Amaru
02-09-07, 05:15 PM
Why in Thayne am I here? Amaru wondered, not for the first time. He glanced to his right. There strode one of the Gray Keep’s household guards. He glanced to his left. There strode another. They seemed identical, in their matched livery, and the superior looks on their faces. He was lowborn after all, and they were knights noble. Amaru had a few other titles for them, and nothing close to noble, but he kept them to himself with sealed lips and a stiff face.
“Here we are, sir,” the guard said as they topped a hill and saw the keep. He made the word “sir” sound more like “sea slug” and gave the title grudgingly. Amaru forced himself to walk ahead, looking at neither of them. He knew they were good, with good families and good hearts, but even good men needed a good, swift kick in the butt at times. And Amaru would have been more than happy to teach them such a lesson. But I can’t provoke anyone, or I will ruin all, Amaru thought. I’m disgusting, like some tame dog.
That had stung, not being able to bring Fox. She might be a miserable nuisance, but she was better company than this lot. When they’d ordered her to stay, it’d taken a few minutes to sooth his companion before setting off. Yet he didn’t dare to refuse their invitation. Though his father was…well, that sort of father, Amaru couldn’t offend him. It’d be his undoing. First and foremost, Amasser was a lord, not a father. And a big prick.
“This way, sir.”
They led Amaru through the gates, as though he wouldn’t know where to go. Yet he forgot about that, soon enough, when he saw the breathtaking scenery of the garden. It was splendid, as large as a courtyard, with perfect stone paths wending between beautiful flowers and artful hedges. The hedges were cut into the likeness of relics and beasts. Amaru passed a unicorn, a dragon, a castle, a goddess, even an ogre. There was a pool rimmed by rocks, and Amaru paused to look down in it. Beneath the lily pads swam fish, orange and bright. He watched them drifting languidly for a few moments, until one of his guards told him pointedly they must move on. Amaru followed.
They reached the massive doors, and there Amaru stopped. “Thank you sirs,” he said. “I see now the chivalry in my father’s household, and I hold you in esteem as much as Lord Amasser himself.” He wondered if they knew the slight at them, but he gave them no chance to respond. “Now, I shall go alone, please.”
Both of the guards went rigid. “We were instructed to take you to your father, my lord.”
“If you call me lord, you will do as I command,” Amaru pointed out carelessly. “I admit, little love is lost between me and my sire, but we’ll soon find out one anothers standing with him when I tell him how pesky his guards were.”
The guards and Amaru looked at one another, and looked at one another, and looked at one another. Amaru finally passed them by and entered. They stayed where they were. With the triumph, Amaru felt half a lord himself, until he saw the inside. He had expected splendor, but not…such magnificence. After losing count of all the silk tapestries, the carvings in the furniture, the numerous chandeliers, the boy shook his head in disbelief and moved on. It took him several minutes, in which he knew the way. He wondered how he had forgotten about the decorations. He had been so young then…so naïve. If my mother is dead, my father will take me, he had known, or so he thought.
His plan to startle his father was doused when he saw the servant standing in waiting outside his door. He looked at Amaru, gave a sniff of distaste at his clothing, and entered the room with nary a word. Moments later, he returned and said to Amaru, “Enter.”
“What would have become of me without your service?” Amaru asked. “Likely I would have stood at the door, staring at it and wondering what it was for.”
An eyebrow was lifted. “Enter.” So Amaru did.
The study was plain where the rest of the house was splendid. There were sheafs of intricate manuscripts, fabulous tomes, but otherwise the furniture was plain, the walls devoid of decoration. His father sat behind a sturdy desk, and he glanced up when Amaru walked in. “You are as insolent as ever,” he said, when he saw the absence of the guards.
Amaru remembered what had happened last time, and was determined not to weep. You are of my body, yes. But so is my snot, Lord Amasser had said.
“Good to see you too father,” Amaru said. “You know how much I’ve missed you, and you me.”
“Do you know naught but witticisms?” the lord asked. “And rudeness?”
“I am a witty fellow,” Amaru said. “I got that from my mother, I reckon. I think I got the latter from you, and to my shame, your looks.” It was true. They were both long of limb, dark skinned, wheat hair. Amaru could see perfectly what he would grow into. I have his name and his looks, Amaru thought bitterly.
“Would that my trueborn son have had my look,” his father said. “Not some bastard.”
You are a fool. What right does a bastard presume to ask anything of me? Lord Amasser said to the eight year old boy.
“Why, I am truly born as much as the next person,” Amaru said. “Besides, it’s not me to blame, you were the bloody one who made me. But that means little.” He had not missed his father’s wording. “You say ‘have had’ not ‘has’. Did something happened to your son?”
I want no part of you. You weep, but I know money is all you want. I doubt your mother is truly dead. She waits out of sight, rubbing her hands in anticipation for a bit of gold.
Amasser set down the sheaf of paper he was holding. He looked at Amaru slowly. “My true son is dead,” he said grimly. “The only trueborn child I had. You are my eldest son, and until I have a child from my wife, you shall be my heir. Are you so happy to hear my misfortune?”
This is some cruel jest, Amaru thought. He is lying. Yet his father was cold, not hot blooded. He wouldn’t go to all the trouble to hurt him…he never had even summoned him, not for so many years. I am bitter, Amaru realized. I love my life, love what I do, and yet when I pass in here I hate all, and he reminds me of what I truly am.
“Truly?” Amaru asked, green eyes studying his father’s face, searching.
“To my woe,” Amasser said.
“To my woe,” Lord Amasser had said coldly, so long ago, “I must needs provide for you. It is out of pity, not love.” He looked to the servant. “Now remove him from my sights. And give him a bath. He stinks.”
