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Giliath Osborne believed that he must have done something remarkable in his past life to have such a loving family at his side. He watched with a fond gaze as his beloved child failed to climb and tumbled over Griffon's back. 

His son didn't falter at the fall, merely pouted at the giant creature grinning at him, fluttering its wings gently enough to blow the autumn leaves all over the place, along with dust and dirt. 

The child merely huffed as he tried to dislodge the small leaves that became tangled in his hair and failing miserably. 

Giliath tried to stifle his laughter at the annoyed expression on the child's face. He waved his hand at his spirit partner who merely puffed his chest, spreading his wings like a proud peacock displaying its feathers, before lowering its head and nudging the child towards Giliath's direction. 

Confused lilac eyes turned to face him before breaking out into a happy smile, 

"Daddy!" The child bounded up the stairs to their courtyard before leaping into his arms. Giliath caught his precious boy, spinning him around in the air as the child's laughter filled the area. 

"Welcome home, darling." A familiar gentle voice spoked from behind the pair. There was a musical trill in the air following the arrival of the woman. 

"I'm back." Giliath Osborne let out a genuine smile for the first time in this entire week. He had been tied down by his military duties for six-days straight, dealing with noblemen who could only think with their money and their greed for power. 

His spirit partner could hardly take the torture of staying in their company and in less than forty-eight hours have completely abandoned Giliath to his boring military duties and flown home to cuddle with Rean. 

'My fletching!' The griffon screamed in his mind. Even now the giant overgrown bird is trying to fight with him over his own child. Giliath wonders when that almighty majestic creature had turned into an overprotective mother hen.

'He is not yours.' Giliath conveys his thoughts across their bond, he could imagine the creature baring his fangs at him even without looking back. 

'Mine!' The griffon states resolutely, burning a hole through Giliath's back. Giliath Osborne hopes that nobody would ever know of this immature exchange with his partner, it has been going on since Rean was born. From the moment they laid eyes on the child, their overprotectiveness has gone through the roof. 

Well, nobody could fault them for this. Rean is absolutely adorable. Giliath would never hesitate to admit that Rean has him wrapped around his little finger. It is something that he would be rather proud to admit. It shows how much he cared after all. 

A burst of soft laughter cuts his musing. Perhaps, there is one person who would know about his childish arguments. Kasia Osborne looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes which made the military man blushed. It was just a little red tint in his on his tanned cheeks but very visible to the women who he devoted his life to. 

Amusement is radiating through their bond and Giliath tried not to shy away from his wife amused gaze. 

"Both of you are such protective teddy bears. I thought I am the mother here." She smiles, thoroughly delighted at their argument. 

Giliath scratches his cheek with his free hand. 

"Well, our Rean is very cute." He declares as any proud father would, as he stares at the child in his arm who had turned his attention back to the two creatures now flying around in the courtyard, churning a mess of leaves in the air. 

He looks back up to see his wife give him a knowing smile and he willed himself not to look away in embarrassment. 

"So..." The man starts to divert their attention to the more serious stuff. 
"How is your visit to the palace?" The man starts, giving his attention to his wife. Kasia let out a sigh at the question. This was immediately accompanied by a frown on Giliath's face. He knew that his wife only let out such an expression when a certain nobleman is involved. He could feel his overprotectiveness kick in again. 

As if knowing his thoughts, his wife gave him a reassuring smile. 

"There is nothing to worry about. Eugent was kind enough to divert Cayenne's attention away from me." Kasia's words only put his fears away slightly. The man could not believe that the Duke is still chasing after his wife even when they are already married. It is common knowledge that one does not go after another sentinel's bonded guide. That is just waiting for blood to be shed. 

It doesn't help that Kasia is very attractive, kind, gentle and amazing. Judging by the look on her face, she heard everything Giliath just thought through their bond. 

"Thank you, dear." She smiles lovingly at him and Giliath  decides that there is no need to hide this time round, affection is meant to be shown after all. 

