When I stumbled into my mansion I had to stop and catch my breath. Was what I saw a trick? Did my imagination run wild in that dark basement? Have I gone mad? I slumped into my bed with no idea of what to do next. The more I tried to rationalize it, the more desperate my explanations became. Suddenly, I was overcome with exhaustion. I closed my eyes and slept like bedrock. The next morning, I woke up to hear that Hal and Eris had tried to visit me.

“They were worried sick.” A servant told me. “Were you doing something dangerous yesterday?”

I shooed her away and went back to my room. I spent the next few days engrossed in my studies. A few days turned into a week. Then a month. Even my father was surprised with my sudden seclusion. He asked me if I wanted to spend a day outside the manor. It really had been a while, and I didn’t want to worry him, so I accepted. There was nowhere that I wanted to go and so I began to wander. Eventually, my feet brought me back to that derelict manor.

“W-William?” A familiar voice called out to me. I looked up to see Eris through a cracked window.

“Eris? What are you two doing there?” A number of possibilities floated through my mind. Suddenly I wanted to leave.

“No, it’s just me. I’ll be down in a second.”

“Oh, ok.” Inwardly, I couldn’t deny my relief. Eris left the manor and sprinted up to me.

“We were really worried about you!” Her piercing stare forced me to look away. However, when I gathered the courage to look back I saw that her eyes were only filled with concern. “What happened in that house? You left so suddenly that we thought you had been eaten by a demon. After searching all night, we finally checked the lord’s mansion the next day.”

“Ah, I, uh. Got scared and ran out.” It was mostly true.

“And then you haven’t talked to us for a month!”

“…It shouldn’t matter to you guys. You’re just doing your jobs and obeying the lord. If I don’t give you any work is that a problem?”

“Of course it is. We’re friends.” Eris smiled and my cold front melted away. For better or worse I couldn’t pretend in front of her.

“You’re right…I’m sorry.”

For a short time, neither of us spoke.

“I have to admit. When we were ordered to come to your ninth birthday party, I thought it was just another thing I had to do. I didn’t want to meet you, because I envied you. Someone my age who would never go hungry or work up a sweat. Someone who made the rules rather than obeyed them. I thought you were different than us, who are destined to work the land until we die.”

“But you were the first to greet me.”

“That’s right, when I saw you arguing with Hal I realized you were just another kid like us.”

“ha, ha…Is that how I looked?” I laughed awkwardly.

“I guess we’re both the same, really. As the lord’s successor, you’re bound to the land just as we are.” Eris sighed. “Did you hear that Hal and I became a couple?”

“What? Really?” I tried my best to act surprised. Eris raised her eyebrow and I knew I hadn’t succeeded.

“Yea…Everyone had the same reaction. Of course we’d grow up and tie the knot. Our families have always been close so we both grew up conscious of it.”

“What do you think about it?” I asked with no particular answer in mind.

“You know, I’m happy with it.” Eris showed me another smile but the edges of her mouth didn’t reach as high as before. “Out of everyone in town, Hal’s a pretty good guy. Not that I’d know about anyone outside the fief, ha, ha…”

“Well, I’m happy for you two.” I was glad I could say that truthfully. “I don’t think it’s bad to have your life laid out for you. Even if I could live somewhere else, I wouldn’t leave. I want to be a good heir for my father’s sake. There’s a lot that I owe him, I’m sure it’s the same for you and your family.”

“Yea, that’s right. Even if it’s a life I can’t choose, I should be happy to have it.” Eris gave me a playful punch on the arm. “Anyways, I’m glad to see you’re out and about. Come play with us soon.”

“If I feel like it.” I smirked.

We parted there. I cut my day outside short and went straight back to the mansion. I could hear my heart pounding so powerfully that the vibrations travelled down to my trembling hands. The weather had been mild and my walk had been leisurely but I still wiped sweat from my brow. I stood in front of the door to my father’s room. A couple minutes later, I pulled it open and stepped inside.

“Father! I need to talk to you.” I announced hastily. My father looked up from his reading and promptly set it aside.

“What do you need, William?”

“I want to marry Eris.” Before my nerves failed me, before I could offer a small apology and leave: I blurted out the first thing on my mind. “I know her background isn’t appropriate for me, but I have decided that I will fight you for this.”

“So you’re saying you won’t take no for an answer?” Father laughed, his booming voice reverberated through the castle.

“…That’s right.” I stood my ground. My father finally stopped laughing and wiped his eyes.

“Do you think I’m blind, boy? I knew you were smitten since that first meeting.” He sighed. “If I was shrewder I would have found replacements for those two immediately but I decided not to. Instead, I’ve been having our servants and the other serfs keep tabs on her.”

“You were spying on her?”

“Nothing that fancy, I was just gathering rumors to prepare for this conversation.” Father showed me a toothy smile. “I have to say, she’s actually something special. From everyone I’ve heard from, Eris is very intelligent. Her talents in both memorization and speech are well known. Her family works strictly in the fields, which would stifle her potential. I may just be rationalizing your decision, but I think she could be a good partner to help you govern.”

