Bloodlines and Broken Traditions

“Potentia et Puritas,” Belmont uttered, reading the motto engraved on his amulet aloud. His voice resonated with disappointment and anger. He emptied the remaining beer from his glass, allowing the amulet to fall back against his chest. “What good has that purity brought us? We separated ourselves from the rest of the Magical World, safeguarding our bloodline’s power from diminishment. Yet, the purity in our hearts has long been drained away.” Belmont let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes briefly to confront the pain in his heart. “My father dishonoured me for falling in love with a Half-Born. He claimed I stained our family’s name and supposedly ‘glorious’ past. But all I have ever cared about is upholding our traditions and expanding our influence throughout England. Even after all the shame, my beloved Isabel remained by my side, urging me to hold my head high as I embraced true manhood. She taught me that being a man means caring for people, not just oneself. That is true purity – not blood, not magic, but the heart.”

“Your wife is truly a remarkable woman, Belmont,” Aldwin admitted, moved by Belmont’s words and his deep affection for his wife. “I don’t believe your father will join the Red Supremacy. He may have been harsh towards you, but you are his son. He would never want to bring harm to you and your wife. I believe he may even attempt to defy Gringold.”

“I’m not so sure. He didn’t hesitate to hurt me in the past, both as a child and as an adult,” Belmont responded, his voice tinged with doubt. “I remember how he always tried to discourage me and my brother from associating with women of ‘wretched blood’. While he may not intentionally harm me, nothing stops him from hurting others outside our family tree.” Belmont made a valid point. His father was known for his assertiveness and autocratic demeanour. If he were willing to bring down an entire family to secure his power and influence in the grand capital, he would not hesitate to act against those outside his immediate kin. This left Aldwin contemplating the potential danger his family might face from the Greyclokkes. Like many others, they were not Pureborn and while his heart assured him of their safety due to his past service to the old lord, his mind, valuing caution, did not easily trust the intentions of his former master.