As a high-ranked royal guide, Kasia had her share of duties at the palace as well, but those are far and in between as she is foremost a bonded guide. Giliath is rather proud, no, extremely lucky to be able to obtain her hand in marriage. While Giliath himself is an S-ranked royal sentinal, they are not as rare as the guides were.  

There has not been an S-ranked royal guide for hundreds of years already. The last had been killed during the War of the Lions, and since then there had no longer been any S-ranked royal guides. Another reason why an A-ranked royal guide like Kasia is very much coveted, though sometimes they both wished she was just a normal guide. Then, perhaps, the duke would not show this much interest in her. 

It also doesn't help that those in the army, the nobles to be exact are extremely envious of his marriage, insulating that his prowess and leadership were only the results of his bond with his wife.

A total load of crap. 

 A yawn breaks their conversation. Both parents looked down at their sleepy child who is rubbing away tears from his eyes. Rean looked tired, and Giliath realised that it had been way past the child's nap time. 

The parents looked apologetic as the child snuggled deeper into his father's embrace, already half-asleep. 

"Haha, looks like we have forgotten about the time." Giliath lets out a soft laughter to prevent himself from disturbing the child as he pats the child on the back, soothing him with a gentle hum under his breath. 

His wife lets out a smile giggle and leaned on his shoulder as they watch the sunset in the distant. 

For Giliath, being able to spend time with his family like this is more than enough for him. There is no need for money nor power. 

'Oh Aidios, thank you for giving me a loving family.' For someone who had lost his parents young, Giliath Osborne knew the importance of family more than anyone else. He would do everything to protect the two most important people of his life, even if he had to stain his hands with blood. 

That day came much sooner than expected and Giliath Osborne did not hesitate to keep the promise to himself. 

Everywhere he turned, it was burning red, like the blood on his hands and his sword. He could hear the shrill cry of despair from his partner and his heart felt like it had dropped into the abyss. 

There was a void in his heart. Once filled with warmth, it is now an empty hole, a chasm of darkness and loneliness. 

His wife had passed. 

Giliath could hear his heart crack and the world spins as his sentinel senses overloaded. The last thing he saw was the army of jaegers heading towards him and the cry of absolute hatred. 

What happens next could only be described as a bloodbath. 

The fading embers and the warmth of the flames greeted him when the man opens his eyes to the darkness of the night. Laying right beside him was his partner, feathers burnt and destroyed by the clash with the other sentinel's partners. Giliath does not need to investigate to know that they all have been killed, bodies of both sentinels and guides alike laid across the devastation that he once called home. 

Uncontrolled tears streamed down his face. The soft croon of comfort from his partner could only do so much to calm the weeping of his broken heart. 

The broken man did not know how long they laid in the destroyed remains of his home, he just did not have the motivation to get up. Only when he was about to close his eyes and surrender to the darkness again, there was a sharp movement to his side. His partner had gotten up. 

"W-What's wrong?" Giliath choked as his voice croaked from the smoke. The griffon let out a shrill cry, his sharp eyes staring in the direction of the courtyard. 

'Fletching' The creature whispered before taking off in a terrible attempt to fly with his broken wing. Osborne did not need any further prompts to get up. 

'His son...' 

Rean is still alive. 

Giliath didn't think that his heart could break more than it already was, but it seems like fate liked to prove him wrong. His son covered in soot, tears were streaming down his face as he tried to wake his mother who laid on the ground unmoving. The majestic pheonix that accompanied her fatefully throughout her life laid silently at her side. 

'If only I got here sooner...' Giliath took a step forward as the fire crackled behind them like a mad man's laughter. 

Then something caught his eye, Giliath eyes narrowed and his expression turned thunderous. There was a black shadow floating next to his child. 

Giliath could hear its seductive voice clearly, trying to convince Rean to take his hand. The lilac-eyed child heart-broken by the death of his mother reached out his hand and Giliath screamed. 

