The Knight and the Peasant [FIRST DRAFT]

Chapter 9

Salvador was walking down the hall to enter the chamber where they would train Samee. He was with Gerard who was attempting to tell him that anger with Samee would serve no purpose.

What good it did.

"Salvador," Gerard snapped. "Listen!"

"What does it matter, Gerard!" Salvador protested. "Her Magnanimous Holiness the Duchess won't even tell us how much she'll give us for the job. I'm only doing it for a favor and I can easily take that favor away!"

Gerard sighed. "It won't do you good to anger Her Grace nor the duke consort."

"It won't do me any bad either," he snorted.

Gerard threw his hands up into the air in a sign of exasperation. "I give up."

"You shouldn't have been trying in the first place."

They entered the chamber and were greeted by the sight of a few lords and ladies waiting for the session to begin. Samee had already grabbed a halberd and was examining the blade.

"Put that down, young man," Gerard scolded. "Do you have even the slightest idea how to use that weapon?"

Samee's face flushed a deep red and he put the halberd back into the weapons rack. "Sorry, sir."

"And rightly so. Now, let us begin with our training," Gerard said, ever courteous.

"Aye," Salvador mumbled under his breath.

Samee grinned. "With pleasure, Sir Gerard."

Salvador let Gerard do most of the teaching, for he had no interest in teaching Samee. Why? Salvador thought it was because of how spoiled Samee had seemed. Or maybe it wasn't. He was Salvador Castellano, the Peasant, did he really need a reason to hate a highborn?

"You've taught me how to block, dodge, and counterattack, but I still do not know how to kill a man," Samee complained loudly.

Gerard sighed. "Patience―"

"Stab them with the sharp end," Salvador interrupted. "Not yourself. The enemy."

A few chuckles ran through the crowd of highborns. Sometime into the session, the duchess and duke consort had entered with their children and their spouses.

"In any case," Martyn Aguino said, "you should not be so eager to learn how to kill someone, Nephew."

"Why not?" Samee asked.

The duke consort smiled. "It is costly―and let you know this as true, Nephew―It is costly to kill someone." A murmur of agreement swept through the audience―including Gerard.

Salvador shrugged. "Not always."

The heads of many highborns turned sharply toward him.

Salvador looked at them in confusion. "What?" They continued to stare at him incredulously. "I have a feeling we are not talking about the same 'cost,'" he said.

Even the duke consort had to smile at that.

"Nonetheless," Gerard began, "we cannot learn everything in one day, young Samee. However, if it is truly your wish to learn how to finish off a man, Salvador Castellano can teach you that."

Salvador's head shot up from his nails and he glared at Gerard who avoided his gaze. Samee, however, complained boisterously.

"I don't want to learn from him!" Samee seethed.

"What's wrong with him?" Gerard asked calmly.

"W-well. . . he-he's. . . he's a peasant!" he screeched.