Father told me not to screw up everyone’s dinner, but I fucked that up. And I made one more mistake…
At night, after most of the house tapped out on account of meat sweats, Ricardo, Shayna, Father, Anna - my brother’s attendant- and I are left in the kitchen.
Ricardo helps me pull out the final roast, and it looks a bit different. Its crust is reddish, signifying the exceptional level of spice I lathered onto it. We plate out small portions, and I’m quick to pop one into my mouth.
And oh my lord, it bites back. My face is hot and dripping sweat. I fucking love it.
“Alfred…” I turn to see Ricardo fighting for his life, barely able to make words. “T-Too much… red pep…”
Clink
Anna grabs a plate and consumes her piece faster than I did. “WAH! It’s so good!” Her face matches the color of the crust, and she’s starting to sweat.
“Hmmm,” Father hums as he takes a small plate, then cuts off the smallest portion possible, and raises it to his mouth. “HACK! Al… why is it like this?”
Well, they liked everything else. I’ll still call this a win.
***
It’s been a week since I brought that boar home, and it’s time for the big ask. Last week should’ve laid an effective foundation, but Father’s behavior reminded me that he still views me as his child. Which, yea, I am, so that makes sense.
Knock Knock
“Father, do you have a moment?” I ask at Father’s office door.
“Alfred, come in. Do you need something?”
I step into his office and take a quick breath.
“I’d like your permission to venture further into the forest behind the estate and spend a night or two there while hunting.”
Father’s reaction is subtle, showing just a touch of intrigue. “Hmm, I see. Did slaying and cooking that boar affect you?”
“In a sense, Father, handling a boar of that size came with a significant amount of work, so I don’t think I’d target one of that size. But I’d also like to try deer, which tend to be closer to the mountains. It would be impossible to hunt them on a day trip and likely even difficult with an overnight trip. If I’m allowed to spend two nights camping out while hunting, I believe I can be effective…”
“Is that all this is about? You simply want to be a better hunter?”
He normally can’t smell bullshit, but I must not be selling it.
“That’s a large part of it, but I’d also like to explore the area. I may be able to build a camp to frequent.”
Father’s lips move back and forth, then settle. “It could be a good experience for you, and in times of war, talented nobles need such skills to lead armies. Though this is a rather peaceful continent… hmm...”
It’s time for my secret weapon. I fidget with my hands and look at the ground before me.
“Father, I also umm… think it would be fun. And I’d like to do something fun.”
“Fun. Well, you’re diligent with your training and studies. You’ve been that way far longer than most at your age. I’ll allow it, but I have conditions.” Father raises two fingers as our eyes meet.
“Really? Thank you, Father! What are your conditions?”
“First, if you encounter significant danger, you run. You fell a large boar in a single stroke of the sword, and that may make you overconfident. It’s unlikely you’d run into bandits or the like in this area, but especially if you encounter dangerous people, I want you to run before you fight – is that understood?”
“Yes, Father, that’s not a problem.”
I’d totally fight, but no one would ever find the bodies, so it’s fine.
“The second condition is regarding your little brother, Oliver. He’s only four now, but he’s a timid child. The exact opposite of you. When he’s a bit older, I want you to take an active role in building his confidence. Show him the sword, maybe take him hunting. All children are different, so I don’t expect him to follow your exact footsteps, but he’s already worrying me with how attached to Anna he is. At that age, our only concern was slowing you down. Perhaps we treated Oliver differently than we should have. But in exchange for convincing your Mother that you won’t die in the forest, I want your help with Oliver.”
Sometimes Father reminds me he’s a noble with territory under his watch, but I still kind of see him as the glowing giant I thought was going to eat me. Though he looks much smaller now that I’m not a baby.
“Understood. Oliver is timid, but he’s full of joy. I can channel that energy into confidence with a bit of work.”
“I hoped you would say that, but be prepared to hear about this from your Mother. She never liked your training in the forest to begin with.”
“Right, I’ll do my best to convince her I won’t be in any danger.”
What kind of elder brother am I going to be to Oliver? He’s always at Anna’s side, and I really don’t spend much time with him outside of family dinners. It’d be useful to have an assistant for my training, but I don’t think I can trust him to hide things from our parents. Maybe he’ll do something awful in the future that I can rescue him from and use it as blackmail? But blackmailing a four-year-old is a bit dark. I’ll think about it more once he’s older.