Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

A brief silence settled after Seraphina’s probing inquiry.

Valdric tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest of his chair, maintaining a thoughtful stillness. After several moments, a faint smile gradually found its way onto his lips as he finally spoke.

”Actually, we didn’t discuss anything particularly extraordinary. It was more a long-overdue reunion between brothers than a conversation of any real political consequence.”

Though the manner in which he spoke was disarmingly casual, Lady Seraphina remained unconvinced. She knew her husband well enough to recognize when he was deliberately simplifying a matter.

”You expect me to believe that after nearly ten years apart, the two of you merely exchanged pleasantries?” she asked, one elegant brow arching. ”I’m not daft, you know.”

Her voice carried an unmistakable undercurrent of incredulity when she spoke.

Valdric chuckled softly and replied. ”I suppose not.”

Leaning back comfortably, he continued.

”Still, there truly wasn’t much else to it. We mainly spoke about the Frozen North. In fact, that was the very first thing we discussed. Goldric told me that little has changed. The winters remain relentless, the Beasts no less troublesome, and the condition of the knights stationed there is much the same as before. Honestly, it was little more than an extension of the conversation we had during tonight’s banquet.”

He concluded matter-of-factly.

Throughout his explanation, Lady Seraphina remained silent. It was only after he had finished that she quietly ask.

”Is that all?”

Valdric blinked, his golden eyes resting upon his wife with a quiet perplexity as he asked. ”What else do you think we could possibly have spoken about?”

Lady Seraphina studied him for a long moment before slowly leaning back against the silk cushions. The luxurious mattress yielded gently beneath her weight as the embroidered pillows cradled her shoulders, yet the intensity within her emerald eyes remained entirely undiminished.

”I don’t know, Valdric.”

Ordinarily, tradition dictated that she address her husband with proper honorifics befitting the Patriarch of House Valehart.

However, within the privacy of their chambers, such formalities had long since become unnecessary.

Besides, Valdric himself was entirely accustomed to hearing his name spoken so casually by his wife so he remained unperturbed.

Her emerald eyes regarded him penetratingly as she continued.

”Besides recounting the rather inconsequential affairs of the North... did your brother tell you anything about his years there? Or perhaps why he suddenly decided to return to Valor after all this time, despite the King’s original decree?”

Valdric maintained a contemplative silence.

One hand rose to stroke his chin before he finally replied.

”And why exactly should I concern myself with his time there?”

Lady Seraphina released a weary sigh upon hearing his reply.

Truthfully, this was a dynamic she had grown thoroughly accustomed to over the years.

Although Valdric had spent decades leading House Valehart as its Patriarch, his strengths had always been military leadership, governance, and commanding the respect of those beneath him.

Yet when it came to the subtle intricacies of noble politics, hidden agendas, and the currents that flowed beneath courteous smiles, those were domains in which Lady Seraphina excelled far more naturally.

She had long been the architect behind many of House Valehart’s political stratagems, diplomatic maneuverings, and aristocratic machinations, whereas Valdric had always been its indomitable martial pillar.

Thus, whenever delicate situations arose, Seraphina instinctively sought to peel back every layer until the hidden truth revealed itself, while Valdric was generally content judging matters by what lay plainly before him.

”Why wouldn’t you care?”

Lady Seraphina asked with restrained exasperation.

She sighed before looking deeply into his eyes.

”Valdric... I know Goldric is your brother, and I know you trust him. But being your brother doesn’t necessarily make him incapable of pursuing ambitions of his own.”

She paused briefly.

”Think about it. He has been absent from House affairs for nearly a decade, relegated to the Frozen North. And now, without warning, he suddenly returns. Not only that... He brings back a son who has somehow awakened a King-Tier Soul Essence and now stands as a legitimate contender for the succession of House Valehart. If you truly examine the circumstances... Then you’ll realize that too many pieces simply refuse to fit together.”

Valdric narrowed one eye with genuine bewilderment.

”Seraphina... Are you trying to suggest that my own brother returned with ulterior motives?”

”I am not explicitly saying that,” Seraphina replied deliberately. ”I’m merely asking you to consider possibilities you may have overlooked.”

She folded her hands neatly upon her lap.

”You see, after Cedric showed Maverick around the estate, he came back and told me several things. Things that I found rather... Disquietingly suggestive.”

Valdric’s expression finally became serious.

”What exactly did Cedric tell you?” He asked with measured curiosity.

Lady Seraphina remained silent for a few moments before finally speaking.

”Well... Cedric first presented a rather compelling assessment.”

Valdric raised an eyebrow. ”That’s an interesting choice of word. But go on.”

”He told me that throughout their walk, Maverick displayed an unusual level of restraint. He rarely initiated conversation. And when Cedric himself attempted to speak about the history of House Valehart, Maverick listened politely, but never once displayed genuine interest.”

”Even when passing the ancestral statues, he merely glanced at them before looking away. He admired the architecture of the estate, yet never once referred to it as home. There were also several occasions where Cedric caught him quietly observing the castle’s layout; not with admiration, but with the attentiveness of someone unconsciously memorizing his surroundings.”

She paused.

”None of these things are incriminating by themselves.In fact... Any one of them could be dismissed as perfectly natural.But taken together, they paint a rather curious picture.”

Valdric frowned slightly.

”Cedric noticed all of that?”

A trace of surprise crept into his voice when he asked that question.

Lady Seraphina rolled her eyes at her husband’s obtuseness.

”Oh, please. As though you failed to notice it yourself.”

She leaned forward slightly.

”Tell me honestly... That you didn’t notice Maverick’s attitude toward this House... Or toward you in particular?”

Hearing that question, Lord Valdric slowly leaned back into his chair before releasing a long, thoughtful sigh...