Summary: Our story begins with Erik as a young boy. On a day meant for celebration, tragedy strikes...
The Mask and the Slipper
Arrival of the Countess
Ravenskeep Château, Eastergard, 1519
"Erik! Erik! Where is that boy? Erik!"
The servant woman was not only frantic in her search for the child, but she was also growing annoyed. Today was a very important day at Ravenskeep, and there were far too many chores to get to done; the last thing she needed was a search and destroy mission for the master's son.
"Erik! Oh for heaven's sake," the woman grumbled. "Duncan!" she cried, to a tall servant, whose dark hair was streaked with silver. "Have you seen him at all?"
"I'm afraid not, my sweet," Duncan sighed, however unlike his wife, he was smiling. "Have you checked the 'usual' places?"
The woman groaned and rolled her eyes. "If I learn that he went down to that mud hole…"
"I SEE A CARRIAGE!"
The woman gasped and lifted her eyes to the tall tree that stood only a few feet away. Sure enough, right there, nestled in its colorful autumn branches…was the very boy she had been searching for.
"ERIK!" the woman shouted, her hands going to her hips as she glared up at the child. "COME DOWN THERE THIS INSTANT!"
"But Celeste!" the boy protested. "I see a carriage! I think it's—"
"No, it's not him, the carriage went past the gate," announced another child's voice, a girl to be exact.
Celeste's eyes widened with horror at the sound of her daughter's voice. "JULIA! What on earth are you…you have CHORES to do!" she was fuming. "BOTH OF YOU COME DOWN AT ONCE!"
Both of the children groaned, but did as they were told, reluctantly climbing down from the branches they had been sitting in.
"Oh, Erik, look at you!" Celeste groaned as the boy reached the ground first. "I just washed this tunic! What will your father think of me!?"
Duncan reached out and placed a calming hand on his wife's shoulder. "He'll think that Erik was simply being a nine-year old boy."
"I'll be ten tomorrow," Erik grinned proudly.
"If you last that long," Celeste growled, before shushing the boy towards the manor. "Get inside and change your tunic at once! Your father will be here at any moment, and you will not meet the Countess, looking as you do." Celeste then turned her attention on the little girl who had followed her friend up the tree. "And you, young lady," the woman growled. "You should be doing your chores, not climbing trees!"
Erik bit his lip. "It was my idea, Celeste, I bullied Julia into climbing the tree."
Celeste rolled her eyes at the boy's words. Erik would never bully a butterfly, much less a little girl. It seemed that whenever Erik got an idea into his head, Julia would quickly follow, whether that was climbing trees, swimming in the mud hole just beyond the château, or numerous other games that kept Julia away from her chores. Truly, if one did not know any better, one would truly think that the two of them were brother and sister.
"Julia, get on with your chores," Celeste muttered. "And you, young man, go and change into a new tunic this instant!"
"Yes, Mama," Julia grumbled, before turning and hurrying inside before her mother chose a harsher punishment.
Duncan only chuckled, as his wife went about her work, trying to organize everything for the Earl's return. He smiled down at Erik, who despite being given specific orders to go inside and change his dirty tunic, was trying to stand on the tips of his toes, to look down the path that led to the house. "Your father will be home soon," Duncan grinned. "And he'll have a very special birthday present for you."
Erik looked up at Duncan and smiled. "I know; I'll have a new mother, and a brother! A boy my age!"
Duncan grinned, before placing his hand on the boy's head, and mussing his shaggy black hair. "That you will, my boy, that you will. Now let's get you inside and change that tunic, before Celeste comes back and blows her top!"
Erik couldn't help but giggle at Duncan's words. "She seems awfully angry…"
"Nonsense," Duncan laughed. "She's merely tense; you know how she can be when it comes to preparing the house, and seeing that everything is in order when your father returns from his business ventures? Well, imagine that feeling, but multiplied by ten!"
Erik nodded his head. "She wants everything to be perfect for when the Countess arrives."
"Exactly," Duncan smiled. "But it will all come together, as it always does," he grinned.
They reached Erik's bedchamber by that point, and the boy quickly threw off his dirty tunic, before rushing towards a large mahogany cabinet, and pulling out a clean one. "Duncan?" he asked, as he pulled the clean tunic on over his head. "Do you think…do you think that…that the Countess, and her son…will like me?"
The servant's brow furrowed at the boy's words. "Like you? Of course they'll like you! How can a person not like you?" he grinned, helping the boy with getting his dark head through the tunic.
