Chapter 4 - The General is the Heir of the Evenhart Duchy

  POV Hugo Riverclimb

  I’m on my knees, surrounded by a curious crowd. They’re all fused, probably because of my atus, but I don’t care.

  In front of me are the two most important people I could have ever found in my life. I 't believe I finally located them thanks to that trag neckce. I found them just in time!

  I look at the boy beside her.

  He’s the spitting image! No, he’s a fusion of the main characteristics of both of them. I’m looking at a face that mixes hers and Lord Ethan's, my old friend.

  The boy looks at me, fused, then looks at her. Now he's positioning himself in front of his mother as if to protect her.

  “It’s okay, young master,” I try to reassure him.

  Judging by his fused face... she hasn’t told him anything? He knows nothing about his family’s lineage?

  I stand up and notice he bees more wary of me. I make sure to show my hands are empty as I sloroach.

  Katheriands frozen, unsure of what to do, lookiween the boy and me.

  I o tell her! They are in serious danger, all of us are.

  “Hugo…” she tries to speak, but I interrupt her.

  “I’m here as a father, not a servant. Please, let me talk to you alone for just a moment, then I’ll let you go. Please, just listen... I’m begging you. If you run, I’ll have to e after you… but I swear it’s not to harm you. I just need a few mihe situation isn’t like before, Lady Katherine. We’re in serious trouble,” I say, pleading.

  Please! We tried our best to respect your wishes, but things have gotten much worse.

  Katherine embraces her son from behind.

  “You won’t take us away?” she asks.

  I wish I could say no, but the fate of all of us depends on you and your son.

  “I ’t promise that; the situation with that 'heir' has reached its limit.”

  Lady Katherine sighs, knowing there's no other option. A noble knight is requesting something, and her face is already known. Running would only make things worse. If another soldier finds them... I ’t guaraheir safety. I must get them out of here; they are the future of House Evenhart.

  “You have a few mihat’s all,” she says.

  “What are you all looking at? Disperse!” I yell at the crowd.

  Lady Katherine looks around, pting fleeing, but I see her hesitate. She probably realizes it’s better to hear me out.

  What will she do when she learns her life is in danger if they find out about the boy?

  “Where we talk?” I ask her. The boy still looks at me, fused.

  “At my house,” Katherine says, turning her bae.

  “Are you sure?”

  I hear her sigh.

  “Does it matter? I ’t do anything if you send your soldiers to search this area. I’ll have to abandon the house anyway. The question is, will you let me escape?”

  ***

  POV Nathan Evenhart

  It’s been a while since we returned home, and my mother is nervously pag bad forth. The noble soldier left but said he would return in an hour. All he told her was, “Please don’t run, things have escated, and you are in danger. I o get some important things… Lady Margaery requested your assistance.”

  From what I gathered from their versation, an “heir” is ing after us. I tried tue with her, but as soon as I saw her face, I khe situation had a powerful effe her. She turned pale and anxious, even hugging me for a while when she heard the name ing after us.

  Wolves... what does that mean?

  “Nate!” she calls, seating me on the sofa.

  I hear her heart rag.

  “What’s happening, Mom? Why are you like this? Who was that person?” I try to ask, but she turns her face away. I asked too many questions at once, but I o know. Is my mother in danger? I still don’t uand what’s going on.

  The worst part is, I don’t even have a real on...

  She sighs while g her hands, her legs trembling.

  “Nate, do you remember when I asked you o tell anyone your st name?”

  “Yes,” I nod, and an expression ret appears on her face. My mother adjusts a strand of her long brown hair that’s falling in front of one of her eyes.

  “My son… I haven’t told you the whole truth. The real reason I abandoned your family. I know you’re very young, but now, more than ever, it’s time for you to know.”

  “Know what, Mom?”

  “You are an important heir, one of the heirs to a Ducal House. Your father was in lio be the Duke of House Evenhart, but he fell in battle shortly before you were born. When I found out he died, I made a deal and fled because I didn’t want you to meet the same fate as him. But now, the problems are ing to us…”

  My father died in battle?

  I didn’t know how to feel about that. Part of my feelings were influenced by my child’s body, and another part… I wouldn’t know how to say. The truth is, I never knew my father, and there was only one person I cared about, and that person was my mother.

