Shackled Exalted

Kai

Isen was surprisingly calm at his revelation, showing no more than an eyebrow raise. Theo, his Exalted, was notably more outraged as if it was unthinkable that a member of House Nacht could father a Gharian child.

Nonetheless, Kai was invited by Isen to a private room within the venue.

My uncle seems to be a curious man.

The invitation was extended to Charlotte as well, but Kai politely asked her to stay put. This talk concerned the history of his troubled family and the well-being of his ailing mother. He wasn't comfortable exposing these details to those at the Academy just yet.

The private room was modestly furnished for a noble's standard. A simple coffee table rested in the center of the room flanked by two couches. Kai took a seat on the couch across from Isen.

The current head of the Nacht family appeared to be in his mid-forties. Deep creases lined his forehead. His hair was filled with streaks of gray. His hands were coated in wrinkles and calluses. Aside from these visible signs of aging, however, he looked remarkably healthy—a stark contrast compared to many of the indolent nobles in attendance today.

After all, House Nacht was one of the noble houses responsible for the growing instability in Ardair. They were part of the ambitious new generation, seeking to displace the houses that have reigned at the top of this kingdom for decades. Based in Azure City, the house has had a prolific rise in recent years, becoming the leader of a formidable elite faction within the region. The person behind this rise was sitting before Kai.

Isen's butler quickly served them tea before making himself sparse. Kai heard the door to the room close behind him.

"Please excuse me while I help myself," Isen said.

His face relaxed as he approached to take a sip of the warm beverage. Kai watched in silence. After a few seconds of indulgence, Isen leaned back into the couch with a satisfied grunt.

"Now then, let's talk business. First, you claim to be the son of my elder brother. Which apparently makes you my nephew. Are you able to prove this assertion?"

"I don't have a birth certificate if that's what you're asking," Kai replied, "But my mother is Zuri Kiyeng. She is a Gharian. Until seventeen years ago, she was a servant working at the Nacht household."

Isen raised his hands to his chin, tapping it lightly as if deep in thought. Then—

"Ah, yes. I do recall a rather unpleasant incident around that time." The gaze in the noble's eyes suddenly turned dark. "My foolish brother had forced himself onto a maid in a fit of madness and she was unfortunately impregnated with his child. When she refused to abort the kid, she had been banished by my father from the household to preserve my brother's dignity."

Kai felt his face beginning to heat up. A visceral anger swelled deep within his chest, begging to be unleashed.

"I do feel at least partially responsible. At the time, my brother had failed to undergo an Awakening and so, he was forced to relinquish his right to become the next head of the house. That title naturally fell onto me. Perhaps in a fit of anger and despair, he did the unthinkable to regain some semblance of agency and control."

He's doing this on purpose.

Isen appeared to be nonchalantly recalling his tale, but Kai noticed his piercing gaze in his periphery. He was testing him. Seeing his reaction. Intentionally provoking him to understand what made him tick. It was a classic tactic of the nobles.

Know what makes your opposition emotional, and you can control them to do your bidding.

"That's why you must always be calm and collected."

His mother's lesson echoed in his ears. Instantly, Kai felt his head cool. He hadn't realized it, but his hands were balled into fists. A ferric taste lingered in his mouth. Apparently, he had also been biting down on his gums. It was only way he could keep himself from exploding.

"…That aligns with what I've heard," Kai said coolly, trying to regain his footing in the conversation.

"Hmm, aside from that, you do bear a striking resemblance to me and my brother. If it weren't for the colors of our skin, there would be no question that you possess our blood," Isen said, "However, even so, I cannot allow you to meet with Hinz."

"And why is that?"

"Because Hinz is dead. It's been almost a decade since he took his own life."

Kai flinched. The news thundered in his head. It wasn't until he saw the heinous sneer on Isen's face, so similar to his own, that he realized his mistake.

"You wanted a piece of his fortune, didn't you? To demand what's rightfully yours. That's why you came to request an audience with him." Isen let out a boisterous laugh. "I'm sorry to say, but a story like yours is as old as time memorial. Like clockwork, an estranged child will always appear at most inconvenient of times to demand money. But unfortunately for you, Ardair's succession laws aren't in your favor. Just because you might possess Nacht blood, it does not mean you're entitled to the family's fortunes."

Goddammit. That old bastard went and died?!

His father's death threw a wrench in his plans. Kai clenched his teeth, seething. There was no need to keep up his façade anymore now that his intentions had been exposed. Despite Isen's rebuttal, however, he still had a card to play.

"I had a different proposition in mind," he said.

"Oh? Let's hear it then."

"Let me join the family as an Exalted associate."

