Chapter Text
Zent Siegfried scrutinized the man who was currently kneeling in front of him intently. He had never thought Aub Ehrenfest to be somebody who took any risks or would dare to potentially offend him. Not that he was actually offended by this request, but he was definitely surprised.
His eldest two sons stood to both of his sides. As one of them was likely to succeed him in the future, he wanted them to observe such a rare occasion where a father actually inquired about baptizing a son of Adalgisa under him. Sparing the child from death and costing Lanzenave a valuable feystone in consequence. It was not that the king of Lanzenave could object to that as it had been a part of the original agreement from all those generations ago, but it still came with some political consequences and talks.
Siegfried wondered why Aub Ehrenfest did not just take a second wife if he wanted more than his three children already, instead of having to potentially explain where a motherless child had appeared from. The whole room was silent as he followed his musings, but he knew nobody would object to this. He was the Zent after all. And while Aub Ehrenfest definitely had the right to ask for the boy, retrieving him still took his approval.
“Rise, Aub Ehrenfest”, he eventually said and the man complied immediately. Just as his posture so far had indicated, he was far from his usual meek character. There was some determination in his eyes that Siegfried could only hope also translated to more of Ehrenfest's negotiations in the future so that they would not sell out to Ahrensbach so direly all the time.
“You honor me, my Zent”, Adelbert responded and eyed him intently in turn but waited to be addressed.
“I received your inquiry about the boy you sired in the villa of Adalgisa, Aub Ehrenfest, and while it is indeed your right as his father to take him in, I do wonder what brought you to this decision”, Siegfried remarked and saw Adelbert grow slightly uneasy before he found his conviction again.
“It is by the guidance of the Goddess of Time that I wish for the boy to be recognized as my son”, he intoned with an euphemism so vague it bordered on insulting. The older of his sons even reacted to that.
“That is not a satisfying answer, Aub Ehrenfest”, Treibkrieg chided him sternly and even Waldifried nodded, though it was clear that his second son would have remained quiet if his brother had not spoken up either.
“My apologies, Prince Treibkrieg. I may elaborate, though I do not claim to understand all the implications of Dregarnuhr's guidance nor why I was bestowed it to begin with”, he commented demurely, making it sound as if it was indeed something like a divine revelation.
As if anybody actually could believe in the Gods being real. What kind of insulting excuse is this?
Zent Siegfried decided to remain calm and at least allow Aub Ehrenfest to elaborate. Chastisement from a prince was one thing, but a Zent had to stay more composed.
“You may provide more details to your reasoning then, Aub Ehrenfest”, Siegfried graciously allowed, which led once again to a slight shift in confidence in Adelbert.
“A messenger, sparkling with divine mana, so overwhelming with divinity that I could not actually approach her closer than a few steps, descended unto my chambers and told me to retrieve my son Quinta from the villa of Adalgisa and baptize him by the name of Ferdinand as my own. She spoke of the bright future that could only be reached if the boy lived. She also spoke of the Garden perishing and returning to white sand, should I fail to save him.”
Aub Ehrenfest now looked at him glumly, as if he had not been eager to utter such threatening words in his presence, and yet he had still done that.
The country is routinely referred to as 'Garden' in the Grutrissheit. But how can a mere aub know this term?
“A bright future? In which way?”, he asked, still wondering whether those words could actually be true. A divine messenger? Is it not more likely that this is a sophisticated scheme? But from Ehrenfest? That does not make any sense.
“She spoke of many of Mestionora's blessings raining on the mortal realm alongside true piety, increased mana efficiency and the end of unnecessary slaughtering among the Gods' children, my Zent”, Aub Ehrenfest summarized and Zent Siegfried froze for the shortest moment.
Many of Mestionora's blessings? Could this mean a return to the times with multiple Grutrissheits that I read about in those old tales? Is that not utterly risky? Is the slaughtering that will have to be stopped a consequence of this development first? The boy, while Aub Ehrenfest's son, also has royal blood. Does that mean Aub Ehrenfest plans to make the boy Zent? No. I cannot allow that.
