Aldren's return had slightly changed the atmosphere of the estate. Not in a worrying way. Quite the opposite. The Black Raven knights seemed more relaxed now that their commander had returned, even though his authority remained obvious. He didn't need to raise his voice to be obeyed. A simple look was usually enough to put things back in order. Kael had noticed it from the very first day. Aldren had a particular way of moving through the estate, as if he knew every corridor, every garden, and every room. Which wasn't surprising. He had served House Veyron for several decades. That morning, Kael was crossing the courtyard when he spotted Aldren speaking with two young knights. “You changed the guard formation?” “Yes, Commander.” Aldren studied the new positioning for a few moments. “Better. But always keep a second line behind the main doors.” “Understood.” The two knights saluted before leaving. Kael approached. “You didn't even take a day off.” Aldren turned toward him. “And you still haven't learned how to rest either.” Kael raised an eyebrow. “I'm on vacation.” “Of course.” “I actually am.” “Then why are you here?” Kael looked around. “I was passing by.” Aldren smiled. “Obviously.” Kael sighed. “You've been back for less than a day and you're already starting again.” “I missed it.” Kael shook his head slightly. Darius arrived a moment later. “I told you he wouldn't last a morning without going back to work.” Aldren looked at him. “And what are you doing here?” “Watching the patriarch.” “Again?” “Always.” Kael looked at the two of them. “You're exhausting.” Darius smiled. “You've been told that before.” “Yes. By both of you.” --- A little later, Ethan suggested showing Aldren the parts of the estate that had been renovated during his absence. Kael went with them. Darius followed as well, while Noah, Lysandra, and Adrian decided to come along too. They first crossed the eastern wing of the manor. Aldren looked around carefully. “They changed the windows.” Ethan nodded. “A few years ago.” “And this door?” “It wasn't here before.” Aldren stopped. “It was.” Ethan frowned. “Are you sure?” “Absolutely.” Aldren placed a hand against the wood. “It was simply smaller.” Noah looked at Kael. “He really knows everything about this place.” Kael answered calmly. “He spent a large part of his life here.” Aldren turned around. “Your father had me repair this door three times.” Kael looked surprised. “Three times?” “Yes.” Darius intervened. “He was probably responsible for the damage.” Aldren gave him a look. “So was your father.” Darius immediately fell silent. Noah burst out laughing. “I want to hear that story.” “No.” Kael answered immediately. Aldren smiled. “I wouldn't mind telling it.” “Aldren.” “All right, all right. Another time.” Noah looked at Kael with a satisfied grin. “I'm going to learn everything about your childhood eventually.” “Try.” --- They eventually reached an old training hall. The walls still bore marks left behind by years of practice. Aldren entered first. He remained still for a few seconds. Then he smiled. “Nothing has changed here.” Darius looked around. “Even the marks on the wall are still there.” Aldren nodded. “Some of them were already there when your father trained here.” Kael looked at the walls. “My father trained here?” “Every day.” “Every day?” “Almost.” Aldren walked toward an old training post. “He was fifteen when he started coming here regularly. He wanted to become better than the knights of that time.” Ethan smiled. “That sounds like him.” “He was unbearably competitive.” Darius nodded. “I can confirm that.” Kael looked toward his uncle, who had just entered the room. Lucian stood with his arms crossed. “Are you talking about your father again?” Aldren turned toward him. “And you always arrive when the best stories begin.” Lucian smiled. “Did I hear my name?” “No.” “Too bad.” Noah looked from Lucian to Aldren. “You've known each other for a long time too?” Lucian answered, “Long enough to know that he exaggerates half of his stories.” Aldren placed a hand over his heart. “What an accusation.” Kael smiled. For a few moments, the training hall no longer felt like a place dedicated to military exercises. It simply felt like a room filled with old memories. --- Aldren eventually sat down on a bench. His eyes settled on Kael. “Do you want to know something?” Kael approached. “What?” “Your parents were very different from you in some ways.” Kael sat beside him. “How?” Aldren thought for a moment. “Your father talked much more than you.” Ethan burst out laughing. “That’s true.” “And your mother…” Aldren smiled. “She noticed everything. Absolutely everything.” Lucian added, “She could stay silent for ten minutes and understand a situation that nobody else had noticed.” Kael listened carefully. “They were really like that?” “Yes.” Aldren looked at the old marks on the wall. “But there was one thing they had in common.” Kael waited. “They protected their own. Even when they were afraid.” Silence settled over the room. Kael lowered his eyes slightly. Aldren placed a hand on his shoulder. “You resemble them much more than you think.” Kael didn't answer immediately. Then he asked, “Do you think that's a good thing?” Aldren smiled. “I think you're yourself. That's already enough.” Kael remained silent for a few seconds. Then he stood. “Thank you.” Aldren watched him walk away. “Still the same little boy…” Kael stopped. He slowly turned around. “I heard that.” Aldren burst out laughing. “Then your hearing is still excellent!” Darius walked past him. “He never lost that.” Kael gave him a look. “You too?” “Of course.” Noah whispered to Adrian, “I'm starting to understand why Kael is the way he is.” Adrian smiled. “Me too.” --- By late afternoon, the group returned to the manor. The gardens were bathed in golden light. Servants were already putting up a few decorations for the coming days. Nothing particularly formal, simply enough to make the estate feel more alive during their stay. Kael stopped for a moment. He looked at the manor. His brother. His uncle. Darius. Aldren. His friends. Everyone was there. For a long time, House Veyron had represented something heavy to him. A responsibility. A name. An inheritance. Today, for the first time in a long while, it also looked like a home. Ethan walked past him. “Coming?” Kael nodded. “Yes.” They rejoined the others. No one noticed the small smile that remained on Kael's face for several seconds. And no one asked why. They simply knew that he was doing well. For now, that was enough.

Memories of Another Time