Walking through the corridor without paying attention to the paintings, statues, or anything else on the walls, Aiden made his way toward the dining room.
Once they arrived, Walter—who was walking alongside him—opened the door for him, and Aiden noticed that no one was sitting at the end of the table. He looked around the room, which wasn't large; it was used for family meals. Aside from a beautiful large rectangular wooden table, there were windows on the left side offering a view of the front of the estate and the vast, well-kept garden. Other than that, the dining room was simple, with light-colored walls and a lovely chandelier adorned with objects that resembled candles—though much brighter—crafted by artisans. Their brightness was just right for lighting the room without causing discomfort.
Aiden sat to the right of his grandfather Sebastian, with his back facing the door.
On the opposite end, in the seat of honor, should have been Cedric—but he was missing. To Cedric's left sat, in order, Vivienne (his first wife), Marielle (his second wife), Selenne (his third wife), and Elyndra (his fifth wife).
Following them were Doriann (his second son), Marcus (third son), Tobias (fourth son), and Evander (fifth son).
Sebastian's sons, arranged from oldest to youngest, resembled Elara—their mother—more and more with each generation. She was a proud and beautiful woman with black hair and brown eyes, standing about 165 cm tall, with a well-balanced figure and graceful curves.
And at the far end of the table sat Sebastian.
On the other side of the table, from Cedric's place down toward Sebastian, were Lucian (Vivienne's son), Lysandra and Rosalid (both daughters of Marielle), Sylwenne (daughter of Selenne), and Aurelienne and Caerandor (children of Elyndra).
Elyndra and her children—Aurelienne and Caerandor—were absent from the dinner, along with Cedric.
After Aiden sat down next to Sebastian, he remained silent, waiting for the food to be served.
When the dishes were brought out by the servants, he picked up the proper cutlery—which was very important—and began eating. Meanwhile, conversations started around the table. Aiden remained quiet and ate in silence.
After some time, during a brief pause in the chatter, Sebastian took the opportunity to speak—loudly enough for Aiden and everyone else to hear. "In a few months, Aiden, you'll begin school, and I believe this is the right moment for you to start your training. You may choose the style of combat or the weapon you wish to master. But I want you to begin as soon as possible."
Aiden didn't have time to process what he had just heard before Vivienne interjected, "Don't you think it's a bit too early?"
Lucian chimed in, "I started when I was five. If anything, he's starting too late."
Vivienne shot him a sharp look, but before she could say anything, Evander spoke up. "I agree with the kid. Sebastian's mentioned a few times that he wants Aiden to begin training, but Cedric hasn't wanted to let him out of the nest just yet."
Sebastian added, "Yes, Cedric didn't want the boy to begin training. But I think he should've started long ago."
Vivienne responded with open disapproval, "You're taking advantage of him not being here to push this through. Once he starts those first classes, we won't be able to pull him out. It would be disgraceful."
Sebastian smiled with a wicked glint in his eye. "And how else should I handle this? Isn't this what you'd call a well-executed plan?"
Marcus kept eating calmly, as if all the tension in the room didn't exist. "What surprises me is that you didn't do this earlier—during Cedric's other trips. Or why tell us at all? You could've just done it without informing anyone."
Sebastian replied to his son, "Out of respect."
"Respect?" Vivienne snapped. "If this were really about respect, you'd wait until Cedric was here and talk to him directly. If he disagreed, you would've discussed it like men."
Sebastian took the last bite from his plate, gestured to the servants in the room to take it away, chewed slowly without rushing, and kept his smile. "You're right. I'm doing this because Aiden would've told you everything, and that would've caused more problems later than it's worth. I want you to accept this and help me convince Cedric."
Everyone was tense now, no longer enjoying the dinner, but also not daring to leave the table. Marcus continued eating like nothing was happening. Vivienne and Sebastian exchanged arguments. She genuinely cared for Aiden and feared he wouldn't be able to handle things—especially with his issues.
After a while, Evander—who also didn't seem particularly concerned by the argument—turned to Aiden, ignoring the two, and asked, "And what do you think, Aiden? Would you like to learn how to wield a sword?"