Chapter Three
"No! No! No!"
Ehren sat cross-legged on the hay covered ground; a blade placed over his thighs and looked up to the terrifying knight above him.
"Are you blind? You do not clean a sword with lacquer!" the knight known as Erhard screamed at him. "Where did you even find lacquer you silly boy! I told you before there is the oil in the barrel in the corner and use the rag to clean! Are you deaf?!"
"No Ser Erhard..." Ehren mumbled.
"What?! Speak up boy!" the knight barked.
"No Ser Erhard!" he repeated much louder with the startled fear present in his voice.
Ser Erhard exhaled sharply and threw his hands up in the air, "Useless! Utterly useless!"
Ehren frowned as he quickly got up and hurried over the barrel to correct his mistake. It had been a month since he was made into a squire. The King had insisted to the Lord Commander form him to hurry up and let Ehren start his training early. So one month before his eighth birthday, the King allowed the Lord Commander to place Ehren under his care, who in turn placed Ser Erhard of the Kingsguard in charge of the young prince.
Ser Erhard, a knight in his mid twenties was notorious among the other guards to be sharp tongued and obsessed with his looks. The ego followed the man everywhere and to everything. He often boasted about the women he conquered and the battles he fought with mages and thieves, to trivial matter like how 'amazing' he was at making his own bed. There was no doubt that he was popular with the maids and handmaidens. Although a short man, he was well built and well groomed, with his dark hair combed back slick from his face, although his personality and hubris countered his dashing good looks. From the way he acted, it was no surprise that he hadn't managed to obtain a wife yet.
Incredibly superstitious he was. Most of the rumours about the Lord Commander's sword came from him, and he took many of them seriously. He even went as far as to carry a rabbit's foot everywhere he went that hung proudly on his belt.
Ehren dipped a new rag into the oil, returned to his spot on the ground and continued to clean the weapon. Being a squire was tougher than he originally thought and not as enjoyable as Gregor and Adelward made it out to be. It was a lot of chores. Fetch the water for the horses, clean armour, carry armour and dress the knight. For someone who preferred to lie down in the sun with a book it was definitely a culture shock.
Under the shade of the training shack, Ehren gazed out to the grounds distractedly. He hadn't seen much of Gregor since he eavesdropped on the conversation five months prior. A few days after the heart-to-heart, the King had his eldest shadow him for everything, from visits into the village to holding court. It was understandable that the King was preparing Gregor for rule, but Ehren felt the distance grow between them.
During the long winter, when Ehren wanted to play in the snow, Gregor turned him down to stay inside the library and learn languages. If Ehren wanted to show him something, his brother would be too distracted with squire training or other royal duties. It seemed any opportunity to spend time together, his brother was preoccupied with another task.
A loud clatter of metal landed beside him and Ehren snapped out of his daydream.
"All this needs to be cleaned and stored away in two hours time. I want to find no finger spots or oil stains on any of my precious, high quality armour," Ser Erhard ordered with malice behind his words. "If I find one mistake, you'll be cleaning dung out of the stables am I clear?"
"Yes Ser Erhard."
"Good," the knight said as he approached his horse that Ehren had suited an hour before. With a swift swing, the knight mounted his horse smoothly and pulled at the reins. "I will return shortly. Ha!"
