Meeting mother

''You know that was pretty fucked up what you did back there and that's coming from me, Eiden,'' spoke Luciana.

Eiden tried to defend his action saying:''oh come on, the boy clearly deserved it, not to mention he insulted me in front of the whole company of guards, so I couldn't just let him go after that.''

Luciana: ''All I'm saying is you overreacted a bit.''

Eiden: ''Ok, fine you are right I might have over it, but somebody probably learned his lesson.

Alice: Good, that's all I'm saying, and yeah learned his lesson that you are a bloodthirsty tyrant that should be avoided at all times. Moving on do you want to choose your reward now or later?

Eiden ignored Lucian's insult of him being a tyrant and just answered with ''Later, right now I have to drink a healing potion and go see mother.''

After 2 h the potion finally worked its magic into turning him into a semi-normal looking teenager, who didn't just come from a while day playing a pinata. He took a deep breath and knocked on the giant doors made from the finest oak. He could hear a gentle voice call him in. After steading his nerves he entered. Meeting the mother of a man whose body you possessed can be a stressful endeavor but he couldn't postpone it any longer. He greeted his mother: ''Hi mom, how are.....he was unable to finish the sentence because a pair of arms tightly embraced him. ''You couldn't imagine, how worried I was about your health sweetie. And I'm really sorry I wasn't able to be there when you woke up, but there was some urgent business that concerned your father and the duchy's safety. She have him a kiss on the forehead and once again embraced him.

Eiden was pretty uncomfortable, but there was nothing but to endure the woman's affection.''Did something happen to father,'' he asked with a concerned voice.

''No nothing like that child, don't worry. The scouts noticed some movements in the Karakkov pass, so father asked me to send additional units to the stronghold there.''After assuring her son everything is fine, she quickly changed the subject: so tell me why after you recovered completely it took you almost half a day to come to see me, and after I specifically told Alice that I want to see you as soon as you get better?

Eiden pretended to feel guilty and replied with a slight smile: ''I'm a sorry mother but would you believe me if I told you Alice mentioned nothing about me having to visit you?''

Grace looked at her son with a serious look for a moment and then laughed: You mischievous little fox, are you really gonna push your sister under the carriage like that?

Heh, they don't have buses so the proverb developed a bit differently here. How interesting thought Eiden but he quickly dropped fascination with this world's evolution of language and instead focused on the delicate discussion with his mother.

I'm purely jesting mom, there were a few things that had to be done. Much like how you had to help father I had to prepare some things for my training and before you asked it had to be done immediately least I lose resolve and I really don't want that to happen because I'm done being weak.

Grace looked at him with a look of surprise but also pride. This little cub is growing up she thought. But there was also grief behind that look. She couldn't help but wonder that the reason for this sudden maturity lay in her child's suffering during his disease. She again hugged Eiden, tighter than before. ''Eiden, darling, I'm proud of you deciding to focus on training, but I want you to know that there is no need for you to push yourself if you don't wanna be a warrior. The Blackwell family is strong enough not to mention rich enough so that her children can follow their own aspirations. The last part was a lie, sure a powerful family, in theory, could offer its children the freedom to do whatever it wanted but that family wouldn't last more than a few generations, But grace didn't care about such things all she cared about was the safety and the happiness of her children.

Eiden knew that his talking about how it is necessary for the safety of their house that he grows stronger, he also knew that talking about duty, honor and all the other pointless things would get him nothing but a polite but worried smile from his mother so he spoke like a spoiled brat that only does what he absolutely wants to do. ''Mom doesn't worry, running around, doing push up, riding horses, and shooting arrows is really fun not to mention Alice promised to teach me herself,'' said Eiden with an enthuziasm of a small child. ''I really don't know why I was so against physical activity before, not to mention I feel s energized after a workout.

Grace generally smiled at her son and patted his head. ''That's good, remember kiddo all I want is for you to be happy. Now If you want you can keep me company while I do some administrative duties, I have your favorite book you can read in the meantime.

Eiden looked at the cover, there in golden lines was written the title: Magiterra Historia Vetus. ''Ok mom but only until 4 pm, then I'm meeting Alice.''

Grace gave him the last pat on the head before she let him go and started her work, Eiden in the meantime lay on the sofa near his mother and started reading the massive book.