Samuel had formed several expectations of exactly what the Bragg Estate would look like when he finally made it there. A new version came with each moment of quiet when his thoughts would turn to his inheritance. A tall, two-story building like the Nook Inn, covered in fancy carvings and sporting marble floors. A small mansion that sat at the edge of sweeping lawns, with fountains and hedge mazes. The reality of it far surpassed any idea he could have crafted.
“Ah,” Seamus said, stretching his legs out and beaming at Samuel. “Finally home. We’ve been away too long.”
The round cook clambered out the back of the wagon, as did his two juniors, Jameson and Clara. They immediately went inside the house, rather than assist in unloading the cargo that was carried on the wagons. That duty was left to the guards, now that they were safely at their end destination. Shigeru was the next to hop out, Grimr still balanced effortlessly on his shoulder. The warrior paused then, glancing back at Samuel, who hadn’t moved.
Shigeru didn’t speak, but his gaze said more than any words could. His gaze level and uncompromising, he was staring expectantly. It could be read as nothing but a challenge. Stay in the cart where it’s safe and familiar, or step out into the unknown and begin the next part of his life. That’s essentially what he was saying. Inside this wagon, he was still Samuel, the poor mapmaker who had grown up in a simple coastal village. A simple life. Comfortable, even if it was boring. But if he stepped down, he was fully acknowledging the weight of what was to come. He’d step out as Samuel Bragg, the son of a noble of Milagre. What else he was, he’d have to define for himself.
“I’m coming,” he said quietly, lifting himself from where he’d sat for the past few weeks. His muscles protested silently at the movement, but he pushed on in spite of the stiffness and the pain, reaching the back of the wagon. Just one more step. Shigeru didn’t offer him a hand. It could have been out of a lack of concern, but Samuel chose to see it as the warrior letting him make his own way.
He jumped off the back of the wagon, landing a little unsteadily in the cooler air outside. The approaching winter chill wasn’t as prevalent here as it would be on the coast, but it still cut through his thin blue robe and deep into his bones, making him shiver with more than trepidation. Shigeru smirked slightly, then raised the barrier of the wagon back into place, locking it with a quiet click.
He was surrounded on all sides by carefully constructed stone walls, rising no more than three feet from the ground, but stretching for nearly half a thousand feet each on four sides, interrupted only by an elaborate iron-wrought gate. Contained inside that barrier were two wide, sweeping lawns of vibrant green grass, split with an intricate pattern of paved stone paths. The lawns themselves were in a circular shape and ringed in dark paving stones that ran between the lawns and the stone barriers in a huge circle right to where Samuel now stood.
Just a few feet to his right, a few dozen yards from the entrance of the house, stood a water fountain four times the size of the tub that Samuel had used to clean himself back in Harlest. It was a simple basin carved of white marble, and four hawks stood around the rim of the top with beaks open and wings spread wide. The water of the fountain burst out of their open beaks, cascading down in a gentle but noisy flow into the larger basin below.
Then there was the house itself. Samuel turned as if in slow motion, craning his neck back to take it all in. A series of short but wide steps - also made from those dark paving stones - led the way up a gentle slope, where the gargantuan structure sat. It was three stories tall, not two, and matched the color scheme of the outside yard, with white stone walls and marble pillars, accented by dark wood window frames and black tiles. He actually had to move his head to the sides to take it in properly.
“One person lived in this?” He asked numbly, of nobody in particular. “All of Harlest could fit inside that lawn alone.”
“It is rather extravagant,” Shigeru said. Samuel noticed, with a hint of surprise, that his accent had become less apparent since the fight with the bandits. He also seemed markedly less uncertain. Had his faulty command of the common tongue been a mere ruse? “Even in Nihon-Ja, the noble families don’t take up so much land for their houses.”
“Was your house this size?”
“It was, I think. But the lands were much smaller. Much of what we traded was parchment and scented timber.” He adjusted one of the crossed swords in his belt to a more comfortable angle, then let out a long, low sigh. “It won’t grow any smaller or less extravagant while we sit here talking. The others are waiting for you inside.”
And so saying, the warrior led the way up the shallow steps to the huge home. Samuel followed reluctantly, more out of a desire to get the experience over with than because he actually wanted to. Shigeru offered him a small courtesy by pulling open the door and holding it for him, for which Samuel was grateful. He took a deep breath, then stepped across the threshold.
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The interior of the mansion was even more decadent than what he’d seen outside. The floor, a vast expanse of black and white checkered marble, covered enough space to fit a hundred people comfortably. There was a dark blue carpet that led directly from the front door up wide stairs to the second floor; each step being wider and longer than his bed. And along the edge of the carpet just before the steps began, there were a dozen people standing, facing him with expectant smiles.
