The Proudhammer shop had now become a three stories building that kept getting new floors as the number of their regular clients grew. Also, father and son had opened a branch shop and bought a warehouse in Derios,
Thanks to the public Warp Gate, their merchandise could now be sold in every city of the Kingdom connected to the dimensional network.
Senton knew all too well that Lith had nothing to do with their latest success because expanding into the national market had been Sentonâs own idea and Zekell had supported the project despite the risks and the huge starting expenses.
âIf you understand the importance of our business. relationship with Lith, then stop barking like a mad dog and tell me what the heck is really troubling you!â Zekell grabbed his son by the shoulders and forced him to sit down.
Senton was younger and stronger but his spirit was broken. Throwing his resentment in Zekellâs face had felt good for a minute until he had listened to his own words and realized how foolish they were.
Senton felt ashamed and dirty inside for disrespecting his fatherâs sacrifices.
âWe are here because we care about you.â Raaz had remained silent until that moment, knowing that he had no right to intrude between father and son. âI think I know whatâs bothering you, but itâs up to you to say it. âAdmitting it to yourself is the hardest part but also the first step to recovery. I canât take that from you! Senton didnât say a word for a while, raising his eyes from time to time only to make sure that Lith wasnât there.
âI knew that Lith wasnât human since his eighteenth birthday so I didnât get angry at him when Nightâs goons broke into our house and tried to kill us. I had been warned about the risks and I accepted them.
âWhen Orp- I mean, Meln exposed Lithâs true nature and forced us to escape to the Desert, I didnât blame him either. We were all safe, sound, and together. What I canât tolerate is that sometimes I feel like Leria isnât my daughter anymore.â
He held his head between his hands, clenching it in frustration.
âHer fascination for magic, the desire to Awaken, and all the attention she received in the Royal Court turned my little girl in a stranger that I can barely recognize. I have no authority nor influence over Leria and worst of all, thereâs nothing I can teach her.
âAt least Rena carries her same magical blood and gets respected because sheâs Lithâs sister, but what am I? Iâm just a nameless member of the family. A useless father who canât do anything for his daughter except entrust her to another man!
âHow am I supposed to live with that, Dad?â Senton turned toward Zekell. âHow can I look my wife in the eyes and tell her that weâve lost Leria?â
âI donât know.â The blacksmith lowered his eyes and sat down as well.
âBut I do and so does Kamila. Raaz said, drawing their attention. âWhen Lith was little, there was nothing I could do for him either. By the time he was four, he was out hunting with Selia. At six he spent most of his time at Nanaâs.
âThe more his powers grew, the more distant I felt him becoming. Iâm a farmer, Senton. Almost twenty years have passed since Lithâs birth and Iâm still just a farmer.
âWhile my son went to the academy, joined the military, and then became an Archmage after traveling throughout the Kingdom, I never left Lutia once. To this day, all I know how to do is tend my fields.
âMy greatest accomplishment as a father is spending an evening teaching Lith how to read and write when he was three and then carving for him his alphabetical ruler. Thatâs it. For everything else, Lith needed someone else.
âI felt helpless and useless just like you did, but the pride I felt for my son eclipsed my wounded ego. When Lith started to become famous, I had to entrust him to Lark first and then Mirim because no matter how much I wanted to support him, I was a liability.
âNot finding faults in him, the nobles would point their powdered fingers at me, the country bumpkin with the silly accent who canât tell a salad fork from a fishâs. It pained me to abandon my child whenever he went to a gala and miss the honors he received, but I did it gladly because it was the only way I could protect him.
âYour relationship with your daughter is in danger not because of her powers or the attention she received in the Royal Court but because you are pushing her away. Sure, you canât teach her about magic, but you can still teach her how to be a good person.
âYou can show Leria the importance of hard work and honesty. Being a parent is more than authority and power. Itâs leading by example and protecting your children by themselves,
âWithout her father, Leria might become an entitled little monster who thinks that might makes right. Is that what you want? Raaz asked.
âNo, but-â
âI understand how you feel.â Kamila stepped forward. âEverywhere I go, Iâm just âLithâs wife, just like you are Renaâs husband. People never bother remembering my name and some really think that Lady Magus is actually my title.
âNo matter how hard I work, everything I achieve is because of Lithâ whereas every mistake I make is âbecause sheâs an incompetent gold digger lucky enough to pick a winning horse.â Her face expressed all the disgust and anger she felt for repeating those words.
âMy daughter is still in my womb and Iâve already met lots of hostility and been called the most obnoxious names. When Elysia will be born, I wonât be able to help her with her hybrid nature.
âI wonât be able to protect her from the cruelty of people and I will have to work my ass off just to learn enough about magic to follow her around. Iâm terrified, Senton. Iâm afraid of not being able to be a parent to Elysia because we wonât have much in common.
âIâm afraid of Solus being a better mother than me thanks to her bond with Lith. Do you have any idea how it feels?â She asked.
âYes.â Senton nodded. âIt was the same for me when Lith took Leria and Aran to camp. I couldnât stop her from almost burning down the house, yet he did. He succeeded where I failedâ
âReally?â She knitted her eyebrows. âHow did you deal with that?â
âWhen she got back home, Leria was still my little girl. She spent the next few days showing me everything she had learned and trying to use her powers to help me with my work.â Senton smiled at the memory.
âLith was her magic teacher, but I was still her dad. She learned from him but she did it for me. You should have seen how happy Leria was for igniting the coal or tempering the hot steel with her magic.â
âWhatâs changed since then?â Zekell asked. âWhy are you so angry now?â
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