Erik smiled at the man's words, but it quickly began to fade. "Just…I mean…" he swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. "What about my face?"
Duncan's warm smile also faded at Erik's worried words.
Erik was not like other boys; he had a maturity about him that surpassed his young age. Within the past year, he seemed to hit his growth spurt, and was becoming quite tall, as well as broad-shouldered, just like his father. Erik always had a full head of dark hair; even when he was born his hair was black and shaggy. And his eyes were extremely striking; they were dark, brown-looking, yet when the light hit them, flecks of amber and gold could be seen. Yet the thing that separated Erik the most…was his face.
Erik's mother had died shortly after giving birth. There had been complications; Erik wasn't supposed to be born for another month, but his mother complained about cramps, and gave a scream when she realized she was bleeding. After many long, intense, and painful hours of labor, the child was finally delivered, but not without difficulty.
The boy had been born feet first…so some believed this was the cause for his disfigurement, although the doctor had no scientific explanation. Erik's tiny face was mangled, the flesh twisted and contorted on both sides, across his nose, which looked sunken in, on both cheeks, which were pink, with wrinkled bags of flesh that sometimes looked to be stretched thinly across the cheekbones, and all the way up to his brow, which had large, reddish blisters, that looked painful to the touch.
Yet Erik never complained about pain, therefore it was confirmed that his face had simply been affected by looks; the boy could still feel sensations, his eyesight had not been destroyed, and there was no problem with his mouth…which was about the only part of his face that had not been affected. Erik's father was very relieved at learning this, and despite the boy's scars, declared Erik as "perfect". It could not be denied; the man truly felt nothing but love for his son.
And that love was made obvious throughout the entire household. The Earl would not tolerate any form of teasing or cruelty towards his son, and all the servants quickly learned to hold their tongues, if they had an opinion. However, as the boy grew, the scars that covered his face became invisible. All the servants were so used to Erik's face, that none of them ever blinked upon seeing him. And while he was mischievous, as most boys his age were, Erik had a good, kind heart, which only made everyone at Ravenskeep love him all the more.
"Hear me now," Duncan murmured, bending down until he was at eye level with the boy. "Your father loves you, very much, and you and I both know that he is an excellent judge of character." Erik smiled at Duncan's words and nodded his head. "And your father would only marry a woman who also had a good, loving heart, and who will look upon you, and see you as the handsome, intelligent, troublemaker that we all know that you are."
Erik laughed and playfully shoved at Duncan's shoulders. "You really think they'll like me?" he asked, his dark eyes looking hopeful.
"Trust me, Erik," Duncan grinned. "It's impossible not to; you have such a good heart, that the beauty within it shines forth and radiates off your face."
The boy smiled at this, however the loud sound of someone clucking her tongue drew their attention to the doorway, where Celeste stood. "I did not think that changing a tunic would take as long as you both have made it!" she grumbled. "Come, come, there is still much to do, and your father will be home any moment!"
Duncan smiled at his wife, who only seemed to grumble, which only made both Duncan and Erik grin all the more. "Celeste?" Erik asked, looking up at the annoyed woman. "Do you know anything about the Countess?"
"Only that she is very beautiful," Celeste recited, recalling the letter that the Earl had sent them but a week ago.
"Did it give any details?"
"You shall just have to be patient," Celeste groaned, pausing to inspect the chambers that the other servants were preparing for the Countess and her son.
"I should do something for her," Erik whispered to Duncan. "Papa would say that is what gentlemen do."
Duncan glanced at his wife and then nodded his head at Erik. "A good idea, young master," he grinned. "Why don't you pick some wildflowers down near the pond? Just be careful," he whispered, glancing sideways at Celeste, who was barking orders at the servants. "You don't want to go and make Celeste upset again by ruining yet another tunic."
Erik grinned and nodded his head, before quickly turning and disappearing before Celeste could notice.
As soon as the boy had disappeared from the house, Julia came running in, panting and gasping and looking excited. "They're here!" she cried. "Mama! Papa! They're here!"
"THEY'RE HERE!?" Celeste gasped, her hand clutching at her chest, just over her heart. "Oooohhh, but we're not ready! The floors need to be polished, the steps need to be swept, and we haven't even finished preparing his lordship's chamber!"
"Which he will not mind one bit," Duncan reassured, putting a calming hand on his wife's shoulder, once more. "Come, let us greet our new mistress."