Isen stroked his chin, amused at his persistence. "Intriguing, you are a freshmen student of Exalted Academy if I remembered correctly. But why should I pick you over the multitudes of talents available?"

"I'm a quarterfinalist from this year's Clash of Dawn. I fought valiantly against both Emil Milligan and the Ice Maiden, who both went to become this year's finalists. And—"

Kai reached into his pockets and took out a bundle of scrolls. Carefully, he laid them down on the coffee table. Isen raised an eye, waiting for him to explain.

"These are all letters of inquiry from various factions interested in my service. The Academy and House Belle are amongst them. Kai Kiyeng is a name that will be in high demand in a few years. I'm no stranger to the current political situation of Ardair. Every faction that has ambitions to reign at the top are trying to consolidate Exalted talents for themselves. House Nacht is no different, am I wrong?"

Isen was silent. The nobleman was eyeing all of the letters that Kai possessed as if trying to find some fault with their authenticity. He would not find it. Kai had personally received all of these letters from the Academy themselves.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

They would have been carefully vetted for forgery.

Kai leaned in to deliver the finishing blow.

"Grant me an offer that I can't refuse, and I will gladly pledge my services to House Nacht."

***

The negotiations were finally over.

Kai let out a deep breath as he wiped away the sweat clinging onto his neck. Tired of prying eyes, he took refuge on one of the many balconies overseeing the estate. He was alone. Ardair was approaching its cold season, and the frigid night air was uncomfortable for most elites who were used to the luxuries of their heated mansions.

Not that he could fault them for it.

Ardair's cold spells were unbearable for most pure-blooded Gharians as well. He witnessed it firsthand—his mother always struggled immensely during this period of the calendar year, even when she was healthy. She would always complain in a raspy voice as she shivered underneath the wool blanket, wishing for the warmer days of the Saar.

Kai was unique in that sense. Whether it was because of his half-blooded constitution or just simply a matter of preference, he enjoyed the cold. He found the feeling of the frigid breeze clawing against his skin soothing. The icy sensation brought much needed reprieve. It cooled his head. It warded off the raging cauldron that constantly burned inside his chest. Bitterness at his mother's illness. Hatred towards his wretched father. Anger at himself, for not being able to do more to relieve his ailing mother's suffering.

After today, however, things would change.

Finally.

He leaned back against the railings of the balcony and gazed upwards at the brilliant moon. His mother's illness was getting worse every year. Her condition was deteriorating rapidly. But treatment for her disease didn't exist. And the medicine needed to manage her symptoms were absurdly expensive.

Out of options, Kai enrolled at the Academy. His goal was simple—get an offer from a noble family seeking his talents as an Exalted and use that the money to pay for his mother's treatment. Whether it was his schemes during the Clash of Dawn or his playboy attitude towards the noble girls in his year, everything that he did was maximize his odds of connecting with a prospective buyer.

Could I have gotten a better offer elsewhere?

He exhaled deep, watching his frosty breath condensate against the cold air. He chose House Nacht because of his father, but his unseen death nearly derailed his plans.

No, I shouldn't get greedy. There's no guarantee that the other elites would humor my demands. Not when there's already a plethora of Exalted talents that still haven't declared their affiliations. Notably, Emil and Anna are still in contention.

On the other hand, I got Isen to agree to give me part of my contract offer upfront. That money will be enough to pay for mother's treatment for at least a year. If we're lucky and her condition improves, maybe it can be rationed to two.

She's not getting any better. I can't afford to delay getting her treatment any longer. Speed is important. There's simply no time to go around and negotiate with every faction that was interested in me. Accepting Isen's offer was the right move. Even if it means I'd have to represent this wretched house.

Kai clenched his teeth. He was reminded of Isen's sadistic gaze as he recounted the events behind his birth. His father's death came as a surprise. Not that he could feel any semblance of grief towards a man whom he never met. In fact, it was probably for the best. Kai didn't know what he would do if he ever met him. The number of times he was stirred awake in the middle of the night because of his mother's nightmarish screams was too high to count. Whatever he did to her must have been deeply traumatic for her to be still terrified for years.

Kai might have just ripped him apart.

You should have stayed alive a bit longer, father.

He closed his eyes, letting the violent thoughts pass. There was no use thinking about it now. The man had been gone for almost a decade.

The door to the balcony suddenly creaked.

"So that's where you were."

Charlotte stepped out of the mansion and into the open night. Immediately, she hugged her shoulders as a chilly breeze blew by.

Kai snuffed out the urge to laugh.

"Are you sure you should be outside?" he asked as Charlotte hurried to his side.

"I'm starting to regret it. How about you? Are you not freezing in this air?"

"It's rather comfortable actually. Much better compared to all the chilly gazes that I get from the nobles inside."

