Father's Dilemma

The man with short stature and bushy beard burst into a fit of laughter on hearing Demitri's way of greeting and answered back heartily, "It seems old dependencies are challenging to get rid of, my old friend; you do not need to be so formal with me when we are not gathering in an official assembly."

"Your Highness, how can I not give you the respect you deserve?" asked Demitri while still bowing his head.

"I understand! I understand! Our commander emphasises values greatly, and I highly appreciate this quality. Still, we have been acquaintances for a long time now, so I ask that you behave with me as your comrade, surpassing the difference in our status," intoned the king while arching his brows.

"As you say, your high.... ahem.. my old friend, I shall comply with your order, " replied Demitri with amusement.

"That! That! You are still not paying heed to... Ahh... let's keep aside this topic for a while; our persiflage will never end. Did the messenger inform you a few days back about the pressing matter I ought to discuss with you?" asked the king solemnly.

"Yes, I received your letter three days before; I must say I'm highly intrigued; what is it that was so urgent, my friend?" asked Demitri with an air of seriousness.

The King gyrated on his heels and browsed at Mellisent and his children, who were at length from them and wrapped up in their world.

"Let us find a place to settle down and discuss the dire ball of wax while our children are engrossed in their predicaments among themselves," said King Fabain.

He swivelled his head and took a look at their surroundings to locate a place far from their children for them to settle down.

Demitri and King Fabain moved to sit down against the thick girth of deodar situated at a distance against the rugged terrain of the woods, with a few morning rays escaping between the canopy of the dense trees' branches.

Demitri put down his sword and relaxed his stance against the tree while stretching one leg forward, and another folded with his right arm resting on it and turned to his left to look at the king, who sat next to him.

"Tell my friend what you covet to discuss with me?" asked Demitri again without beating around the bush.

The King gazed into his eyes for a while, then moved his head away and sighed as he began, "Do still recall the time seven years back when I visited this forest through the secret route between the peaks with my children following my trail. It was you who saved our lives from the unprecedented attack. At that moment, I recognised your identity and proposed to repay your kindness; remember what did you ask in return?"

"How can I forget that time? After all, that incident caused us to become close comrades, and you as my daughter's uncle. At that time, the sole thing I asked from you was to conceal the true identities of my daughter and me from the prying eyes of King Stephen," said Demitri.

"Yes, and ever since then, I have constantly been in contact with the spies I have throughout the kingdom of Valor and nearby regions in your realm for any spark about you being alive," he paused and then again continued.

"Do you recollect you once told me how some knight recognised you where you had been previously residing twelve years back and how you got rid of him and vacated that spot?" asked King Fabain as he turned to look at him.

Dmitri, with a severe expression, gazed hard at him and inquired.

"Of course, how can I not remember that incident? Did something happen? It has been a long time since we left that village and the kingdom. Do you mean to say someone else has managed to recognise my identity?"

"You are right on the path. My sources recently informed me that a fellow companion accompanied the knight who followed you that fateful night. Before following you, that knight had beforehand informed his comrade about your and your daughter's presence. King Stephen already knows about your existence and has been deliberately, secretly searching for you for all these years," explained King Fabian.

The King took a pause and explained the matter further.

"Two years back, King Stephen had made an agreement with the monarchs of other empires to aid him in finding you. Since then, spies from every kingdom have been actively searching for you. Sooner or later, they will find out that you and Mellisent are residing in this place. This place is no longer a haven for you, my friend."

The entire revelation dumbfounded Demitri so that, for a moment, he just gazed at the sovereign without uttering a single word. He knew one day or another. Eventually, somebody would find out about his real identity.

Still, Demitri could not come to terms with it.

He veered to gaze at his daughter, who was happily chattering with the king's children, and his heart saddened further, with orbs brimming with emotions, and he hung his head low.

After a while, Demitri shut his eyes tightly and inhaled deeply to steady himself, and when he opened his eyes again, they were glinting with determination.

He raised his head again to look at his friend and uttered firmly, "I will not let any peril befall my daughter's life; I will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure her security. What do you suggest? Should I abandon this realm and relocate to another one? Like the Lands of Cibalae or your domain, Develtos, beyond this mountain range?"