Celeste took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm her nerves, as she followed her husband down the stairs, and out to the front garden, where the carriage could be seen, riding up the path. "Oh, I do hope the master is not taken away so soon as he was last time," she murmured nervously under her breath.
"The shipping business is still new to him; he can not help it if it calls him away," Duncan reasoned.
Celeste's eyes narrowed at her husband's words. "Yes, but that was the whole point of going into business with that no good scoundrel, Captain Conrad."
Duncan sighed, wearily. There seemed to be no point in trying to get his wife to see a possible good side, to the Earl's business partner. "His lordship is a good judge of character; he would not go lightly into any business with a man he did not trust, just as I am sure he would not marry a woman who was not also kind and loving."
Celeste said nothing, but simply locked her eyes with the approaching carriage. "I just don't want him to leave so soon, especially not after bringing a new wife and child to Ravenskeep."
Duncan would have responded, had not the carriage pulled up right in front of the house. The servants all stood at attention, smiling as the door to the carriage burst open, and a tall, broad-shouldered man, with dark red hair, and a beard to match, emerged, smiling happily at the crowd before him.
"Welcome home, my lord!" Duncan greeted, extending a hand to help his master down from the carriage.
However, the Earl only grinned and leapt down, before wrapping his arms tightly around the servant. "Ah, Duncan! Does me good to see you!" he greeted warmly. "And Celeste! How I have missed you too!"
"Welcome home, my lord," Celeste greeted, with the same warmth and happiness as her husband. "We have missed you too."
"Ahem!"
All eyes turned towards the carriage door, and a collective gasp went up amongst the gathered crowd, as they took in the sight of the lovely woman, her strawberry-blonde hair pulled back inside an attractive jeweled net, her green eyes sparkling as she took in the sight of the house before her. "Oooh, Victor!" she gasped, smiling at the Earl. "It's more beautiful than you described!"
The Earl smiled, before reaching out and helping his new wife down from the carriage, her beautiful, flowing, purple velvet dress, shimmering in the autumn sunlight. "May I present," he said with a large grin as he looked out at the crowd around him, "the Countess Dominique Montero-Delahoussaye; my wife."
The Countess gave a dazzling smile, as all the servants quickly greeted her, calling her "milady" or "mistress". "Thank you," she purred, smiling at the crowd. "I am very happy to meet you all."
The Earl grinned, before turning his wife to introduce her to Duncan and Celeste. "My dear, this is Duncan, my steward, and his wife Celeste, the manor's housekeeper," he warmly introduced, clasping a friendly hand on Duncan's shoulder, and smiling broadly, back and forth between the two.
The Countess' smile continued to dazzle, however if one looked closely, they would think it strained. "Oh! I must say…how charming; if one did not know better, they would think the servants were your family."
Celeste's warm smile faltered slightly at the woman's words.
"Now where is…ah! There she is!" the Earl grinned, as a giggling girl pushed her way through her parents. "Julia, my girl, how I've missed you and your contagious giggles!" the Earl greeted, picking the girl up and swinging her into his arms, as she squealed joyfully, before hugging him back, just as fiercely.
"I've missed you too, my lord!" Julia grinned, as the Earl set her down, once more, upon her feet.
"How sweet," the Countess murmured, as she watched the exchange between the Earl and the servant girl. "One would think she was your own daughter, if one did not know better."
The Earl didn't seem to catch the meaning behind the Countess' words, and pulled out from the pocket of his riding tunic, a tiny necklace, beaded with different kinds of seashells. "There you are," he smiled. "I always make sure I have a present for my Julia."
Julia grinned and gave a curtsy to the Earl, before turning and happily showing the necklace to her parents.
"What a charming household, Victor," the Countess purred, although her eyes were locked more upon the house, rather than the servants who surrounded her.
"Mama…" moaned a boy's voice, and all the heads turned once more to gaze at the carriage, as a pudgy little face emerged from behind the door.
"Oh! Thomas, come down and see your new home!" the Countess cooed, as the pudgy boy, with the same strawberry-blonde hair as his mother, climbed down the carriage steps.
The boy did not share his mother's enthusiasm. "I don't like it," he grumbled.
"Thomas!" the Countess gasped, looking shocked at her son's words. "You can't judge a place without seeing it first!"
"I liked our old house better," the boy grumbled once more, not picking up on his mother's meaning.
