During the Harvest Feast, it was easy for someone as small as William to get lost. After all, about 400-500 villagers had come to celebrate it. They intermingled and danced between each other like fish in a stream. Those who saw the opportunity to, would try to get closer to the lord and his relatives. Sucking up and trying to befriend those they paid their taxes to.
One would be lucky to get even a glimpse of these golden members of society, during the festivities.
William made his way towards his brother. His sweet-tooth ached after something syrupy. It wasn’t easy getting one’s hands on such luxuries, in this time period. So when he reached the busy stall with honeyed apples, he was appalled to see that only one remained.
Being afraid of competition, he ran over to the apple. So he could grab its stick before anyone else did. Unfortunately a like-minded fellow had the exact same thought!
An annoyed voice exclaimed “AH! That’s mine, peasant!”. William looked the loser in his eyes and smirked, while saying “Ish mine! I got it fwirst!”. The red-headed boy stared piercingly at William, as if he was looking at something of lower intelligence… Like an insect? William waved the apple around in front of the young boy and teased “Yuu want?”.
This action made the boy tremble with rage but William didn’t care.
He wouldn’t mind getting into a fight with this boy. After all, being in this meek body, he had to tone down his wild side and obey the adults all the time. Letting loose with someone of equal punity would suffice to let out some steam. At least that was what he thought, until he took a clearer view at his foe…
This person wasn’t wearing the usual peasant outfit. And now that he looked properly… Wasn’t there a servant dressed in the castle’s attire not too far away? Putting two and two together, William could only gulp at his foolishness. He might be a child now but that doesn’t mean that he should carelessly act like one!
He quickly bowed and said “Jwus kiddin! I gwot this for yuu!”. Then he handed the apple over and hurried off to find a hiding place.
Even though his opponent this time looked like someone he could handle, this boy was clearly not his equal! He must be one of the lords relatives. Maybe even one of his children!
William saw Joss in his hurry and quickly attached his brother to the crime. Joss was bewildered at being flung around like this. He was going to ask why William tore at his sleeve, while running away like a stung pig but he was quickly tuned in on the situation, when an angry voice yelled after them “Come back here, fool!”.
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Joss had been at the castle before. So he led them into a dark corner, where they could become invisible. As he huffed off his surprise he asked “What did you do, Mirabelle!?”. William could only shake his head in confusion and say “I mwight haf teafed swomwon impurtant!”. Joss rolled his eyes, while he wiped off his sweat.
Then he groaned “Stop making trouble, okay!? And never mess with one of the Blaise folk! They have a dungeon and I’ve heard that they drag people they don’t like down into it! It’s not fun to be on their bad side, so be a good girl and don’t cause mischief!”. William sank his head and nodded reluctantly…
Then Joss sighed and said “Since you pissed one of them off, you have to stay here for the rest of the night. Tomorrow they will surely have forgotten you…”. William gaped at this unfair decision and wanted to retort, but Joss blocked his mouth with his hand and said with an irritated voice “No! Mirabelle… You know what mother always says… Girls are to be gentle and obedient and those who are too wild gets tamed… If you keep making trouble I don’t know what to do with you!”.
Suddenly the atmosphere got dark like their surroundings and for the first time, William understood that Joss was actually being very lenient with him all this time.
Joss seemed a bit conflicted as he explained “... Making enemies with the wrong people… Going off doing wild things that only boys should… Sometimes even going up against your parents… You do know that you’re too wild, right?”. William folded his brows, not really relating to the person, Joss was describing.
He felt that he had been very obedient all this time. Helping his mother and only talking back to his father recently…
Joss studied William’s face and said with great pain “Even father have told me many times to hit you, if you’re too troublesome, but I don’t feel like it… But even if... Don’t force me to hit you… I don’t want to hit you… So stop being so wild!”. Joss hugged his little sister.
Although he was young, he was beginning to get a grasp of the society he was living in. He liked and respected his sister for the most part, but if he wanted to be accepted, things needed to change. Or rather…
His sister needed to change. That way they could both be happy. Not crossing the line of what is tolerable...
Before leaving his sister, Joss turned around and said “Stay here! I’ll come get you when we’re about to leave…”. Then he left.
William blinked on the spot. He actually felt a bit scared of his brother this time. Who would have known that, that youngster went around having such dark thoughts?
William was also quite confused. He felt that he had been very good and only wild in amounts acceptable of a small child. Who would have known that his family's expectations for him were so high? And that violence would be the answer, if he kept being himself…
He felt like steel bars that had been hidden in the shadows, slowly wiggled and formed themselves, to leave the ground. They would then coil into a circle around his feat and surpass his height by a meter. These steel bars became a very livid prison. William could only glance out at the party from his dark corner and sniffle.
Where was his freedom at this point!? Would he ever gain such a thing in this world!?