Daybreak, Earldom of Vostrim, Near Vostrim Castle

Faust spent the 3-hour-long ride in a constant battle with overwhelming fatigue, resisting the sweet promise of sleep in order not to fall off the galloping horse. He held onto Schenk tightly, who barely spoke. The cold seeped deep into his bones, making his body uncomfortably stiff.

'This cold is slowly getting the better of me… I must not… fall asleep,' he thought, pinching himself to remain awake. He had long since lost any feeling in his hands, face, and feet, so it didn’t help. He sighed when the sun rose. The forests and fields on the roadside were covered in thick fog. Faust had no idea when they would arrive, and it made him anxious. He didn’t know how long he would be able to hold on in his state.

Of course, it didn’t help in his fight against hypothermia, caused by the low temperatures and wind, that his body was so thin and malnourished that one could see the bones in his face and collarbone.

Faust’s mind grew hazy, and his field of view started shrinking when he heard Schenk’s voice loud and clear, tearing him back to reality.

“We’re nearly there, boy. Please hold on.”

The genuine worry and kindness in that statement gave Faust some hope and reignited his fighting spirit against the chilling threat of unconsciousness that would lead to his death. He looked around in an attempt to distract himself from the cold, and what he saw came as another relief.

Houses. Farms. A windmill. A bridge. People. Faust couldn’t help but smile weakly. They had arrived at the foot of Vostrim Castle. Schenk rode his horse, driving it onwards mercilessly. He had long since noticed the boy's state becoming critical.

The party of five passed through a town of maybe 800 inhabitants and continued to ride on a road that led up a hill. On top of that hill, Faust could see a massive structure of stone with towers, walls, and a path leading up to it. The hill was covered in grapevines, painting a beautiful picture. Faust was mesmerized.

‘Beautiful… such an imposing building… I've never seen anything this big and built of stone in my entire life. Who might live there? The king?’ He obviously had no idea about what building would be appropriate for a king. Yet, Vostrim Castle was very imposing. It could house several hundred soldiers and civilians. In case of an emergency, the entire town could be housed in the castle.

One could enter the first courtyard through a drawbridge that covered a 15-meter-long moat with no water in it. If one fell down the ravine below, their bodies would burst on the blank stone.

Once one entered through the massive gatehouse, they would walk into the bustling first courtyard that housed mostly craftsmen, all the way from the baker to the blacksmith and the stables. It also offered a generous garden with beautiful greenery. A well could also be found. There were also practicing grounds for archers, a dueling arena, and other means of practice for soldiers.

Once one followed the main road through the first yard, they would enter the main castle yard where one could find the keep, food storage, armory, and barracks. Large towers could be found all around the core of the castle and smaller ones around the much bigger first yard. The core was used as a retreat and last resort. All in all, the castle formed a well-functioning economy and defense.

The only way up to the castle was on the way they came, the main road. The castle was cleverly built on a set of cliffs so that one couldn’t approach the castle in any way but the main gatehouse. It was truly a bulwark and would be worthy of an earl. It was the pride of the Argorus Family and their retreat in case of war.

All of this was only briefly noticed by Faust, who desperately held onto Schenk as they rode up the road towards the core castle. Peasants shot them curious glances as the horses rushed through the streets. They entered the core castle after bypassing a pair of armed guards. They halted in a large courtyard where they came to a halt.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Finally…” Faust mumbled inaudibly before slowly falling off the horse. He was too exhausted. Just holding on took more than he ever thought he could muster.

Yet the awaited impact never came. He felt two strong hands catch him. That’s all Faust heard before darkness enveloped him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Afternoon, Earldom of Vostrim, Vostrim Castle

When he came to, his body was burning. Or at least it felt that way. As he tried to move, he couldn’t move his arms or legs, and a female voice gently comforted him. “Stay still, boy. Don’t move. You’re safe now.” He could feel a soft hand on his cheek, and with a groan, he opened his eyes. At first, he couldn’t adapt to the bright light, yet after a few seconds, he could make out the silhouette of a woman. She looked angelic.

