Acceptance

'Karl….'

That was the last thought James had as his mind went blank.

A few minutes later, he was out of the shock as his mind went full throttle as he tried to remember every piece of information he knew to complete the puzzle.

And then he remembered, the things he had ignored.

The symbol he saw when he looked out of the window on the flags put here and there. Symbol of a dragon. The same as described in the novel, Saga of Isurt, as the symbol of Hearth family.

The symbol he saw on the man that looked like a preacher. Symbol of three pairs of white wings, emerging from the back of a woman. It was also described in the novel as the symbol of goddess Arhyne.

And when he remembered these things and all the pieces of the puzzle fell in their place, it clicked him.

He was Karl.

'Yeah, it clears many things. If I am Karl, then it clears why my father looks like Karl yet bulkier.

But maybe I just saw it all wrong. Maybe that happens with eyes. Not an experienced watcher so could have made a mistake. I need more clarification! But how!?'

James thought of something as his eyes regained focused and he started looking around him.

His mother was hugging him talking to his father. He pushed her with all the force his little hands could muster.

His mother created space and spoke something while looking at him but James was too focused on the thing he wanted to know to pay her any mind.

He turned his head towards his father and looked down and then he saw it.

A sword.

A black sword hanging from his father's waist that seemed to instill fear in anyone that looked at it.

But his focus was not on the sword. He was focused on the part of the sword where the scabbard and the hilt of the sword met.

There sculpted with a black, metal like substance was a dragon. Its eyes carved of a red gem that shimmered as if gazing at him.

James didn't feel fear at the sight. There was only one emotion he was feeling, shock.

'My fucking luck!' James mentally exclaimed as his face scrunched up, worrying his mother and father.

*** 

Hours had passed since James understood he was, now, Karl.

He was now laying silently in a crib. It was night time, making him, officially, one day old.

At first when he found out he was Karl, he started cursing his luck in a frenzy but when his mother got worried and hugged him, patting him lovingly, he calmed down.

As he calmed down, he understood that the situation was not unlucky at all, as he had been making it out to be.

'Yeah, Karl is supposed to be a stupid villain who died to Isurt but with me becoming Karl and possessing the knowledge of the novel I can change the future to my liking!

I can even try to become the strongest person in the world!

The more that I think about it, the luckier my life becomes.

Status? I am the eldest son of duke Hearth, the one who will become the next duke.

Talent? I got loads of it. Karl was so talented that even with him doing dumb shit, Isurt nearly died many times, though he always came back stronger.

I can perfectly live a great life even if I do nothing, not that I am actually going to do nothing.

On the contrary my mind just keeps thinking of all the things I can do!'

Just when James was coming to love his new reality and understanding the advantages he had, he was suddenly thrown in a celebration party or rather a celebration party was thrown for him.

He was taken to another huge hall by her mother, where there were tables on a side, filled with food as people were spread, all around the hall.

Most of the men had white hairs. As for the women, there were few white heads among them but it was more of a palette of colors. They all happily looked at James but did not approach him.

As for James, he was enjoying the sight.

Seeing such different and vibrant hair colors was fun for him.

There were shiny objects all around but he preferred looking at things with solid colors. It was like when a person is thirsty, he or she will prefer pure water over cold drinks.

As James was enjoying the view, he saw an old man with black hairs and black eyes coming towards him with a smile so wide that it was showing his teeth. He had wrinkles on his face but still had a very amicable and young vibe.

Beside him was a woman with long magenta hairs and magenta eyes, walking with a smile that was small yet strong. 

'Black hairs, huh. So that is how everyone on earth looked like.' James thought unbeknownst to him that these hairs, though black had luster and that many people on earth would have killed to get such hairs.

'Wait. These hairs are exactly like mother's. This is arhaven, here having same hair color generally means that the two people are somehow related. Eye color and hair color are a genetical thing here.

Noble families have strong genetics, so their children mostly have the same hair and eye color like how in Hearth family, everyone has white hairs and white eyes.

The genetics also follow the social hierarchy as a child of someone from a higher noble family and a lower noble family will have both eyes and hairs of the color of the higher noble family.

As he and mother have same eye color and hair color, they must be from the same family, but knowing that Karl had white eyes, they are not at the level of dukes, as that would have made Karl have either black hairs or black eyes.

So he must be my grandpa from mother's side and the old woman beside him must be my grandma.

He must be a big noble as he could marry mother into a dukedom.

I will also act cute for my grandparents as being spoiled by grandparents is something I want to enjoy even in this life.' As James concluded his thoughts, he started giggling and flailing his arms stretching them towards the arriving duo.

