Chapter 20: Heritage (II)

Kilian smiled at a few maids, and after charming them for a bit, was shown the way to the North Tower.

Dante noticed how the smiling warm personality, was instantly replaced by a cold confident young man, who resolutely walked towards a stone building, at the other end of a large garden.

The tower wasn't small but was almost more wide than tall, and seemed more like a round build house than a tower.

A woman was outside putting laundry up on a string, her hair was tousled and the color faded.

There was a tired look on her face, and she was wearing a dress even a maid would not be seen in, not for being fancy or expensive, but being worn and old, covered in patches.

"Countess…Moth..er?".

Kilian reached out to take the basket from her arms, as the woman got startled by the voice, and stepped back looking at him as if he was a ghost.

"Ki... Kilian?"

The voice was a hoarse whisper, and not the clear tone he knew from the memories.

She looked down at herself, and gave up on holding the basket, leaving it to him, and ran inside the house.

'Well, this is an awkward welcome'.

She hadn't been hostile, but more like a shy deer, that ran away when something came too near.

But there was something he had noticed.

Shackles.

There had been shackles around her ankle, and now the sound of them banging over the ground as she ran, was all he could hear.

'No wonder she couldn't visit, what kind of man would do that to his wife, from bearing a child he didn't want?'

Kilian bit hard on his lip, this was partly because of him, well because of the young Kilian born without magic, who proceeded to be timid and shy like his mother, becoming a cripple and useless.

He sighed.

This was not really the mother he himself knew, but she had not abandoned Kilian on purpose, and after seeing her, a small feeling of longing crept into his stomach.

He was no longer alone, and he was not the only one who had suffered.

If he was to leave, what would happen to her?

He placed his hands on the door and knocked at it gently, there was no reason to make it known, she was already peeking out from a window, watching the two men at her door.

"M..Mother."

Kilian cleared his throat, having some problems with calling out the name, there was a sudden feeling of longing within him, and he could feel the memories from the young Kilian were affecting him some.

Even confronting his father had not created any fond emotions in him, and he had been able to remain indifferent.

'Guess mothers are special', he thought, his expression softening, as a middle-aged woman opened the door.

Under the messy locks and worn clothes, was a stunning beauty, even Kilian who was not normally swayed by females, knew this was rare, and he could thank her for giving him the face he had.

She reached out and gently poked his hand, looking up at him with a startle again, when touching him.

"Kilian?"

He could tell she was torn between wanting to run away, and to step forward to hug him, so he decided to choose for her, and stepped forward, gently embracing the skinny woman.

"Yes, Mother".

She smelled faintly of earth, like the scent he had smelled on rainy days, it was calming, and he reluctantly let go of her, his body wanting to stay in the hold.

"Can I come in?".

Dante stayed outside while Kilian walked inside, and was gestured to sit by a table as his mother was running around, trying to find every little edible thing she could find.

From what Kilian could tell, it wasn't much, possibly even less than what he had been served at the mansion. She brought forward wild berries and boiled roots.

It looked like she had been providing it for herself, for a while now.

There was an awkward silence between them, and she kept reaching out and stopping her motion, to lay her hands back on the table nervously.

"The chain".

Kilian decided to break the silence, but he didn't know how to formulate what he wanted to know suddenly, and stopped.

"It is magical and extends to outside the cabin and a bit into the forest from here".

Kilian nodded, hearing the hoarse voice beginning to sound a bit more clear. She simply hadn't talked in a while he thought.

Kilian nodded.

"My eyes…" again he wasn't sure how to ask, or if it was even appropriate to suddenly blurt out what he wanted, with no regards to the unspoken years between them.

"They did things…" he finally completed, hoping she would understand.

The sudden change in her expression, told him she did, as she covered her mouth and her widened eyes started filling up with tears.

It didn't seem like tears out of fear, but instead slowly falling tears of relief.

Kilian was taken aback, this woman was crying for him, as if he had just said something incredibly important to her.

She hiccuped and composed herself.

"It has been so long, I am sure you must have many questions, but first".

She took his hand holding it between both of hers.

"Thank you for being born Kilian"

The words hit him hard, and he cleared his throat, trying to undo the lump that was pressing on his voice.

"I don't know what it is? and.." He hesitated.

"My situation was not much better than yours".

He didn't need to say more, he knew she understood, in fact partly why she had been surprised was probably because she had assumed, he may not even be alive anymore.

She got up and walked over to her bed, taking out a small wooden box from below it.

"This is yours now if you will have it".