  “Let’s run, Mom! We have to take this ce,” I try to tell her.

  My ms me tighter.

  "We ’t, there won’t be any safe pce. If the information that you’re alive leaks... they’ll send people after you. They won’t rest until they find us, and it won’t be your family; it will be someone much worse who will harm... me and especially you," Katherine says, stroking my head. Her hands were trembling.

  “Who, Mom? Who would hurt us?”

  I’m going to kill that bastard.

  “The Wolves, they’re fighting to succeed the Evenharts. The current Duke… doesn’t have much power. If they find out you’re alive, both your family and the Wolves will e t you back. The current Duke needs you…”

  “What do you mean? Why does the current Duke need me?”

  My mother takes a deep breath.

  “The current Duke is a woman, your aunt. She’s not an Evenhart by blood. Your uncle was the former Duke, but he and your father were killed in the war, and there were no more men in the main family. The leader of the Wolves saportunity to ad is trying to bee the leader of the Evenhart family, but now you’re an eveer threat to the Wolves.”

  What do you mean, a threat? What the fuck is going on?

  “Why am I a threat to the Wolves?”

  “The Wolves saw the weakness in the new administration of the current Duke and are questioning the fact that your aunt is not a legitimate Evenhart and is a woman in power. House Evenhart is in crisis because they don’t have a male heir… the problem now is that they might be ing after you.”

  Fuck! But what the hell! I don’t want this.

  My mother was hesitant to speak; I could tell she was choosing her words carefully.

  “Nate, what do you think someone like him will do when he finds out there's a male heir to the Evenhart family alive? He’ll kill you, Nathan… he’ll e here to kill you and then me… he’ll kill my baby,” my man to cry.

  I didn't know what to do. Run? But I don't know this world.

  “I thought everything would be fine if I stayed out of it… but it seems they're slowly stripping your aunt of her authority. She’ll have to make a difficult choice soon.”

  “What choice?” I asked, worried.

  “The leader of the Wolves wants to bee a Duke, and for that, your aunt would o… marry your cousin… who’s ye… to the head of the Wolves family.”

  Marry? Are you fug kidding me? A five-year-old?

  “It would be a 'symboligagement' until she was old enough… to… officially plete the marriage.”

  Holy shit, that’s twisted.

  “But why would my aunt do something like that?” I was angry, pissed off, and fused all at once. A mix of emotions due to the chaos I had been thrown into.

  “It’s the only way. You don’t uand, Nathan, it’s not just a simple noble family. It’s a Ducal House, aire region. Everything revolves around the appearance of the main family. The Evenharts are practically kings ierritory, so appearances are everything. That’s why your aunt needs you; she doesn’t want her daughter to end up in that situation, and now you bee a target.”

  “But ’t she just give up the position of Duchess?”

  “It’s not that simple. If the Evenhart family loses its position, what do you think the Wolves will do to them? They’ll all start to have ‘acts’ and die. Your aunt doesn’t have many options, aher do the Wolves; they o be eo an Evenhart, and for your aunt, the only optio is to marry her daughter… it’s the only way to protect her child.”

  When I heard that, I realized it was impossible to run now that both my Evenhart family and the Wolves wouldn’t let me get far. Both need me… oo keep me alive and the other to make sure I’m dead.

  What would I do? I didn’t know…

  I’ll kill Hugo. If he dies, I be sure no one knows I exist.

  “What if Hugo… has an ‘act’?”

  My mother looked at me seriously.

  “Don’t say that! Like it or not, he’s a good person for our family. Of all the people who could have found us, he’s the one I’d prefer. Hugo is on your aunt’s side and was a childhood friend of your father… he and his family will also ‘have acts’ when the Wolves take over the Evenhart House… he’s our only hope too.”

  So it’s no good, I’m screwed… my peaceful life with my mother is over.

  I paused to breathe; it was a lot to take in. Even though I was a young adult in a child’s body, it affected me emotionally in a way I couldn’t uand.

  Knock, knock, knock.

  Someone was knog on the door, and my heart sank.

  “It’s Hugo. We o leave urgently, Lady Katherine.”

  My mother opehe door for him.

  “Are you sure, Hugo? This isn’t a lie, just for your own twisted ego, is it?” my mother asked him.

