The Prince and the Parchment

Chapter 4: Finnian

On any other morning in the stables, I started my day with mucking out the stalls and feeding the horses; a daily routine like any other. Jack helped me before the other stablehand got there— Alexander, a boy in his late teens— and pitched in to pull his own weight. Alexander was lucky, for he got his own bed at night in the town, though it was an inconvenient walk for him in the morning and night, even if the castle was not far. The winter months were coming, and we would all have our own sort of sweet suffering then.

Once our chores were done, and the sun was fully risen, we found a small rag filled with food in front of the barn. Adaline. She must have been in a rush this morning.

I picked up the cloth and unwrapped some bread, unable to control my smile.

Jack ran up to me and looked over my shoulder to see what we had received for the morning. He bounces on his feet as he exclaimed, "We've got a whole loaf of bread today!" It was a stretch to call it a loaf, but a blessing nonetheless.

I ruffled Jack's hair and split the loaf in half, giving him a part. He giggled and backed away from me, tearing into his food. It pained me to not give him more; he must have only been nine or ten, and he needed more than what he got. Such a skinny boy. Orphans had it rough.

Just as we finished our portions, the sound of hoofbeats carried across the courtyard. As all three of us lift our heads, Conrad came trotting in on his bay horse— late— and nearly fell off as he got off. His groans carried all the way into the open barn as he lead his horse over to us. "You!" he shouted at me, and I rose to my feet.

As he got closer, the bags under his eyes become clear. His nape-length hair was a mess and his feet amiss, for he stumbled every couple of steps, tripping over his own feet and even the horse's. "Take my horse, mute," he hissed at me, shoving the reins into my hands. "I'm going to sleep," he slurred. "Wake me up if one of the royals call for their horse. For no other reason." He sighed whiskey-ridden breath into my face, causing me to crinkle my nose and back up. Finally, Conrad shuffled away, leaving me to deal with his horse and every other one of his responsibilities for the day. Naturally.

Jack stared at Conrad as he left, then glanced innocently up at Alexander. "What's wrong with Conrad?" His eyes were wide in that way that little kids' eyes got when they didn't understand.

Alexander sighed and shook his head. "He has a cold," he lied. "He shouldn't have come in today."

"Why did he then?"

"I don't know, Jack." He walked over and started taking Conrad's horse's saddle off, making eye contact with me. "Are you going to work the horses today, Finn?"

I nodded. What else would I do? Even if Conrad didn't know it, I always picked up his slack. Always. The horses would not suffer for Conrad's demeanor.

After Alexander pulled the saddle off, I finally realized the horse's condition: he was coated in sweat, creating a shiny look on his hair, a bit of steam rising up from his back. He took short, deep breaths. Poor horse. I was unable to imagine what Conrad had been doing early into the morning, and didn't want to imagine how long the horse had been pushed. He hung his head down low, next to my leg.

I gestured the reins towards Jack and made circles with my hand, then pointed towards the horse.

He took the reins but just cocked his head at me.

"He means walk him, Jack," Alexander butted in. "Walk him around the courtyard."

I nodded in affirmation.

"Oh," he mumbled, then took the horse out of the stable to do as he'd been told.

"I'll get a bucket of water." Alexander jogged off to get some washing water.