CH360 Drake Returns
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"Why are you here?" Alex asked, his surprise evident as he took in the familiar, imposing figure before him.
"What? Shouldnât a son be happy that his busy father found time to visit him?" the man replied dryly.
It was none other than Earl Drake Fury.
The Earl strode into the house without waiting for an invitation, his presence commanding the space as naturally as if it were his own.
Alex shut the door and quickly followed behind.
"Of course, Iâm happy to see you, Father," Alex said. "I just wasnât expecting it. I thought youâd still be busy with the war in the Marblebrook Plane. Youâve only been gone a couple of months or so."
"A couple of months here," Drake corrected, "is more than half a year in Marblebrook. Do you think a mere war in a lesser plane could tie me down for that long?"
He sat in the single-seater sofa in the living room and glanced around. His brow creased.
"Why am I not surprised?" he muttered. "This décor is unbefitting of the scion of a warrior family. Too many books, with too few weapons or trophies."
Alex only shrugged as he took his seat opposite.
"This is just a temporary accommodation," he replied evenly. "And the décor fits my current status here in the Enclave as a mage, craftsman, and scholar."
He smirked faintly. "Besides, donât forget thereâs still the drake head and the weapons from defeated foes lining my study walls back at the Back Mountain Lodge."
Drake gave a snort. "Donât make it sound like you put them there yourself. I know it was Coltonâs childâ"
"Laura," Alex cut in. "Her name is Laura, Father."
"Yes, Laura," Drake nodded curtly. "That lass decorated the study for you. You probably never thought of doing it yourself."
Alex only shrugged again. He couldnât really deny that.
"So," Drake said, leaning back, "how are things in my absence?"
"Donât you already know?" Alex countered.
"Iâm asking you, am I not? That means I want to hear it from you," Drake said, his tone brooking no argument.
Alex chuckled wryly. "Fine," he said. "The most important thing I have to report would be the negotiation with the Kellermans. I succeeded in gettingâ"
"I donât care about that," Drake interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. "That was a foregone conclusion from the start."
"Iâve been hearing some interesting news lately. Something about you following in my footstepsâearning infamy across the continent. But apparently, yours wasnât earned through battle prowess or reckless antics." Drake smiled faintly.
Alexâs lips twitched.
He could almost see the teasing glint in Drakeâs eyes. The man had a way of making serious matters sound trivial, especially when it concerned him. It was absurd that his father would ignore the pressing issue of House politics just to pry into his personal life.
Heâd long suspected Drake cared little about the Kellerman negotiations, and once again, the man proved him right.
Alex even felt a pang of sympathy for Earl Jorg Kellerman. The poor man viewed Drake as a rivalâa competitor on the grand stage of nobilityâyet Drake barely even regarded him as worth a thought.
âI wonder how Earl Kellerman would feel if he realised that,â Alex mused dryly.
But he quickly brushed the thought aside and launched into the story of his latest escapadesâ the harrowing tale of how he struggled and climbed difficulty after difficulty to ultimately win the heart of the most eligible spinster in the Empire... at least, of his generation.
He didnât stop there. He added how he befriended Prince Caesar and Prince Archellis Maximillianâbetter known as All Mightâand finally, how his relationship with Udara had developed since.
Drake listened quietly until Alex finished, then exhaled a low chuckle.
"So, let me get this straightâyou tore up a perfectly fine marriage agreement just to sign a new, convoluted one? And for what? Love? Trust?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "Couldnât you have built that after the marriage fell through?"
He clicked his tongue, half amused, half exasperated. "Well, I suppose you had too much free time. You had to waste it somehow."
Alexâs face twitched again. He wanted to retort, but the look on Drakeâs face made it clear his father wasnât interested in a debate.
Drakeâs expression sobered after a moment. "Friendship with royals is indeed worth its weight in goldâespecially with genuine individuals like Caesar and Archellis. But make no mistake, Alex. Your own strength will determine whether you can maintain such relationships. Your potential attracts them now, but only by translating that into true strength can up keep them as friends.
"A dragon doesnât stay friends with a worm. Itâs simply impossible."
"Iâm aware, Father," Alex said, his tone equally serious.
Drake nodded slightly, satisfied. He knew Alex understood the truth of that principle even without being told, but he couldnât resist reminding him all the same.
Alexâs calm, resolute response eased whatever lingering concern Drake had. He didnât press further.
"The matter with that lass, Udara, is a little delicate," Drake said calmly. "Donât push her too much. Just create opportunities for her to come out of her shell."
"Father, you seem to know something," Alex said, narrowing his eyes.
"Of course I do. Do you think Iâd allow an unknown variable into my house?" Drake crossed his arms with that familiar air of authority. "But I canât tell you. I made a promiseâto the lass and to the Dragonslayer. Sheâll open up to you when sheâs ready."
"I see..." Alex frowned, unsatisfied but unwilling to press further.
"Donât overthink it," Drake continued. "The matter isnât anything grandâjust a small incident from the past. At least, itâs small to you. To her, itâs a bit more personal and major. No good will come from me telling you anything. But if youâre patient, itâll help her trust you when she decides to speak."
"I understand, Father," Alex said with a nod.
A moment of silence passed between them before Alex remembered something. "Oh, right. I think the Wastelanders, the Machholts, and the Reicherts are up to something."
Drakeâs brow furrowed slightly. "I can understand the Reicherts, but why the Wastelanders? I have no quarrel with Siegmund, and our territories arenât even close. His lands are in the Central East, ours are in the Northwest."
"That would be my fault, Father," Alex admitted.
He then recounted the series of events that led to his feudâif it could even be called thatâwith Alric Wastelander.
Drake listened quietly, his expression unreadable. When Alex finished, he spoke firmly. "Then itâs not your fault. If thereâs anyone to blame, itâs Siegmundâs sonâAlric, was it?"
He paused for a moment, deep in thought, before continuing. "The Machholts and Reicherts as Houses wouldnât get involved in this. Neither would Siegmund. He wouldnât move against me without cause. If thereâs truly a plot brewing, it must be coming from the heirs themselves."
"If itâs the heirs, then I can handle them," Alex said with quiet confidence.
"As you should," Drake replied with a nod. "Donât worryâIâll make sure the elders of their Houses stay out of it. Thatâs my responsibility."
Then his tone hardened, and the weight of command returned to his voice. "But donât underestimate them. Each one is not only stronger than you but they are also scions of Ducal and even Grand Ducal Houses. Tread carefully."
"Iâm aware, Father." Alexâs expression turned solemn, his voice steady.
**(10/70)**