  “I’m here as a father in this situation, I wouldn’t lie… the sario has ged pletely i few years, we don’t have any more time.”

  I stood up and approached them; I o ask this question.

  “Why is it sent now? Wasn't it before? If we mao disappear for five years, why ’t we do it again?” I asked them both.

  They looked at each other and lowered their heads; there was more I didn’t know.

  “My son, we made a deal with your aunt… I didn’t marry your father because of his nobility, but because I loved him. When he died, they allowed us to ‘escape.’ Your aunt took on the role of Duchess and started preparing your cousin, but we never imagihings would get this bad.”

  “Why is it more dangerous now than before?”

  “We did everything to keep you free. We could have sent aire army after you… but now it’s different. Now, Nikou Wolves has HALF THE FUG nobles of the Evenhart Duchy on his side,” Hugo swore, and my mave him a stern look.

  “Sorry...” He coughed and tinued. “Now he’s vihose o move their men to find you both, since you’re a missing heir. The problem is, to end the dispute if you’re found, he’s pnted bandits and even mages to kill you, whether you’re a birl, to eliminate petition. We had no choice when we found out and came after you. He’s pressuring your aunt to betroth him to your cousin.”

  My mother turned pale at the mention of bandits and mages.

  “I don’t trust anyone anymore, not even those on our side. That’s why we o take you to the Evenhart mansion where you’ll be safe. Only ierritory we guarantee no harm will e to you.”

  “We have to go…” my mother murmured as she looked at me.

  I knew what she was feeling because it was the same as I felt. I was falling into a dark abyss of emotions.

  “Pack everything you have; I’ll escort you,” Hugo said.

  My mother kissed my head and ran io gather some things. I had no idea what I could do to help, so I just sat on the sofa, analyzing everything. Part of me tried to uand what a five-year-old would do in this situation, but I khat in this world, emotional maturity could be as skewed as it was given to me in my world. Here, children like my cousin have to face tough choices, like growing up without ever being able to choose whom they’ll love, knowing that one day, when she es of age, she’ll have to marry some old man who wants her surname.

  Why am I w about these people? I o foy situation. I’m fucked and don’t know what will happen to me.

  “Are you alright, young master?” Hugo asked, clearly tense about the situation. The fact that he had ko my mother and begged for a few minutes of attention showed that he was also under immense pressure.

  What the hell is this ‘young master’ nonsense? Gods! I ran away from being called General, Emperor, and Sn… now I’ll be this?

  “Just call me Nathan…” I said to the man.

  “Unfortunately, like it or not, that’s how you’ll be addressed…”

  We waited for my mother to gather our things into a few trunks. Outside, there was a carriage, and it was starting to get dark. The sky was f a storm.

  “ we take these pnts?” my mother appeared with some of her ivorous pnts. Most of the on pnts she gave to the neighbors.

  “You’re still making those killer pnts? That brings back memories…”

  Killer pnts? Don’t these just eat rats?

  “Uhg… I suppose there’s no problem,” he said.

  We said goodbye to our little house where I grew up.

  “Don’t worry, one day we’ll e back when things get better… I hope,” my mother said.

  We got into the carriage, and hearing what my mother said, I realized something from her words.

  “What will happen to us? After I’m revealed, what then?” I asked Hugo, who was climbing up to drive the carriage.

  “Lady Margaery will buy us time and calm everyone dowhey see that the Evenhart House has another male heir. After that, you and your mother live peacefully until your cousin grows up and takes over as Duchess. We just ime to solve our problems,” Hugo said as he climbed onto the an's seat.

  “And if that doesn’t calm the Wolves?” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t say what I feared.

  “Then we’ll have a war,” Hugo said, starting the carriage.

  When I heard the word ‘war,’ my heart ched. I felt short of breath, my whole body went cold. Pain spread through me, and I started sweating, my heart beating so fast it felt like it would explode. All the memories of my past life came rushing back at once.

  “I need power… I o learn magic,” I murmured to myself.

  I looked at my mother holding me, and the tightness in my chest grew worse. The fear of losihe only person I have in this world, was ing me.

  ‘An hell where the suffering will be your fear of losing it…’ te’s words haunted me, and I could see the Goddess Athena, whom I killed with my own hands, standing at the door of my house, ughing as the carriage pulled away.

  FUCK YOU!