"Thomas," she hissed, her green eyes becoming dark slits as she glared at the boy.
"It will grow on you," the Earl smiled, not shaken one moment by the boy's disdain. "New places are sometimes difficult to adapt to, but everyone here will soon make you feel at ease and at home."
The crowd murmured their agreement with the Earl, although the warmth in their eyes was by no means as bright as it had been in the Earl's.
The Countess put on another smile and turned her attentions once more to her new husband. "I must confess, Victor…of all the faces I have seen so far…the one that I expected to see, is the only one that I haven't met," she eyed the crowd, looking for a boy that resembled her husband, or was at least dressed as the child of an Earl ought to be dressed.
"You know, neither do I," the Earl murmured, looking all around. "Duncan, where is Erik?"
"PAPA! PAPA!"
The Earl turned his head in the direction of his son's voice, and let out a happy cry, as Erik came running towards him, his left fist filled to the brim with a bouquet of wildflowers…and his body, covered from head to toe, in mud.
"Erik!" Celeste hissed, looking at the boy in utter horror. "What have…where…I…" she was too horrified to even form sentences!
The Earl however didn't seem to care one bit; he picked the child up into his arms and swung him around, before crushing the boy against his chest. "My son," the Earl murmured into the boy's muddy hair, before settling Erik once more upon his feet, and grinning at his son's mud covered face. "The first face I look for, and the last I find."
"Sorry," Erik apologized, before proudly showing his fist full of flowers. "I was getting a present for the Countess!"
The Countess put on a smile as she heard the boy's words, however she ever so lightly touched the tip of her nose, in an attempt to recover her delicate senses from the muddy smell.
The Earl laughed and began to wipe the mud off his son's face. "Well you best present it to her!" he grinned, before looking up into the Countess' green eyes. "My lady, may I present my son, Erik. Erik? This is the Countess Dominique Montero-Delahoussaye, and her son Thomas."
Erik turned in his father's arms and smiled up at the woman before him, holding out the flowers to her.
The Countess, however, gasped loudly, and nearly stumbled backward, as her eyes took in the uncovered sight, of Erik's mangled flesh. "Oh my!" she gasped, quickly trying to cover up her horrified surprise. "My…I…well…" she took a deep breath and summoned all her willpower to gaze upon the boy. "Aren't you…my, aren't you handsome, Erik!"
Several of the servants frowned; they could tell that the Countess' words were not as sincere as she was trying to make them sound.
Thomas was not as tactful as his mother. "Eww!" the pudgy-faced boy gasped, staring back at Erik in disgust. "What's wrong with his face!?"
"Thomas!" the Countess hissed, before reaching out and pinching her son's ear. The two glared at each other, before the Countess turned her gaze back to Erik, and put on a sweet smile. "Forgive my son, Erik, he is still learning proper manners, apparently," she explained, before giving her son another reproachful glare.
Like the Countess, Erik also put on a smile, trying to not let Thomas' words bother him. He knew that he looked different from other people, and it was rare for Ravenskeep to receive visitors, so naturally those who were not used to seeing his face, like his father and the servants, were shocked. He just hoped that his looks wouldn't prevent a friendship between himself and his new brother.
"Well!" the Countess smiled, turning her attentions once more to her husband. "I must say, I am feeling rather tired after our long journey! I think it would be best that I retire, before dinner."
"Of course, milady," Celeste murmured, curtsying before the Countess, although anyone could tell by looking into the servant woman's eyes, that she did not entirely trust the Earl's new wife. "Follow me, please, and I will show you to your chambers."
"Oh, what a gorgeous château!" the Countess cooed, upon entering. "Oh Victor, you must give me a tour later!"
Thomas obediently followed his mother, although he wore a great big pout as he went. Erik, however, reached out and grabbed a hold of the boy's arm. "Hey! Want to go fishing?" he asked, an excited smile spreading across his face. "My father taught me, and Duncan knows this great trout stream where we can go and—"
"Fishing?" Thomas asked. His own green eyes stared at Erik's hand as if it were a bug crawling up his arm. "I don't fish."
Erik was still smiling. "That's alright, I can teach you, and it's not that hard really—"
"I don't like fish, so what's the point in fishing?" the pudgy-faced boy grumbled, before shaking his arm free from Erik's hand.
Erik was momentarily taken aback by Thomas' words. "Oh…w-w-well, that's alright!" he continued, still trying to keep high spirits. "Do you like to climb trees? I know some tall ones that look kind of scary, but they have great branches—"
"I don't like to climb trees," Thomas muttered with annoyance.