“We thought you should get an appropriate welcome home on your first day, Lord Bragg,” Arthur said. His deep voice carried effortlessly across the open space of the entry hall, almost echoing in the vast room. “So welcome home, sir. It is our honor to serve you.”
All the men and women gathered bowed low, nearly reaching a ninety-degree angle. Arthur’s bow was much more reasonable, a bob of the head and a slight incline of his spine, nothing too ingratiating. Samuel made a quick face of displeasure while they weren’t looking. He’d definitely have to make some changes around here. He wasn’t going to put up with this kind of treatment every day, not if he could help it.
Arthur seemed to notice his reaction, even if he’d hastily rearranged his face by the time the staff had raised themselves back into a standing position. “Worry not, sir. They are very discreet and respectful. You’ll hardly notice them, but they are here to help.”
Samuel nodded in acknowledgment of what the steward had said, but he wasn’t sure he believed it. He was quite sure that these people would be tripping over themselves and more importantly him in their attempts to make him comfortable. He wondered how long it would take to teach them that the only thing that would make him comfortable in this uncomfortable house would be some peace and quiet.
“I imagine you are tired after your trip,” Arthur continued. He gestured a woman forward. “If you like, Regina here can show you to your room, where you can bathe and change.”
“That’s fine,” Samuel said. He knew he probably said it too quickly and had caused some offense, but at this point, he was beyond caring. Niceties and courtesy were the games of alert, healthy men who hadn’t just spent weeks recovering from a near-death experience. The thought struck him that Arthur was probably just as tired as he was, and a stab of guilt hit him in the stomach. “Sorry, I’m just very tired, but I’m sure I can find my own way.”
If they were offended at his refusal, no sign of it showed on their faces. Arthur, of course, smiled. He’d expected nothing less. “As you wish, sir. Your room is on the third floor. I expect it won’t take you long to find it.”
He dismissed the other staff with a curt gesture, then strode over to the front doors once more. Once across the threshold, he began calling orders to the guards outside, directing the offloading of cargo. He paused before he went too far, and addressed Shigeru.
“Ryoko,” he said, reaching inside the purse at his belt and fishing out a small handful of silver coins, “Here is your payment for the trip. You’re welcome to stay with the other guards in the barracks if you wish, or you can seek accommodations elsewhere. That’s your choice. As of now, however, you may consider your contract with Lord Bragg complete.”
“I’ll stay on,” Shigeru said quickly, surprising both Arthur and Samuel. “I don’t have any other plans at the moment.”
Samuel turned to stare at Grimr, assuming that this decision had come from him. The black cat showed no sign of surprise; not that the feline face could reveal too much. It’s amusing that you assume I control every aspect of Shigeru’s life. I am nothing but a companion for the time being.
Samuel accepted that at face value. “It’s fine, Arthur. I could use someone closer to my own age, and I quite like Shigeru.”
The instant the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He could have kicked himself for being so careless! His first quick glance was in the direction of the stairs, to check how many had just overheard what he’d said. Thankfully, the entry hall was empty save for themselves. Then he looked at Shigeru’s face, seeing the momentarily closed eyes, and the tightly clenched fist. “Damn. I’m so sorry.”
Arthur showed no sign of surprise at the slip. In fact, he glanced at Shigeru with a slight smirk. “I did tell you all I knew some magic, did I not?”
Before Samuel could think of anything to say to that, he heard Arthur’s voice emanating from the back of his mind. That means I can speak with my mind, and hear when others do it as well.
Grimr’s head shot up as Arthur’s voice rang out in their minds, and turned quickly to study the human. Arthur said nothing further, but dipped his head in Grimr’s direction, then stepped away from the heavy front doors, letting them close behind him. What exactly had that meant? And that nod to Grimr. Did he suspect that the cat was an Ancient? Did he know?
“A talented warrior and a gifted mage,” Shigeru said, almost sighing the words out. “If I didn’t know any better, he just made it clear exactly how much of a threat he poses, should I step out of line.”
I quite like him, the black cat rumbled with a silent laugh. He knows more than he lets on. It’s not every day you meet a mortal who possesses such a keen mind.
That was too many secrets revealed and wise, riddle-like statements from the Ancient. Samuel wanted nothing more than to have a perfectly ordinary night, complete with a meal and sleep in a comfortable bed.
“I’m going to shower,” he said, turning away from Shigeru. It seemed that his slip of the tongue hadn’t done any damage, so he discarded the guilt that had come with it. “Feel free to make yourselves at home.”