Master, my Master | boyxboy | [alternate happy ending]

II - Seven Years Later

Handing Ava over to his mother's arms, Eli thought for a moment. There was always a stand in the village that was littered with flyers for job openings, so he guessed he and his father were going there.

Sure enough, he was right.

After tugging on his worn rider boots, he and his father trekked into Brimonhive. The dreary town had a black and white feel to it, the markets were all a somber gray, the ground was usually soaked and muddy from the rain, and the sky was cloudy overhead. There were many people shopping at the different shops for things like wheat, dairy, fabric, and meat, but where he and his father were headed was just about the most crowded spot. The open plaza was where all news of Brimonhive was plastered, as well as news that came from lands outside of town, even countries, news all the way from the north and overseas as well.

Eli waited at the back of the crowd of men while his father disappeared into it, and when he emerged again, his father had a couple of crinkled papers in his hand. "Jobs, son, many jobs are out there for us to take hold of."

He scanned one particular flier and pointed to it, "Look, there's a position at the Lord's manor. The Lancechester's. They're looking for a 'young, strapping footman'." He looked up at Eli, "You sure are a very strapping young man, and those nippy lords...they pay well."

The thought of working under the maddening of any nobility didn't sit well with Eli, but as he looked over the many other jobs, he knew his father was right about it paying the best. He'd be able to live on the ground of the manor, that is, if the lord who was in search for a servant picked him out of a lineup of whoever else had gotten the idea to attempt being hired.

Without objection, Eli soon found himself standing in front of a large ivory tan bricked manor a couple kilometers outside of Brimonhive. He was dressed in his best brown trousers, a white button down with braces over his shoulders, and his rose red hair was tamed, pulled back in a low bowtie. His mother had even taken the time to polish his black boots. "Present yourself nice and tidy," she'd said to him, "The nobility don't take kindly to disorder."

There were two uniformed guards standing in front of the black iron gate blocking the entry to the manor. Eli looked toward them as they stared into the distance, and they only seemed to take notice of him when he cleared his throat. "Pardon me," he said, "I'm here for the servant position."

The guards didn't change their still expressions, just turned to the gate, grabbed the handles beside the lock, and drew it open enough for him to fit through.

Eli didn't feel right as he moved by them and into the vicinity of the manor. The stone paved path led to the massive home, but it was the greenery that caught his attention. The trimmed pastures that stretched for a good distance around the large home was vast, two crystal clear, rectangular lakes centered the head of it, beautiful gardens sat dashing to the eye with their shrubs and flowers, and Eli was impressed by the stagecoach stalled out in front of the u-shaped turn before the main doors. The manor itself; however, was something to be envied. It was nothing short of a breathtaking palace, made of pale tan brick and it stood three stories high. There were so many windows to look out of, intricate designs carved into stone, and mild touches of floral vegetation grew up along the face of the home.

Approaching the doors at the top of the wide steps, Eli didn't have to knock when they were opened for him. Two more guards in their olive green, gold speckled uniforms stepped aside for him, allowing him entry through the front. He entered the foyer once the doors were closed in him, a large front area he noted could fit just about two cottages from the village in it. The floors were white with marble, the soaring walls were papered prettily, and portraits of landscapes were hung about them. A wide curved stairwell struck Eli's awe next. The steps were white and they led up to the second and third floors, archways on either side of him and in front leading into different parts of the manor. This place...it was extraordinarily massive!