A loud pound occurs on a small farm door and the young girl answers staring up at the noble young man in front of her. He smiles kindly to the girl motioning back to the broken down cart.
"I do apologize, but are your parents home?"
The girl glances up to the young man smiling as she opens the door and eyes the cart. she stares over the odd young man with his glasses, tightened black tunic and a black belt with a gold symbol on it and she steps back asking.
"who, who are you?"
the young man fixes his glasses smiling kindly to the younger girl.
"oh so sorry the name is Alvis. I am a scholar from the city of Galvin. we, we sadly broke a few wheels and well it is getting dark you see-"
A woman's voice interrupts and the girl steps back eyeing her mother as her mother walks up to her side eyeing the young man in expensive clothing as she states.
"we don't want anything."
Alvis waves his hand disagreeing with the woman as he smiles kindly and places out his hand.
"Lord Alvis from Galvin perhaps you have heard of the city?"
The woman thinks to herself as she nods her head.
"yes, I've heard a few things about it in my youth. the city of wealth and scholars."
the man nods his head smiling to the woman as he explains.
"We were just on our way to the Nolan kingdom and sadly we broke down. I was wondering perhaps if you'd mind if we stayed in your barn for a few nights?"
the woman remains quiet and Alvis takes out some gold showing her as he comments.
"I would, of course, make it worth your while. I know times have been hard as I hear it Lord Crane has increased the farming tax on the crops this winter."
Alvis holds out the gold and opens his hands motioning to it smiling. the younger girl looks it over with a smile and Alvis notices it as he motions down.
"it's real I assure. my family is quite good for it."
the woman pulls her daughter back eyeing the boy over noticing his clan markings on his neck and studies it but can't make it out. she sighs out trying to determine what clan and asks outright.
"and what clan would that be?"
Alvis remains quiet and the woman leans forward as she demands.
"speak up now boy I won't have any stranger living in my home for days without knowing your roots."
"Cullen, clan Cullen of Galvin."
the woman looks over the young man and studies him examining him for any lies as he holds out the gold.
"all of it is yours my lady if we can just stay in the barn. we will not be of any trouble I assure you my peasants are well mannered."
Alvis holds out the gold and the woman takes the small pieces as she motions to the barn and comments.
"dinner at sundown if you wish some you will be welcomed in, but just you boy."
The young man nods his head as he comments staring down the older woman.
"aye, my lady very kind of you."
she slams the door in his face and he nods his head as he fixes his glasses and motions to his peasants.
"bring it in then, into the barn the air is getting cold."
Alvis walks towards the barn watching his peasants push the cart and he motions forwards.
"let's go then the longer you take the less food you get."
The doors slam shut and one of the peasants releases his hood as he nods to his master.
"why are we even going to Nolan castle?"
Alvis fixes his glasses and stares around the barn annoyed by his surroundings as he questions the peasant.
"you serve without question do you not?"
the peasant remains quiet and Alvis motions to the men in the room.
"you have a high honor that King Archibald has blessed you with. to serve me, and my work. the good it will do your clan and my own should be enough."
One of the peasants shakes his head disagreeing as his markings are the same as Alvis.
"aye I agree with them my lord but this is insanity. traveling land to land like we got no home. studying what? doing what? none of this makes sense my lord. what is the purpose of any of this? winter is here, cold and snow will come and then what?"
Alvis motions to his peasants as he stands tall reminding them.
"You serve me and my mission. that is all you need to know."
one of his slaves brushes his hands along his arms warming himself as he asks respectfully.
"Lord Galvin I served your family for many years, but what is the mission you speak of?"
Alvis goes to speak, but he hears a knock and a girl's voice ring out.
"my lord the sun has set."
His slaves look to him and he nods his head as he walks by them all leaving them alone in the barn. the younger girl looks up to the man and he smiles down to her asking.
"so what clan do you belong?"
she plays with her blond hair but changes subjects.
"so you're a Galvin?"
Alvis stops and the girl giggles as she stares him over.
"it is alright I won't tell my mother you lied and I can understand why."
She stares him over examining his good looks and turns her head as she speaks facts.
"your family is well known among the monarchy as tyrants and everyone knows the story of the two brothers."
Alvis stops remembering what occurred and the girl stares him over as she comments.
"the story of how your father became king is it not?"
The girl stares the boy over and she comments.
"he, he poisoned his elder brother so he would be his father's successor, but his father found out and locked him in the dungeon and he was beaten for weeks."
Alvis remains quiet thinking of the story and the girl continues.
"but of course he was the heir so eventually his father released him and-"
The girl stops as Alvis brings up his hand and softly speaks.
"I, I rather not recall my father's history or any of my family for that matter. I am just a scholar, wanting to learn all I can about the histories of the clans."
Alvis stares the younger girl over and she curtsy to him as she stares into his eyes.
"of, of course, my lord I am sorry I just. you're a prince, and not just any prince, but of the richest city in the monarchy, the first city."
Alvis corrects her as he leans towards the girl flirtatiously.
"the only real city."
The girl looks down feeling her face grow hot under his gaze and the front door opens as her mother glances over her daughter and the young noble and motions in.
"the sun is down."