She handed him the box, by placing it on the table in front of him, opening the lid for him herself.

An old-looking round golden medallion was placed neatly inside of it on a piece of fabric, the intricate design standing out as a griffin.

"It is from my house in the north. If you have the ability to command, then this is your heritage".

She spoke with a proud tone.

Kilian knew from what he had read so far about this world, was that when a woman married a man, she was that man's family, and no longer a part of the one she came from.

This meant any children she had, could not inherit from the mother's side.

Yet she said her family was his heritage?

He picked up the medallion, turning it over, inspecting the metal. This was solid gold he realized. It could fetch a lot of money.

"If you have the ability, you can claim to be a son of House Valen".

She was speaking with a proud almost chipper tone, giving him a smile. The smile he remembered, and his expression softened.

How could he think of selling this? She may not be someone he fully considered a mother, but she was the first to welcome him out of love, and even instantly give him something precious to her.

Kilian sighed, he had wanted to bring people on his side to help protect him, but now he had people he wanted to protect, and why did they all have to be so soft and even cry for him.

It was a burden… Looking at the woman's face, seeing something almost serene by the way she looked at him, he couldn't help but also think.

'I don't think I will mind this burden'.

"House Valen? And what ability?"

She had assumed he didn't know, and pointed to the small light blue gems embedded as eyes for the griffin.

"House Valen is the oldest house in this kingdom, it has roots going further back than the Royal lineage".

Kilian's eyes widened, not interrupting as she continued.

"It is somewhat special, so I have to start by telling you about the abilities inherited by the 3 dukes houses".

She sat down, encouraging him to eat some berries.

"Each house has a special ability, no one is certain about how they got it, as the ability is only inherited by sons and daughters who are born with no magic ability, however even if born with no magic that does not mean they inherit the ability as well".

Kilian raked his mind, this was similar to what Dante had told him.

"House Valen is the only Archduke territory in the country, if not on the continent". She spoke, letting the information sink in.

"It has been more than 5 generations since anyone from any of the families has had someone born with an ability, it is to the point, that even the information regarding the abilities are very little, and has been distorted in history."

She cleared her throat, giving some time for Kilian to ask any question, by looking at him.

"You are so handsome".

She suddenly blurted out, and he felt a warm feeling in his cheeks, he knew it was not as if he was handsome, but he appreciated that she hadn't used pretty or cute to describe him.

A mother would normally always find their son handsome regardless, he thought.

"The eyes" she looked at him with the same pair of ice-blue eyes, with a small smile.

"I know two things. One is that the abilities are linked to the eyes inherited in the family, for Valen they are the same Ice- Blue pair as you and I, but you are the only to have awakened them for a very long time, Kilian".

Kilian pondered for a bit, this was honestly the best news he could hope for, he had just lost one name, and now would possibly be able to get another.

An Archduke's family no less. Something many noble ranks above a Count… He couldn't help but have sinister thoughts with that information.

"Second… One of the abilities from Valen is the command. I don't know much about it other than, it is supposed to help the bearer with what they want, like an invisible helper".

Kilian swallowed down some sour berries, and couldn't help but give off a soured expression, as they were extremely tart.

There were many questions he wanted to ask, but first.

"How do I become a Valen? Also one of the abilities, I thought you said one."

He needed backing, there was no reason to use something he knew nothing about, and if he became a Valen, he would have access to whatever knowledge they may have on it.

"You need to get a hold of my father… your grandfather, but.."

She paused.

"He is not that easily convinced or influenced, in fact, he never believed in the abilities"

"I see" Kilian had an idea about what kind of person he may be dealing with.

"I need to prove my worth to the family first?" He concluded.

There was no way an Archduke would just take in some runt from the family, especially an uneducated one that would be of no help.

"Yes…Also, it is said the archduke's family didn't\ only have one ability, but I do not know of any other" She admitted.

"After my mother died… He secluded himself in the north, and has not been back to the capital since".

She looked down, and he could tell even with a strict father like that, she must have missed him after being sent, and left here on her own.

"Cratos Valen is his name, a name that was once feared and respected everywhere… convince him Kilian, and get away from here".

She was now begging for him to have a better life, and he nodded.

Kilian got up. There were still a lot of things between them that couldn't be said in words anymore, mostly the feelings from his mother, hesitant feelings of regret and sorrow mixed with a happy and relieved smile.

He took her hand.

"Mother… I will come back for you," was all he could say as a goodbye, meaning every word.

"Yes". was all she gave in return, watching him leave.