"Do not let yourselves be blind. Blinded by pride, by flattery, or by the illusion of strength. Those who cannot see clearly will stumble, and those who stumble will be trampled."
The steam shifted as his gaze hardened, moving from son to son.
"Do not let yourselves be deaf. Deaf to counsel, deaf to the whispers of danger, deaf to the cries of your people. A ruler who refuses to listen will one day find himself alone."
"And above all… do not let yourselves be careless. For the careless man dies not by the enemy's blade, but by his own negligence."
Garius's voice faded, the steam curling around him like a veil. After the long lecture, he rose from the hot bath and stepped toward the door. Pausing, he glanced back at his sons.
"Finish your bath. And prepare."
With that, he left.
The moment the door shut behind him, silence lingered. None of them spoke.
Because they knew.
What their father said was true.
Every warning, every lesson, carried the weight of his life.
