New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Selena Lorhen had already left the room, uninterested in her forlorn son or his current situation. She knew at a glance he still had no magical capacity, and couldn't care less if he had become a king.

Without magic, to her, he was less than nothing.

His father, on the other hand, seemed to be holding in something. He looked at Rodney, his mouth opening a few times, but words never coming out.

Rodney was eventually the one to speak first.

"Father. It has been a long time. I would like to say I missed you, but I doubt the feeling would be mutual."

For a moment, sadness flashed in the older man's eyes before he became awkward again.

"Son. I… I never wanted for this. But I see that you have become a great man on your own. It brings me pr—"

"Stop," Rodney interrupted him.

"All I did, I never did for you or Mother. I did for me, and me alone. I don't want to hear if it brings you pride or joy. That right, you lost the day you banished me into the world, alone with only a sword and clothes to my name."

His father's traits stretched again, his eyes becoming slightly foggy. Astaroth could feel the man was yearning for his son.

He probably never wanted to banish him. But it seemed men held little to no power in Themiscan society.

Seeing as Rodney was cold to his words and feelings, the old man's heart turned back to its icy facade.

"Very well. In this case, mayhap you would like to see some of your siblings? Some of them often ask for news of you."

Rodney wasn't sure it was a good idea. In the past, very few of his siblings ever treated him correctly, some of them even bullying him because he had no magical talent.

His second sister was the only one who ever treated him like a person, and that was because her magical talent was barely above average. Which made him reluctant to meet any of them at all.

He was about to refuse the offer when a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Astaroth's gaze, in which he could read compassion.

"Meet with them. We can deal with any reaction as we go. I have your back, and so does Phoenix."

Phoenix nodded her head, agreeing with Astaroth's words.

Rodney felt a slight tug in his heart. A feeling he had long since forgotten rose in it.

Kinship.

His old family might have thrown him to the street, but he had made a new one. And his daughter would never grow up to feel those feelings he had growing up.

Smiling warmly, Rodney looked back at his father.

"I will meet them. You can guide the way."

Ulrick, his father, did not miss the interaction between them and knew instantly. There was no more room in his son's heart for the likes of the Lorhen family.

Someone had already replaced them.

He wasn't sure whether to feel outraged, that his son had replaced him with strangers, or relieved that he no longer was alone in the world.

In the end, he just put the entire matter aside in his heart and head.

Nodding to Rodney, Ulrick walked out of the room, heading toward the passage that led to the Lorhen Manor from underground.

Not many knew this, but the castle was connected to all the Matriarchal manors from an underground tunnel system. Just like the one they had taken to reach the meeting room.

It took them half an hour of manoeuvring to reach the Lorhen manor, before coming back to the light of day, in a courtyard where kids were running around.

Rodney looked around, a tinge of nostalgia hitting him, but he quickly brushed it away. What little good memories he had were too easily overshadowed by the years of torment his siblings subjected him to.

He would rather not think about it.

But immediately as he started walking again, the hair on the back of his neck rose, and he quickly pulled out his sword from its scabbard, swinging it to his right.

As he did, a wind blade twice his size collided against the blade, pushing him back a few inches before it shattered and disappeared.

A slow clapping came from the direction the spell had come from, and already Rodney's mood was souring.

"I'm impressed, 'Brother'. In the past, an attack like this would have sent you directly to the infirmary. You've grown, at least. But I see you still rely on these caveman tools. Still as magic-less as before."

From the right of the courtyard, a tall and slender man walked toward them. He looked a lot like Rodney, if much slimmer and younger looking.

"Brother Elias. How unoriginal of you to attack me the moment you see me. The years have not changed your savage nature," Rodney spat, his face a grimace of hate.

Astaroth turned to look at the man, and he could already tell this was a typical favouritism situation, where the younger brother's talent had made him the focus of attention, making him think he could act like he wanted without prejudice.

He already disliked this person and had yet to greet him properly.

Elias spat on the ground at Rodney's feet, showing no respect whatsoever.

"Don't speak my name, you lesser being. What are you doing in the sanctity of the Lorhen manor? You were banished."

Ulrick didn't even step in to say he had invited him, and this caused Astaroth's forming frown to deepen.

"If it were any of your business, you would have been told, Elias. Now why don't you go play prince with someone who cares? I have better things to do than entertain your boring antics."

Rodney remained calm, even though his younger brother was treating him like absolute shit, which only made the younger brother in question even more angry. At least, in the past, he could get him angry and claim it was Rodney's fault for everything he did.

Feeling the rise in tension, Astaroth glanced at the older man to see if he would step in. But already, the man had stepped aside and closed his eyes, leaning on a wall.

'This family is garbage. No wonder Rodney didn't want to come… Should we have stayed out of it?' he wondered.