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It had been a little over a week since Viana had seized the farmlands. The entire province was under watch by armed guards. Anyone who refused to surrender their lands to Viana was arrested by the military and their lands were seized anyway. Those who stayed on were given a meager wage of two rupees per day.
Rusl and his family had been evicted from the manor and were moved to a small farmhouse that belonged to a farmer who had refused to leave and was arrested. Viana himself took up residence in the manor, and regularly patrolled the farmlands, looking for the slightest errors to punish.
"I don't believe this," Mido said, "You STILL support Arcturio's men?"
"There's no way Ganondorf can win!" Fado said, "The war'll be over in a few weeks and Ganondorf'll be dead."
"Well said. Well said indeed," came Viana's snide voice from the stable door. The dark haired noble stepped forward, and cracked his whip on the ground, right next to Mido's foot. "You, on the other hand, are speaking treason." He grabbed Mido's chin with his gloved hand, and brought the small stable hand close. "See to it that I do not hear it again." He tossed Mido to the ground and smiled. He turned to Fado and said, "I need a horse. He needs to be swift and strong. Give me your best."
"Yes, sir," Fado said, moving towards Epona. Link saw this and stepped in.
"I recommend this one, sir," Link said, pointing to a large, gray stallion. "Fastest on the farm, and durable as any other horse."
Viana furrowed his brow. "You," he said, turning to Fado, "You weren't going for this horse, were you?"
"No, sir," Fado replied, "I was goin' for Epona here. Fastest in the whole province, tougher than any stallion we got."
Viana grimaced. "A mare?" he asked, not wanting to sully himself by riding one. He glanced at the scowling Link and smiled, "Well, if you say she's the fastest, then I guess I'll take her for a ride." He pointed at Link with his whip and said, "You there. Saddle her up, and be quick about it."
Begrudgingly, the blonde obliged. He went to retrieve the saddle, shoving Fado to the side as he did so. As he placed the saddle on, he stroked her mane and led her out of the stable. Viana climbed up and sat down in the saddle. He looked at Link and smiled. He then kicked Link to the floor. "Too slow, boy," the nobleman spat, "When I say 'be quick about it,' you damn well best be quick about it." He turned Epona around and rode off.
Link staggered to his feet as Mido and Fado walked over to help him up.
"Sorry, Link," Fado said.
Link shook free of their grips, and stormed inside the stable. He angrily grabbed a pitchfork and began stabbing and shoveling hay.
Link stood alone at the doorway of the stable. Fado and Mido had left already, all the work was done. The only thing left was to settle Epona back into her pen.
It wasn't long before he could see Epona and Viana come into view. The nobleman rode closer, and dismounted at the stable door.
"Well, perhaps I have misjudged you, boy. At least you had the sense to stick around," he said as he dismounted. Link stepped forward and grabbed Epona's reigns and led her back to her pen. As he removed the stable, he noticed a long scar running across her backside.
"What the hell is this?!" he asked angrily.
"She wasn't going fast enough, so I… encouraged her," Viana said, cracking his whip.
Link's eyes widened, and the narrowed with anger. "You whipped her?" he asked, enraged. "You WHIPPED her?"
"Yes," Viana stated bluntly, and furrowed his brow. "She's a useless animal. Doesn't do as she's told. She would serve better as a meal than a mare."
Link clenched his fist and stepped forward, "You arrogant, pompous son of a-"
CRACK
Link fell back to the floor as Viana cracked his whip across the stable hand's chest. The nobleman stepped forward and planted his boot firmly on Link's chest. "You forget yourself, boy," Viana chided, "I am the governor of these lands. And of you. Remember it." He removed his boot from Link's chest and walked away. As he approached the stable exit, he stopped and turned to Link. "Normally, I'd threaten you with arrest. But, somehow, I think you'd stop caring after a bit. So here's my ultimatum to you, boy. Stay in line, or I have this pitiful excuse for a horse gutted and thrown in the river. Do we understand each other?"
Link staggered to his feet, his teeth bared in anger.
"I said," Viana repeated himself, "Do we understand each other?'"
Link narrowed his eyes, giving a glare so sharp, as if to try and pierce Viana's skull with it. But he remained silent.
"You don't listen well," Viana said, and stepped over to Link. He lifted himself up on his toes to be at eye level with Link. "I asked you a question. You will answer me. Like I said, 'Stay in line.' Now, I ask you again. Do we understand each other?"
"Yes, sir," Link growled.
"Good," Viana replied, turning to leave. "It's time you learned who had the power here, boy. When you get here tomorrow, prepare the gray stallion you mentioned earlier. He'll be much better than that moronic beast you call a horse."
Link clenched his fist and stared at Viana with a look of hatred. As soon as the nobleman was out of view, he let out a loud, guttural shout and punched a wooden beam hard enough to nearly break it.
He was snapped out of his rage by Epona's whinny. He grabbed a few sugar cubes and walked over to the mare.
TADA. CAPITULO TRES.
Do you hate Viana yet? Did you already hate him?
Was this chapter good? How so? Bad? How so? Can I make it better? How so?