I got on with the rest of my regular morning activities. I bathed in the tub of water my maid prepared. I got dressed and asked the maid for help in styling my hair. I knew I should be capable of such tasks on my own at this point, but I felt I'd be more ungrateful not to use the help while it's still offered.

Goosebumps flared up all over me, it would be the first day I'd get to see the city we lived nearby.

At least the first time I could see it and walk around with my own two feet. I distinctly remember the smell of fresh bread and simmering food from when I was still a baby and my mother carried me. The rattling metal armor of the guards who escorted us still rang in my ear clear as day.

I decided not to disclose my dream to my family as we all met at the carriages. I doubt they'd believe me, but it was quite the surprise, I was still able to read in my dreams. I remembered looking it up online once when I was in my early twenties, it was a rare ability in its own right but not of much use to me at the time.

"Why are we going to the market?"

"Don't you want to get new clothes, there's the rare food too and besides I thought you said you had a girlfriend already? Don't you want to see her?"

"Luca, you believe anything Page tells you, you should know by now she's a snake. Besides I would never be caught dead with some commoner girl."

"Not even, Beatrice?"

"Not you too. You should know better than to mess with your older brother, Zeus."

"Hmmph, you made your meal now take it."

"How cruel of you."

The four of us brothers ended up in another carriage than mother and our sisters. I wasn't used to being with them separate from mother, normally I'd never see them much until dinner time. It's only recently that I've been around Zeus during father's lessons. Luca's the only one I've played with before.

"You excited Fred?"

"Yeah."

"A little nervous?"

"Maybe."

I couldn't hide it but I wasn't exactly filled with pure joy at the thought of going to a place populated with several strangers. It just isn't something I was used to in this life or the last.

"Just stick close by if you're worried, I don't plan on going anywhere aside from the tailor and one of the vendors."

"Alright, Logan."

"What kind of big brother would I be if I didn't make sure you felt safe?"

"It's not like the guards will let you get far if you did try and walk off."

"Come on Zeus, you make it sound like I was being insincere."

Logan seemed to cause Zeus to open up more. He was normally quiet during dinner and father's lessons. I knew very little of how my siblings saw each other but I knew there was no ill will between these two. I could tell somehow.

Luca tried to get everyone to join in whatever game he thought up in the little time before we got to the city. The road itself wasn't uncomfortable or terribly long but it did involve going through a dense and obscured woods that surrounded our castle.

Soon after, it cleared up into a meadow that seemed to reflect the epitome of spring time.

Sharp points came into view before the structures holding them up revealed themselves as we began to enter the city. The carriage stopped at an armored tower. It must've been the checkpoint watch tower, there's monsters in this world after all, that and bandits.

I recalled a novel exploring the exploits of a retired bandit, it had a somber ending due to the eventual deaths of all the thief's companions by the end of the story

"Young masters."

The guard opened the door signaling we could disembark now. We swarmed out and followed after our mother who awaited us in front of her own carriage with our sisters.

The walk around the city was as my brothers said it would be, a stop at the tailor and seamstress to get new clothing fitted.

Then we were free to walk about with a guard to any of the food vendors in the marketplace square, in the direct center there were other children playing with some ball attached to a small rope. I've never seen a sport like it in my old life. There was also a smaller section where smaller kids played around kicking a small leather ball. I could recognize it as an attempt at football, but there weren't any nets or defined score areas for goals like the rope and ball the other kids were playing.

"You've never had this before right? You want one?"

"What is it?"

"It's meat covered in a glaze of sweet sauce on top of a filled cheese bread."

The description alone was enough to get my mouth watering.

"I guess that a yes."

Logan handed me the appetizing still steaming bun and patty. We returned to the public mess table the rest of our family was seated at.

Zeus opted for a meat stew as his lunch meal, it had a strong scent that likely accentuated the flavors found in the actual broth base the stew had.

Luca had a strange concoction, it looked like he had bought an entire pineapple for his lunch. Inside however were an assortment of cubes from the pineapple and what seemed like fish meat.

Not the weirdest thing I've ever seen people eat but who am I to judge.

"I still don't know how you can stomach that Luca."

"If you tried it you'd want one too."

"Ew, no thanks."

Whitney spoke out to say what was on the mind of a few of us.

I couldn't help but giggle a little as Luca would purposefully stare at Whitney and take a bite. Vanilla was plenty preoccupied with playfully feeding Ibis while Page held the infant.

