Fernanda. Esperanza Carlotta Inez Medina y Sandoval, or rather the count's sister, as some knew her, walked down the main plaza.
"It feels nice to be out and about again, doesn't it, Negro?"she scommented, cheerfully.
"Yes."he answered.
People greeted her, as she passed by. She hadn't been out in a while, as she had been ill. She belonged to a family of noble blood. Her uncle, her mother's brother was the Conde de Aragon. Everyone knew her as his sister, as her mother hadn't ever married. The only ones who knew the truth were her, her mother, her uncle, her cousins, and some other relatives. And the servants, of course, but they would never say anything about it. Not like this creature walking behind her. Rogue, she had named him. Her Tio Ricardo had given him to her for one of her birthdays. He had been castrated since he was a boy. Well, most of them were, anyway. And his only purpose in life was to look after the lady he was assigned to, which was her.
I could probably convince some of these people to give me a job, Lance thought. Even if it was just as one of their servants. He supposed they must pay them well. After all, they were dressed in the finest clothes, and looked very happy, walking along behind their masters, sitting in front of a carriage, bearing a sedan chair where inside, most likely a lady would be sitting. But how would he go about approaching one of them?
"I haven't seen you around here, boy."said a man on a horse behind him.
Lance turned around. He wore a military uniform. Lance couldn't tell if he was a captain, a general, or anything, just that he was a military man, which meant he could probably put them in prison or anything if he ever found out how they got there. He would have to be polite to make a good impression on him.
"You're not from around here, are you?"he asked him again.
"Um, no sir. I just got here. I'm just a poor boy with no family. Just my friends. We're living in some old shack, where, well, we don't even fit to be honest…um, colonel."
"Captain, boy, Captain. Ortiz. Captian Jose Joaquin Manuel Fernando Ortiz y Mendoza."
"Sorry, Captain. I'm sorry if I descended you."
"Quite the contrary. You ascended me."
He seemed quite pleased by it.
"I was just here, wondering if there was anyone needing any help, cause I need an employement."
"Well, perhaps I could give you something to do. I could hire you to look after my horses. Thoroughbreds, all of them."he said. "I wouldn't trust just anyone with them, and you look like someone capable of it."
"Oh, that you would be an honor."
"Very well."
He told Lance where he lived, and said he would see him there. Lance was overwhelmed that he should have such good luck, and on the first try. The captain didn't seem like he would be too harsh. He looked, after all, not much older than himself. Perhaps a little older, considering that he was a captian, not just an ordinary soldier.
"You guys won't believe that I just got us an income!"said Lance, as he walked in.
"What?"
"Well, I bumped into the captain of the army, or something, and he offered to pay me to look after his horses. Said I looked like someone he could trust."
Pietro was almost jumping up and down.
"Does that mean we'll have some food?"asked Blob.
"What that means is that you guys have to start looking for somewhere else for us to live. We can't possibly live in this dump!"he exclaimed as he was about to swat a bug.
Toad got there first, and ate it.
"Why not?"he asked. "I like it here."
"Lance is right."Pietro stepped in. "You could probably recommend us to the captian. Is he tough?"
Lance shrugged.
"Must be. To be in the army and all that."
"Then maybe he might have some friends who are a little more relaxed."he said.
"I don't think he looks like the kind of guy who has a lot of friends who like to have fun. He looked more like his friends are just like him. Spending their time obsessed with their work and all that."