“An angel…” he muttered and stared at her with open eyes. He had never seen such a beautiful woman.

She had long, blonde hair that fell over her shoulders. Her kind, blue eyes, and smiling mouth, accentuated by her high cheekbones and milky white skin, enchanted him for a few seconds.

Then she giggled at Faust’s reaction and held a hand before her mouth.

“Oh my,” She blushed a bit.

“Just the woman that saved you from the verge of death.” She smiled and reached next to her.

Faust blinked stupidly as he realized what he just said, and shame washed over him.

“I… I'm sorry.” He stammered.

“Oh no! Don’t be! It was a compliment. As a reward, I’ll feed you some food.” She reached for a bowl and a spoon on a table next to her.

They were in a small room about 3 meters high. He lay in a bed cozily wrapped up in multiple blankets, the reason why he couldn’t move and looked at the beauty that sat on his bedside. She looked to be around 20. She wore a modest deep blue dress. He attempted to move slightly.

Faust was hit by the intense pain he felt from his body slowly regaining his original temperature. He groaned. The woman shook her head and reprimanded him.

“Don’t move, boy. Your body is too weak, and the frost is still deep within your bones… here, let me feed you some soup, it will warm you.” She smiled and picked up the bowl and spoon, blowing on it to make it a bit cooler as it was still steaming hot.

Faust gulped as his stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten in over a day. The woman just smiled.

Faust mustered his courage and looked directly at her.

“What’s your name?”

When he heard his voice, he had to cringe. It sounded so weak and raspy.

She didn’t pay it any mind and smiled.

“My name is Mirabella. I’m the lady of Vostrim Castle. Now stop talking and eat.” She laughed and cautiously brought the spoon up to Faust’s mouth. Before he even tasted the soup, his mouth started to water.

It tasted heavenly. As he swallowed, he felt a warm sensation spread throughout his body, giving him energy.

“I hope you like it.” She asks with a grin. She can see how much he loves the soup from his facial expression. Faust relished in the sensation before nodding with a bright smile, which almost immediately turned into a pained frown.

This situation triggered something in Faust. Pictures of his mother forced themselves into his imagination, and he saw her feeding him soup while caressing his cheek when he was sick, nursing him to health.

Then, the scene shifted. He was back on the field, looking at his burning house from the distance. He had to watch his mother burning right before his own eyes. The agonizing screams resounded in his head like a mantra, hammering on his sanity. The process repeated until he was torn out of his fantasy. He was panting heavily, and he could feel tears on his face.

Yet there was another sensation. A soft embrace he found himself in. Mirabella had silently hugged him and pressed him into her chest.

“Shhhh, all is good, you're safe. Trust me. All is well.” She consoled him. All he felt was emptiness. He couldn’t even enjoy the hug from this beautiful woman. Thoughts of what had just happened haunted his mind.

He felt his chest tightening, and a vast emptiness filled his heart. The sounds of his mother’s screams replayed in his head repeatedly… until they got fainter and fainter before vanishing entirely.

His breathing finally calmed down, and he stopped sweating. Mirabella still held him tight, speaking to him to console him. Her presence and heartbeat helped him calm down. Her warmth made him feel less lonely. She just held him with the kind of love only a mother could muster towards a child.

She held him for a few minutes before sitting back down. He could see a sad smile on her face.

‘What was that? I… I had no control at all… it was as if I was back there… seeing it happen all over again…’ he could finally think straight again, more or less.

He looked at Mirabella and could feel nothing but gratitude for this woman. She seemed to feel something weighing on his mind and explained,

“What you experienced is not a sign of weakness. It happens to the strongest after experiencing a traumatic event.”

Still, Faust was ashamed. Yet his shame was soon replaced by sadness and lethargy. Mirabella forcefully fed him the entire bowl of soup before he fell asleep exhaustedly.

Mirabella stood up, looked at the boy, shook her head, and sighed.

“He's just a boy...” She picked up the bowl and quietly left the room, making sure not to wake up Faust.