Edward {ManXMan} ✔

Two

That night I sat at my desk, the fireplace, and the small candle before me lighting the room. Edward had made his way two hours before. Stating that he could not spend the night without it looking rather suspicious. Which of course was true. With Harlow and the staff running around nothing was kept secret.

So that evening as the manor grew quiet I stayed up with my ledger and a quill trying to recount the events of the day. But as always I simply got off track and began to write of the day I first saw Edward.

It was many of years ago. I was no older than eight when my father had decided it was time for me to witness my first jousting match. Tsar being the ever so quick ten years old had already been to a dozen or so matches with the knights. He had informed me of all I was to see the night before as we sat in my bed legs crossed, gossiping like two old hens.

"Keep your eyes open for Ser Benedict Talbot. He is by far the best in our village. Quick, strong, handsome. He is everything a knight wishes to be. He is what I wish to be. He spoke to me once you know? Asked me to polish his helmet. I nearly fell right to the ground in a fit! Best day of my life!"

"Pay attention." My father scolded as we walked through the grounds. I looked up at him. I looked up to him really. From a young age, I had wished to be just like my father, like many young boys and men do. But my father was amazing. He was large, built like a house, His red beard was well taken care of as was the rest of him. He was a man to fear, a man who had won two wars and earned himself the spot as a king, not just because of his father before him. If I was to be king. I wanted to be everything my father was. But sadly years later I realized that was not an option. He wore everything with an air of dignity. From his red and white robe to his black trousers. He was all anyone had wanted to be.

That's why I was over the moon to finally be going to the grounds with him. He had told me it was for me to learn, and I observed everything like it was my first day of life.

"Ah, Benedict. Glad to see you've made it today. I want the boy to see a real knight in action."

"Ai m'lord. That's not thee little one there now is it? Why is his but the size of a girl." Ser Talbot had commented bending down to my level. He wasn't as handsome as Tsar had said. His hair was a thick mop of black that fell onto his shoulders in knots. Swamp green eyes with a little mole under them, I could see where Tsar thought he was handsome. But not this close up. I frowned at his words then, I would be the first to admit that yes, I was small. Then and even now everything about me was not that of a strong man like my father. No matter how I pushed myself to be on the same level as anyone else my age, I was always three or four below them. "Oi Lad," Talbot called gaining my attention again. "Yous gonna be a strong Lord like yer father right?" I nodded enthusiastically. "Ye should start training now then boy. Get some meat on em bones." He patted the top of my head, like a was some sort of horse before standing to his full height and began a conversation with my father again.

Looking around the yard I was in awe of everything going on, the way people move and dressed. The day was hot, men wore nothing but pants until they had to dress in their armor. The grass was a bright green everywhere but on the pit where the matches were held. On a normal day, the pit would be empty, sept for the knights in waiting. But today a pole was laid in the middle so that a knight could joust on each side with their mare or stallion.

As my eyes wandered they fell onto a medium sided red tent with a blue dressing around it. But it wasn't the tent that caught my eyes. No, it was the boy standing in front of it. His black hair was tied back from his face, blue eyes looking down as a look of pure concentration was settled on his face as he sharpened a knife using a sharp rock.