Despite the lack of expectations upon him, Sigmund never allowed it to trouble his mind. After all, there were no other siblings to compete for the position of Glade heir.
The responsibility was his alone, and so rather than sink into self-deprecation, he resolved to at least rise to the standards his father had, whether directly or indirectly, set before him.
Still, it was not pressure that drove him, but conviction. If the Glade bloodline was his to inherit, then he would do so without fail. If duty demanded sacrifice, then he would bear it.
In truth, there had been no path for him other than this one. And so, in his mind, the only choice left was to walk it without complaints, for to waver was to shame not just himself, but the Glade family.
And so, for that very reason, Sigmund devoted himself to studying everything a nobleman ought to master. From etiquette to diplomacy, from the art of conversation to politics, he immersed himself fully.