"Rean!" The boy pulled his hand away right before it made contact and the shadow raged at his loss. Tendrils of darkness erupted from the ground and rushed towards the man responsible. 

Giliath only had time to raise his sword before the attack reaches him. Its a fool's attempt at self-preservation against an attack from an otherworldly being but it is a chance that he had to take. 

"Leave daddy alone!" Something shatters and it was not his sword. He was overflowing with power, glowing gold under the flickering flames. His partner let out a war cry, his feathers growing back to their majestic self right before his very eyes. 

"A resonance..." It had to be. It was the only explanation for the burst of power in his body. Giliath swings his sword and the darkness shatters along with the flames, blown away by the force of his blade. 

The shadow laughs manically. 

"Finally, I waited for so long... I will be back for you, my dear guide." The ominous laughter echoes throughout the darkness as the shadow disappears. 

Giliath barely manages to catch his son before he topples over from exhaustion.  

There was a distant roar in the distant.

His son had awakened prematurely as a guide. Giliath lets his fingers caressed through Rean's hair as he tried to digest the situation which had now spun out of control. 

The golden glow fades along with the magical power it carried and Osborne collapsed to his knees, his son in his arms. His could hear a loud thump as his partner lost his ability to fly as his injuries return. 

'An S-rank royal guide.' It is a conclusion that Giliath came up with as he pulled his son close, burying his face in the purplish-black hair so similar to his beloved wife. 

As a father, he couldn't felt but feel proud that his son was special yet, for the same reason, he couldn't stop but worry about their future. 

A guide is a treasure, the rarer the treasure, the more people covert it. As the diamond of all treasure, Rean's future is bound to be filled with strife and as a father, Giliath would rather Rean be just a normal person. 

The echoes of the shadow's words reverberated in his mind like a broken record but Giliath could not be any more familiar with it. It was the same voice that hunted him since a long time ago. All this time, he never knew what that thing wanted from him, now it could not have been any more clearer. 

As he listened to the gentle breathing of his child, Giliath swore that he would protect him, even if it meant blood will flow. 

"I will protect you, now and always, Rean." 

Giliath Osborne watched with a fond smile as Rean cuddled with the small toy he had gotten for the child on his birthday.  

It was merely a stuff griffon, though the same shape and colour as his partner, a cheap present that he bought at the stall on his way home, a sharp difference from all the expensive gifts that he had received from his aunt and uncles but Rean loved his present the most.

That was enough for Giliath to feel happy. Which parent wouldn't want their child to love their presents the most?

After the hundred-days-war, he had been promoted to Chancellor and this position gave him the power to ensure that the nobles don't climb on top of the royal's family heads. 

Although it doesn't stop some of them from trying. 

Then, something or someone jostled him out of the way. His partner had decided that he had enough of waiting at the door and hustled his way through the tiny front door of their house before bounding over to Rean and smothering Rean like a mother hen. 

Giliath laughs as Rean popped his head out from other the griffon's wings.

"Welcome back father!" The child clambered to his feet before arriving in front of Giliath who patted him on the head. 

"I'm back, Rean." The man smiled fondly at his son who hugged him around the waist. It was at this moment that his nose caught a tantalising smell wafting through the air. 

As if knowing the conclusion that his father had come up with, Rean immediately pulled at his father's arm. 

"There was a cooking class today and I made some chicken stew. " There was a pause as a red flush appeared on his cheeks. Giliath resisted the urge to coo at his son's cuteness. Nobody would have expected the stern military man, now, their mighty chancellor would act this way in the comfort of his own home. 

"I hope you would like it?" Rean's determination to invite his father to taste his dishes evaporated the more he thought about how to get his point across, his head sinking lower to the ground in embarrassment. 

Giliath laughs out loud, he ruffles the silky purple strands before saying 
"Of course, Rean." Giliath Osborne could not bring himself to say no, even if he had already eaten, his son specially prepared it for him after all. 

