Damien hadn’t had very good dreams these days. The near-constant pain left him uncomfortable even in his self-forced sleep. It was always there in the background, this sharp, throbbing ache in his arms and legs.

 

Today, that throbbing was gone. Well, mostly. He awoke feeling more well than he had in months. As if a warm, soothing stream of water was nourishing his battered frame. The light streaming in through the curtains prompted him to turn to his side. 

 

His mother stared at him with a soft smile. “Sleep well?” 

 

“Jesus Christ.” He swore in surprise, blinking. 

 

“Who?”

 

“...No one.” He calmed his beating heart and sat up. “What are you doing in my room?”

 

The woman wore nothing but a dark negligee through which one could see a hint of pink capping two wondrous mounds. “My baby is finally well enough for me to comfort him. Why can’t I be here?” She laughed. “You’ve no idea how long I’ve waited to be here. I’ve missed sleeping with my little baby boy. “

“Huh. Well. Anyway, I should get ready for--”

 

“Just skip practice today. Come lay with mommy instead~!” Mother gushed, then pulled him into her chest. “There, doesn’t that feel better? Just stay with mama!”

 

He had to admit, it wasn’t a bad feeling. Actually his sense of comfort increased several-fold. He wondered what kinda weird spell she was usin’. Obviously he knew his mother wasn’t exactly normal so he had to question whether his lessening pain had to do with something she was doing. 

 

“I don’t hurt as much right now. Is that because of you?” He asked outright.

 

He felt her arms around him stiffen. “Does it hurt a lot normally?” She questioned back instead. 

 

“Well. Somewhat.” He never complained about pain so even that lackluster response caused her to go quiet.

 

“You don’t have to worry. Just lay here with mommy.” She spoke gently, giving his head a nice rub. 

 

He almost scoffed at that. Him, being patted and babied? It almost made him wanna push her away and assert himself as a strong, independent man who don’t need no woman to take care of him. 

 

He barely held it in when Dolly, Charlotte and the maids were doing it, and that’s because back then he really couldn’t even get out of bed. He tolerated Dolly’s constant pestering about taking it easy too only because it was her.

 

But this seemed a good thing. It may have been as he suspected and helping him heal, so he gave in. 

 

***

 

“What took you so long?” Father tapped his foot. “You’re half an hour late.”

 

“Oh, sorry mate I must’ve lost track of time whilst sleeping with your wife.” 

 

He snorted. “Wow. What a prick.” A shake of the head. “I can’t believe I raised that.”

 

 “Woah. That’s uncanny! She said the exact same thing.” Damien chuckled and went to the weapons rack. 

 

From the man’s left, Sir Killian was dying. “ The boy always knows how to elicit a laugh, I’ll give him that.”

 

“You’re laughing, but what you don’t know is that I’m missing a bottle of Grigio and a little bird told me she saw you two getting piss drunk last night.”

 

Damien smoothly denied the implied accusation. “No idea what you’re talking about. I was busy sleeping with your wife, remember?”

“Right, he was. I saw her sneak in his chambers myself.” 

 

A vein came to life in a certain someone’s head. 

 

“And what’s your excuse then?” 

 

“Oh, I quit drinking.” Killian dropped a bomb. 

 

“The fuck you did.” Father looked at him in disbelief.

 

Killian crossed his heart. “No, milord, it’s true. Last night, in fact.” 

 

He took a moment to calm down, slowly breathing out through his nose.

 

“...You two are fucking with me.”

 

“Aye.”

“Yup.”

“I see. You’ve chosen death.”

 

And our blades flew. We went at it for the better half of an hour before Damien’s injuries started messing with him and they stopped. They watched him go through the basics of swordplay instead now that they’d already given him a more advanced match against real opponents. 

 

“But what’s gotten into you, kid? You’ve been pretty diligent lately.” Killian noted after taking a swig of water brought over by a servant. 

 

In case it wasn’t obvious he didn’t quite listen to his mother’s urging to skip training. Which, let’s clarify, was a bit strange. He was a right lazy cunt and skipped training more often than not, or tried to anyway. And even when he was dragged to it he was still a bit dispassionate. That changed only recently.