"Ah, right. Sorry about that," Charlotte said, her teeth rattling, "With how open-minded our classmates are, sometimes I forget that the older generation are still prejudiced against Gharians."

"It's fine. In the end, it all worked out. You got what you wanted, and I wanted what I wanted."

Kai took off his linen outerwear and draped it over Charlotte's freezing shoulders. The girl blinked, not expecting the sudden gesture.

"…Speaking of which, you never told me you were a child of House Nacht. No longer why you seem so familiar with noble customs."

"Not officially. I'm a bastard child. I have no succession rights in the family. As for my familiarity with noble customs, it was my mother who taught me everything. She was a servant at the Nacht household for nearly a decade. Her knowledge probably came from all the times she spent observing."

"She sounds like a very intelligent woman."

"She is. Her memory is impeccable. She wouldn't let me forget it if I ever made a mistake. Even now, she would scold me for things that I did when I was barely old enough to walk."

"A stern mother then. So how did you end up turning out like this?" Charlotte teased.

"I don't listen. It's one of my strong points," Kai retorted.

The two of them burst into laughter. Under the gentle moonlight, they spent the rest of the event sharing stories of their childhoods.

Isen

Isen reached for another cup of tea. He leaned back, sipping carefully on the hot beverage while slowly indulging in the bitter astringent flavors. Warmth seeped into his weary body. As he reached the bottom of the cup, he set it down on the table. Without needing a word, his butler moved in to refill his cup.

He took the cup and drank it again. Slowly. Patiently. Using the flavors of the beverage to empty his discordant mind. This was the rare moments of tranquility where he allowed himself to be still. To think about nothing. To not be perturbed and dragged through the mud by the various things constantly vying for his attention. Being the head of the Nacht family was demanding, especially since Isen harbored many ambitions. One of which was to see House Nacht rival the likes of House Belle and House Ulster in his lifetime—both of which possessed enough influence to rule their own province within Ardair.

Vigil's emergence was a godsend in that regard. With the status quo of Ardair being shaken by this terrorist organization, opportunities to amass power would appear.

Like fetching a rising star of the Academy for cheap.

Isen stared at the contract that he signed with Kai. Slowly, his mouth curved into a faint smile. Historically, it was rare for a student who qualified into the Clash of Dawn's knockout rounds to declare his affiliations this early. It was almost always better to wait. Better offers were guaranteed to arrive as long as the student continued to make improvements as an Exalted over the course of their study at the Academy.

"Sir, if I may," his butler spoke as Isen placed his empty tea cup down.

"Speak."

"About this contract with Sir Kai Kiyeng—"

"You're questioning if it was alright to give him part of his salary upfront, correct?"

His butler nodded.

"It's not a negligible amount of money for sure, but it was a necessary expense. For Kai, being able to receive the money upfront was the crux of this negotiation. If I refused, he would have walked and I would have let a rising star slip out of my grasp."

"Surely, the amount could have been reduced."

"This is an investment. A premium that I pay now for outsized rewards down the line. By nature, Gharians are fiercely loyal. Even if he is a half-blood, he would not forget this deed that I did for him once he uses that money to fix whatever afflictions is troubling him or his family. Plus, it would be nice if he could be a rival for Theo. The young man has a hit roadblock with his progress ever since his graduation from the Academy."

"I understand your intent. But may I remind you that the Bank of Ardair is beginning to get more aggressive with loan repayments? If we suddenly overleverage ourselves…"

Isen clicked his tongue.

Right, my debt with the Bank of Ardair.

House Nacht was in disarray when Isen first inherited his position. Without many liquid assets to use, Isen was forced to take out a set of loans as he reinvested and rebuilt House Nacht's ventures from scratch. After years of hard work, he was finally on track to be debt free within three years.

But while Vigil's emergence created opportunities, it also produced uncertainties. Perhaps partly due to the Academy's lacklustre response against Vigil's attack, the Bank of Ardair has been tightening the ropes around their outstanding debts in anticipation of greater economic turmoil.

The downstream effect is that entities like House Nacht who have been using debt to aggressively finance the growth are suddenly finding themselves in hot waters.

"We're just barely green with this investment, but I understand your concern," Isen said, narrowing his eyes, "Tell our associates to double their quotas for the next two months. They can do whatever they please as long as that number is met."

"There will be risks. Even if the Sentinels aren't—"

"It's fine!" Isen snapped, suddenly losing his composure. His hands were clenched, shaking violently. The image of his beautiful mansion rotting in ruins burned in his head. "We've come so far. I refuse to be stopped by something so trivial. I'd rather bring this family to ruins if the alternative is to slow down our momentum and then be slowly snuffed out into obscurity again."

His butler bowed, acknowledging his orders.