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Big family, big heart, great ambitions.
“Eventides drop your tools and return home right now! Tenants, resume your duties.” The words of farmer and landowner Maurice Eventide were heard by everyone working at the moment, and a group of about seven children between four and twelve years old looked up, put their baskets and tools down and ran over to the decently sized farmhouse. The twin boys caught up to eachother about halfway through the field. “Do you think dad is mad that he’s shouting at us like that?” The one with the chipped tooth asked as they ran. “Nah, I think mom is done and we got another sibling. The healer came to the house today, remember?” His brother, who had a damaged ear due to a fight with a raccoon a few years back, answered. The tenants were glad they both had some form of scarring because it was easier to tell them apart that way. Because besides that, Philip and Jackie looked exactly the same. Pranksters as they were, they loved to hide their ears by wearing hats, and talking so that the chipped tooth was hard to spot. Very irritating to those who didn’t know them well enough to tell them apart without those hints.
Either way, they caught up with their eldest sister a little before they reached the house, and she gave the twins a smile. “What do you think? I’m hoping for another sister.” The twins slowed their pace a little, and Philip whispered in his brother’s damaged ear. “Why would we want a fourth sister? It’s already unbearable when the three we have now start giggling whenever the king is mentioned.” The two got a silent laughing fit until all the siblings were lined up at the front door. “So, dad, what’s it going to be? Brother or sister, or maybe both?” The oldest child, Maurice junior, spoke up. Their father smiled. “Brother. Come and meet Alain.” He opened the door and the children pushed eachother to get inside first. Their mom was lying in bed, her arms around a bundle from which soft noises came. Eventually, when the whole family was around her, she turned so the children could see their new born brother. A small boy with incredible blue eyes and a little bit of black hair on the top of his head. He stared at the many faces looking down on him and giggled a bit, kicking his legs in the blanket. Maurice junior looked at his mother. “Ma, promise me this is the last one.” He pleaded, and his parents laughed. “I promise this is the last one. I am tired, and the healer says my body can’t handle much more anyway.” She guaranteed, and the little Maurice wasn’t the only one who sighed in relief.
Sadly, it was harvest season, and everyone old and strong enough had to be on the fields as much as possible to get all the work done. So barely ten minutes later, Maurice led the children back outside and back to work. He stayed too, overseeing the work, and helping where necessary. His wife needed rest anyway, and the baby wouldn’t benefit from having everyone all over him all the time. He was a baby, everything needed time to explore the world first, before they would be hit with the reality of life. Even an Eventide needed that time, no matter how tough they were. And Alain would need to be tough. His birthday was in the middle of harvest season after all, so as soon as he was old enough, his birthdays were spent working on the fields. And the years before that, there was little time to celebrate either. Work had to be done, and the crops waited for nobody. Alain never complained but was glad he was usually accompanied by the family dog while working. As the youngest of the family, the dog protected him as he crawled through the corn fields, picking up forgotten cobs and thoroughly destroying molehills. Moles were fine, but not the hills. Those made the fields uneven, which could damage the horse’s hooves when they ploughed the fields in the spring. Alain felt bad for the moles, but he knew how much his family was relying on the profit from the fields. And with eight children, his parents needed as much as they could get. Life as a farmer’s boy wasn’t easy, and it certainly wasn’t rich. While his father owned enough land to be called a wealthy farmer, he was still a farmer. Alain wasn’t unhappy, his family was full of love and support for eachother, but like every farm boy, he dreamed of castles, knights, and nobles.
Unfortunately for his brothers, it became clear really soon that Alain loved to join his sisters in their endless talks about the royal family. This started when the royal wedding was announced actually, and king William stepped back and became prince, in favour of his new husband Stanford. He didn’t giggle when the king, now prince, was mentioned, but he loved talking about the riches he saw when the royal hunting group passed by their fields when the season of venison had started. He confided with the girls that he would want to work in the castle one day, instead of staying on the fields his entire life. That he hoped to one day become a servant to the king or, even better, the blue haired prince. His brothers loved to tease him with these ambitions, which only made him shyer about sharing them. Whenever his father and brother Maurice took the cart to deliver the due taxes to the local lord, Alain begged to come along, hoping to catch a glimpse of the royals, even though his father ensured him that the king and prince were never there when they unloaded the goods. He also explained that Alain was simply too young to come along. They didn’t have much time to get everything off the cart and in the cellars of the lord’s castle. “But dad, I am strong, I can work too! And if the lord sees how strong I am, maybe he will send me to the royal castle to work there!” He tried, but Maurice Eventide just chuckled at his son. “Bud, you’re five years old. Even if the lord is impressed by you, you know the rules. Not younger than seven for pages and servants.” He reminded his son, who pouted. On the inside, the farmer had to admit it was not a bad idea if one of his children would become a servant to a lord. He wouldn’t have to divide his land as much if his children would find other professions. But he didn’t dare hope for it. Farmers stayed farmers most of the time.