Erik was determined not to give up, although his spirits were slowly sinking. "Well do you like swimming? There's a pond near the house…as well as mud hole, which is very refreshing on hot days—"
"Don't you understand!?" Thomas groaned, practically pushing Erik away from him. "I don't want to go swimming, or fishing, or climb trees, or do anything, with you!" And without another word, the boy turned on his heel and stalked into the house, leaving a bewildered Erik in the front garden.
The other servants had all dispersed to go about their daily routines, none of them witnessing the exchange between their two young masters, save for one. Julia, who had stayed behind, came up to Erik, looking very angry at the way Thomas had spoken to her friend. "What a little pig!" she hissed into Erik's ear. "If I could, I would march right up to him and—"
"He's just overwhelmed with being in a new place," Erik murmured, his eyes never leaving the retreating figure of his new brother. "He'll come around, I'm sure of it."
Julia didn't believe one word Erik was saying; she could tell that he was straining to believe it, himself! "Erik…I don't like him," Julia confessed.
"Just give him a chance," Erik whispered, turning and smiling at the girl who he had always thought of as a sister. "After all…he's my brother."
"Erik?" the boy looked up as he heard his father's voice. He was lying in bed, his hands folded behind his head, and staring up at the ceiling. The candle by his bedside was still burning, despite the late hour.
"I thought you would surely be asleep by now," the Earl murmured, moving into the room, and kneeling by his son's bedside.
"Can't sleep," Erik confessed, trying very hard to hide the worry in his eyes.
The Earl nodded his head, but his eyes never left his son's face. "Perhaps it was because…you barely ate anything at dinner, tonight?"
Erik couldn't hide the guilt there. At dinner, he sat next to his father, smiling up at him, before turning and smiling back and forth between Thomas and the Countess. Thomas still wore the same sour expression he had been wearing all day, and the Countess, while she did smile back at him, seemed to be doing so with great strain. When dinner was served, Erik felt both the Countess' and her son's eyes upon him, and he grew very self-conscious; was it his imagination? Or…did they look disgusted with him?
"I just wasn't very hungry," Erik lied.
The Earl shook his head. "You? Not hungry? I don't believe it; you're always asking Cook for thirds," he grinned, although his smile slowly faded into a look of worry. "Is something troubling you?"
Erik sighed and sat up. "I just…w-w-what if…" he looked down, feeling so ashamed. "What if they never like me? What if…what if they think my face—"
"Erik," the Earl interrupted, his hands falling upon the boy's shoulders. "There is nothing, you understand, nothing wrong with your face," his fingers lightly moved down one of Erik's disfigured cheeks, before falling to his son's chin, and tilting his face upward.
"But…but Papa, I look different—"
"You look beautiful, you understand?" his father emphasized. A tender smile spread across his face, as he gazed down at his son. "Do you know what your mother said, when I placed you in her arms?"
Erik swallowed and shook his head. "Mama died after giving birth to me…"
The Earl sadly nodded his head, but wrapped his arms around his son as he continued the tale. "But before she died, she held you in her arms…and I held her in mine, and we both gazed down at you, and she looked up at me and said…'look out our son, Victor; isn't he the most beautiful child you've ever seen?'"
Erik felt something warm and wet touch his forehead. He looked up and noticed that there were tears, dripping down his father's cheeks. "And I agreed with her," he whispered, smiling down at his son. "Some people think beauty comes from fancy clothes, or sweet perfumes, or gold and jewels, but they are wrong," the Earl murmured, running his fingers tenderly across his son's face. "Beauty comes from the goodness of the heart; and your heart, Erik, is filled with so much warmth, goodness, and love," he smiled, despite the tears that shimmered in his eyes. "Your mother would be so proud of you. She had a good heart; truly, I never knew anyone kinder or sweeter than her…and I see so much of her, in you," he smiled.
Erik grinned at this, feeling so much better. "I know I have her eyes," he whispered.
The Earl laughed. "That you do, my son. Rich, warm, brown eyes…with flecks of amber and gold, just like your mother's. And the same black hair, like her," he smiled.
Erik hugged his father tightly, before settling back down under the blankets. "Thank you, Papa," he whispered. "You always make things better."
The Earl chuckled, before bending his head and kissing his son's brow. "Just give them time, my son. Soon, we will all feel like one, happy family."
