The Fire Tree stood tall amongst the greenery. Its reddish and yellowish leaves became prominent amongst the trees in the kingdom of Lunaira. Kieve could still remember his father's words as he told him how the tree came to be.
It was an unexpected event. During the first years of the family living in that estate, the place was saturated with mana and Maius used it to replenish his mana. The more that he did it, the more that it mingled in the atmosphere. One day a sprout grew on the ground and as it grew, the unusual color of its leaves caught the people in awe.
The tree continued to grow but the color of its leaves did not change. It remained as the color of the fire. Red, orange and yellow and when the wind blew the tree looked like it was on fire. Maius called it the Fire Tree and it became the symbol of the House of Altair.
There was also one reason why Maius gave importance to the tree and that was because it grew as the family prospered. It felt like it was connected to the Altair thus he treated it with care. The Fire Tree gradually became well known in the capital because there was no other tree like it.
Whenever Kieve stood under it, he felt relaxed and his tiredness was gone. His father was right, the tree was like a guardian to their family. Now that his parents were dead, it was now his turn to take care of the family and take care of the tree. He just hoped that he would get to work with the king in a flawless manner.
Tomorrow was the day he would visit the palace and have a meeting with the king together with his council members. Now that Maius was dead there were several things that needed to be addressed. He also had a hunch that something big will happen tomorrow and it might affect the House of Altair.
"Sir, will everything be alright?" The servant who was waiting for him asked after he turned around and walked towards him.
"I am hoping that it will be the case," Kieve answered. Although he was unsured, he still had faith that throughout those years that he did not see Zandro, the man would have turned for the better.
"I will be busy tomorrow so make sure that the whole manor is on high alert. Now that father is dead, there will be people eyeing us from now on." He instructed the servant and the guards who were hiding in the shadows.
"A frown doesn't look good on your face, my lord." A woman's voice drifted through the wind and a woman with a delicate feature, smiling eyes and red lips came towards them.
"I'm sorry, milady. I just couldn't help it." Maius sighed as he pulled the woman into his arms. "But now that you are here, I feel better."
The woman laughed at her husband's antics and let him do what he wanted. She returned the hug and gently patted his back. The difference in height and build made the lady of the house fit perfectly into his arms.
"How about the kids? Where are they?" Maius asked while still hugging his wife. He suddenly missed them. He was just gone for a while but the urge to hug them tightly overcame him.
"They're inside. Cygnus is busy playing with Elara," she answered. She slowly pushed herself away from the man's hug and looked up to gaze at him. "Why don't we go and play with them?"
Kieve nodded and both of them entered the manor. Even before they could reach the living room, the crisp and vibrant laughter from the children already filled the halls. This sound brought a smile to Kieve's face.
They reached the entrance to the living room and saw that their children were having fun. Cygnus was already five while Elara was still three. Cygnus loved his sister dearly and would do everything to protect her. He was even more protective than them.
Cygnus noticed the gaze directed towards them and when he turned around his eyes twinkled. "Father! Mother!" He called out which also made Elara look behind her.I think you should take a look at ????????????????????????????????.????????????
"Father! Mother!" She also called out. She immediately stood up and ran towards them with his brother following behind.
Kieve smiled and picked up Elara. He tossed her in the air which made him giggle and caught her again in his arms. He then rubbed his cheek on her cheek and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Elara enjoyed the shower of kisses and did it too to her father.
Kieve's wife and Cygnus stood with grins on their faces because of the action. Kieve did not forget his son too. He scooped him using his other arm and gave him a kiss on both of his cheeks and on his forehead.
"That tickles!" Elara giggled and placed both of her hands on her father's cheeks and pressed them together. She giggled again and again which made the other members of the family laugh.
That was how they spent the day and the night. Kieve took that chance to spend time with his family and make sure that his children were happy. He would be working double time from now on when the head of the family was gone. His father's responsibilities in the palace had now fallen into his shoulders.
The next day, he left the manor early and went straight to the palace. He was given access and was even ushered to the council room. The only person in there when he entered was the king and there were no other people.
This was the first time that they will be seeing each other after so many years. Kieve did not set foot in the palace ever since that incident at the academy and his father did not force him to. He decided to stay in the border and defend the kingdom rather than to stay in the capital. He was just back because Maius fell ill.
So many years and they were both not children anymore. They were adults with responsibilities that those silly grudges should be buried in the past. Kieve walked up to the king and gave him the customary greeting.
"It is an honor to finally meet you again, your majesty." He bowed his head with his right fist placed on his chest.
"Raise your head," the king answered. He then gestured for the man to sit down on the empty seat to his right side.
Once Kieve was seated, there was only silence between them. Neither of them talked first because both of them didn't know how to start. It was true that they were already adults and yet they still felt uncomfortable after seeing each other.
Minutes passed by but neither of them talked. Finally, Kieve couldn't take any longer and took upon himself to speak first. The king might be uncomfortable to speak first and it was only right that he as the subordinate speak first.
"How have you been, your majesty?" He asked first to lighten the mood a little bit. It was also right that he inquired of the king's health.
"I have been doing good and it may be late but I want to express my condolences to you and to your family," Zandro answered.
The hate and jealousy that he had been feeling ever since they were a child already disappeared. His father reiterated to him a couple of times that his arrogance would one day bring him down. After a lot of thinking and reflecting on it, he came to a realization that his father was right. He was brought down by Kieve that day and he treated it as a motivation to make himself stronger.
