Sequel: Letras Perdidas ›
The Rising Sun
Dinner Talk
Night had fallen already. The Duke and four of his most loyal men ate at the end of the table with Duke Faballe at one of the head. Behind him, a crackling fireplace lit up the room. It was somewhat small, with room for about twenty or thirty comfortably seated guests. There was one wooden door left of the fireplace which connected to the kitchen, and another to the right that was used to go from the castle's main hall to the dinner room. One last door opened to the yard, but it was almost always closed, since the Duke had not many visitors. There was a chandelier upon the roof with ten melted candles that hadn't been replaced in many months. All and all, it resembled more an Inn than a Duke's table, but the men cheerfully drank some heavy beer and ate some of the deer they had caught.
-He is too old not to be married.- said Eustace Warner, an english knight that had accompanied the Duke since his first battles and whose familly had always been under the Faballe's care. His long golden hair and big nose made him look like some sort of lion, a very old and weary mountain lion. He was also Samuel's father and taught Joseph everything about swords and bows that he knew. He had once fought side to side in the northern provinces of Tuscany but he was now retired, not joining the cruzades because of his advanced age. At his fifty, he still looked like forty, but he chose to spend his last years with Samuel in his friends castle.
The discussion had now gotten to the usual debate on whether Joseph should be pressured to take a bride. At his twenty five, he had to be married by now, and at least have one baby child. But Joseph had shown no interest in marrying, instead he just pondered on the wonders of the skies above and the earths beneath. Some even said that such a behaviour questioned Joseph's manhood, but of course, all of this was said behind the Duke's back, yet people were starting to talk, and rumors are always easily spread.
-Well, this deer is somewhat small isn't it?- snapped Fioro Lorenzo, who held a slice of the deer's meat and stared at it with spite. Fioro was a pale, greasy, black haired middle aged man. He had a small nose with slits for nosestrils and a big mouth with red lips. He had a scar on his bottom lip caused by his first encounter with the Duke, which ended when Fioro's surrendered after he almost lost his lip. This scar made him a bith itchy and constantly lick it with his long and thin tongue. After the duel, Fioro greatly praised the duke and offered himself to his service. He was an excellent physician and often healed the squad after a battle.
-Well, I can swear I saw this deer's father somewhere around here, but it might be to risky to chaze the leader of the group with such a light armour.- said the Duke, who hadn't yet eaten a bite and had his hands crossed in front of him, as if pondering on something.-Plus so much excitement tires me so much more than a few years ago.
-Have you had no notice of Lord Joseph?- Marco asked. He was a former mercenary, bald and very big. His eyes were penetrating and smaller than what his head would suggest. His big chest and torso were big enough to cover Fioro two times and his hands grasped two legs at a time. He was the biggest of the group, and as his job recquired, the most violent. This was compensated with his cold precaution and calculation. He was a proffesional of war after all. -Perhaps he has grown you out Arthur, and he might have catched that stud.
-I higly doubt it- repplied Fioro, who was giving small bites to the meat and licking his lips after each on of them - He can't even catch a woman.- he was about to let a sissling laugh escape his ugly mouth when someone barged in.
-Well you'd be surprised Fioro.
Everyone turnet at the door that lead to the yard, and Joseph was behind it, letting the snow invade the dry and cozy room. He was pulling the deer by the horns, with Samuel pushing from behind the legs. They stumbled in the room and left the deer on the floor, which didn't stain the wooden floor with blood just because it had already frozen by the snow falling outside.
Joseph and Samuel took their capes off, soaking everything with the snow and the water dripping out of them. They dropped them on the floor and ran to the fireplace, starting to warm themselves, exagerating the moanings of pleasure just to annoy the older men.
-Well, well, well - started Eustace - if it isn't the dynamic duo, so you did catch the big game after all didn't you?- He walked to the deer and touched the crest, examining the conditions it was left in. The neck had been broken, but the skin was of a very good cuality and the horns would make some very elegant masterpieces. And of course, the meat would be greatly appreciated by the Duke's men, specially Marco.
-You have grown very strong indeed kids, dragging that heavy deer all the way from the forest to the kitchen.- complimented Marco, he stood up and approached Samuel and Joseph, he was about to say something but Fioro interupted harshly:
-Yeah well, you could've at least make it to dinner, we had to eat this lousy puppy and I'm still starving, god knows the deer is scarce now a days.
-Talking about puppies...- Joseph's face transformed, he was serious and swallowed some saliva before continuing, -...Laelaps is dead. He raced for the deer's neck but it turned to fast and Laelaps couldn't turn in mid.air and got hit biy the deer's horns right in his head.