I finally bit into the convenient handheld meal Logan had suggested to me. It was sweet and tangy but the mellowed cheese-filled bread muted it which prevented it from becoming overpowering. The taste eventually faded leaving behind a spicy aftertaste. It wasn't anything strong but it did leave me wanting something to drink. All we had was water from the guards' supplies, it was enough for what I needed.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"If isn't Logan and Zeus, what say you two join in a game of tug and dash?"

"You already know, we're in, but obviously it'll be us two in the same team."

"Sounds good to me."

Zeus and Logan had already finished their meals. They got up and started removing their extra accessories and jackets.

"What about you Luca? You're old enough to play."

"I'll only be on their team too."

"It's only fair, I've got more experienced players either way."

The four set off to play in the field. I had about two more bites left, I scarfed it down.

The guards followed them along with the other kid's guards. I wasn't familiar with the city's rulers but I could only assume the kid that challenged them was a nobleman's son as well.

"Freddy, my child please don't try to exert yourself too much. Listen Erica, make sure Fred is only playing with the little kids, I don't want him getting hurt."

"As you wish, madam."

And so I was only allowed to watch in the smaller section of the field with a ball in foot. I didn't mind, the last thing I needed was getting a terrible injury while my body's still maturing.

I still saw how amazing my brothers were, the game in essence was pretty much a rougher form of lacrosse. No one had any type of protection on and the object they were trying to get in possession of was a ball with a rope looped onto it. You were only allowed to have one hand on the rope to hold it. Passing the ball was a quick maneuver with the rope aiding as a tether to launch it.

The entire ball and rope has to go through the small ring on a post in either end of the field.

Zeus and Logan were ferocious, although some of the kids were older they never managed to threaten either of the two. Zeus would get caught by one of the other players but instantly slip away barely giving them a chance to feel the rope as it escaped. Zeus started getting swarmed, he trusted Luca with the ball, passing it just as he was about to get tackled.

Luca immediately passed it to Logan making it a middle man pass, Logan didn't hesitate and immediately pressured the goalie. He juked the goalie with a feigned throw that ended up back in Logan's hand before it entered the ring.

My brothers weren't the kind of nobles in fiction that were fat and overly arrogant, they acted as well trained and athletic pros in this simple game.

As interesting as it was it's not as fun as doing it yourself. I didn't like sports in my old life. However, I was also of the mindset that rather than play it through a video game or watch it on screen it should be played physically to really appreciate.

I decided to focus on my own footwork with one of the leather balls lying around. I had played football as a kid, well in my old youth. It was nice to spend time around other kids that were having fun even if I wasn't very good. It never became a passion for me, for me the nail on the coffin was when the coach would put me on the bench. What's even the point of joining a team for it if I never end up playing?

Later when I was old and spent time with my own granddaughter, I actually managed to learn a couple tricks and maneuvers. It was also my way of trying to stay active in my old age.

I started by sliding the ball onto the top of my foot. From there I launched it up and kept it in the air by kneeing it. I slid it back to my foot and launched it onto my shoulder, from there I started kicking it with the back of my foot.

Somehow the movements felt so easy in my small body.

"Excuse- Uh, um, pardon us?"

"Yes?"

I kicked the ball back into my hands. I was looking at two commoner children that looked quite ragged. I presumed they were siblings as the meek boy wasn't the one asking the questions and the girl seemed to hold on to him closely.

"Would you mind teaching us how you did that?"

"What, you mean the shoulder twist or the backwards juggling?"

"Um, all of it if you don't mind?"

"Sure."

The meek smile they put on made it a bit awkward but I didn't say anything.

Spending some time teaching someone else something simple and fun, it was in simple terms nostalgic. Sure they weren't the best out of the gate, but giving them encouragement made me feel good too.

"Any room left for one more?"

A girl had approached, she looked clean comparatively speaking, she had wavy raven black hair. It didn't seem too crowded for me to add another to our mini lesson.

"I don't mind."

"Great, where do I start."

"Well, you put your foot like this and then sort of scoop the ball like this. Treat it like a full spoon that'll spill if you don't balance it out with the rest of your body."

"Alright, let me try."

She got the hang of it far quicker than the two other children. The girl was definitely older than the three of us.

"How about a game?"

"Huh?"

"There's four of us now, we can play a proper game."

"Alright I'm interested. What are playing? Keep the ball or fireball?"

"I don't know what fireball is, but here I'll tell you what game we're playing."

I outlined in the field a score area and the objective of the game. The girl shared that neither were like the suggestion she had given. Fireball as she explained to me before I finished my own explanation, was simply a football version of hot potato.