King Fabain momentarily stared into his eyes and sighed again, "Are you not aware of the circumstances regarding the lands of Cibalae? Witches, Vampires and werewolves reside in those lands. The human population is close to negligible in that place, and those living there must seal a pact as blood slaves to the vampires in turn for their security. Even their fellow witches and werewolves do not interfere in this law, set up by the vampire king for peace. Do you want your daughter to spend the rest of her life as a blood slave?"

The King paused and again uttered gravely, "I would have asked you and Mellisent to reside in my empire long back, but you both would be easily discovered among us, dwarves. And the Elf King is a neutral monarch who does not probe into the matters of other realms. If he got a whiff about both of you residing in his lands, he would not bat an eye before handing you over to the king of Valor for the sake of that peace treaty."

"Damnnnn ittttt!!! What should I do then? Where can I keep my child safe? Is there no place for her? What evil has she committed except for being born? I am prepared to even separate her from me if she gets to see another day!!" exclaimed Demitri, his eyes teeming with resentment as his pleading eyes turned to his friend.

Witnessing the vulnerability of his companion, the dwarf king placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

They both remained silent for a long while before the sovereign began again.

"There indeed exists a place where Mellisent can remain unscathed," said the king.

A ray of hope began to bubble in his orbs as he placed his palm on the king's hand, resting on his shoulder, and asked earnestly, "What are you trying to imply? Where is that place? Where can my daughter reside away from any endangerment?"

The King stared hard into his eyes as he answered, "THE VALHALLA ACADEME."

Demitri fell short of a reaction as his mind processed the solution given by the dwarf king. When he came out of his trance, he asked again, "The Valhalla Academe..... are you implying that I should send my Melli to that place?"

"You and I both are well aware that there is no location better than that academe to keep Mellisent safe. That institution is autonomous, and once someone is accepted as a student, absolute lifelong protection is given to that person, regardless of ethnicity or past, unless that individual threatened to break their certain clauses," replied the king.

"That place is the only haven for Mellisent, my friend, and according to the peace treaty among the various realms, no one can harm its scholars. Did you not remember due to that peace treaty for the past five hundred years, we monarchs of each empire from every domain are entitled to send at least one child of our own as a student in there, for peace and harmony once they are passed the age of seventeen?" asked the king, and then again continued.

"Even nobles and commoners can attend that institution once they clear their entrance exam. Make Mellisent take that exam and send her to that place," urged the king.

To say Demitri was dumbfounded was an understatement; he could not fathom how he should respond to his pal's declaration. He kept his silence for a while as he contemplated the pros and cons of sending his daughter to the said place.

The serenity of the forest and the soft forenoon breeze annexed melancholy to his countenance.

For a long while, he kept staring into nothingness, and when the king squeezed his shoulder, only then did his reverie break, and he descended to reality.

The King seeing the frown on his face and understanding a father's dilemma, tried his best to assure him.

"I understand your predicaments, my friend, but what I have told you just now is the only way to ensure Melli's safety. She can take the entrance exam as she turned seventeen last month. Also, she is not restricted by any oath like that of a knight before the official age to take the exam. She has been bestowed with perspicacity and astuteness far superior to others; also, she has impeccable combat skills. The entrance exam would be a piece of cake for her."

Demitri calmed his nerves and came to an arduous resolution, "What you have suggested is undoubtedly precise and seems to be the only solution; I shall prepare my heart and convince my daughter to leave for that academe, though it would not be an easy task as you are very well aware how much she is as stubborn as me."

"I am very well versed with that fact, but you must persuade her as it is the only way. The entrance exam will take place after two months; in the meantime, you must prepare her well for both written and physical exams. My triplets have the same age as her, and I have clinched to send all three of them to join the institution so she can find them there," said King Fabain.

"That will provide her with some more support, " agreed Demitri while nodding his head.

King Fabain contemplated for a while, then said while glimpsing at his friend, "Moreover, my friend, you are very well aware that though your daughter's constitution seems to be that of a human, even you will agree with me that she is not entirely a human, she is much more than that."

And at once, Demitri's expression hardened.

[ Quick Note :

Lands of Cibalae - Realm inhabited by witches, vampires and werewolves]