Another boring day in my castle. I sit in front of my lord father's seat as his heir. He was talking about what good lord's personality traits are. I didn't listen to him. I wonder if he noticed that, cause I wanted to make it obvious. It was obvious enough for our servants to see. Still he continued to talk more. How could he talk about being good lord if he wasn't himself. His beard was bigger than his knowledge, even though he wasn't old, Lord Ketty still had quite an expierence, unfortunately it didn't teach ketty anything. No matter that our glorious house was in charge of defending Crow Island, and Castle of Innstroke. Being in command of this mass territory should make me proud of my father, but it just made me think how horrible is our system of primogeniture succession. Lord Ketty was incompetent, really incompetent and gullible, as for my mother Lady Genna she was more of cunning person. Decent ruler, but again our system and traditions didn't let her be in direct charge. I laughed, cause it was blindly obvious for everyone who was the real ruler of Crow Island, even for blind people. Ketty asked me: "Is there something funny in my speech?", I gave him small smirk and ignored the question. We continued to eat. Today our table was really empty, no guests. Only servants walking in and out bringing meal and desert. And our guards, who eat our food before us to make sure there is no poison. I insisted to have those guards, paying them several oirks to each is practically nothing. I could bet 1 emerald that one of their name was Gillet. He was Lady Genna’s bodyguard, he was tall guy, with broken nose and pale brown eyes. Gillet was standing next to my mother straight faced, as if anger fed him, not the food. At one point I wanted to call out other guards who stood behind the doors to seize him until he chocked my mother’s long neck and stole her emerald necklace. Nothing like that happened, just another piece of my imagination. What about my guard, he was dwarf. He was young boy, about 5 years older than me. His name was Yike. Yike didn’t have fierce look, more like calm and dutiful. I bet he thought he was doing great deed and saving heir to Innstroke. Thought of that made me laugh, I imagined what kind of ruler would I be. I won’t carry on my father’s legacy that’s for sure. I don’t want to have power behind my back. I would still keep my mother on my council, cause she has many friends in the court. She loves me and would do no harm to me, but her “friends” might think that it is rather wise to make her direct liege. That kind of thoughts really scared me. Surely when my father will die, I will send people out of my court and fill it with loyal and competent, not backstabbing and dimwitted people.

We ate our food, I went out for the ride while my mother was attending the council meeting. and father, he was just walking in the castle. While my father enjoyed watching his castle, I liked to visit our village. Castle of Innstroke was on the big hill, while the village was on the flat. My ancestors made safe passage so in case of attack, they could fastly evacuate villagers. I enjoyed slow, nice walk on crocked steps, while looking over vast horizon. I could see long, bunch of trees in and out of village. Villagers would walk out of village to get to nearby trees and chop it down, then reserve for winter. Inside of the village, it was restricted to chop down trees to keep beautiful nature. Villagers knew me, they knew their future lord and with my every step they tried to appease me. I could see through them, but they didn’t know that two can play this game. I wanted them to love me, as much as it was not high lord’s job to care for them. I just didn’t want any revolts in the future and now too. My lord father should thank me for that, I keep our people more or less happy. But to understand that he needed to think about his lordship and thinking isn’t his strongest side, unfortunately. As I entered village, Ser Aske came to me. My mother left him in charge of Innstrokes defense. He was dutiful knight, not everyone can walk between castle of Innstroke and village several times every day. “Welcome, Lord Karson, it’s good to see you again”. He never forgot his courtesy even though I met him thousands of times. I smiled at him and continued my walk. From the childhood I was confident that my ride through the village would go without harm, but still I always took 2 guards about me. Two of my most loyal guards, not the one that my mother hired. I saw the smith house and and I walked towards it. First I couldn’t see him, I walked in the workshop. In middle of workshop there was a stoney pipe out of the ground filled with lava. I didn’t know where he got that lava and I never asked. Inside, furniture was built out of the wood, while walls and ceiling was out of stone. I wondered where was he, maybe merchant’s party came back. But it was too early for them. Party’s leader was most cunning and diligent merchant I have ever met. His name was Terrin, He was riding around Crows Island and making inner trade route. His routes were extremely helpful to us, my father ordered to build roads according to Terrin’s horse’s footsteps. He also connected the cities and often delivered messages, even though for that, we had hired special messengers. Terrin left Innstroke two weeks ago, to travel around the Island. It would take him 2 month. How could he come back he so fast, no it couldn’t be merchants. I guess he just went to his storage to stack new weapons. Suddenly I felt strong touch on my arm. I was petrified, my guards wouldn't just randomly touch me, where were they? I looked around, panicking. Oh dear god, it was just Dawnkin, the smith. First when I saw his smiley face with broken teeth and old face I got scared, but I realized it fast that he was just a villager. “Good day m’lord. I just forged new fine weapons do you want to buy it?” I thought to myself why would I want it, I am not a fighter, quality of his swords and bow were quite good, so I armed my father’s whole household guard with his swords. I wanted to invite new people to court, new guards, so why not arm them with his weapons. “I will gladly buy your fine weapons, but not now a bit later.” He was not really happy about it. “I will hire some more guards for our glorious castle, so I will make sure that they will be armed with your swords, and for the good work and dedication to my father, I will ask Terrin to buy your weapons and sell it around the island”. Now that got him really happy and satisfied, happily he offered me to stay for dinner, but I rejected nicely. Dawnkin was kind person, but his work wasn’t paid enough, just like other smallfolk’s work. Lords always thought as if they were defenders of smallfolk and it is lowborns unchangeable duty to serve highborns. People had no other choice, but to obey them. I wonder if that is