The Duke sighed deeply, his eyes were gray with age and he blinked slowly. Laelaps had been a gift from a very cherished prior when he was a kid.
-It had been my haunting dog since I was half your age Joseph.
-But dad, Sirius was right behind and...
-Relax, it was Laelap's time, as soon it will be mine to stop haunting, I'm almost sixty.
-And you age really well my Lord.- added Fioro. Joseph looked at him with disdain, but rolled his eyes afterwards. He was used to Fioro trying to kiss his fathers behinds, everyone but the Duke seemed to noticed he was after his fortune.
-Anyways, we were wondering when are you going to get married. There is..
-Oh come on father, don't start with this again.
-Don't talk like that to the Duke you scoundrel!- remarked Fioro, but Marco laid a heavy hand in Joseph's shoulder and repplied calmly:
-And don't you dare to start calling the Duke's son by any names.
This was usually what occured during dinner time. Hunger made Fioro very grumpy and made him make scornfull remarks about Joseph, trying to undermine his heritage in some vane hope that he might get more than he deserved from the Duke's death. Fioro's big mouth was left unpunished just because he was the Dukes physician, and most of all his counselor.
After the usual encounter between Fioro and Joseph, the knights would insist some more on the marriage issue, they would make some jokes and Fioro would say some sarcastic thing, but Joseph just joked back and everything was left unsolved. So everyone went to their places of sleep while the silently efficient servants pulled the deer down to the kitchen, of course, with great effort and not at all silent.
The servants and guests usually sleept in the first floor, where the animals and carts where stocked. Since the main hall was next to the pen where horses where kept, it smelled of manure and dirt, but it was a scent one got used to over time. Beds where improvised stackts of hay for almost everyone, but Fioro had his own stone room next to the castle and Eustace and Samuel slept in a wooden shack in the yard. Only Marco was left to sleep in the first floor, which he didn't whine about. There were many young servants willing to sleep side by side with a big, strong man as him.
The seconf floor was used as a storage room, for grains and leathers and other daily products. It was a floor were guests and residents were not seen often, but the servants where practically living in there, since they had to bring and take everything from it.
Finally the third floor, which was the smallest of all, was meant to be the private rooms for the Duke and his family, each one with a room for themselves, and perhaps a room for really important guests. It was in this floor were Joseph and the Duke lived, where once Lady Mariamne shared the bed with the Duke before her sudden death.
The night was cold and the snow crawled up the windows, which were no more than a piece of linnen and rarley made of glass. The cozy fire at the dinner room died out and the castle was left amid the cold winterstorm.
-He is too old not to be married.- said Eustace Warner, an english knight that had accompanied the Duke since his first battles and whose familly had always been under the Faballe's care. His long golden hair and big nose made him look like some sort of lion, a very old and weary mountain lion. He was also Samuel's father and taught Joseph everything about swords and bows that he knew. He had once fought side to side in the northern provinces of Tuscany but he was now retired, not joining the cruzades because of his advanced age. At his fifty, he still looked like forty, but he chose to spend his last years with Samuel in his friends castle.
The discussion had now gotten to the usual debate on whether Joseph should be pressured to take a bride. At his twenty five, he had to be married by now, and at least have one baby child. But Joseph had shown no interest in marrying, instead he just pondered on the wonders of the skies above and the earths beneath. Some even said that such a behaviour questioned Joseph's manhood, but of course, all of this was said behind the Duke's back, yet people were starting to talk, and rumors are always easily spread.
-Well, this deer is somewhat small isn't it?- snapped Fioro Lorenzo, who held a slice of the deer's meat and stared at it with spite. Fioro was a pale, greasy, black haired middle aged man. He had a small nose with slits for nosestrils and a big mouth with red lips. He had a scar on his bottom lip caused by his first encounter with the Duke, which ended when Fioro's surrendered after he almost lost his lip. This scar made him a bith itchy and constantly lick it with his long and thin tongue. After the duel, Fioro greatly praised the duke and offered himself to his service. He was an excellent physician and often healed the squad after a battle.
-Well, I can swear I saw this deer's father somewhere around here, but it might be to risky to chaze the leader of the group with such a light armour.- said the Duke, who hadn't yet eaten a bite and had his hands crossed in front of him, as if pondering on something.-Plus so much excitement tires me so much more than a few years ago.