Amaru felt his mouth tighten. “You are a decade too late. I will never be your heir. You are more of a bastard than I am.” He turned and left his father to his studies.
“Here we are, sir,” the guard said as they topped a hill and saw the keep. He made the word “sir” sound more like “sea slug” and gave the title grudgingly. Amaru forced himself to walk ahead, looking at neither of them. He knew they were good, with good families and good hearts, but even good men needed a good, swift kick in the butt at times. And Amaru would have been more than happy to teach them such a lesson. But I can’t provoke anyone, or I will ruin all, Amaru thought. I’m disgusting, like some tame dog.
That had stung, not being able to bring Fox. She might be a miserable nuisance, but she was better company than this lot. When they’d ordered her to stay, it’d taken a few minutes to sooth his companion before setting off. Yet he didn’t dare to refuse their invitation. Though his father was…well, that sort of father, Amaru couldn’t offend him. It’d be his undoing. First and foremost, Amasser was a lord, not a father. And a big prick.
“This way, sir.”
They led Amaru through the gates, as though he wouldn’t know where to go. Yet he forgot about that, soon enough, when he saw the breathtaking scenery of the garden. It was splendid, as large as a courtyard, with perfect stone paths wending between beautiful flowers and artful hedges. The hedges were cut into the likeness of relics and beasts. Amaru passed a unicorn, a dragon, a castle, a goddess, even an ogre. There was a pool rimmed by rocks, and Amaru paused to look down in it. Beneath the lily pads swam fish, orange and bright. He watched them drifting languidly for a few moments, until one of his guards told him pointedly they must move on. Amaru followed.
They reached the massive doors, and there Amaru stopped. “Thank you sirs,” he said. “I see now the chivalry in my father’s household, and I hold you in esteem as much as Lord Amasser himself.” He wondered if they knew the slight at them, but he gave them no chance to respond. “Now, I shall go alone, please.”
Both of the guards went rigid. “We were instructed to take you to your father, my lord.”
“If you call me lord, you will do as I command,” Amaru pointed out carelessly. “I admit, little love is lost between me and my sire, but we’ll soon find out one anothers standing with him when I tell him how pesky his guards were.”
The guards and Amaru looked at one another, and looked at one another, and looked at one another. Amaru finally passed them by and entered. They stayed where they were. With the triumph, Amaru felt half a lord himself, until he saw the inside. He had expected splendor, but not…such magnificence. After losing count of all the silk tapestries, the carvings in the furniture, the numerous chandeliers, the boy shook his head in disbelief and moved on. It took him several minutes, in which he knew the way. He wondered how he had forgotten about the decorations. He had been so young then…so naïve. If my mother is dead, my father will take me, he had known, or so he thought.
His plan to startle his father was doused when he saw the servant standing in waiting outside his door. He looked at Amaru, gave a sniff of distaste at his clothing, and entered the room with nary a word. Moments later, he returned and said to Amaru, “Enter.”
“What would have become of me without your service?” Amaru asked. “Likely I would have stood at the door, staring at it and wondering what it was for.”
An eyebrow was lifted. “Enter.” So Amaru did.
The study was plain where the rest of the house was splendid. There were sheafs of intricate manuscripts, fabulous tomes, but otherwise the furniture was plain, the walls devoid of decoration. His father sat behind a sturdy desk, and he glanced up when Amaru walked in. “You are as insolent as ever,” he said, when he saw the absence of the guards.
Amaru remembered what had happened last time, and was determined not to weep. You are of my body, yes. But so is my snot, Lord Amasser had said.
“Good to see you too father,” Amaru said. “You know how much I’ve missed you, and you me.”
“Do you know naught but witticisms?” the lord asked. “And rudeness?”
“I am a witty fellow,” Amaru said. “I got that from my mother, I reckon. I think I got the latter from you, and to my shame, your looks.” It was true. They were both long of limb, dark skinned, wheat hair. Amaru could see perfectly what he would grow into. I have his name and his looks, Amaru thought bitterly.
“Would that my trueborn son have had my look,” his father said. “Not some bastard.”
You are a fool. What right does a bastard presume to ask anything of me? Lord Amasser said to the eight year old boy.
“Why, I am truly born as much as the next person,” Amaru said. “Besides, it’s not me to blame, you were the bloody one who made me. But that means little.” He had not missed his father’s wording. “You say ‘have had’ not ‘has’. Did something happened to your son?”
I want no part of you. You weep, but I know money is all you want. I doubt your mother is truly dead. She waits out of sight, rubbing her hands in anticipation for a bit of gold.
Amasser set down the sheaf of paper he was holding. He looked at Amaru slowly. “My true son is dead,” he said grimly. “The only trueborn child I had. You are my eldest son, and until I have a child from my wife, you shall be my heir. Are you so happy to hear my misfortune?”
This is some cruel jest, Amaru thought. He is lying. Yet his father was cold, not hot blooded. He wouldn’t go to all the trouble to hurt him…he never had even summoned him, not for so many years. I am bitter, Amaru realized. I love my life, love what I do, and yet when I pass in here I hate all, and he reminds me of what I truly am.
“Truly?” Amaru asked, green eyes studying his father’s face, searching.
“To my woe,” Amasser said.
“To my woe,” Lord Amasser had said coldly, so long ago, “I must needs provide for you. It is out of pity, not love.” He looked to the servant. “Now remove him from my sights. And give him a bath. He stinks.”
Amaru felt his mouth tighten. “You are a decade too late. I will never be your heir. You are more of a bastard than I am.” He turned and left his father to his studies.