slavery. Well in our country slavery is outlawed, But lords who wanted to get wealthier were enslaving people and making them work for free, or selling them to lavers with quite a good price. King and high judge cannot always serve justice to these kind of noblemen. Neither dukes or counts can. Father was not one of them, thankfully, he was a friendly person, he wouldn't trade others freedom for some pearls or even emeralds. As I walked out of Smith, I saw bakery. That building was really familiar to me. My friend’s family owned it. His name was Stevie. He often went out of the village to chop down some trees. Today was that day I guess, cause when I walked in the bakery, I only saw his mom. His father later came in. No matter the fact that their son was my close friend, they still addressed me as m’lord. Walder was kind person. Owning bakery made him quite fat. Can’t say so about Stevie, he was really really skinny. Both of them had kind nature, but in addition Stevie was full of energy and couldn’t stand in same place for too long. That bothered me a lot, unfortunately I couldn’t change him. No matter the annoying meal I had with my highborn family, I was still in good mood, so I made myself to walk few miles to meet my friend. Village’s gate was made out of stone, but gate itself is wooden. City guards opened the gate for me. I saw vast fields that could be used as farms, if fields were ruled by a competent ruler. At least Terrin’s road was nicely built. In the dark, our servants went out and lighted all the torches nearby the Innstroke, so did my father’s vassal’s servants. I went off the main road and marched to a forest. We had quite a large forest neaby, so we didn’t lack fresh air. My mother ordered to plant trees around the road, so day walk wouldn’t be that much of torture in summer. Shadows of these trees saved many people's energy I believe. It took several years for that, but it was still genius idea. Soon enough I saw Stevie carrying cart full of wood. I ordered one of my guards to take the cart instead of Stevie. He saw me too, I brushed friendly smile and waved a hand. On the road back we laughed about how boring our lives are. I offered him to come to castle, not every villager could go as freely and as frequently to castle as he could. Well, small wonder there, he is friend of the heir. My wish is command for others. Plus my father liked him too, so why not. We became friends when we were 7 years old. I just started to visit the village, after several times, I saw a little boy playing with the wooden toy, I offered my toys too, that’s where our big friendship started. Not a great story at all. Now we were all grown up. In my next birthday I would turn in legal year of ruling. I was thinking to add one villager to the council and it will be him. But for now I laughed how his curly hair laid down, because of the sweat. I offer him a bath, no one would decline that offer in hot summer day like this. I wanted to take relaxing bath in my castle, but he insisted to go to nearby river. Or the sea. As we were islanders, our castle wasn’t far away from the sea. My aunt was lady of port city nearby. I can’t say that I saw her too much. But my aunt and father have warm relationship after my lord father named her Lady of Seapost. Mostly women in the family were married away to other lords, to extent their family names and form alliances, but my aunt Lady Merrie married some villager to continue her family line. House Gerty of Crows Island is renown family, not only in our kingdom, but the whole westworld. After much argue, we agreed to go to the river. I didn’t like sea that much, after swimming in the sea, water gave me uncomfortable feeling, while river was really refreshing. I guess god blessed us today, cause water was ice cold. In days like this, cold water equals emeralds. Well, at least I thought so, I had to drag Stevie in the water, cause he chickened out. One splash, two splash, three, four, finally he got into mood and made me dive. We swam for an hour or two, finally it got dark. We had to go back home. At some point even my guards got into the water. After swimming in the cold water, climbing steps to castle was really freezing, but I liked cold weather. I hated hot places, it didn’t mean I hated summer. Rivers, seas and rains are good possibilities to refresh. Steps were going round and round, sometime I wished that they would’ve just built one straight line, not curls. As I was in middle way, Stevie yelled and waved hand, so did I in response. Today he refused to come with me to the castle. Sad. But I still could do something. As I walked in castle guards told me that my mother demanded to visit her as soon as I came back. I wasn’t happy about, cause I was really tired. Dinner would be ready in 30 minutes, so I wanted to lay down the whole time, but instead now I have to climb more steps to my mother’s office. I ordered my guards to carry me, so I made my mom to pity me. I was really tired and wasn’t in mood to talk much, but Lady Genna rushed with her question. “Where were you?” Anger was striking through her words. “I was swimming in the river with Stevie”. It didn’t calm her down for sure. “How could you go there without warning me”. “I was with guards, don’t worry mom”. “Don’t worry?” She repeated sarcastically, “Don’t worry!!” This time she shouted. “How can’t I worry, when hei….. my boy is out there somewhere, where I can’t protect him”. “My guards are protecting me quite good too, thanks for caring mom”. “No visiting the village and no Stevie for 2 weeks”. I could feel hot anger, she was just provoking me, but I managed to hold myself and just bursted out of the room and slammed the door. How could she restrict me to see my friend, with zero possible reasons. That was absurd, idiocy. I ran into my room and shouted to bring my food here. So they did, but I didn’t eat much, I couldn’t sleep either. I was just sitting by the window. It was full moon outside, very beautiful. I was looking over the village at night really often, especially when I was angry. It made me calm down. I could see Stevie’s bakery and house too. I could even see Seaport and Crow’s sea, I could see vast forests and green fields. This view always made me feel as if I was an emperor or king. I wondered what kind of view was from King Harold’s room, I bet it is glorious. I visited the capital for several times, it was huge, bigger than Innstroke and Seaport together. But nature isn’t as facinating as it is here. No sea view, rivers were as large as here, forest were mostly cut and grass had weird yellow look throughout the whole year. Capital’s size wasn’t nothing compared to this nature, sometime I was even happy that I was born as Crow’s Island’s heir, not the whole Plavecci kingdom’s heir. If I were the prince I wouldn’t enjoy life as much as I do now.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.