Visions… they come and they go. Fleeting memories of the past. But I can’t catch them. They fly past me so fast. All I can see is a blurry mush. But it’s so dark in here. What if my eyes suddenly stopped working? I touch my eyelids and feel myself blinking… I blink! I definitely can blink! …but nothing changes.
Just for how long am I here already?
My hands are getting cold. I keep contact with the ground but it is cold. I can feel soil under my hands — it’s soft and dry… sometimes it’s rocks.
Sobbing.
Where am I… what am I supposed to do? I’m hungry. But I don’t want to move… I feel like at any moment someone will come and save me.
Whispering
— Please… please…
I’m so, so scared…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several days later
— Albert! Since when are you so talented?
I look at the result of my clean shot — right at the head of the target dummy. With a proud expression on my face, I turn and see the same young blonde I saw on my first day.
— Oh, stop it, Mel. I just feel like it’s so easy. Like I’ve done it many times before. Look, I should hold the bow right here, and then you need to look at the target from this angle—
She quickly runs toward me.
— Maelissa for you, young man! Even though you are the Lord-Protector’s son, you can’t just shorten my name as you wish.
Today she is in another green set of clothing. This time it’s more suitable for outdoors — pants with multiple pockets and several layers on top. It looks like leather armor that I …saw before. Where could I have seen that? Hmm… anyway. Leather armor, green undergarment. She looks almost ready to go hunting, just slightly more casual.
Her pointy ears are sticking out from beneath her long, straight hair. Her smile is so innocent… and wide. Really wide. Truly wide. I feel like all elves have slightly bigger mouths. Or maybe it’s just my imagination.
— Sorry, Mel… Lady Maelissa. I make a short, joking bow. I feel like doing that recently. You are Mel, and my father is Eyo… or maybe Wyn?
— Do not even try! She grabs me by the ear and pulls me up.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
— Ow, ow, ow, ow! I drop the bow on the ground and try to escape.
— You will address the Lord-Protector by his full name — Eydwyn — or Lord-Protector, or dear father for Luna’s sake! But not this… “Wyn” thing you came up with!
— Okay, okay… just let me go!
I finally manage to escape, most likely by her mercy. I jump away and turn around as fast as I can, barely keeping my balance.
— Yes, we still have to work on your balance, sir lordling.
She giggles, then looks at me with a slightly more serious expression.
— But that’s enough for today. You’ve been practicing for three hours already. Time to eat and get ready for the surprise from your father.
Maelissa’s thoughts: Do all human children change their personalities so much at the age of ten? I thought they go through puberty later. I hope that overheating didn’t damage his brain and that there will be no consequences — or the Lord-Commander will kill me. Maybe even literally. A shiver runs down her spine.
By the time we arrived at my “father’s” audience chamber, Mel had bored me to death with her refreshers on good manners and noble etiquette.
The heavy wooden doors opened with a thud, and I saw Eydwyn talking to two strangers. One of them was a tall, slender man with a tattoo on his right hand depicting a double-headed fish. His skin was dark brown with a hint of crimson. His hands were of a seasoned fighter or a hard laborer. He was holding a spear and had several daggers strapped to his body with leather belts. His dirt-colored clothing looked more like a spontaneous collection of rags he had thrown on only to avoid being naked.
The second person looked much older. His hair was grey, and his face was covered in thick, blue-colored stripes that had no apparent structure, yet somehow still seemed purposeful. Most remarkable was the fact that two of the stripes formed sharp corners right along his cheekbones. He was wearing a bulky blue fur coat despite the mildly warm temperature in the mansion.
While I was staring at the two gentlemen, Mel pushed me toward my father.
— Sir Albert, Your Highness.
Eydwyn gestured for Maelissa to leave.
— Finally, you are here. Ger, Mayster. Eydwyn slowly extended his arm straight in front of him, palm down, gesturing from them toward me. This is my son, Albert.
The slender man leaned toward me, and I could see his fish-like eyes.
— Ssso thisss is the little guy. His voice sounded like a python that had suddenly gained consciousness and started to speak. I’m Gerr. It’s my pleasssurrre.
The older man, without even glancing in my direction, spoke:
— Understood. We will start tomorrow at sunrise.
With that, he saluted Eydwyn by bringing his fist to his heart and left.
— He isss not very talkative, Albertssss, — said Ger. — But you won’t find a ssstronger mage on thisss side of the hill… he inhaled loudly.
Eydwyn looked at me.
— These are your new teachers. I know you don’t like studying, but you must learn as much as you can if you even want to be considered to take my place as the Lord of these lands.
Being slightly shocked, I suddenly start speaking as fast as I can.
— Father, was that a real mage? And Ger, you must be some seasoned warrior? Is that really for me? I will have these great teachers? Thank you, sir. I won’t disappoint.
The Lord-Protector is clearly surprised by my reaction, but he tries his best to keep his composure.
……
Something is stirring and boiling inside me. Even though I am trying my best to pretend that I remember everything, I still have no memory of anything from before five days ago, when I woke up in this mansion. I have no love for the people surrounding me. No memory of Eydwyn being my father, or of Maelissa raising me as if she were my mother. Gestures, clothing, even the language seem foreign to me.
But for some reason, the thought of studying fencing and magic awakens something inside me. It is the first time I have felt anything this week.
I feel… happy?