 

“Let’s not question a good thing,”  His father replied for him.

 

“I suppose we shouldn’t.” Killian shrugged and left it at that.

 

“Again,” Father called out just as Damien finished his last set.

 

“The fuck? Really?”

 

His pops grinned. “Your fault. Who told you to speak so rudely to the King?”

 

“This is bullshit. Come on!” Damien protested.

 

“Again.” No mercy. 

 

“He did what?” Killian sent his father a glance.

 

“Oh yeah. He’s lucky Lucy’s an easygoing guy. I’d have boxed his ears.”

“Who the fuck is Lucy?” Damien asked through heaving pants.

“The King.” They replied in sync.

 

“Lucy. That sounds an awfully rude way to address the King. Why don’t you two do a couple sets, too?”

 

“Hey, we’re old friends with the guy. We’ve earned the right to speak casually with him. You haven’t.” Elias threw a rock at his son’s feet, almost tripping him. “We just put on a show of respecting his position in front of others.”

 

“As is proper.”

 

Old friends? 

 

“Since when did you become friends with him?”

 

“Ha! I’ve known Lucy since he was a kid.” Elias answered. “We go way back. We’ve just been busy lately. The Alliance has been a bitch to handle. I remember having to run all over the place when you were a baby just to mediate disputes. And he’s been having to deal with all the paperwork and peace delegations. He’s been cooped up in that castle of his for a while now, it’s only lately that things have really stabilized enough for him to catch a break. Maybe only in the last year or two? But it’s not like we have many reasons to see each other.”

 

“Why would you need a reason?” 

 

“People are wary of your father and the King’s relationship,” Killian said. “The officials don’t like the vast military power milord wields already. Your father is only a Marquis. It’s not a low position, but in times of peace not very high either. Rather, the importance dwindles somewhat. They don’t want him getting too close to the King and raising his position. It’s because they would have to give up some of their own territories to him if he were to ascend to a higher title and they don’t want that. Greedy cunts.”

 

“As if I want a higher title.” Father laughed in derision. 

 

 “There is another reason they don’t like your father much, though.” 

 

“What’s....that?” Damien continued with his five thousandth thrust.

 

“Your mother.” Killian smiled mischievously. “It’s an odd situation. They officially dislike her due to her unclear lineage, but they also covet her for her beauty and strange skills. Many of the Nobles in the Kingdom secretly vied for her. You should have seen how they acted whenever he brought her to a banquet in those first days of her arrival. I suppose a lot of them still resent your father for being able to keep her. The fools.“

He can see that happening. They must be salty as hell.

 

“Alright, you can stop. “ Elias yawned. “I think someone would get quite cross if I made you keep going.” He looked back at two distant figures. Vera and Dolly. 

 

“Finally.” He immediately sat down and dragged off his sweat-drenched shirt, taking several deep breaths and taking an almost meditative position. 

 

A minute later her felt a new presence near him. “You reek, Young Master.”

 

He opened his eyes and saw his father along with Killian walking off. Dolly was jogging towards them. Vera...was already at his side. Somehow. Well, that happened sometimes. Girl is fast. 

 

“Gee, I wonder why. Maybe it’s because I just spent almost an hour doing intensive exercise, making it completely reasonable for me to stink of sweat?” 

 

Like come on. It’s not like he normally smelled this pungent, okay?

 

“Maybe.” She spoke candidly. Something soft and white was thrown at his face. “Anyway, it’s unpleasant. Use that.”

 

“...Thanks? Why can’t you be this nice regularly….” He grumbled. The kid was surprisingly nice at some times, and utterly hell the rest of the time. 

 

“Pardon?” 

 

“Nothing.” He wasn’t in the mood to argue.

 

“Yes, that’s what I thought.”

 

This little…

 

You just can’t win with her. Ah, whatever. He ignored her confrontational remark and proceeded to wipe himself with the provided towel. Just then, Dolly reached them. 

 

“I knew you’d be out here! Day, what did I say? Take it easy! Jeez.” She sighed. “And you.” She glanced peevishly at Vera. “Why didn’t you wake me up early like I asked? I could have stopped him!”