I got through explaining out a short scrimmage variation of soccer.

"So we just kick into that space and score one point?"

"Yup, but you can use whatever you want to stop the ball from going there except your hands and arms."

"Alright."

"I get it."

"Good, let's start by picking teams."

I picked the boy to be on my team and let the girls play on the same team.

"Alright I'll be goalie, you just have to get the ball from her and then run near the goal and kick it in."

The boy nodded with a smile. I didn't mind his quiet nature.

After placing the ball in the center I walked near the goal.

"Start!"

Despite their timid nature the siblings once pitted in a friendly competition didn't hesitate to get enthralled in the struggle. The little girl broke free and started sprinting at me with the ball in tow.

It's not very fun if I just sit around until she gets too close and fouls. I walked a bit further from the goal, then I stepped in closer right as I was in range to steal the ball back.

Driving my right foot into the exposed ball I managed to take it in a single try but the little girl wasn't quick to give up. She tried to take the ball back with several rapid kicks, in response I pushed the ball with the outside of my foot towards the left. I caught it with my right heel and turned around before I drove the ball through the field. The little girl suddenly grabbed onto my shoulder to stop me from getting too far.

I passed the ball to the little boy. He caught the ball and tried to score in but was easily stolen from.

It didn't matter, I had lost the attention of the little girl and placed myself in between the goal and the raven-haired girl.

Ironically, I just as easily took the ball back from her. However keeping the ball became difficult with her relentless footwork aimed at retaking the sphere.

I couldn't do the same trick as before without risking the raven-haired girl retrieving the ball faster than me.

Then I noticed something odd about her stance, and the idea of what I could do became too humorous that I couldn't resist executing it.

The raven-haired girl had left her legs too wide after every attempt at getting the leather ball. The next time she did it I kicked the ball towards her and ran past her in the same moment. Just as I predicted the ball slipped right between her legs and beyond.

"Nutmeg!"

I caught the ball past her and headed straight for the goal as the little girl was stunned at what just happened in front of her. The boy was equally stone still.

Before I could score, I felt a sudden tackle, I still managed to aim and pass the ball to the little boy.

"Ugh! I thought I'd be able to get you."

"Well, I'm on the ground aren't I?"

The raven-haired girl laughed at my response. I held up a grin and let out a laugh despite the heft on top of me.

This would normally be a foul but I didn't explain the rules on allowed physical contact.

The boy managed to get past his sister and score. Rather than becoming salty, the girl hugged her brother and smiled along side him as he celebrated.

I didn't notice it at first, but suddenly there had been a crowd of the older kids gathered around.

"Would you mind getting off our little brother?"

"Huh?"

"Do as I say!"

"Relax Logan, we were just playing."

My brothers had mistaken the raven-haired girl's tackle for one with ill intent. She was clearly older and bigger than me.

"Either way you're shirt is ruined, it's got stains from the grass covered all over. How do you expect to pay for this, Bertram?"

"I wasn't the one involved, besides he's a boy, what harm could a girl do to him at their age."

"Logan, forget about it. I'm not hurt, besides the shirt was already getting tight. That's why we came to the market, remember. For new clothes?"

"Fine I'll let it go. You watch yourself Bertram, and keep that sister of yours from-"

"Hey, she didn't do anything wrong."

I didn't understand what petty rivalry was going on between the Bertram kid and my older brothers, but I didn't want to lose out on a potential friend over it. Being reclusive is something I'd rather leave behind.

Logan sighed and waved his hand dismissively. The rest of the older kids headed back to the field along with Bertram and my other brothers as Logan leaned in.

"Alright, we'll talk about this later."

"Ok."

Logan walked back to the bigger field.

"Listen, I'm sorry for that."

"I think I said it before but it's just a part of the game, we can just not be as rough next time. I had fun."

"Me too."

"It seems their game's wrapping up now. Maybe we might play again next time if you're around."

"I want that. Um, my name is Francine. What's your name?"

"Fred. It was nice meeting you Francine."

"I like you too, Fred."

She immediately became wide eyed. Francine had died a little inside, if I had to guess from her silence. I wanted to laugh but I pulled through with just a smile. It's probably embarrassing enough and having me laugh on top of that would be too much for her.

"I meant to say me too, it was nice meeting you too!"

"Right, well I'll see you around."

I started heading back to the table my sisters and mother were waiting at and waved at Francine. She waved back at me as I walked away.