The Gifts

Stan huddled under the musty wall of the keep, out of everyone else's sight. He will not cry. Tears are for girls his father said. And most definitely he was not a girl. He shook his head fervently. Tears threatened, and he covered the gash on his leg with his small hand, propping his head on his knees. He stood there a long time, enough to miss the older boy approaching and leaning against the wall near him.

The blood stopped, and the pain subsided. Stan tore a strip of linen from his shirt and wrapped it hastily around his calf. He pushed up with his hands and struggled to raise.  'You know…' the older boy said, making short work of a knife and a piece of wood

Stan looked up with a start, sprung to his feet and assumed the stance.

'… you might want to loosen the bandage on your leg and maybe clean it up a bit. It wouldn't do to fester, wouldn't it?' the older boy continued unperturbed.

Stan looked at his leg, then warily at the boy.

'My name is Niklaus' the boy said, offering his hand. 'I am Lord Bade's son; we arrived at the castle a short time ago'.

'… and heir', Stan filled in silently. He accepted the offered hand and did his best to shake it powerfully as his father expected. He then looked at his leg, and Niklaus nodded in a friendly manner.

Stan reached for the bandage when Niklaus crouched and untied it. He pulled the wineskin from his belt and winked:
'It will sting, but it will keep you out of trouble' he grinned and poured a small amount over the gash.

Stan's eyes teared again but he willed them back with all his might. Niklaus was already wrapping the linen around his calf and tying a tidy knot. He straightened and motioned Stan to walk with him.

Stan tensed; only his father was allowed to order him around. Should he reveal he is Lord Ioannis' son or keep the charade a bit more? He smiled. Charade was what he did best.

'I'm glad you are feeling better, lad', Niklaus said. 'Go to your mother. Would you know by chance where I could find lord Stan? His father would see him immediately'

'I will tell him if I see him, my lord. Now I have to see my mother. Thank you for your kindness!' and he rushed towards the servant's quarters. At least, one part was the truth. He had to see his mother.
***
Stan didn't take the servant's path through the castle but slipped through a hidden door near the entrance and rushed to his mother's rooms.

The corridor was damp and spears of light cut through the darkness at regular intervals. The spy holes still made him uncomfortable as he sped ignoring the sounds coming from them.

He stopped and peeked through the hole in front of him. He heard his mother's maid's voice:
'Shall I prepare the ivory dress, Lady Stana?"
'Yes, and the gold embroidered coat, please'

Stan let himself  slide down by the wall, to relax his leg and wait for the maid to leave his mother's room.

He heard the door knob turn; he jumped to his feet, pushed the hidden stone in the wall and sneaked into the room. The slight thud of the door as the servant left covered the click of the wall door closing.

Stana turned and startled. She then smiled:
'Well done, Stan! I couldn't see you enter; you are improving! Ah, your father requires your presence in the hall and... ' she stopped looking at the child's leg. 'What happened?' she asked with worry in her voice.

'It's just a scrape, mama. We've seen to it with some brandy.'

'We? ' Stana asked while bending to untie the make-shift bandage. She cleaned it with water and poured more brandy on it.

Stan tried to stop the tears and answered with clipped words:
'Niklaus and I.' Stan answered.

'Oh' Stana smiled, spread a greenish salve and replaced the bandage with a clean strip of linen.

'Off with you, your father needs you in your full armor suit, helmet and all'  she grimaced.

Stan's eyes grew a bit at the news, and he rushed to his room, slamming the door in his haste.

Stana sighed and returned to the dressing table.
***
His metal clad steps resonated through the main hall. He kept his pace steady and self-assured, as his father expected. He advanced confidently with the helm under his elbow and stopped before Ioannis.

Stan suppressed a grin when Niklaus' jaw slacked in astonishment. He ignored it and bowed curtly before his father.

Ioannis motioned to his son to take the place at his right. Only then Stan noticed the crowd gathered in the hall. He gulped and waited for the ceremony to start.

Ioannis raised his hand and asked for silence.

"Our prince honored us with his trust and exquisite gifts. Today we will show our loyalty by pledging what we have most sacred and dear to his service."

Ioannis looked at Stan and then bowed to the dusty man sitting ten paces away. Bade followed suit and bowed.

The messenger, as Stan assumed him to be, nodded towards Ioannis and Bade with a motion to proceed.

Ioannis looked at the doors signaling to the guards to open them. Two messengers carrying what it seemed to be a couple of big boxes approached and put their load on the floor before Ioannis.

'Repeat after me, Stan: today we pledge our lives, loyalty and support to our prince, Voivode Vlad of the house of the Dragon, to his sons and the freedom of our country!'

