carrying on the duty their family had upheld for generations.

When the invitation arrived from the capital for the grand victory gala, a celebration honoring the successful subjugation, Zarius was less than thrilled about attending. The Duke despised the political posturing of the royal court, preferring the cold iron of his sword and the quiet stone of his fortress. But Winston had gently insisted. He had volunteered to stay behind and oversee the entire northern territory himself so Zarius and Cherion could go together.

It warmed Winston’s heart to see Zarius finally step out into the world beyond these freezing walls. For years, the young man had carried the solitary weight of the North like a heavy iron chains. Now, alongside Cherion, Zarius was slowly opening up, stepping into his full authority not just as a commander of soldiers, but as a true leader of men.

Winston laid his quill down on the wooden tray and reached for a small leather tube resting on the corner of the desk. Inside was a rolled parchment, a letter that had arrived from the capital late yesterday evening, bearing Flio’s distinct, neat handwriting.

Unrolling the letter, Winston read through his son’s familiar script once more. Flio kept his words carefully measured, knowing that letters could be intercepted along the long royal road, but the underlying tension was obvious. Flio described a series of "unfortunate minor incidents" at the capital, whispers of palace intrigue, tightened perimeter guards, and subtle factional maneuvering around Yerel and the foreign dignitaries.

"We are managing the situation carefully, Father," Flio had written near the bottom. "His Grace remains vigilant, and Lord Cherion’s sharp mind has kept us three steps ahead of the court’s traps. Do not worry for us."

Winston let out a soft, low sigh, rolling the letter back up and tucking it securely into his inner coat pocket.

"Always managing, aren’t you, my son?" Winston whispered into the quiet room, a gentle, sad smile touching his lips.

He pushed his chair back, the heavy wood scraping softly against the thick woolen rug, and stood up. His knees gave a faint, dull pop, a quiet reminder of his advancing years, and he slowly walked across the room toward the far wall.

Hanging above the stone fireplace was a grand, full-length oil painting. The frame was thick, carved from dark oak and gilded with tarnished silver leaf.

In the painting stood Lario Valtrane, the previous Duke of the North. He was depicted in his heavy iron battle armor, a thick fur cloak draped over his broad shoulders, his eyes staring out from the canvas with fierce, unyielding resolve. Beside him in the painting hung his legendary broadsword, its pommel carved in the shape of a snarling wolf.

Winston stopped in front of the hearth, looking up at his late master’s face. The flickering orange light from the dying logs below fell across the painted canvas, making Lario’s features seem almost alive in the dim room.

"My Lord," Winston murmured, his voice soft, rough with decades of untold stories and shared quiet burden.

He folded his hands behind his back, gazing up at the eyes of the man he had served through blood, war, and political storms.

"Your son has grown into a brave, strong man... just like you," Winston spoke softly to the empty air. "He took care of the beast subjugation without a single failure. He led the vanguard himself, held the line against the blizzard, and protected the North as fiercely as you ever did. You would be so remarkably proud of him if you were here to see it."

Winston reached up, adjusting his glasses as a faint glaze of moisture gathered in the corners of his eyes. Memories of Zarius as a quiet, bruised boy trying to lift a steel sword three sizes too large for him flashed through Winston’s mind.

"All the painful sacrifices you made for him, My Lord... all the quiet burdens you carried in secret so he could survive... hopefully none of it will be in vain," Winston continued, his tone turning deeper, heavier. "Only if you could be here to see him now... sitting in your chair, holding your title, standing tall before the entire kingdom."

Winston stepped forward, lowering his head slowly. He bent his back into a deep, formal bow, the very same bow he had offered Lario Valtrane every single morning.

"Please continue to watch over his grace from up there, My Lord," Winston whispered into the cold silence of the study, his eyes fixed on the crest at the base of the frame. "Protect him from the crown."