Erik smiled and nodded his head, before murmuring "goodnight" to his father. Yes, tomorrow was a new day, and tomorrow he would begin to do what he could to win good favor with his stepmother and stepbrother.
"You mean…you only live a few miles away from the royal palace…and you NEVER go to court!?" the Countess gasped, staring across the breakfast table at her husband in utter disbelief.
The Earl simply continued eating his eggs, as if his new wife had said nothing extraordinary. "I never really saw the need, or felt the purpose," the Earl explained.
The Countess continued to stare at the Earl in wide-eyed disbelief, while her son poked at his own eggs, and made a face. "These taste funny," he grumbled.
"Put some salt on them, my dear," the Countess muttered, not wanting to be distracted by her child. She had more important things to discuss.
Erik noticed that there was no salt on the table, so he turned to Julia, who was standing nearby and asked her to fetch some. Julia gave a little curtsy, although she was not entirely thrilled about retrieving something for someone to whom she would describe as an ungrateful, spoiled, pig.
"Really, Victor, I must say I am shocked by your demeanor!"
The Earl cocked a red brow at his wife's words. "My demeanor?"
"Yes!" the Countess gasped. "How could you NOT attend court? It is your royal duty as a member of the Eastergard nobility!"
The Earl couldn't help but chuckle at the Countess' words. "My duty? Hardly, my dear. Now it is not as if I've never gone to court; there have been times when His Majesty has summoned me, and I go when my king commands; but other than those few, rare times…there truly is no point in making such a journey."
"But Victor!" the Countess sputtered, truly at a loss for words. How could anyone not wish to go to the royal court!?
Julia reappeared then, and brought the salt to the table, placing it just in front of Thomas. "Thank you, Julia," Erik politely thanked, before turning his eyes onto Thomas and waiting for the boy to say the same thing.
Thomas, however, stared back at Erik, his green eyes mixed with a look of disgust and confusion. "What? Why are you staring at me?"
Erik was taken aback by Thomas' rudeness. "She…she brought you the salt you wanted…"
"Yeah, so? That's her job," Thomas muttered, taking the salt and pouring a large amount over his eggs. "She's a servant, she's supposed to bring me what I want, and a good servant does it without being asked," Thomas grumbled, stuffing his mouth full of eggs. "You expect me to thank a servant for doing her job?"
"Thomas!" the Countess hissed, catching the tail end of the boys' conversation. The boy whined when his mother pinched his chubby arm, and only pouted further when she gave him a look of warning. Satisfied that her point had been made, she turned her eyes, once more, to the Earl. "Victor, really, do you not at least think it would be a good idea to go to court, now?"
The Earl raised his other eyebrow. "Why now, exactly?"
The Countess' patience was waning thin. "Why…because you are newly married! I mean, don't you think I should be presented to the royal court? As the new Countess of Ravenskeep?" she asked, putting on one of her sweetest smiles.
"Ah, I see," the Earl chuckled. "So that's the reason to why you're so keen?" he frowned slightly, feeling a sharp pain throb within his left arm. Ever since he had woken up, his arm had been bothering him…
The Countess' face burned brightly at her husband's accusation. "W-well…I mean…" she looked at her son and pointed directly to him. "Thomas has indicated that he is most eager to see more of this region of the country! Is that not right, dear?"
The boy's reply was a simple glare.
The Countess ignored him. "And from what I understand…the Queen is with child again! Yes, in fact, the news reached my ears right before we left the coast. There is to be a celebration in honor of the child, from what I understand. Oh please, Victor, can we not at least go to attend the celebration?"
The Earl eyed his wife for a long moment, before turning his gaze to Erik, who had been watching this whole conversation in silence. "What do you think, son? Would you like to the go the palace? After all, it is your birthday," he grinned.
Erik's small face lit up with a large smile at his father's words. "Really? Can we ride our horses there?" he asked, beaming all the more at the thought.
The Earl laughed, before reaching out and rumpling the hair atop his son's head. "Of course, son. I'll call for Duncan to get us some saddles." With that said, the Earl rose from his chair and went in search of his steward.
The Countess also rose from her chair, although her eyes glanced over at the smiling disfigured boy to whom her husband had just promised to take to the palace. She did not miss that it was the boy who won them their trip, and not her pleading.
"Victor?" she called out, quickly following her husband down the hallway.