"Ahem." A cough sounded from behind him and the chancellor's face turned blank once more. He turned around to face the grinning teenager that stood behind him. 

"So, are you going to invite me in?" Lechter Arundel smiled brightly at the man who is now paying for essentially everything in his life. Giliath Osborne could feel Rean skirting around his leg to peer at the stranger at his door.

Curious lilac-eyes stared into equally curious forest green ones and Lechter had to hold back from jumping on the child. 

Large doe eyes framed by long eyelashes blinked innocently at him and Lechter could feel his heart melt. He kneeled down in front of the child, ignoring the gloomy cloud on top of his new boss and smiled welcomingly at Rean. 

"Hello, my name is Lechter, I work with your father. You can call me big brother if you want." The orange-haired man grins as he held out a hand for the young child to shake. 

Rean looked at the teenager in front of him unsurely before glancing at his father who despite being disgruntled at Lechter's closeness to his child, nodded reassuringly, confirming that whatever Lechter said was fine. 

Then Rean surprised both of them with his next move. While they taught the reserved child would merely shake Lechter's hand, Rean threw himself on the other teenager's arm, hugging him. Lechter was quick to catch the other in his arm despite the surprise. 

Rean mumbled something into Lechter's ears and the teenager froze. There was wetness sweeping through his clothes. 

"I'm sorry for your loss" Lechter sighs before tightening his grip around the boy, careful not to let his sentinel strength crush the boy. Not that he would dare with his father glaring at him as if the other man would like to burn a hole through him. 

It looks like what his instincts told him was true, the boy was a once in a blue moon S-ranked royal guide. He tore through Lechter's shields like a knife through paper. Lechter himself was an A-ranked royal sentinel, and for Rean to see through his act in just a short time spoke volume of his power. 

Now, Lechter knew why his boss kept the kid out of the public eye. On top of being a guide, it seems that the kid is royalty too if what he heard during his stay at the palace was not fake. 

It seems that Rean would not be letting him go any time soon with how tight he is hugging him. Lechter sweatdropped at the burning glare following him as he let himself into the house, only to come face to face with another annoyed glare from the creature now standing in front of him, wings spread wide apart. 

Lechter sighs seem like he just found a rather overprotective boss to work for. 

'But, oh wells." He resigned to his fate fondly as he looked down at the child in his arm. Rean just had this charm to enchant the people around him to willingly fall under his spell. 

Lechter could already see himself chasing unwanted pests from his oblivious baby brother in the future. 

Rean watched worriedly as women and man rushed around the hallways shouting at each other. The queen had entered labour eight hours ago and it doesn't seem to be ending soon. Rean fiddles with the band around his wrist that acts as a suppressor for his guide senses as well as a shield to the rampant sentinal fields that are currently being bounded off his shields.  His father looked grim as they sat outside the hallway waiting for the ordeal to be over. 

Everything seemed to be under control until there was an explosion of power that rocked Rean's shields. 

"There had been an emergency!" One of the doctors screamed, "We are losing her fast." 

"We need a guide, someone needs to calm the baby down!" 

"His majesty!" 

It was utter chaos as medics rushed into the room where the queen resided. 

Rean could hear his uncle screaming. "What is happening?" 

"O-one of the children seemed to have triggered his sentinel powers." The doctor choked at the suffocating pressure pressing down on him. 

Unlike guides, sentinels are born with their powers already active, the more powerful they are, the more dangerous they will be during birth. 

"Where is the guide?!" The doctor shouted. 

"We don't have a guide on duty that is strong enough to calm him!" One of the nurses shouted back in the chaos. 

"The nearest one is 30 minutes away." Another doctor replied amidst the shouting. 

"We cannot wait that long!" The head doctor panicked as the pressure in the room climbed. 

Then someone ran past him, nearly knocking him over. 

"Hey, you cannot go in there!" The doctor recovered from his initial shock and shouted at the child who slipped into the emergency room. 

