Page 4 of Rise of a Fallen Man

“That’s not true. You had a dowry,” I objected. “Our tea set is a part of it.”

He huffed a laugh. It was a sad, miserable laugh, but it was still better than tears.

“That tea set was all my parents had of value. A family heirloom, you see?” Father pulled his hat lower over his head and hiked up his collar to hide from the bitter wind. “The set is your aunt’s now, like everything else. But she didn’t want to keep you. She has three boys of her own. All will need a dowry at some point, and you’d be just another mouth to feed. Herhusband also said he’d hate to have more men in the house, so...” He waved a hand in the direction of the village as if rejecting that entire place after they had rejected us.

A heavy feeling pressed on my chest. The house where I’d spent all my life was no longer my home. We had no shelter to get out of this cold.

“What are we going to do?”

Father patted my shoulder reassuringly.

“We’ll go to Lady Lana’s manor, son. She owns everything around here.” He swept with his arm toward the frozen fields that surrounded the cemetery and the dark strip of the forest in the distance. “Surely, she’ll find a place for you and me.” He took my hand again, tugging me along the path toward the road. “Your mother wrote to Lady Lana, asking for her kindness. The lady agreed to take you in as a companion for her son. He’s about the same age as you.”

I’d never been to a lady’s manor. Living in one seemed exciting.

“What does it mean to be his companion? What will I have to do?”

“It’s kind of like being his friend,” Father explained. “You’ll play with the little lord, sit in the lessons with him, learn everything they teach him.”

“Like what?”

He shrugged. “To read the right books, to dance, and to fence with a sword like a gentleman.”

“I know my way with a sword already. You taught me.”

“It’s not the same.” Father shook his head, huddling into his coat against the wind as we left the cemetery behind. “Noble folks have their own ways of doing things. When they teach you, you’ll learn how to act just like them.”

“What for?”

“For your future, boy. You’ll have a chance of a better marriage if you speak and act like a highborn. If you gain Lady Lana’s favor, she’ll find you a good wife and may even offer a dowry for you. You’ll have a chance at a much better life than any man in our family ever had, son.”

I hadn’t met a noble lady before. I had no way of knowing whether marrying one would be a good thing, but Father seemed to think it was. His face lit up with hope, and I didn’t question it.

“And you, Father? What will you do when I get married? Will you stay with me and my new family?”

He grunted uncertainly, then tugged his coat closer around him.

“I’ll be around,” he replied evasively. “But you’re getting way ahead of yourself, boy. Let’s just get there first.”

The road ran down the hill. My boots slid on the hard, frozen dirt mixed with ice and snow. Freezing wind pelted my cheeks and nose, no matter how hard I tried to hide my face in my coat. But Father’s hope proved contagious. Huddling into the coat I’d already outgrown since the last winter, I hurried along, lured by the promise of a better life.

Chapter 2

Salas

Otto, Lord Emil’s fencing teacher, launched forward in an attack. I deflected it, lunging forward in turn. He leaped aside, the cork on the tip of my blade brushing past his ribs on the left.

“Very good, Salas.” Otto panted, catching his breath.

I grinned, and he moved again, the corked tip of his sword poking in my chest with enough force to leave a bruise.

“And that’s how you win.” Otto smirked. “Don’t let flattery distract you, boy. Pretty words aren’t worth dying for.”

I stepped back, rubbing my chest.

“My turn!” Lord Emil rushed me, wielding his sword.

I stepped aside. Following the momentum, Emil lost his balance, tripped over his feet, and fell.

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