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“Is that the truth? Are you really saying you’ll approve of this?” I couldn’t believe my ears. I knew father had always avoided the common folk on principle. If he was willing to put that aside for my wishes, then I was truly blessed.

“I’m getting older now but there’s one thing I’m just beginning to learn.” My father frowned, only adding to his wrinkles. “Your grandfather raised me within this manor. You may not realize it but we had always been a relatively poor family. Other lords have much larger territories and reside in lavish castles that are worlds apart from our manor.”  

“Really? I never felt that we were lacking.” In truth I had heard of such castles from my tutors but it didn’t matter to me. I held a great love for this manor.

“My father attributed that to a lack of leadership, and to become better leaders we only associated with leaders. I grew up learning how to lead but without learning who I lead. Seeing how I have failed to grow our influence and how you have begun to flourish around those two serfs…It may be that my education was lacking.”

“Do not say such things, father. You have been a good lord to these people.”

“Good is not enough.” He shook his head slowly. “I have a dream of creating a name that is known far and wide. A dream passed down to me by my father and one I hope passes to you.”

“It has, father, I-”

He leaned in closer and patted me on the shoulder. After three rhythmic pats his hand gripped me tightly.

“That girl has ambition William. Marry her and turn this family into something great. Your education has been just as strong as mine, if not better. My mistake may have been distancing myself from the commoners but it will not be yours. Spend more time outside of the manor and learn how this world functions on all levels. Take in everything you can, absorb it all. Then return and use that knowledge for this name.”

I bowed deeply, my hands shaking as I do so.

“I will father. I will.”

The happiness I felt at that moment was indescribable. I had always been conscious of my father’s role in my marriage, but now that we were of the same mind there would be no more obstacles. It was with that blind optimism that my father and I began to plan my wedding. However, news traveled faster than we expected. One of the servants probably overheard us and told their friends. Word of my marriage to a common girl spread like wildfire through the fief. Only a few days after our conversation, an exhausted couple appeared at our doorstep.  

“We heard, huff, that you plan to marry our, huff, daughter.” The man spoke. We hadn’t exchanged words up until this point but I recognized him as Eris’s father. “We, huff, wanted to confirm this, huff, as soon as possible.” Both of them could barely stand, but they didn’t seem to mind in the least.

“If you are, then of course we accept!” The wife exclaimed. “Never in our wildest dreams did we think Eris could be wed to someone such as the young lord.”

My father invited them in to talk but I found an excuse to leave early. That pair was insufferable. Every word out of their mouths was either a shining praise to the lord or a sincere thank-you for choosing their daughter. I took a walk outside to clear my head. It was relaxing, until I noticed Hal running up the road to the manor.        

“Hal!” I waved him down and he sprinted over without a word. When he reached me I smiled, I knew it was inappropriate but I couldn’t help myself. He replied with a scowl.

“Is this what you wanted to do?” He spoke softly, keeping his voice just below a casual volume. I felt a small jolt of nervousness.

“Hal, it’s for the best. For all of us.”

“And how is that?” He wouldn’t look me in the eye. “By forcing Eris to marry you? Even after she made her choice?”

“She didn’t have a choice to begin with.”

“And she has one now?”

“If I’m willing to take her in, then that’s clearly the best for her.”

“HAVE…have you asked her?” For an instant I thought he was going to blow his top, but he desperately held it together.

“Her parents are already speaking with my father. It’s a done deal.”

“William-”

“You’re acting like I’m the selfish one here!” With tension running through the air like electricity in water, I was the first to break. “Would you have her live in poverty just to be with you? When she could live a long and happy life in the manor?”

“I just want her to have a proper choice!” He finally looked at me, his seriousness made me waver. “What even are we to each other, huh? If you’re going to order us around just like everyone else?”

“This isn’t just about you, Hal.” I stepped forward. “I’m not ordering you around, I’m…”

I trailed off as he began to laugh. It was a sickly cackle, not something I’d ever heard before. He staggered back and held a hand out, beckoning me to wait.

“Haaa…Really, I just realized how rehearsed our lines sound. ‘This is better for her’ and ‘I just want her to have a choice.’ We both knew this was going to happen, maybe not consciously though.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying it’s a farce. I could always tell you were jealous of how close we were. This was always going to happen and I can’t change it. Besides…I don’t even know how Eris feels about this. If she hasn’t come to the manor and complained, then I guess you have your answer.”

“I’m glad you decided to listen to reason.” I extended my hand, at a time like this it seemed appropriate. Hal shot me a look of disgust but shook it anyway.

“Listen, I don’t care if you are the lord-to-be: if you don’t treat her well…you’ll regret it.”

“Don’t worry, I love her dearly. I promise she will be happy here.”

“Then I have nothing else to say to you.” Hal scowled again and walked off. I, however, stood there for a while longer. I had really expected more of a fight.