Just as he was about to grab the child, another hand interrupted him and the doctor looked up to see the Chancellor holding his arm in a tight grip. 

"It is fine." The doctor swallowed his protest as the grip tightened around his arm. 

It was at this moment that a golden light flooded the room. The golden glow was warm and comforting, elevating the pressure that was once crushing down on them. 

It was only a bead later that they heard the twin cries of newborns in the room. 

A miracle, they would later call this incident, where a guide not even of the proper age managed to save the lives of their future prince and princess. 

However, while it is a joyous occasion to celebrate, it had also attracted some unwanted attention. A guide this powerful would make people incredibly jealous and greedy. It did not take long for people to start digging for information about the incident. 

Most of the nurses and doctors who happened to be present that kept that lips tight about the identity of the guide was. Nobody wanted to get on the bad side of the royal family or the Chancellor. 

Though, under the seductive smell of money and power, some people make decisions that they would regret for the rest of their lives for. 

It was December in the same year that the very thing Giliath Osborne feared happened. Someone had the audacity to kidnap Rean off the streets of Heimdallr right under his nose when his child was heading home. 

The chancellor did not spare anyone from the incident. No one. From that day onwards, one of his iron-bloods would always fetch the young boy back and forth from wherever he went. 

The only time Rean had to himself without his hovering guardians was when he was over at Ymir. While Rean loved his father, he could sometimes take things a little too far. 

Rean didn't remember much of what happened that night. All he could dig up from his memories were screams and a giant black shadow.

As years grew by, Rean started wishing for a bit more freedom. The young boy now aged 12 stared outside the windows of the library. The laughter of the other children bought a small smile to his lips. 

Rean doesn't say anything out loud about wanting to go play with the other children. At his current age, the number of friends Rean has around his age could be counted with one hand and that is inclusive of his cousins. 

"Rean." The lilac eyed boy looks towards the sound of his name spotting his older brother standing right beside him. It seems like he was too caught up with watching the kids that he didn't notice someone else approach him. 

Rean hopes to remedy that with more training. 

"It is time to go to the palace again." Lechter ruffles Rean's hair and the boy pouts at the mess the other has made. Rean takes one last look at the kids in the yard before following Lechter to their ride. 

Perhaps it was the loneliness or it could be even his own dislike for being weaker than his sentinel counterparts, Rean trains a lot. The amount of focus and dedication to his training puts a smile on his master's face and shame to almost half of the armies' population. 

Olaf Craig often pointed out to the Chancellor how his son is almost as crazy as Giliath is when it came to training. 

Deep down, Giliath knows why his son is training so hard for. A guide's emotional senses are far more developed than a sentinel, Rean could probably feel the emotions of everyone in Heimdallr if he wanted to. If those emotions were positive all the time then maybe there would not be a cause for the fervent pursue of strength but there are always two sides to a coin. 

There was a scuffle at the boarders not long ago and Giliath having no other choice to bring his son there as due to the large number of high ranked sentinels that need to be brought out of their zone, exposed the young child to the flames of war. 

Giliath still regretted that decision till this day. After that trip, his boy seemed much more mature, far more grown-up than the kids of his age should have been. As chancellor, he is proud to have such an outstanding young man in his service but as a father, he is disappointed in himself for letting his son grow up so young. 

Perhaps, it is time for him to maybe let go of his protectiveness slightly and introduce some playmates for his son. 

He wonders if Olaf Craig would mind if he left Rean over their house instead of bringing him to one of the iron-blood's office. 

A call later and he decided that he shouldn't have worried so much, the other man is practically brimming with excitement at having Rean over. Looks like Rean really could charm his way to any one's heart. 

Elliot stared curiously at the boy his father brought home. For the first time, Eliot is rather proud of himself as the other boy seemed shyer than he was. 

"Hello, I'm Elliot." The son of Craig the Red greeted the other child with a friendly wave. 

