The Reunion

Sharlisia heard a carriage stopped on the front of the mansion and heard footsteps coming from the entrance to the front door. When a knock was heard, Klaus and Sharlisia opened the front door and warmly welcomed their two guests into the mansion. The guests wore linen and hemp cloth in contrast to their attire. Klaus greeted them and had a conversation. Sharlisia watched their chatter and thought if they are longtime friends. But the conversation was cut off momentarily and Klaus instructed Sharlisia to lead them to the sitting room. Inside the sitting room, Aeron waits comfortably ensconced on a chair. The table is set for tea with four cups and a kettle with hot tea and a servant is standing by to wait.

"Aeron, this is Lord Veron and Lady Marya Sinclair. Your parents. I invited them." Sharlisia introducing the guests.

The guests smiled upon introduction but Aeron was unresponsive. They sat opposite of Aeron while Sharlisia sat beside Aeron.

"Congratulations on your wedding," Marya said.

"Oh, thank you, Lady Marya. I have been dreaming of this for a long time," Sharlisia politely replied.

The conversation went on but was suddenly interrupted by Aeron's laugh.

"After all these years, do you think we can have a normal conversation like nothing happened?” Aeron said with a clenched fist and a disturbed smile. “After leaving me rotting in the fucking forest? You didn't even search for my whereabouts. You just made a happy life in your little village and moved on."

Sharlisia was surprised by Aeron's unexpected intrusion. She caught a glance at Veron and Marya and found a guilty expression formed on their faces avoiding eye contact with Aeron.

“We deeply apologize for abandoning you,” Marya said as tears were forming in her eyes. “We wanted to search for you but we thought you were already dead. We wanted to move on from the incident. To start anew. But when we heard about you. The horrific reputation you earned. Raping women and children, torturing and terrorizing people. How our own son became a monster. We do not know how to make it right. We do not know if we can make things right. We do not know how to face you.”

“You don't know how much I suffered. My childhood spent eating poisonous plants and mushrooms and rotting carcasses. All the while playing tag with the beasts wanting to eat me day and night. Resting only when I found a good hiding spot. Even fighting bandits for a piece of roasted meat! I risked my life just for a fucking piece of meat! Your so-called honor had given you nothing but humiliation. Your fucking rebellion exiled us and just because you didn't like the one who replaced the king! And you abandoned me in that fucking forest! I have been abandoned and suffered just because of a little political spite! You fuckers are all the same! Fucking hypocrites!” Aeron replied slamming his fist on the table.

“That is enough!” Veron shouted as he stood up. “If you want a fight, I will give you a fight!”

-----------

Veron tried to focus for the duel. He breathes in a meditative interval conditioning his body. The duel took place on the front yard of the mansion and he instructed Sharlisia to mediate it. The servants gave him a short sword. The same also with Aeron. At the signal, Aeron charged first. The two clashed. Even after years of retiring, He still have the swordsmanship at competent level. He carefully observes Aeron's fighting style in order to exploit an opening. However, Aeron's unconventional fighting style disturbed him. He noticed that Aeron fights like a beast. His animal-like style blended with crude techniques that bandits use. Guilt overwhelms Veron because he was not able to teach his son the dignified way of swordsmanship of Militaria. His body froze, his grip weakened and finally dropped the sword.

“I concede,” he said. “You win.”

Everyone was shocked. Sharlisia declared Aeron the winner of the duel. Marya approached him and the servants put away the swords.

"I apologize for Aeron's behavior,” Sharlisia said to him and Marya. “I will talk to him after this."

"No need,” Marya said. “We understand his grudge. Just do not bring up this issue again to Aeron. This is our problem. Continue to take care of him as always. Say our farewell to Klaus. Anyway, congratulations on your wedding.”

The two bade farewell to Sharlisia and went back to the carriage to go back home.

As the two walked back to the carriage, He still felt distraught from what transpired and clenched his fists. “I should not have planned that rebellion! What does honor mean if it means losing everything? We should have just weathered the storm. We should have stayed low. A little pandering to those insufferable jesters would not hurt. Then we will still be together. Then our son would not turn into a murdering maniac!”

Marya tried to consoling her husband. “The milk has been spilled. The mistake has been done. We can only hope that he can forgive us. If he cannot, then we have to live with it. There is nothing we can do.”