The duo smiled brighter at the sight and increased their pace.

As they reached him, they both straightened their hands to take Karl in for a hug. Understanding, each other's intentions, they looked at Karl both their hands still pointing towards him.

'Fuck!'

It didn't take long for James or now Karl to understand the dilemma he had put himself in.

'I will just choose the one who will be able to give me more as priority.

If I go with the fact that grandpa has same colored hairs as mother then he must be the family head, so I will choose grandpa.'

As Karl quickly made his decision he shifted his body and faced his grandpa who broke into a boisterous laughter showing all his teeth as he held Karl in his arms.

'Ok plan B commence!'

James now in his grandpa's arms changed the focus and looked intently, making a cute face, at his grandma who was looking at his grandpa with a small frown. His staring made her stop frowning as she smiled and started pulling Karl's cheeks.

'With this I scored more points with grandpa who must have more authority as a family head and I also managed to score points with grandma.'

He was enjoying the moment when suddenly both his grandparents turned towards an old couple that was just entering the hall. Karl's grandpa smiled looking at the incoming old man and motioning towards Karl with his chin as if showing off.

As the couple entered the hall, all the people looked at the couple and bowed respectfully. The old man of the duo waved his hands to the crowd, signaling them to rise back, seeing which the crowd stood back straight and returned back to what they were doing.

'Are they must be my grandma and grandpa from dad's side? They are cousins!?

Well in both arhaven and earth, nobles used to marry within their own family, even going as far as incest, to keep the bloodline pure, though it was in the past in both the worlds. Even in novel there only one or two mentions of marriage between siblings.

Marrying someone from a branch family is like marrying a cousin and is still done a lot in arhaven. Marrying the cousin was okay, even on earth but it did not look as blatant as this as almost everyone on earth had same hair colors or at least that is what I heard.' Karl thought as he looked at the couple.

The man was old, his face filled with wrinkles, having a stern look that could turn any hilarious situation into a serious one. He had white hairs and eyes denoting the blood of Hearth family.

The woman also had white hairs and white eyes, her face showing a gentle smile as she walked along the man, straight towards Karl.

'This one I will go with grandma because with grandpa's cold vibe, I don't think he would want to hug me.

I won't act clingy, I have that much pride.' Karl thought as he started the same cute act but this time for his grandma who gleefully took hold of him. 

As he was looking around to see other's reaction, he saw his grandpa, the cold one, looking at him.

'He is looking at me? Is he interested?' Karl thought as he stretched his hands towards his grandpa.

The man after seeing the hand gesture shifted his gaze towards his grandpa, from mother's side, who in turn initiated a talk with a laugh.

'Ignoring me huh. Congratulations oldy, you earned the title of grandfather. No love you want, no love you will get.' Karl made a mental note to himself about the strictness of his now grandfather.

'I will also call my grandma from father's side as granny.' Karl thought granting titles to his grandparents.

Both his grandparents talked to each other for a while when Karl's father entered the hall.

After the formalities of bows and greeting, he talked with grandma and grandpa for a while after which he loudly spoke some words as everyone silently listened which Karl guessed was a speech as at the end of the words, the hall broke into claps and cheers. 

The party continued for a few hours with different people coming to him, some talked to him while some pulled his cheeks but Karl just ignored them all as he laid in his father's embrace.

'I don't know who they are and don't really care. Just because one is family doesn't mean that person is good.

When my parents died it was only granny Clara who took care of me. Granny, then also, was what I used to call my grandma from father's side. My father's father had died when my father was very young while my grandparents from mother's side died when I was very young but my memory of them are good ones. 

I know that some of them might actually be good unlike my previous family, but I would rather sit silent than acting good with everyone.' was Karl's reasoning.

After the party he was put in a crib in a big room which he guessed was his. There were maids around him awake just standing… guard perhaps.

'But their expressions are a bit too excited for standing guard. Maybe they are eager to play with me but don't want to disturb my sleep. Nice lets keep it like that. The cute act is only for parents and grandparents. I would rather not bother with others until I am sure of their goodwill.' Karl thought as he closed his eyes.

'But it feels great as women dressed like maids will swarm me at a single cry. Living the dream life of many men back on earth kek.'

A few minutes passed in silence when Karl opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

'Ok so now… what? I am only... 1 year old right? So I have to live for 2 years in this body before I can start speaking freely, that is the age I remember reading when children become capable of speaking. But speaking is not as big of an issue as pooping! I have to poop in my clothes for the next 2 years!' Karl thought becoming horrified.

'No use overthinking. It is not like I got an alternative.' Karl thought as he slowly closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.