Third Person PoV
TEN YEARS LATER
"Reginald. Pick up your sword and do it again." Reginald looks at his mother, Gisele, while trying even to breathe.
"What? Do you want to say something? Your sisters manage to complete their training. But you were too busy playing around with your pet to care. This is part of your punishment. Pick up your sword and continue to swing for two hundred times." Reginald shakes his head no before sighing hard.
"No- I'm done. I can't. Please, don't force me to train. I'm tired, and I want to rest." Gisele raised an eyebrow before walking up to her son.
"You're tired? Really? Why would you be tired when you didn't even do anything? Did you study? No. Did you follow your sisters attending any official meeting with your mother? I don't think so. Oh- did you go to the knights' training field like you were supposed to? Again, I don't think you did. All you ever did was go to the city's tavern and hit on girls." Gisele sighed.
"You know what, you don't have to learn swordsmanship. Just do whatever you want. I don't care." Gisele turns her back to Reginald before leaving the field. Reginald watched her mother walk away and wondered if Gisele would stop forcing him to learn useless things like wielding swords.
"That's my first time seeing your mother storm off like that. What did you say to her?" Reginald slowly turned around to see Calypso walking up to him together with his sisters.
"I want to do my own thing. Is that wrong? I never wanted to be part of the knights. I want to live my life according to my desire. Why does mom always force me to take sword lessons?" Calypso looks down at the sword that's on the floor and sighs.
"All your mother wanted to do is teach you how to protect yourself. Has she ever said she wants you to join the knights?" Reginald shakes his head.
"No, but the way she forces me to do hundreds of strokes every day tells me she does." Calypso shakes her head.
"Your sisters managed to complete theirs. Why can't you?" Reginald opens and closes his mouth, but he has nothing to say.
"Well, they both wanted to take over the dukedom once they're old enough. I don't want any of this. I want to do my own thing." Calypso hummed.
"Then tell me what sort of things you wish to do? Hooking up with girls from the tavern and promising them all sorts of things? Did you think I wouldn't know what is going on, Reggie?" Reginald keeps his head low.
"What's the big problem? Mommy, you used to be a courtesan. Why is everyone making a deal out of what I do?" Both Evangeline and Rochelle glared at their brother.
"Oh- so you wish to be a courtesan? That could be arranged. Why didn't you say anything in the first place?" Reginald keeps his head low.
"Your mother and I have never stopped the three of you from doing what you want. But that doesn't mean you can do things that could make your parents look bad. Playing around with women from the tavern is something we're not happy about, Reggie. You're only fifteen years old. Could you at least wait until you're older to do such things?" Reginald didn't dare to say anything back to Calypso.
"Apologise to your mother. She may look like she doesn't care, but deep down, she does. Besides, your mother was only trying to help you. Learning using a sword has a lot of benefits. Of course, you wouldn't know anything since you never listen to anything she said." Calypso decided to leave the triplets as she went to see if Gisele was alright.
Rochelle and Evangeline waited until their mother left the field before they grabbed hold of Reginald's ears.
"What is wrong with you?! If you wish to die that badly, say so! That could be arranged." Evangeline sighed as she released her finger from Reginald's ear.
"Did you forget what tomorrow is? It's a given if mom is a little sensitive. Tomorrow she has to go away for an expedition. Mom is worried, and you just offended her by saying all those words to her. Did you know that mom has a lot of work to do, but she took some time to watch you train!" Reginald clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"You dare click your tongue like that?! I'll cut it off if you do it again!" Rochelle finally let go of Reginald's ear.
"Mom is joining the expedition?" The sisters nodded their heads.
"It's best for you to say you're sorry before tomorrow. Mommy will be worried sick if you didn't." Reginald sighed.
"I will apologize tonight. But I don't want to learn how to use a sword. It's a lot of work, and I'm not even going to be an official when I'm old enough to work. I rather open a small shop and be a small business owner." The sisters sighed.
"Even so, you should be considerate of mom's feelings. All she wants is for us to get ourselves ready to face any situation. Even though she doesn't know that we have experience from our past life, it's not a crime to learn more." Reginald sighed.
"Alright! I know I'm at fault. Stop blaming me, alright." Evangeline picks up the sword before aiming the tip under Reginald's chin.
"Our parents in this life love us to the point they cry if we hurt ourselves. Have you forgotten how hectic it was when you were kidnapped when you were ten years old? I do want to hurt you right." Evangeline smirked before removing the blade from her brother's chin.
"Enough. Give me that sword before someone gets hurt." Rochelle took the sword away.
