Ran woke up with the familiar melody of Madina’s voice. She was supposed to be Gabrielle’s personal maid, but soon after the wedding, she became more like the household maid.

And Lan’s personal prank bullseye.

By the time he finished putting on his daily clothes and washing his sleepy face accompanied by the scolding, Ran descend the stairs to the first floor.

Madi was still scolding Ran’s sister. This was a normal occurrence in the Donn house.

“Miss Lantana you should start acting in a way befitting of a lady, you will soon be ten years old you can’t still be playing with bugs at your age, they are unbecoming of a young lady… as well as the shenanigans," She was holding her finger to Sofia Lantana’s face while saying this, the old woman’s face had a mortified expression.

“You just wish I will stop playing tricks on you Granny Madi” the young, dark blue-haired girl replied in deadpan, a satisfied grin on her face, her elven ears pointed upwards.

Normally, she only expresses emotion when a prank goes her way. Most of the time, the middle child would face the world with a bored expression, as if everything was all too much of a pain.

“While yes… I would hope you would stop, I have become rather accustomed, by now I’m aware of your tricks young miss, they don’t work on me anymore, I’m saying this because of your own good, you will be hard-pressed to find a good young man who would like a bride that has such brutish pastimes,”

“Well… maybe I don’t want to get married! I will be an old lady with 20 cats and an owl, or maybe I can be an adventurer like mom, right mom?” she directed her view towards the kitchen.

“You could, but that line of work is very dangerous, I would be happier If you had another profession, maybe you could work as a healing hand in a big city, no shortage of work there for sure," a soft, delicate, voice replied, it’s the voice the lady of the house, the first one at least, Freesia the elf mother.

Madina directed her view towards the top of the stairs and stared intently at the kid with backward clothes, observing the morning routine.

“Young Lord, what kind of looks are these!” She took one glance at him.

Ran already knew what was going to happen now.

She took him by the hand, leading both of them upstairs yet again. Lan had a bored expression as if it screamed “finally”, then took off while making some whoosh sounds with her mouth.

Madi took Ran towards the bathroom, washed his face awake, fixed his hair, clothes, and posture. Given time she could probably fix his problems too.

After a few seconds of her roughly handling the kid's head and listening to his weak complaints, the morning ritual was finished.

Afterward, he took a seat at the table and ate breakfast with Freesia.

No words were exchanged beyond the usual “good morning”

Maybe it’s something I did? He thought while munching on his food.

I shouldn’t have helped Lan with the honey milk prank.

Once breakfast was done, the Youngest went outside.

As usual, his father and older brother Lucius were training. The firstborn was sweating and panting profusely while Alden just stood like a rock in front of him.

barely broken a sweat. He sure doesn’t like to be easy on people, especially his sons.

“Ran, just in time, come over here. You get to spar with Lucius, daily brotherly spat hahaha!”

Don’t laugh

As usual, the older brother turned towards Ran and gave a shockingly cold stare. If eyes could talk, those would probably shout obscenities his way.

This lasted just a few seconds anyway. Once he felt satisfied, he readied a stance, facing his little brother. Practice sword in hand.

he may not want to even look at me, but he sure never misses a chance to fight me.

Edwin Raanan noticed then, today he had an unexpected audience. A pair of eyes were glued to him, staring in anticipation in the distance.

it was Gabrielle. His mother sat on the maple tree in the furthest part of the front yard. She was positioned in such a way she could look at the training grounds, book in hand.

She stopped her reading to watch me? Then I have to give my best! I won’t let it go like the other times! I’m sorry brother Lucius, I cannot lose today. This day had to come, the day when I finally beat you and take my rightful place as the strongest. I may not have been putting in my best effort so far, but that changes today!

He felt a renewed sense of purpose, already feeling his limbs aching. A fire lit up on the pit of his stomach, roaring, screaming to be left out to rampage and consume the world.

“oooh! Someone seems motivated today,” Alden said once he noticed the determination reflected on his son.

“doesn’t matter. We all know how it’s going to end. anyway, let’s go, finish this fast I want to go somewhere,” Lucius had a bored expression as if staring at an annoying ant refusing to die.

Well, today Ran is a flame ant, and when he gets his mandibles on you, you’ll feel the fire of his vengeance burning for a thousand years.

Or so Raanan felt at the moment.

Alden tossed a wooden training sword his way.

He didn’t notice it soon enough and the sword-shaped piece of wood fell. Ran picked it up and prepared himself for what he knew was coming.

He prepared one of the few stances he knew, the one his father taught him when he decided to teach him the way of the sword.

He put the left foot upfront, lowered his stance a bit, and grabbed the sword with both hands.

Lucius wasn’t paying attention.

“Waaaaa!”

The young warrior let out his war cry roar and lunged at his elder brother, ready to defeat him.

He promptly got his ass whooped; it was really fast too.

he must have been training extra hard today. I thought that since he seemed so tired from training with dad I had a chance. Guess that will teach me about getting my hopes up.

The fight had gone as such:

The first attack got easily deflected, Lucius punched him square in the gut and then slashed at his back.

brother sure is like a father. He may have elven ears and blonde hair but his personality is as twisted as fathers.

Mom left mid-fight too, again, every time she looks at my training she leaves, she probably doesn’t want to see me get hurt she has always been adamant about me training with dad and Lucius, but I know she worries about me. I will show her one day she doesn’t have to worry about me.

Once he had some time to recuperate, Ran recognized the fire on his stomach for what it truly was and promptly left for the bathroom.