Aster was walking behind his father through a sloped tunnel as they left the king's platform, the very father that hadn't looked him in the eye even once since their reunion.
Suddenly, a thunder of roars and protest assaulted his ears as the stadium reacted to the prince's proclamation, when they learned the human had not only been freed, but was also allowed to compete.
Aster stopped in his tracks, and looked over his shoulder with a twinge of hurt buried within himself. He understood what the prince was referencing when he spoke of the road to changing minds, but even still, the weight of such blind hatred pushed down heavily on his heart.
When the boy did turn back around, his father Jagón was finally staring at him with a mixture of fatigue, sorrow, and relief all forged into one very tired looking panther. The knight stood silently as he stared down into his son's eyes.
"I make one request of you my son. I will honor your decision no matter your answer."
The great knight, the right hand to the king, and the boy's very own father did something unthinkable then, and knelt before his son. Before a human.
To say Aster was uncomfortable was quite the understatement. The great knight persevered anyway.
"Drop out of The Selection and return home with me. I almost lost you today, and I am terrified I will lose you for certain to their hatred... I... I cannot shield you anymore, my son... Not from an entire world... But perhaps here, from yourself at least, from your foolish gamble, I can protect you. I can try... I can beg this of you, my son. You are not safe here."
Aster felt lower than the tone his father had just spoken in as he heavily lingered on every word. He had obtained his freedom after all these years... Was serving in the army his true desire? Or was The Selection only a means to an end? Aster steeled his thoughts, and softly answered his father when he had made his choice.
"I cannot."
The panther stood, clenched both his fists and his jaw, turned around sharply, and started walking towards the exit with his son trailing behind.
Even as he escorted Aster back to his inn, as they passed by such gawking stares and the looks of astonishment from the beastmen in the streets, the boy heard not a single sound more from his father on that day.
Aster was met by Javis at the entrance to the inn. His father remained silent even still, even as he turned and walked away from the pair.
Javis placed a reassuring hand at the small of the boy's back as he watched his father leave, never casting another glance back towards him as he faded from view.
The pair returned to their room after, and Javis had Aster lie down on the bed so he could begin healing his injuries from the battle with the tiger. The boy told the humanoid Antelope everything he could remember about the unbelievable events which had transpired that day, even how everything had made him feel.
The buck only listened patiently on as the boy recounted his story, reassuring him when his fears and worry were made known.
Javis understood the true nature behind Jagón's request and his actions in the tunnel, but didn't find it his place to elaborate at that time. Aster needed rest now. He had chosen to fight on.
So instead, the buck finished his treatment, and started to gently run his hands through his young master's hair, petting him over and over as the boy grew tired from his efforts that day.
This was an old trick he'd been using to get the boy to sleep since before the human could even crawl, but the buck felt a sadness from the motion instead of the usual peaceful sensation it brought upon him. Maybe somewhere in his soul, his instincts just knew that it was going to be the last time he would get to do it.
Stahl was deep in thought as she laid in bed, gazing at the ceiling on the final morning of The Selection. Who could really blame her, she'd received more than she bargained for witnessing the final part of that trial.
Stahl had heard secrets that shattered any reasonable expectations she had. She knew everything, who the human really was, what that shield really was. She learned of Aster's past, his upbringing, and his heritage...
Secrets the boy was forbidden from knowing about himself. And worse yet, the she-wolf had realized she was the only one there that day that could ever even tell Aster the truth now.
The only one who wasn't physically present to have their life oath modified to prevent ever openly discussing what that council had revealed amongst themselves... To prevent Aster from ever finding out where he came from...
That Aster Venatus was undoubtedly and indisputably the heir of the final human king to fall in King Alocer's war, King Calium, as well as the sole inheritor of the legendary bloodskill known as The Peacekeeper's Shield.
Aster was a royal. Aster was born to be a king among humans. A king to only corpses and grave markers now...
That meant Chuck reincarnated as an heir of the last human King, but of course no one knew that.
The young she-wolf heard a knock, and called out for her father to enter. She was expecting this visit. The older wolf let himself in, and turned to his daughter as he closed the door. Stahl sat up on the bed as her father spoke.
"I imagine I don't have to tell you that you'll need to keep your presence at that trial a secret. You have to pretend you know nothing of that human's truth. Will you promise me that my daughter? Or do we need to just renew your life oath to cover the matter as well?"
The silver wolf gave an inquisitive raise of his brow as he spoke down to his daughter. The younger she-wolf sighed and reassured her father she had grasped how sensitive the matter and the information was.
The older canine nodded in acceptance of that answer, considering the matter resolved, and quickly changed the subject to something more embarrassing to distract his daughter.
"So, why do you have that? Trying to get a feel for it's scent?" Byron was pointing at something sitting on a table. Something that belonged to the human, the helm and the staff.
Aster hadn't exactly had a chance to recover either after he was revealed, so Stahl had grabbed them for him... Though, she wasn't certain why she did so herself, she was sure it wasn't to catch a whiff as the old wolf had implied.
***