Alain had to accept his fate, so it seemed. His sixth birthday came and went without any indication anything would change. The harvest was plentiful that year, and his parents had finally managed to save up enough to buy their own plough horse, rather than having to lend one from the lord every year. Alain was over the moon when his parents told him that he would look after the stable from now on, since he had discovered he could do something nobody else could last year: he could talk to the animals. At first, he had confused his parents greatly when he announced that the dog had told him it was a chicken from a neighbour that had destroyed the flour bag his mother left out to dry. In his turn, Alain had been shocked to find nobody else had ever heard the dog talk. It had taken a while to clear everything up, but it turned out that Alain had been blessed with an affinity for magic, resulting in him understanding every animal. So far, he’d helped the cat get rid of a rat nest, an escaped goat back to his shed, convinced the neighbour to repair his gate so it wouldn’t squeak anymore after the dog told him it annoyed his ears, and found a basket of truffles with the help of the pigs. Especially that last one had brought in some extra money, which was part of the reason they finally had a horse now. It only made sense that Alain was rewarded, and besides, if any issues were to come up, they would be solved much quicker if they could actually ask the animal what was wrong. His siblings were a little bit jealous, but their brother was happy to let them help with brushing the horse, carrying the bags of oats to feed it, and refreshing the water. He was only six after all, he could use the help. But when the fields had to be ploughed, he was the one walking with his father now.
That year proved to be profitable again. The horse proved its worth over and over again, because apart from ploughing, farmer Maurice could now get a bigger cart, moving a lot more goods to the castle at once, saving him time, which he could spend on other duties. The well got repaired, the gate strengthened, the house roofed again. The children could do more work every year, as they got older and stronger too. Really, there was almost not enough work for the whole family anymore, and Maurice started thinking about other paths for the children again. His eldest was the first heir to the lands of course, but the rest? He didn’t want to divide his lands into eight, or even five, considering his daughters would simply move to the lands of their husbands once they would get married. He shared his concerns with his wife, but she seemed less bothered. “Honey, everything will turn out just fine. Maurice will take over your task when we are too old, the twins are not suited to serve a lord, they are too wild, and Benny has been spending a lot of time with the carpenter. I am sure he will soon become pupil there.” She smiled, looking up from repairing a pair of her husband’s socks. “Yes, but what about Alain? You know what his ambitions are.” The farmer started pacing around the living room. “Yes, I know about his dreams. He’s soon turning seven, honey. Maybe it’s time you take him to the castle with the cart, let him try. Next time should be just after his birthday, right? Sounds like the perfect moment to me.” She loved her youngest son, and part of her wanted to keep him close, but she knew what he wanted, and didn’t want to deprive him of it.
It wouldn’t come to that trip to the castle of the lord. A few days before harvest season started, exactly two weeks before Alain’s birthday, it was the first day of venison. All eight Eventide kids knew what that meant, and they were excited to see the hunting group pass by, as they did every year. It was the one event where the farmers in this area could catch a glimpse of the royals. Even the parents stood outside the house early in the morning to see the dust cloud appear in the distance. They all watched as it got bigger until they could see the separate figures. The kids could hardly contain themselves as they started to hear the sound of the hooves hitting the ground as the group came closer. They rode fast. In front of the group were a few of the hunters, on black, brown, and grey horses. Between them, the dogs ran with the group. In the back were the falconers. Between them, surrounded by their loyal hunters, were the two royals. King Stanford, proud and intimidating, with a straight back, his hair pulled by the wind as he rode his golden stallion down the roads. But Alain had more eye for the young man at his side. Tall, slender, blue hair and seated on a bright white stallion. Prince William. Behind him, Alain could hear his sisters giggle and whisper amongst themselves. He ignored it and kept his eyes on the prince. What he wouldn’t give to work for them. To see for himself the life they lived in that castle, to meet the nobles of the kingdom and be able to serve them well. Not many dreamed of a life as a servant, but Alain did. He wanted to take care of the comfort of those tasked with the heavy duties of ruling over the kingdom.
He was pulled out of his daydream when he heard a horse almost literally cry out. Alain looked up in time to see one of the hunters fall off his brown mare. It limped forward a few steps, but the boy ran forward and reached up to the reigns. His father followed immediately before his youngest could be trampled. The king looked down on them for a second before giving a look to another hunter, who got off his own horse and helped his fallen comrade up. Alain spoke to the shivering mare with a soothing voice, not even realizing the prince was watching him closely. “She says she stepped in a nail. It split her hoof.” He whispered to his father, who then informed the fallen hunter. The king frowned shortly. “We will either need another horse or someone who can heal this one swiftly. I wish to be on the hunting grounds before noon.” He spoke up before looking at Maurice. “Is there a field where our horses can stay until we can continue?” Stanford didn’t like a delay like this, but there was nothing he could do against this. “I think there is a healer with abilities in the castle of the lord.” Maurice junior mentioned. “Excellent.” The king didn’t waste time, looked at one of the other hunters, who nodded and rode off immediately. The rest of the group got off their horses and followed the farmer to the field where their own horse grazed too. It was too small to suit all the horses needs, but it would do for now. Alain helped the wounded mare into the stable. He would stay with her until the healer had arrived. He could see she was in pain; he didn’t need his power for that. He guided her so she could lie down in the fresh hay. “It’s alright. We will help you.” He said softly, his small fingers sliding through her manes.
