Arden Lenox's Story

The movement of the boat departing from the harbor snapped Fraisier out of his trance-like state as he stared deeply into the mirror thinking of the past. He was remembering the day his mother helped groom him when he was but a small boy, prepared to go to the royal ball.

"Quit fussing Fraisier this is only making it harder." Scolded Fraisier's Mother.

"But Mom...your pulling my hair out." Fraisier bellowed as he cringed as his mother tugged on his hair, which was long back then as well.

"Well if you would stop fighting with me then this could have long been over with." She said as she continued to brush his long hair, ever meticulously to make it look presentable.

*Sighs* "Fine." Fraisier conceded as he awaited for his mother to be finished.

As his mother finishes, "Now was that so hard?" She asks as he places the brush down and Fraisier gives a big sigh of relief.

Then Fraisier was dressed in his finest formal wear, now the other servants were often perplexed by the idea that the mother tended to her son as if she would a daughter, even though they offered to do that in her stead his mother, always steadfast, did it every time until Fraisier was grown-up enough. The servants often believed the Fraisier was more than of age to dress himself, but his mother was always coddling him whenever she could. This was mainly because Fraisier was her third child and only child to survive. Before she had two other children both girls. They soon passed on because of a terrible disease that plagued the young children in Perialis some ten to twenty years before the Dragonspawn's invasion. Ever since Fraisier was able to grow and survive his mother always took special care of her baby boy, even though she has become over-protective Fraisier has always appreciated and loved his mother for what she did for him. Until the night he had to attend the Royal Ball. Fraisier had no interest in going, mainly because Tyson Garran would attend, ever since Fraisier has been introduced into his elite social circles Tyson made it his job to make Fraisier's life a misery. Brash, arrogant, and cruel, he always harassed Fraisier with his cronies at every corner in the upper city where the nobles live and at the academy where the privileged received their education. Oh how Fraisier despised having to attend the academy, but his mother constantly told him the importance of academics and his father agreed, which is rare since he often disagrees what is best for Fraisier. Fraisier no doubt respected and found his father honorable, but he was always more stern and tried to push Fraisier time and again to be more assertive to be more harden. Therefore, Fraisier became more of a mommy's boy as people may say, but one of the things that Fraisier's father pushed him into was fencing. At first the teacher worried that Fraisier was too soft for this activity, but the persistence of his father succeeded in the end and Fraisier was drilled and trained in fencing by one of the best trainers in the kingdom, Fredrick D'Laerson. D'Laerson was a fine trainer, criticized for being too progressive but nevertheless one of the most competent in the art of fencing itself.

"Mother please do I have to go?" Fraisier pleaded with his mother to reconsider.

"No for the last time!" "Now I will not hear anymore of this, you understand?" She scolded.

"But-" "Fraisier! What did I say?" She interrupted. "You will not hear anymore of it." Fraisier groaned as he entered the carriage and he was met with a slap across the head by his father.

"Do not give your mother attitude when she has had her fill she has had her fill." His father scolded.

Fraisier rubbed the back of his head as he nearly cried but his father warned him against and Fraisier was forced to hold back his tears as him mother comforted him with a gentle rub.

"Please Cynthia do not coddle him when I've just punished the boy!" His father complained to his mother

"Randolph! You did hit him rather hard, I am only trying to calm him down for the Ball." His mother explained.

"Cynthia, I know that is isn't true, you care more about smothering him than about the Ball itself!" Randolph argued.

"Randolph!" "Must we get into this scuffle now?" she said as his father began his reproach. Fraisier never enjoyed their arguments, already this night went from bad to worse.

Fraisier then heard singing coming from his port window as it sound that of a woman's voice. He wasn't sure whose voice it belonged to as it wrested him from his memories, but whoever it belonged to it was very beautiful, much like his mother's lullabies, as the voice was soothing much like the calmness of water that flows gently across streams. Fraisier then heard someone come down into the ships lower decks, Fraisier eased his head out of the door to see the cold assassin Arden enter into a secluded area of the ship were little to no light penetrated the blanket of shadows, that insist on loitering about the low decks of the ship. Of all of the people that he met this man made Fraisier uneasy, his cold and menacing exterior made Fraisier shiver, he probably isn't as bad as he seems but Fraisier had no intentions on finding out, he really didn't want to test his luck or the assassin's patience. With that Fraisier pulled his head back in and closed the door, "Fraisier, why do you hesitate?" he speaks to himself. *Sighs* "I'm hopeless, how can I ever expected to make relations with anyone if I insist on hiding?" Fraisier slumped against the wooden wall as he looked up to the celing as if waiting for some sort of sign for the Ethereal Realm to appear before him, he sighs once again.