“That is indeed a quite strange prediction of the future. And it all hinges on you taking in the boy into Ehrenfest?”, he asked and Adelbert nodded.
“The messenger was very clear on this. If the boy dies, the Garden falls”, he reiterated but Siegfried was a cautious man. He had to be in noble society.
“Then it should suffice to take the boy into the royal branch that his mother is related to”, Siegfried mused, gauging Adelbert's reaction that was more than just a pale face now.
“I-I don't know, my Zent. The messenger said that the boy's thread is already tied, his path selected under Dregarnuhr's divine guidance, and the one he is tied to will play a crucial role. Without her, the Garden will perish, but without him, she will perish. I dare not disrespect her order to acknowledge the boy as mine”, he stumbled but Siegfried smiled at him politely.
“Aub Ehrenfest, if his path is as certain as you claim, then surely even Dregarnuhr has anticipated my reaction here. The boy shall be baptized as Ferdinand into a royal branch family. Certainly, this was the outcome the Gods envisioned by sending you here.”
Aub Ehrenfest seemed willing to object still, but he was once again the weak man that Siegfried knew him to be.
One feystone less for Lanzenave would not hurt them this much, after all, the boy's mother could just take his place and another bud would follow. If Aub Ehrenfest's strange words hold any truth then this Quinta is as much a boon as he is a risk to the Royal Family. He has to be closely monitored. And that is not possible in the backwater of Ehrenfest.
A week later, the boy was retrieved from the villa and Siegfried ordered for him to be brought up to speed for his official baptism and debut. As a spring child both would happen at the next archduke conference and he did not want any damage to the reputation of even a royal branch family.
At least, it turned out that this Quinta – no, Ferdinand – was an exceptionally bright child. He picked up the harspiel with ease, just as he learned to read and write in mere weeks. His mana capacity was a bit lacking for a royal child though, which had to be addressed.
“Ferdinand, I see that you studied quite well over the last season”, Siegfried acknowledged as he verified personally that the boy would pass his debut.
“Thank you, my Zent”, the boy answered with a polite smile. He had learned that one fast as well. But anything else would be like an invitation to exploit his weakness after all. With a nod, Siegfried ordered the activation of an area wide sound blocking tool so that he could talk with the boy freely.
Ferdinand straightened his back in anticipation of a serious discussion. Smart child.
“Ferdinand, do you know, why I decreed your adoption into a royal branch family?”, Siegfried asked, curious, whether the boy had received any divine revelation as well.
“I can be more useful to the country alive than I could be as a feystone”, Ferdinand responded immediately, causing Siegfried to grit his teeth slightly. While that was true, he was not sure how wise it was for the boy to understand that already.
“And how do you feel about that?”, Siegfried asked without confirming the answer, causing Ferdinand to look at the floor.
“I do not know how I can be more useful to the country than as a feystone, my Zent. I fear I will only disappoint everybody”, he admitted before he looked up with a sparkling smile that hid his disdain. But maybe he actually needs to know even more? Is this sudden idea perhaps also Dregarnuhr's divine guidance?
“Ferdinand, I made this decision after being informed that your life is demanded by the Goddess of Time. Your thread is already tied by Her for the sake of the country, so follow the spinning that she bestows on you. Learn to protect your Goddess of Light for the sake of the country. That is your purpose, that is your role”, Siegfried declared which caused Ferdinand to open his jaw in awe.
“My purpose?”, he asked, before he nodded enthusiastically.
“I will do anything to fulfill my role!”, he declared, causing Siegfried to smile. That is a good start.
“Then, Ferdinand, you should already begin to compress your mana, you would not want to end up out of range with your Goddess of Light after all”, he noted and began to explain to him how that could be done. While risky, he knew that Dregarnuhr would not let the boy die for something like this, if She actually favored this Seed of Adalgisa. Siegfried would push Ferdinand to his limits, but steadily remind him that his place was that of a servant. A servant to his Goddess of Light that he did not even know yet, and a servant to the Royal Family. If that boy was somehow important for the Grutrissheit, then he had to keep him at the sidelines. Useful, but powerless.