 

The green-haired girl raised a single delicate brow. “Is that what you think? I doubt it would be so. If anything he’d just have been annoyed at the attempt.”

 

“Hmph, what would you know? I could’ve...really, I could’ve!”

 

“No, you couldn’t have.” 

 

“...Well no, I couldn’t have.” She deflated. “But I could have made Father stop him!” Probably. This kid, was she getting smarter? Using their dad like this, just the idea was something he wouldn’t have expected from her. 

 

“Ah. I didn’t think of that.” Vera nodded. 

 

“See?” Dolly gave a triumphant expression. “But since he’s already done, it doesn’t matter. Next time! Come on, let’s go have Phil make us some breakfast, okay Day?”

 

His stomach grumbling, he readily agreed. 

 

“Maybe bathe first.” Vera pinched her nose. 

 

“Why should he?”

 

“...The fact he’s covered in sweat?”

“Oh. That’s fine, Day’s smell is good anyway.”

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

“I’m sure he feels uncomfortable being sticky.”

 

“Yeah. Totally.” Damien stood. 

 

“Okay then, that makes sense.” A light came into her eyes just then. “Actually, that’s perfect!”

 

“What? Why?” Damien squinted suspiciously.

 

“Mm? No reason. We’ll see you in a bit then, Day. Um, have a good bath, I guess? Come on, Vee we have to hurry!” And she was off, dragging an expressionless Vera behind her.

 

Not shady at all. Completely normal. 

 

Pfft. Yeah, right.

 

***

 

Muriel loves her children. She loves them a lot. Other than Elias, they were the only things she really cared about. Especially her little Daylight. It has to be said, the bond between mother and son is a special, precious thing. Very special, yes.

 

That’s why she’d been patient. She didn’t leave the house at all, simply watching over him silently as a mother should. She had to make sure he was alright, after all. He hadn’t even begun his awakening yet, so she had to help him. But even for her, it was a little slow. He’d been battered so much, and that cursed sword she’d given him, the one he always took whenever he went out, was the reason for it. The thing was spelled to be effective against all manner of creatures should it be needed. Not them, not their kind...but it was good against those with a healing factor and that’s why it took so long to heal him to the extent he was. 

 

Muriel had thrown away that damn blade in anger. 

 

That’s why she couldn’t do anything recently. If she left his side, who knew what’d happen? But he was finally able to do without her. What did that mean?

 

It meant she could finally go after the bitch who started this. Maybe it was unfair, but he never would have been in that condition if that girl hadn’t wanted to go out in the first place. And it was suspicious how guilty the kid felt, how much she cared for him. It was highly suspicious. 

 

Muriel couldn’t read minds, but she knew a few Daemons who could and employed them well. That girl wanted to test her son and lured him into that place to carry it out, not knowing of the danger, she discovered. Maybe she could have let it go. Maybe. Given her husband’s relationship with that family, it was slightly possible.

 

But her son, who never complained about pain before, had said, “somewhat.”  Somewhat? For him that was an admission of unbearable agony! It meant he was suffering a kind of pain even he could scarcely tolerate! And the one who caused him to become like that, right at that moment, must have been sleeping soundly, comfortably, painlessly, in a plush bed with an army of servants waiting on her every beck and call. Not a single worry in the world.

 

It made Muriel’s blood boil. 

 

So what was the obvious thing to do? 

 

Of course...it was to pay her a visit. 

 

“I don’t want to miss breakfast with my family.” She smiled. “Just come and die altogether.” 

 

***

 

Meanwhile.

 

“Does it feel good, Day? A-Am I doing it right? It’s my first time, so…” Dolly worked her tiny hands well, rubbing up and down tirelessly in an attempt to please him.

 

“It’s good.” Damien sighed. “ Keep going, just like that.”

 

She was washing his back with a towel.

 

Several minutes passed. “Day?” She called out quietly, testing him. He only grunted in response, enjoying the experience.

 

Feeling confident, Dolly slowly held out her hand towards a red-faced, blind-folded Vera.

 

 “Put down the goddamn hammer.”

 

“...Tsk!”