As he was sitting there, he didn’t realize someone had entered the stable and was watching him for about a minute before speaking up. “My child, how old are you?” The voice was soft and gentle, and Alain looked up. His mouth fell open because there, in the doorway, stood the prince. The fine fabrics of his clothes and his shining riding boots didn’t fit the small stable littered with hay and oats. But William didn’t seem to care. He had his eyes on the kid and was patiently waiting for an answer. Alain noticed the prince’s eyes had different colours. The left was blue, the right purple. But with the blue hair, it wasn’t that surprising. He wasn’t human after all. “Your highness, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” He stuttered and attempted to get up, but William stopped him by raising his hand. “Stay where you are, my child. I think the horse needs you more than protocols do right now. But you did not answer, how old are you?” The prince asked again, and Alain looked at the mare again. “I am almost seven years old, your highness.” He confessed, expecting to be called out for the way he ran up to the group when the horse got injured. “Why is it that a young child such as yourself stays here with the horses rather than follow us inside to stare as we make ourselves fairly comfortable around your family’s fireplace?” Alain was confused. “The horse is in pain; I can’t leave her alone like this.” He said hesitantly, and the prince tilted his head. “You can understand her, can you not? She told you why she is in pain. That’s why you stay with the animals.” Before the kid knew what was happening, the prince sat down with him in the hay, gently stroking the mare’s nose.
“Your highness, shouldn’t you be with the others? I mean, I’m sorry, that is rude of me.” Alain had no idea how to handle this. He wasn’t sure how to properly behave around the prince. For years, he had dreamed about this moment, but never like this. “You’re a good kid. I am sure that around here, someone with an ability such as yours is very valuable.” William smiled kindly, not at all bothered by the way this kid was talking to him. “I guess. I don’t want to be a farmer though. I want to work in the castle.” Alain blurted out, before hiding his face in the manes of the wounded mare in shame. Did he really just say that? Why would he do that. Oh, he blew it. “That’s a big dream to have. What do you imagine you will be in a castle?” William sounded surprised, but genuinely interested, and the kid looked up with a bit of a blush on his cheeks. “I want to be a servant. Like, take care of the comfort of a noble. Or a royal.” He confessed hesitantly, not wanting to lie to the prince. “I see. I heard from your mother that your name is Alain, right?” Still so kind, not a hint of mockery. “Yes, your highness.” The boy’s voice was soft and shy. “Do you think you could be missed around here? I mean, as far as I know, your siblings do not share your ability.” The prince sounded thoughtful, but Alain looked up, a spark of hope in his eyes. “I think so, yes. Father knows the animals well. It does help I can speak with them, but it is not vital for the farm.” He tried to sound as formal as possible. William laughed. “I will see what I can do.” Then he got up and left the stable. Alain stayed behind, confused but excited, although he wasn’t sure what he was excited for.
He would not get an answer before the horse was healed and the hunting group had left the area. Alain had watched them leave, filled with excitement about the fact he got to speak with the prince himself. Now he was called into the living room, where his entire family was already gathered. He tilted his head a little. “Did I do something?” He asked, suddenly scared the prince had complained about his behaviour. His father looked at him. “As a matter of fact, yes, you did do something. You impressed his royal highness.” Maurice sighed deeply and got up, placing his hands on the shoulders of his youngest son, pride in his eyes. “Prince William has asked your permission to take you to the castle with him when they return from the hunt. He has vouched to look after you himself and help you to live your dream as his page.” He added, and Alain stared at him, hardly believing his own ears. “He did? He really did that?” He asked, convinced it was some sort of joke. But his mother chimed in. “He said he would personally take care of your education. And your father and I, well, we agreed. In a week, they will return, and you can go with him.” She told him, and Alain burst out into tears of happiness. He had not messed up. He would become what he had always dreamed of. Become a servant, and to the prince!
A week later, a packed bag was at the door of the farm and Alain was in the process of saying goodbye to his family. There were tears, but not necessarily of sadness. The whole family was proud of their youngest member, and they were happy to see him off as he started his great adventure. The king’s expression was neutral when the family stepped outside. He did give a command that a hunter had to take care of the bag, which was obeyed immediately. Alain hesitated, not quite what to do now. Ten a pale, slender hand was held out to him and he looked up. The prince smiled reassuringly. “Come on, you deserve this more than anyone. Zefilwen is strong enough to carry us both.” He spoke friendly, and Alain reached out, sliding his small hand in the prince’s. He was pulled up into the saddle with surprisingly little effort. William was a lot stronger than he looked. “I will look after him, I promise.” The prince nodded at the Eventides, who waved at Alain. The kid waved back, and then William pulled the reigns a little and Zefilwen moved. A laugh escaped the new page as they sped up and swiftly rode on, to the castle, to his new home.