-Have you had no notice of Lord Joseph?- Marco asked. He was a former mercenary, bald and very big. His eyes were penetrating and smaller than what his head would suggest. His big chest and torso were big enough to cover Fioro two times and his hands grasped two legs at a time. He was the biggest of the group, and as his job recquired, the most violent. This was compensated with his cold precaution and calculation. He was a proffesional of war after all. -Perhaps he has grown you out Arthur, and he might have catched that stud.
-I higly doubt it- repplied Fioro, who was giving small bites to the meat and licking his lips after each on of them - He can't even catch a woman.- he was about to let a sissling laugh escape his ugly mouth when someone barged in.
-Well you'd be surprised Fioro.
Everyone turnet at the door that lead to the yard, and Joseph was behind it, letting the snow invade the dry and cozy room. He was pulling the deer by the horns, with Samuel pushing from behind the legs. They stumbled in the room and left the deer on the floor, which didn't stain the wooden floor with blood just because it had already frozen by the snow falling outside.
Joseph and Samuel took their capes off, soaking everything with the snow and the water dripping out of them. They dropped them on the floor and ran to the fireplace, starting to warm themselves, exagerating the moanings of pleasure just to annoy the older men.
-Well, well, well - started Eustace - if it isn't the dynamic duo, so you did catch the big game after all didn't you?- He walked to the deer and touched the crest, examining the conditions it was left in. The neck had been broken, but the skin was of a very good cuality and the horns would make some very elegant masterpieces. And of course, the meat would be greatly appreciated by the Duke's men, specially Marco.
-You have grown very strong indeed kids, dragging that heavy deer all the way from the forest to the kitchen.- complimented Marco, he stood up and approached Samuel and Joseph, he was about to say something but Fioro interupted harshly:
-Yeah well, you could've at least make it to dinner, we had to eat this lousy puppy and I'm still starving, god knows the deer is scarce now a days.
-Talking about puppies...- Joseph's face transformed, he was serious and swallowed some saliva before continuing, -...Laelaps is dead. He raced for the deer's neck but it turned to fast and Laelaps couldn't turn in mid.air and got hit biy the deer's horns right in his head.
The Duke sighed deeply, his eyes were gray with age and he blinked slowly. Laelaps had been a gift from a very cherished prior when he was a kid.
-It had been my haunting dog since I was half your age Joseph.
-But dad, Sirius was right behind and...
-Relax, it was Laelap's time, as soon it will be mine to stop haunting, I'm almost sixty.
-And you age really well my Lord.- added Fioro. Joseph looked at him with disdain, but rolled his eyes afterwards. He was used to Fioro trying to kiss his fathers behinds, everyone but the Duke seemed to noticed he was after his fortune.
-Anyways, we were wondering when are you going to get married. There is..
-Oh come on father, don't start with this again.
-Don't talk like that to the Duke you scoundrel!- remarked Fioro, but Marco laid a heavy hand in Joseph's shoulder and repplied calmly:
-And don't you dare to start calling the Duke's son by any names.
This was usually what occured during dinner time. Hunger made Fioro very grumpy and made him make scornfull remarks about Joseph, trying to undermine his heritage in some vane hope that he might get more than he deserved from the Duke's death. Fioro's big mouth was left unpunished just because he was the Dukes physician, and most of all his counselor.
After the usual encounter between Fioro and Joseph, the knights would insist some more on the marriage issue, they would make some jokes and Fioro would say some sarcastic thing, but Joseph just joked back and everything was left unsolved. So everyone went to their places of sleep while the silently efficient servants pulled the deer down to the kitchen, of course, with great effort and not at all silent.
The servants and guests usually sleept in the first floor, where the animals and carts where stocked. Since the main hall was next to the pen where horses where kept, it smelled of manure and dirt, but it was a scent one got used to over time. Beds where improvised stackts of hay for almost everyone, but Fioro had his own stone room next to the castle and Eustace and Samuel slept in a wooden shack in the yard. Only Marco was left to sleep in the first floor, which he didn't whine about. There were many young servants willing to sleep side by side with a big, strong man as him.
The seconf floor was used as a storage room, for grains and leathers and other daily products. It was a floor were guests and residents were not seen often, but the servants where practically living in there, since they had to bring and take everything from it.
Finally the third floor, which was the smallest of all, was meant to be the private rooms for the Duke and his family, each one with a room for themselves, and perhaps a room for really important guests. It was in this floor were Joseph and the Duke lived, where once Lady Mariamne shared the bed with the Duke before her sudden death.
The night was cold and the snow crawled up the windows, which were no more than a piece of linnen and rarley made of glass. The cozy fire at the dinner room died out and the castle was left amid the cold winterstorm.