For a lady such as the wife he had chosen, a life of penury was simply not an option. Of course… this put the spellcaster in a rather difficult position. She, his lover, was a woman of nobility, and he, Lycoris, had never been more than a lower-class commoner. Though he knew there would be problems with stealing his lady away from a castle and an arranged marriage, including leaving the child behind to prevent war, he hadn’t exactly… thought out their financial situation right away.
However, that was all soon to be fixed! With any luck, he would soon land a job within the castle walls, which would put him just a slot higher amongst the other peasants. If he was on a better level with those who had authority, he could feel better about the safety of his family. Or, well… what he hoped might one day become a family.
Smiling to his feet, the elf continued walking down the main hall, having been wandering around until it was his turn to be heard. The sound of laughter just beyond the grand doors signified that it might not be too much longer. As such, he forced himself to stop pacing, turning toward the meeting hall and folding his arms behind his back as he cast a nervous smile toward one of the guards. Met with no response, he instantly frowned. So far this was looking like it would be a sufficiently awkward trip—a thought that only added to the rapid palpitation of his heart as guards on the inside began to open the doors.
“Don’t you worry, my lady,” one of the earlier voices called, as the horse carrying its owner trotted out into the hall. The man who had spoken was young in appearance, though his countenance bore signs of stress, and his once dark hair was peppered. Coming up beside him on a horse of his own was a man of about the same age, though of noticeably better health, his own hair a bright, contrasting orange. As he drew nearer, the elder of the two smirked, playfully punching his friend’s shoulder. “Jaden here is going to father my apprentice.”
“My lord!” the redhead hissed, his cheeks darkening as mention was made of his future spawn. “My lord, I haven’t even asked if she holds any interest in being my mate!”
Though the elf had begun to smile to himself in the background, such words seemed to hold no effect on the man to whom they had been spoken. “Do not feel so discouraged, my friend. I can already tell that the next lord will share your blood.” With that assurance given, the elder smiled, having been about to proceed forward, until his eyes landed on the waiting room’s occupant. “Oh, forgive me,” he said hurriedly, giving a dip of his head. “Were you waiting long?”
Having picked up on this man’s position, Lycoris instantly assumed the proper attitude. “Oh, do not apologize to me, my lord, for I am but a simple equerry,” he said in the midst of an extravagant bow, smiling up at the men on horseback. As he straightened himself, however, the elf gave a nervous laugh, scratching just behind one of his elongated ears. “Or at least, that will be the case if their majesties agree to take me in as their worker.”
“I see,” the grey-haired lord replied, a smile still in place. “I am Lord Aulis, and the man at my side is my captain. If you secure your place here at the castle, I trust our horses will be in capable hands the next time we pay a visit?”
“That is the idea,” Lycoris replied with a smile, searching his mind for any mention of the lord’s name that he might have remembered, in hopes that he could discover what land the other governed. Unfortunately, it seemed nothing was coming up. Of course, this was just as well, for suddenly Jaden straightened himself, his eyes turned toward the front of the castle as he sat at full attention. “Come, my lord,” he spoke, his voice calm but commanding. “It seems the pups in our unit are having a hard time controlling themselves.”
Hearing this, the elder sighed. “Ah, yes, well… Best be on our way home, then,” he suggested, bidding his horse to begin moving once again as he headed for the exit. “Good luck, stable boy. I have a good feeling about you here.”
And with that, he took off. Though Lycoris couldn’t help thinking that had been an awfully peculiar way to dismiss someone, he wasn’t entirely certain what else to do, other than head toward the meeting room, and state his position. He never would have suspected that a stable boy like himself might need to be given the wish of good fortune, but who knew? Perhaps the horses here were more challenging than he expected.