Stan was puzzled, but he obeyed his father. Ioannis motioned to the messengers, and they unveiled the first gift. A collective gasp was heard as everyone admired the exquisite saddle with intricate silver embossing. 'It is time to have a proper saddle', my son, Ioannis said. 'May it forever be with you as a remainder of the oath we took today'.

Stan was thrilled. Although only 7 he loved riding. He never dreamed of such a beautiful saddle. The importance of the oath slipped away as he neared the saddle and touched it shyly.

His enjoyment was cut short by Ioannis's sign to return to his place.

The messenger unveiled an intricately carved sword. Bade and Ioannis were rendered speechless for a moment as they well knew it was coming from the masters in Toledo.

Bade took the sword and presented it to Niklaus. The boy received it with trembling hands and a bowed head while reciting the oath together with his father. He never met anyone of the house of the Dragon, but he felt sure nobody will ever come between him and his oath.

If Ioannis was disappointed with the gifts, he never let it show. Both gifts brought honor for those upon whom they were bestowed. And yet, why did he think the sword the bigger of the two?

He dismissed the assembly and invited Bade and the messenger in his private office.

Before Niklaus could ask any questions, Stan hurried to join his mother and disappeared together in her private quarters.

Niklaus sighed and looked for his father's squire. He has a sword to learn and a wager to play.
***
Stan looked at his mother and asked:

'Can I wear the dress now, mama?'

The woman sighed and relented.

'You can, but only in my garden, Stana. You know we cannot risk being discovered.'

'I know mama; I wish people wouldn't hate girls so much. Sometimes I'd like to wear dresses like Erzbet. Do you think I'd be as beautiful as she is?'

The woman sighed again and hugged her daughter hard.

'You're more beautiful than Erzbet. ' she smiled. 'Go enjoy the sun and the flowers, there's nobody in the garden.'

To make sure of it, she opened the doors and scanned the small garden surrounded by the tall walls. She watched how the slender girl with brown curls floated into the garden. She could have sworn it was a butterfly among the flowers. She closed the doors to the terrace and left the room. She secured the lock to make sure no one would enter. This was the routine she established from the very beginning to keep the secret. No servants or visitors were allowed while the doors were locked.

The woman rotated her shoulders to release the stress and sighed again. What choice did she have but to obey her husband.... Or otherwise  Tamas will seize the land and kill Ioannis. With no male heir, the lands would be taken and the two of them sent to a convent.

She headed to the stables. A short ride was just what she needed to soothe her fears. She would come back and have Stana wear again her breeches. Hide her hair under the bonnet. Look at the hurt in her eyes and pretend this is how things should be.

Stana's mother looked for her horse and stopped by her daughter's mare. She looked at the shiny saddle and remembered the ceremony where she received the heirloom.

"Defectus Seminis" she whispered.

The charade looked simple when Ioannis explained it to her. The only thing she didn't foresee was the pain in a child's eyes...

She jumped on her mare's back and rode in a flurry of dust. For a few precious moments, she would just forget...
***
Niklaus knew he was intruding. The wall beckoned. He wagered with his father's squire that he will climb it. Beyond the thrill of the climb, he would get to use his new Toledo sword in a mock battle.

He found his footing and pushed over the edge of the wall. To his surprise, the ground on the other side was much closer. There was a canopy right under his foot, hiding probably a bench. He could jump just in front of it.

He balanced on the edge, pushed with his legs and kept his body low. He landed graciously right in front of the canopy and turned to find out what was it hiding.

A sharp sting in the corner of one eye made him let out a piercing cry, close the other eye and cover his face with his hands in an attempt to remove the offending object.

A punch on his side made him double. By the time he regained his breath and could open his eyes, there was nobody in front of him.

He turned fast but all he could catch was a glimpse of a green dress and a mass of deep brown curls sneaking through the terrace door.

The door closed, and Niklaus wondered who the woman in Ioannis' household could be. Was it a niece? He thought he might ask his father. On a second thought, he couldn't. He broke the trust of his host by breaking into a private area. This mystery will have to wait until he found a way to get out. He studied the canopy and found a dent to place his foot. He pushed and grabbed the edge of the wall. His eye stung, and he winced in pain as his ribs reminded him of the blow. Going down was much harder than going up the exterior wall.

He did his best to ignore the pain. Once down though, it dawned on him... She could have blinded him, but she didn't. He held his ribs. Only a trained lad would have hit that well. He blew the air in frustration. The one question he wanted to ask more than anything couldn't be asked...

1956 words.