Lilac eyes stared up at him hesitantly before looking up at Elliot's father who gave him a reassuring smile. Rean then slowly reached out his hand to shake Elliot's own. 

"Hello. I'm Rean." The boy smiled and Eillot immediately took a liking to the warmth aura the other is radiating. At age twelve, Elliot too had awakened as a guide and he could sense that Rean is one too, though he wasn't so sure about the other's rank. Still, that is not a concern. 

He had a new friend! 

"Come on, let me show you my room!" The orange-haired boy tugged his newest friend up the stairs. His father showing a fond smile as the two boys rushed up to Eilot's room.

After that visit, the two guides seemed almost inseparable, wherever one went, the other was quick to follow. 

When they were young, Elliot did not understand why there were so many guards that followed them wherever they went. Most of the time they were just hiding in the shadows or walking around in disguise like normal residents of Heimdallr. However, after having spent so much time in their presence, eventually, he noticed how they were always around. 

The leader of the guards seemed to change every now and then. There was a pretty blue-haired lady who bought them ice-cream when she was on duty, another time was a golden-haired male that merely smiled each time he came and finally, there was Rean's brother? 

Not his real brother, but Elliot liked him the most out of the three the most as he played with them often, even when it already seemed he was too old for their games. 

The man left though when they were fifteen, something about studying abroad in Liberl, just when they were starting their guide duties. 

It was during this time that Elliot finally realised why there always had been so many guards around them. 

Rean was not a normal guide. 

Rean was very apologetic though for keeping this from him. Eliot waved his concerns away, he understood why though. Rean is very beautiful and if one were to add his good nature and his prowess as a guide, you will have a walking treasure in the streets of Heimdallr.

"Now I know why they are all so protective of you." The orange-haired boy was just happy to solve the mystery that had been disturbing him. Rean scratched his cheek in embarrassment but he is also grateful that Elliot did not treat him any differently from before.

"So..." The orange-haired male started, staring at his friend with a critical eye. 

"Will be leading the Guidance Ceremony this year?" Eilot took great pleasure in hearing his friend choke at his words. 

"W-what?" 

"Did I say anything wrong?" The boy tilted his head questioningly. Their guide studies had always emphasised how the highest-ranking active guide will be the one to lead the Guidance Ceremony each year. 

The Guidance Ceremony is an important part of the summer festival where the guides as a whole will undergo resonance. It is described as one of the most beautiful and emotional events in Erebonia. 

Rean flushed. 

"Well, I..." Rean hesitated, he was not sure either whether he would be participating let alone led the procession. His identity is one thing, his rank is another. Elliot seemed to have caught on the reason for his hesitation.

"Sorry for bringing it up." 

"No no, it is not your fault," Rean smiled gently. 

"If you want to do, I'm sure we could arrange something." The boys turned to see Rean's father at the door. 

"Father" 

"Your excellency."  The boys greeted respectively. The chancellor ruffled his son's hair and patted Elliot on the shoulder. 

"No need for formalities. Just address me as usual"

"Yes, Uncle Giliath!" Eilot chimed, they are the only ones present in the room after all. 

The powerful man nodded before turning to his son. 

"While I wished I could keep you hidden under my wings a little longer, I guess it is about time for you to see the world." 

"Your mother would reprimand me if I kept you from knowing the pleasure of performing in the Guidance Ceremony." The man smiled fondly as if reminiscing some distant memories. 

"But."

"You will not be showing your face." Rean did not question that condition. It is not rare for guides to hide their identity during public events and the guidance ceremony calls for more secrecy as both commoners and nobles alike will be present, 

Rean does not need to be reminded of how caught up some nobles are about owning a powerful guide. 

An unbonded guide like Rean is a perfect target for them and Giliath would risk destroying tradition if meant keeping his son safe. He already had the support of the Emperor to do so if it was necessary but he rather not resort to such an act. 

"Thank you, dad." Rean smiled to which his father answered with a fond smile of his own. 

"Anything for my son."