When we had finished eating. It was a silent breakfast as always my father sipped a little of his morning wine before looking to my brother and sister. And then to me before speaking.
"Starting today you will starting learning to use a sword boy. Your brother has already been learning since he was 10 and yet you have picked up a blade only once. I pay my knights good money to keep order of my lands and train your brother as is. So I hired a mercenary instead to teach you." My father said plainly as if I would have no choice.
Truth was he was right. What I do if a member from another Solrein family challenged me to a honor duel. I had only tried a sword once when I was twelve. It was a weird feeling. I enjoyed it a little until I realized while it was easy to swing it was harder to block when the blade was being pushed towards you suddenly as varying strong forces. Broke my wrist that day. Never tried again.
"I... Of course my Praetor. But certainty a house guard at the very least could teach me?" I said as I had to bite back my tongue a little.
"Nonsense boy. I have already hired the man. And besides I need someone with real experience in battle to teach you at the very least. Most of these guards have not been in a real battle in nearly twenty or thirty years. The mercenary will train you." My father said, setting down his empty wine glass as my eyes drifted to the ceiling in a silent minds prayer to any higher power to save me from this even if it was needed.
"I understand completely my Praetor. At which time does this person expect me then if I may ask." I said as I was fully aware of my brother eyeing me and my sister the same. Clearly both unsure if they can go or not. After all our father often dismissed us or simply left after each meal. It was almost like a trap. Stay too long and he'll think they're nosey. But if it's the other option and they get up then they'll get a talking to.
"They will be expecting you at 1300. Do not be late. They might be hired by me but that doesn't stop them from leaving if you don not show up."
My father said as he stood his chair slid backwards across the black and white marble floor of the dining hall. The light from the large open windows framing his six foot, seven inch height. His curly black hair like mine but longer as his reached his shoulders and mine was just pushed back lazily behind my ears and back. Our red ruby eyes meeting each other before he turned leaving.
His heavy metal black and red greatcoat swinging below at his knees with his turn. "Breakfast is over. You are all dismissed."
With that he walked out as both my brother and sister finally looked at ease and started getting up. And I followed along. Not even noticing out of habit as servants grabbed the dishware and utensils. Wiping the table clean and sliding out chairs back in without a single word to any of us.
"Blake I think father has finally gone mad. You? A sword? Sorry but we all know your not a fighter," My brother Rayland Justinian Margrave said as he opened his arms waving me head to toe as he stood nearly a full head taller then me.
"I must say I agree with Rayland. Blake your simply not a fighter. A artist sure. A writer, well that's always been what your best at. But your not a fighter." My sister cut me off before I could even get a word out.
"Juliana please stay out of this. Same with you Rayland. We all know I wasn't given a choice. One of fathers knights would be willing to be lie if I was late or if I was progressing to father. But a mercenary would ask him for more pay if I made them wait even a second. And If I don't improve then that just means they stay longer which means father knows I have not improved." I said coming to a full stop looking them both over. They looked so different from me. Made one question if we were even related.
My brother cut back into the conversation as he spoke up. "Well... Yes when you say it like that sure. But listen they'll be worse then then knights at least. So just focus on learning how to win against them quickly so they can go and you can pretend you never had your behind handed to you by a dumb mercenary."
"That's the problem Rayland. I'll be losing to a mercenary. One of the family knights sure. I'm expected to lose to a knight who's been trained for years and is a Solrein. But a mercenary is most likely just a normal person who fights dirty and never had to deal with the intense knight training." I say as I walk for the large black doors. Their gold handles offering a semblance of escape from my brother and sister.
Oh but how wrong I was. Since they both simply followed me out the dining hall as I was making my way for the stairs to the second floor and to my bedroom where they would never follow.
"Listen Blake I get it. It's not exactly fun. So at least let me give you some pointers." Rayland said as if I would say yes happily.
"Oh yes. Like the time you said you would help me avoid the politics of party we hosted two years ago. You remember what happened? I somehow managed to piss off two daughter of a highborn world Solrein senator!" I raised my voice more then i meant to making them both freeze.
Two years ago two girls of what I remember were daughter of Senator Callagan Bloodmine. While our father was a Praetor he outranked them thankfully and as such that applied to me as well being my father son. But a Praetor is elected at court once every 100 years per sector. For every one Praetor there was 12 Senators in that sector of space.
Senators could only control one world or moon. A Praetor controlled anything he gained in battle or contract. To put simply I pissed off daughters of a Senator who couldn't do much without backlash from my families standing.
And when people feel forced into something or forced to do nothing they often hold onto that for a long time. And when your a Solrein who can live hundreds of years it's easy to wait for them to forget before bringing it up 500 years later to get you executed at court.
"Blake, we both know Rayland got drunk that night. And maybe if you were better at talking with girls then you would not have gotten in such trouble." My sister said as she came to my brothers defense. No shock there though. These were glued together half the time talking behind everyone's backs.
"Blake, would just listen to this at least." My brother walked in front of me as a way to make me stop walking down the hall. "Just keep your feet from getting too close together and keep the sword up at all time. And make sure when you swing move one foot for each swing is how I learned unless you both come to a stand still."
Rayland moved with Juliane as they both walked off. But, Juliana's diamond blue eyes caught my ruby red ones, for half what felt like a second as she turned away following Rayland. They steps going down hallways granite halls.
When I did finally reach my bedroom, I closed and locked the door before sitting at my desk to write in my journal. Slowly grabbing the pen dipping the metal tip into the ink.
Date: 01/22/7500
Author Name: Blake Justinian Margrave
This is my second entry today. My father has shocked not only me but also both my brother Rayland and sister Juliana. I am today 1300 expected to meet with a mercenary for sword training. Meanwhile I have only ever used a sword once in all my life. And while I enjoyed holding it and the way it swung. I simply could not block.
I expect that losing to a simple mercenary will ruin my standing even more within this family. As losing to a knight teaching me would be expected. But not instead it is a mercenary. It is 1200 right now as of writing this journal entry. So I have only a hour.
Date: 01/22/7500
Author Name: Blake Justinian Margrave
I got up closing the leather journal. Turning towards my closet to change opening the door to see inside. Slowly moving a box in the far back. A clean dulled practice sword leaned against the wall behind the boxes I had moved. The handle had black leather strap around it. The handle was a thick line with the engraving of a wolf on it. Father had this mad just for me when I was a kid. He had hoped I'd use it. Not once did I after that day I broke my wrist as a kid blocking a blow.
"Guess it's time to finally learn how to use you." I smiled slightly as I grabbed the handle. It felt just like last time. Like perfection. Like I was suddenly no longer just me. But rather I felt a strange true peace within me as well as a strange strength I could never explain.
As that hour ended I was walking outside. Where a raging dark blue ocean sat beside my families Mansion. Where our home was built above and over the cliff and ocean. As the dining hall could be seen sticking out over the dark blue waters. And grey skies above blocked the sun. And the rolling dark green hills stretched for miles like jagged small peaks.
I had changed from my White long-sleeved button up shirt to the metallic greatcoat of black that reached down to my knees. Black pants made of that same metallic clothing. With a white long-sleeved shirt without buttons pulled on and under the greatcoat. Holding the sword in my hand which was the classic gladius. The one my father had given me as a child. The one I never used. Now I was 17 and would be using it.
But as I looked around I wasn't sure if I was right at first. But I saw the mercenary my father had hired. Well all sense that losing to a mercenary went out the window. Because it went from losing to just being taught by them going to look horrible for me.