The Earl, who was rubbing his arm as he walked, stopped and lifted a curious brow at his wife's call. "I thought you would be rushing to your chambers to change into riding clothes?"
The Countess held back her indignant gasp; ladies of her station rode in carriages, not atop horses! "Victor, I just…forgive me, but…do you think it's wise?"
The Earl's brow furrowed with confusion. "Wise?"
The Countess rolled her eyes. "Yes, do you think it's wise…that…well, that we take Erik to court?"
The Earl's brow still remained creased with confusion, however those that knew him well could see that he was struggling to control his temper. "What do you mean?"
The Countess had not known the Earl for that long…yet she could tell that she was treading on dangerous ground. "Victor, the boy is wonderful, anyone can see that—"
"Exactly," the Earl cut in, not wanting to have this conversation. "Go change into some riding clothes, Dominique. We will leave within the next half-hour."
The Countess stared at her husband's retreating back with wide eyes. Was he dismissing her!? "Victor!" she picked up her skirts and followed him at a quick pace; he was moving with thunderous strides. "Victor, be reasonable!" she hissed. "Erik is not like other people! He—"
"No, he's better," the Earl growled, rounding on the Countess with sudden speed, that if she had not been paying attention, she would have run into him. "Hear me now, Dominique, and let this be the end of the subject. Erik is my son, and if I wish to take him somewhere, then I will. If he wishes to go to someplace or see something, then I will make sure that he can. And if anyone, does not think he is good enough, simply because of how he looks…then they are ignorant fools and I do not waste my time dealing with such idiots," he spat with great venom. "Now…if you truly wish to go to court, as you were begging me earlier…then you best go and change into some riding clothes, instead of standing here and talking about such nonsense…or you can simply stay behind, while I take Erik to the palace."
The Countess stared at her husband with wide, disbelieving eyes, as the man turned on his heel, and went in search of his steward to fetch their horses, rubbing his left arm as he went.
When she had met Victor Delahoussaye, she was sure that she had easily won his heart with her dazzling smiles, batting eyes, and charming graces. When she learned he was a widower, she thought it would be easy to win him over, thinking that a man in his sad state was longing for a companion.
She had not considered the dilemma of having to fight for his affection…over his own son!
"My lord! My lord!"
The Countess lifted her head, as Celeste came running down the hallway, looking for the Earl. The Earl emerged at the opposite end of the hallway, and the Countess strained her neck, in order to catch the desperate conversation that was coming from the servant woman.
"He says there are problems! That you must come quickly!" Celeste rambled, gasping here and there between her words.
The Earl frowned and moved past Celeste into the front garden, where a bald man, with a large gold earring, sat atop a giant, black horse. "Ah, I'm glad I was able to find you Victor," the man greeted. "Come, there is not a moment to lose; you must mount your horse right away! We are needed at the port!"
The Earl looked confused. "Captain Conrad, what on earth are you talking about!? I just returned home, yesterday! My wife and her son are just getting settled—"
"I know, I know," the bald-headed man muttered, his eyes moving to the Countess who was now standing in the doorway of the house. "And I'm sorry to intrude on your honeymoon, my lord, but time is of the essence."
"What on earth are you talking about?" the Earl asked, his tone growing more and more exasperated. The pain that he had been feeling in his arm began to grow worse…
Erik and Thomas had heard the shouts, and the two of them came rushing out into the garden to see what the commotion was about. Erik bit his lip, as he looked up into the black eyes of Captain Conrad, his father's business partner. Erik had never seen a shark, but the man certainly reminded him of one, based on all the descriptions he had heard.
Captain Conrad's eyes glittered as he caught sight of the Earl's son. He had met the boy on a few occasions, and noticed how the lad had doubled in size since he last saw him.
"Conrad!" the Earl growled. "What is so important that I must be torn away from my family after just arriving at home!?"
Celeste and Duncan stood nearby and eyed the suspicious shipman. "I told you that he would try to steal the master away as soon as he could," she hissed to her husband.
"A ship of ours, returning from the East, has sunk, just off the African coast. I received word about this disaster the day after you left the port, and traveled here with great haste."
The Earl's eyes went wide at Captain Conrad's tale. "Good God…what about the crew?"
"The crew are fine, from what I understand," Captain Conrad explained. They all managed to leap off the ship and swim to safety, before the jagged rocks claimed the ship itself. But the supplies, Victor, they are all lost!"