Alvis fixes his clothes staring over the woman kindly.
"aye, thank you, my lady."
He walks in and she eyes his back staring him down as her daughter comes in after, but she pulls her aside sending her daughter a warning.
"do not talk to this man Maci promise me?"
Her daughter remains quiet and she whispers.
"noblemen have their ways and girl look at me."
He mother grips her face and stares her young daughter down as she comments.
"do not get mixed up with this man."
Maci nods her head and walks forward sitting at the table and remains quiet watching her mother set the table. Alvis sips a small cup of water and asks curiously.
"your husband, what of him?"
The woman remains quiet and Maci interrupts as she answers.
"pa, he died during the war with Lord Edmond one of many."
Alvis sits back thinking to himself as he glances around the small farmhouse and comments.
"and, they let you keep your land?"
He fixes his glasses eyeing over the woman and she sets food on plates remaining quiet as Maci again comments.
"Lord Nolan said it was a great honor and let us keep it. he told ma herself."
Lord Alvis fixes his glasses as he looks up thinking to himself and comments.
"did he?"
He says it as if he doesn't believe it and the woman looks to him and places down some food ignoring the younger man's gaze. Alvis sits back with a smile on his lips and glances to the younger girl sitting in her chair. He again fixes his glasses and puts his words out carefully as he asks.
"being a widow and having a daughter of age not yet ceremonied must be quite difficult my lady."
Alvis picks up some food on a fork and shoves it into his mouth as he stares down the younger girl, but the woman comments.
"I want my daughter to wait before she is-"
She stops herself and Alvis sits back as he comments again.
"the land upkeep must be hard though with the new taxes from lord crane-"
The woman interrupts him placing down more food as she stares down the young lord.
"we manage."
Lord Alvis stares down the woman's daughter with a sly smile and the girl looks down picking at her food as he asks the mother.
"well, perhaps I could buy it in exchange for something I wish-"
He stares down the girl and her mother places more food on the table as she shakes her head disagreeing.
"I am sure it may seem so simple to you my lord, but this family doesn't work that way."
Alvis remains quiet picking up his fork as the younger girl looks over the young man examining his expensive attire and eyes the way he elegantly holds the fork in his hands and eats without making a mess. She keeps watching the older boy and her mother joins the table eating as well. The younger girl stares over Alvis fascinated by him and asks outright.
"what is Galvin like?"
The woman motions to her daughter as she quiets her down commenting.
"none of that, eat your food."
As the woman clears the plates she motions to her daughter. Her daughter goes upstairs as she eyes Alvis from the stairs, he smiles to himself hearing the woman's voice.
"you do best to keep your eyes in your head boy."
The woman holds a dagger towards him as she demands.
"you stay in that barn till it's fixed then you get out. I won't have you trying to make a taint on my daughter."
Lord Alvis stares the woman down and whispers to her making sure his voice doesn't carry.
"I recommend you lower the dagger, my lady. I would hate for you to make any more mistakes."
She motions to the door and Alvis walks towards it, but he steps back recommending to the woman.
"put it down my lady."
She lowers the dagger but feels the man's hand come around her neck pulling her out into the dirt. he takes her dagger shoving it deep into her chest and continues to stab her as the woman cries out. a peasant comes out and places his hands over the woman's mouth as Alvis demands his peasant.
"shut her up."
His peasant keeps his hand over the woman's mouth as Alvis keeps stabbing her till her screams die down and her body stops moving. Alvis wipes the dagger on the woman's clothes and eyes it over as he comments.
"rather nice, a Nolan dagger. I always wanted one."
The peasant releases his hand from the woman's mouth and stares down as he asks.
"Lord, lord Galvin what should we do with her? If Nolan's find out-"
Lord Galvin nods his head to the farmland and whispers.
"they will not, even if they did who would ever make a move on the Galvins? dump her body on the land and steal whatever she has to keep, boy."
the young peasant boy smiles as he asks.
"keep?"
Lord Galvin nods to his peasant as he whispers.
"yes, even the gold, boy, if you keep this quiet. you are loyal to your lord are you not?"
The young peasant nods to his master as he searches the dead woman's pockets finding gold coins and placing it in his pockets as he smiles to his rich lord.
"aye my lord."
Lord Galvin gets up and his slave takes a cloth wiping the blood from his face and he looks down as the peasant wipes some from his clothes. he smiles to himself and walks through the farmhouse door and closes it over. he walks up the stairs and to a door standing outside as he fixes his hair and smiles to himself. slowly he walks into the room eyeing the girl laying down and again fixes his hair and his gloves. Alvis slowly closes the door behind him over and approaches the girl on the bed and softly rubs her back. she turns seeing the young lord and he presses his finger to his lips.
"Shh, your mother is asleep, girl."
He leans forward kissing the girl and runs his hands under the covers as she asks.
"my lord?"
Lord Galvin turns over in bed eyeing the girl not next to him and hears a voice.
"mother, she left a note. she said she had to leave, that she couldn't afford to stay anymore."
Alvis sits up behind the girl and smiles to himself as he speaks.
"come with me to Nolan city then?"
She looks back and Lord Galvin smiles as he comments.
"you can serve house Galvin."