Chapter 156 - 105 : Year 11 - 19 A Son (2)

Chapter 156: Chapter 105 : Year 11 - 19 A Son (2)

Beyond the room, the household carried on with its preparations, leaving Lucian and Lucy a little time to themselves with their son. Lucian remained beside the bed, and their conversation kept returning to the tiny person between them. Lucy smiled as she told him how their son had stirred and wriggled while crying when the midwife first laid him in her arms, and how she had found herself staring at his little face, trying to take in that he was really here.

Lucian listened with a quiet smile, occasionally looking down at the child as though comparing her account with what he could see for himself. They wondered aloud whose features he might inherit, whether his hair would keep its golden shade, and what sort of person he would become as he grew older. Every so often, their son made a small sound or shifted beneath his blanket, drawing their attention back to him and interrupting their guesses.

Lucy watched Lucian’s face as he spoke about their child, smiling at the tenderness he could no longer hide. He still asked whether she was comfortable or needed anything, and each time she assured him she was fine, he seemed only slightly reassured. The exhaustion in her face was hard to miss, and he found himself watching her as closely as he watched their son. The midwives remained nearby, checking on Lucy and explaining how she should rest and recover over the coming days. Lucian listened carefully, wanting to make sure she had everything she needed after what she had been through. Their son stirred and made a faint sound. Lucy instinctively drew him closer, as Lucian watched them both, then reached for her free hand with a soft smile on his lips and held it.

For all the preparations, the waiting, and the worries that had accompanied the pregnancy, neither of them had been able to imagine this moment quite as it was. Their child was here, warm and breathing in Lucy’s arms, and they were finally able to welcome him together.

The Count was in his study, going through a stack of estate accounts, when a servant arrived with news of Lucian and Lucy’s newborn son. He looked up from the papers, and as the words sank in, a broad smile spread across his face. Setting the accounts aside, he rose from his desk, already eager to see his grandson. He had spent years preparing Lucian to carry the responsibilities of House Veymont, but holding the next generation of his family in his thoughts brought a different kind of satisfaction. Lucian was no longer simply the son he had raised and the heir he had trained; he was a father now, with a child of his own to love and guide. The Count found himself smiling at the thought, already imagining the years ahead and all the things his grandson would grow up to learn. The affairs of the estate would still be there when he returned to them. For now, he had a grandson to welcome into the family.

At the border garrison, Lucian’s uncle was inspecting the watch posts overlooking the surrounding hills. The morning had been filled with the familiar sounds of military life: soldiers changing shifts along the walls, patrols returning from the outer roads, and the steady thud of wooden weapons from the training yard below. A formation of men was drilling beneath the watchtower, their instructor’s sharp commands carrying across the courtyard. The viscount stood near the parapet, listening to his lieutenant’s report about the latest patrols, when a soldier approached with a large hawk perched on his gloved arm.

"My lord, a messenger bird has arrived from Castle Veymont. It bears your family’s crest."

The viscount turned at once. The bird was unmistakable, its broad wings folded neatly against its body and a red-and-gold harness secured across its back. A small golden emblem marked the red leather, identifying it as one of House Veymont’s courier birds. Behind its shoulders, a narrow message case rested firmly against the harness, protected from the wind and the bird’s movements during flight.

He stepped closer and held out his gloved hand. The hawk shifted onto it, gripping the leather with its talons. The viscount stroked its head briefly before unfastening the message case and removing the tightly rolled scroll. The family seal had been pressed into the wax, leaving no doubt about where it had come from. He broke it open and began to read.

The message was brief. Lucian and Lucy had welcomed a healthy son.

For a moment, he simply stared at the words. Then a laugh burst from him, so sudden and unrestrained that his lieutenant looked at him in surprise. The viscount read the message again, as though doing so might somehow make the news even better. His laughter returned, and when he finally lowered the scroll, his eyes had grown damp.

"A boy," he said, almost to himself. "Lucian has a son!"

His lieutenant’s expression brightened immediately.

"Congratulations, my lord. Your family has welcomed its next generation."

The viscount let out another delighted laugh and folded the message carefully, holding it as though it were something precious. He had spent weeks occupied with the affairs of the garrison, knowing that the birth could come at any time. Now that it had happened, the distance between him and Castle Veymont suddenly felt far greater than it had that morning.

He turned toward his lieutenant, the smile still lingering on his face.

"Have six mounted men prepared to accompany me. Send word ahead to the garrisons and towns along the main road. Wherever possible, I want fresh horses ready for us so we can keep moving without unnecessary delays."

The lieutenant nodded, then hesitated briefly.

"Shall I inform the regional commander of your departure, my lord?"

"Of course. Let him know I’m returning to Castle Veymont for a family matter. You will remain in command here until I return, and the garrison is to maintain its usual watch. Keep the patrols active and report any unusual activity without delay."

"At once, my lord."

The viscount’s smile widened as he glanced at the message in his hand.

"My nephew has become a father! Lucy has given birth to a healthy boy. I have to see my grandnephew with my own eyes."

The lieutenant’s expression brightened.

"Congratulations, my lord. May the young master grow strong and bring great happiness to House Veymont."

"Without a doubt," the viscount replied with a delighted laugh. "And I doubt the regional commander will give me much trouble for taking a few days away for this. Besides, you’ll be here to keep everything in order."

"Understood, my lord."

The viscount gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Then let’s not waste the day. I have a little boy waiting for me back home."

The lieutenant bowed before turning to carry out his orders.

The viscount tucked the message safely inside his armor. Although the garrison stood within House Veymont’s domain, its military duties formed part of the kingdom’s wider defence, and his noble title did not place him beyond the Crown’s chain of command. The regional commander oversaw the border district and coordinated the garrisons stationed throughout it, while the viscount commanded this particular post. His authority here rested on both his position within House Veymont and the standing he had earned through years of military service.

He had not reached his present position through noble birth alone. As a young man, he had trained and served alongside ordinary soldiers, advancing through the ranks through discipline, sound judgement, and extraordinary martial ability. Having reached the peak of the Martial world powers been a ForceTempering realm martial artist, he possessed physical strength and combat skill far beyond that of an ordinary soldier. Few men could match his combination of noble standing, military experience, and personal strength, and the soldiers under his command respected him for what he had proven as much as for the name he carried.

His command was therefore both a responsibility entrusted to him through his family’s position and one he had worked to become worthy of holding. Within the garrison, his orders were final; in matters affecting the kingdom’s wider military operations, he remained accountable to the regional commander.

With the arrangements underway, the viscount descended from the watchtower and made his way toward the stables. He had spent enough years in military service to know that a swift departure required more than a fast horse. The men needed to be ready, the route prepared, and the garrison left in capable hands.

This time, however, every delay felt longer than it should. His grandnephew had been born, and he was eager to reach Castle Veymont.

Within the hour, he had assembled his small escort and left the garrison. They rode hard along the main road, changing horses when fresh mounts were available and stopping only when the men or animals needed it.

The vice-count wanted to reach Castle Veymont as quickly as he reasonably could, and his companions understood the urgency without needing to be reminded.

The journey still took several days, but he spent little time dwelling on the distance. Whenever the road stretched ahead of them, his thoughts returned to the same thing, his nephew Lucian is now a father, Lucy had given birth to a healthy boy, and a new member of House Veymont was waiting to be welcomed home.

By the time the castle finally came into view, the fatigue of the road had settled into his bones. It did little to dampen his spirits. He urged his horse forward, eager to dismount, cross the familiar courtyard, and see his grandnephew for himself.