The Earl was trying to concentrate on the man's words, but the pain in his arm had grown so intense, that he could barely feel his arm at all. "W-what…what supplies, exactly?" he asked, through clenched teeth.
"Spices from India, tea from the Orient, not to mention expensive fabrics and gemstones," Captain Conrad muttered.
The Earl tried to calculate the damages in his mind. "What happened? Was there a storm? Why were they sailing so close to the coast?"
Captain Conrad looked down at the ground, but said nothing. Erik thought the man looked guilty.
The Earl also shared his son's thoughts, for he spoke with a growl. "Why were they sailing so close to the coast?"
"My lord—"
"ANSWER MY QUESTION, CONRAD!"
Captain Conrad was taken aback by the Earl's roar, but his black, beady eyes, simply met the Earl's in a ferocious glare. "Business is business, my lord. You asked me to join you in this venture to—"
"The selling of human beings is NOT my business!" the Earl shouted. "I told you I wanted NOTHING to do with the African slave trade! No ship that bears MY name will have ANYTHING to do with that disgusting practice, you understand!?"
"My lord, no other shipping business in all of Eastergard participates in slave trading, and have we learned nothing from our fellow neighbors? Spain and Portugal have made vast amounts of money—"
"BLOOD MONEY, CONRAD!" the Earl roared. "Let the rest of the world damn itself to hell, if it wishes! Eastergard will not participate in that hellish practice, and I will certainly not start it!"
"But my lord, be reasonable—"
"Damn it, Conrad, I SAID NO! And I…I…" the Earl clutched at his left arm, and then his hand went to his chest. Erik's eyes widened with horror as he watched his father's face pale until it was as white as a sheet.
"Master!?" Celeste gasped, rushing up to the Earl's side. "Duncan! Quick! Fetch a doctor!"
"PAPA!" Erik cried, when his father fell to his knees, still clutching at his chest, his breathing becoming shorter and raspier. Erik rushed to his father's other side, his arms wrapping around his father's head as the man gasped for every painful breath.
Captain Conrad stared at the fallen man, his own face pale, and he lifted his eyes to the Countess, whose hand was covering her mouth, as she stared down at her fading husband.
"Papa! Papa, get up! Get up!" Erik pleaded, his hands gripping the edges of his father's tunic.
The Countess seemed to have recovered from her momentary stupor, and she rushed to where Erik knelt, pushed the boy out of the way, until she was leaning over her husband. "Victor!" she gasped. "Victor! Come, you must get up on your feet! We have to get to the palace! You have to present me to court!"
Erik crawled over to where Celeste knelt, and gazed down at his father with tear-filled eyes, murmuring his name over and over.
The Earl glanced at the Countess, before moving his eyes to his son's face, before lifting a weak hand to touch one of Erik's scarred cheeks. "I…I…I l-love you…" he gasped, through raspy breaths. "I…I…w-w-will…w-w-will b-be with you…always…"
Erik bit his lip, and clutched at his father's tunic all the tighter. "I love you too, Papa," he sobbed, wrapping his arms around his father's head. "Please, Papa…please don't go! Please don't leave me!"
"Love…you…Erik…" the Earl whispered, before closing his eyes, and letting his head roll back, his entire body going motionless.
The Countess stared at her dead husband in utter horror. She looked at Erik, whose face was buried against his father's chest, and then back at the still, pale face of her husband. Where was her message of goodbye? Where were her words of love and affection? He brought her to this place…and now he was leaving her!? Just like that!? "VICTOR!" she screeched. "VICTOR YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" she screamed, before sobbing hysterically.
More servants poured out into the garden, staring with wide, sad eyes, as they looked upon the awful sight. Julia stumbled towards her father, and buried her face against his stomach, as Celeste rose and leaned her head against his shoulder. All the servants crossed themselves and murmured a prayer of mourning for their dead master.
Thomas stood nearby, staring with mute disbelief at everything that had transpired.
Captain Conrad still remained atop his horse, his eyes wide with shock…but a slow, evil smile, beginning to spread across his lips.
The Countess was rocking back and forth, her face buried within her hands, as angry curses escaped her throat every so often, between her hysterical sobs.
And Erik still clung to his father, crying for him to return, praying with all his might that at any second, he would feel his father's strong arms wrap around him and hold him close.
But it was not so. On a day meant for celebration, on his tenth birthday, Erik Delahoussaye became an orphan.
And although he did not know it yet…he had also become a slave.