Nobility 1

Dagobert opens up the envelope and reads the contained letter. He sighs once he’s read it all. He stands up from his desk and begins to walk. He enters Win’s room through the open door and sees him standing in the center of the room swinging his sword. All the marks from his first night of reclusion are still there.

“Win, every time I come here, I wonder why you won’t fix up this room. I’m sure you’re strong enough to do it yourself in a heartbeat.”

“Doing something like that is pointless. All it does is stoke our own egos. Father, if you don’t need anything from me, leave.”

“So a man can’t even check in with his son anymore? Well, I’m here for business anyway. You’re coming with me to the capital.”

“I refuse.”

“You refuse?”

“I don’t want to. I want to stay inside if possible, and I would prefer it if I never need to enter a city.”

“How will you become a lord like this, Win?”

“I have no intention of doing that either.”

“Well, unfortunately for you, you’re still my heir regardless. And neither you nor I have any choice in this matter. Prepare yourself. We leave in an hour.”

“Hold on, I still haven’t agreed to this! At least tell me why I’m being forced to the capital!” Dagobert sighs, clearly just as irritated as his son, though for different reasons.

“It’s a royal order.”

Several hours later Win and Dagobert sit across from each other in the carriage. Win has his chin on his palm as he looks out the window at the rolling plains stretching out before them. Dagobert has been speaking, but Win is transfixed. He can’t take his eyes away from the open plains and the clear blue sky. However, he suddenly sits up at his father’s voice.

“Win! Have you been listening to me?”

“No, not at all Father.” Win returns to looking out the window. Dagobert looks out his own window. “What is it you’re so interested in out there, Win?” Win answers Dagobert’s earnest question.

“The plains are beautiful.”

“I suppose they are. You find the world so beautiful, yet you insist on locking yourself up inside. I suppose I’ll never understand it.”

“You don’t need to.”

“Win…”

“I’ll listen this time.” Dagobert sighs.

“I was just telling you about the rest of our plans. We should reach the Cearo estate by sunset, where we’ll rest for the night.”

“Cearo? Then…”

“Yes. They’re family, Win, so please show them the proper respect.” Win responds without much care.

“Very well.”

“Moving on, tomorrow morning we will continue on towards the capital. We should again reach the city around sunset. Duke Leafa has graciously decided to host us when he heard we received such a sudden summons, so show him the proper respect as well.”

“Am I meant to respect the Duke or my Lord Uncle more?”

“The Duke, though that’s no excuse to disrespect your uncle.”

“Very well.” There’s a slight smirk on Win’s face as he looks out the window.

“Win…” Dagobert intends to say more, to reach out to his son, but when he looks at his serene expression as he looks out to the plains, he cannot bring himself to.

The carriage rolls into the city. Unlike the Lufian estate, which lies quite a bit away from its central city, the Cearo estate is in the center of the city. Win looks out at the city, at the people gathering to watch the strange carriage pass by, with cold eyes. Dagobert grimaces as he looks at his son.

The carriage comes to a stop once it has entered the fenced yard around the Cearo estate. Dagobert and Win disembark. A man several years Dagobert’s elder stands waiting for them. He greets them warmly and openly.

“Lord Dagobert, it’s a pleasure to see you again!”

“It’s been far too long indeed, Lord Eadgar!” Eadgar looks at Win.

“You must be Winfred. It seems you’ve grown well. You might not remember me, but I’m your uncle. How has your mother been?” Win bows deeply to him, then walks right past in silence. Eadgar looks shocked at him.

“Please forgive him. He’s had quite a bit of trouble with people since his instructor passed. And Sigiland is doing well.”

“That’s good. I hope being around his cousins is good for him.”

“Your own children, right. I apologize we weren’t able to visit when they were born.”

“It’s no foul, I know you’ve been preoccupied with governance these past years.”

“How many children do you have?”

“Four.” Dagobert smiles.

“It seems you’ve been blessed with a large family.”

They have dinner with Eadgar, his wife, and their children soon after their arrival. Afterwards, Win tries to avoid his cousins, all of them younger than him, and excited to meet him. He finds them bothersome in a way Odila never could be. He wants to be rid of them, but cannot seem to shake them within their own home.

Win decides that as much as he hates the idea, the city proper might be better than spending more time in the manor. He breaks away from his cousins and loses them. In the brief respite from them he’s earned himself, he goes out to the city. He sneaks out, opting to jump over the fence rather than take the proper entrance.

The city is quiet at this hour. He takes no pleasure in taking in the architecture, but is certainly preferable to a loud and crowded day. The thought of being among people disgusts him. Win can’t handle the idea that the hordes of strangers might ogle him out of their passing interest in a mysterious stranger. That sort of disposition irritates him, and he knows it would have come to pass.

He walks on the streets in contemplation of the world and its ills. His thoughts are interrupted as the night sets in. He finds a woman being accosted by several thugs away from any light. Such an act disgusts him the most. On Earth he hated the bullies, the common thugs, the wars, all the wanton violence enacted by man. He hates even more now that he finds himself in a world he finds even more beautiful.

In a single swift motion he knocks all three men to the ground. He takes a single glance at the woman with cold eyes. She seems frightened by him for a moment, but tries to thank him nonetheless. Win interrupts her as he begins to leave.

“It’s all just self-satisfaction.”

With his mind even more engulfed in contemplation, Win returns to the manor. His mood has soured even more than when he first left, but whether this walk was good or bad, he does not know.