LATER THAT NIGHT,
"What are you doing here at this hour? Aren't you going to visit the ladies at the tavern?" Reginald sighed when she heard a sarcastic remark from Gisele.
"I'm here to say I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Reginald keeps his head low. Gisele takes a few sips of the wine before sighing at her son.
"Raise your head." Reginald did as told and was surprised to see his mother was no longer holding her wine glass but a bow instead.
"Mom?"
"Come here and tell me what you see." Reginald did as told as he walked towards his mother.
"Do you see that man?" Reginald nodded as she looked at the man tied up at a pole.
"Are you going to shoot him with the arrow?" Reginald asked as he turned to his mother, drawing the bow back while aiming at the tied man.
"Reginald, your sisters told me that you want to be a business owner when you grow up. Is that true?" Reginald nodded his head.
"Are you mute? Use your voice!" Gisele raised her voice.
"Yes! I want to have my own business." Reginald said as he continued to keep his head low.
"Really? How will you be a business owner if you can't even say it to me yourself? Are you worried that I might ask you to come to the expedition with me?" Reginald lifted his head.
"I see- you were scared that I would ask you to come with me?" Gisele finally released the arrow, and the man was now dead. Reginald keeps calm while watching the knights carrying the dead man away from the field.
"I won't force any of my children to do something they hate. It's alright if you don't want to learn what you think is pointless. And I was told that I should apologize for pushing you to be a swordsman." Reginald shakes his head no.
"Please do not apologize for such a small matter. I should be the one apologizing because I had offended you. Please forgive me. I promise I will not embarrass you and mommy. I want to be free from all of this. I- I don't think I am cut out to be working at the palace or become the head of the family like my sisters. I want to do my own thing." Gisele smiled.
"Alright. You have my permission to do whatever you want." Gisele placed her bow down.
"Do what you want, live your life as you want, and make your parents proud. That's all I'm asking from you. Can you do that?" Reginald is too surprised to respond.
"Mom, is that true?" Gisele nodded.
"What if I told you I'm dating someone?" Gisele was caught off guard.
"Then bring her or him to see us." Reginald smiled.
"My partner is shy, and I haven't told her about our family. What if she hates me for lying to her?" Gisele smiled.
"Did that woman ever ask about your background?" Reginald shakes his head.
"Then why are you worried that you're lying? It's her fault for not asking you. When the time is right, bring your partner to see us. I want to meet her." Reginald smiled.
"Of course, mom." Reginald bowed before excusing himself. Gisele sighed as she watched the night scenery from the balcony.
"Gisele, I heard that you'll be bringing Rochelle with you. Is that true?" Gisele nodded her head before facing her wife.
"No- Rochelle is too young for the expedition. I can't let her go. Is that why she decided to tell me the day before? Because she knows I would say no?." Gisele nodded yet again.
"You look like you're ready to kill me. Calypso, it's time for our kids to face the world. And I would be there with her. There shouldn't be any problem at all." Calypso sighed.
"But Rochelle- she's too young to be part of the expedition." Gisele smiled.
"But the exposure will help Rochelle understand what she's getting herself into. We can't let her learn everything through books. We have to show her how it's done in real life." Calypso continues to express how she feels about the situation, but Gisele is adamant about bringing Rochelle with her.
"I promise I will take care of our child. Trust me, will you? And it would be best if you did the same with Evangeline. Instead of letting her learn everything by watching you, you should bring her with you when you have to visit the dukedom. I'm sure Evangeline will appreciate the experience." Calypso walks back inside the lounging area before pouring herself a glass of wine.
"Maybe I haven't grasped that our children are growing up. But everything happened at once. I don't know what I should do while facing it. This is different when Reginald said he wants to be a business owner." Gisele reached out to rub her wife's back before kissing her cheek.
"I'm will be away for quite some time tomorrow. Why don't we enjoy our night?" Gisele hugged her wife from behind before leaving traces of kisses from Calypso's cheek down to her shoulder.
"Should we continue this to our bedroom?" Calypso raised an eyebrow before pinching her wife's arm as it made its way towards her breasts.
"I am in no condition to do whatever you're thinking." Gisele sighed.
"Too bad. Let's do something to remember this night by." Calypso sighed.
"We can cuddle. Nothing more, nothing less." Gisele sighed as she looked down on Calypso's breasts.
"May I touch one of them?"
"No."
"Just feeling it then?" Calypso sighed.
"No."
"Poke it?"
"Gisele, I am very sensitive right now. If you touch me, I don't know what I'll do. It annoys me to feel this way." Gisele sighed.
"I'm sorry. I was trying my luck."
"Better luck next time." The couple continue to enjoy each other presence until they retire for the night.