Cypher dashed away from the door as quickly and as quietly as he possibly could. His thoughts ran wild as he dashed for his room. He was cautious at first, but once he made his way into the servant’s passage, he bolted as quickly as he could. The halls of the Galvan mansion were vast. Conversations could easily be overheard if one wasn’t inside a room or speaking extremely quietly.
However, behind the walls that most guests saw, the servant’s passages were much more insulated. Nothing could be heard from the outside and Cypher was thankful that his thudding footsteps were inaudible. He worked his way through the twisting passages he had come to know by heart. Left, then right, then straight on he ran, never stopping, never looking back.
His life wasn’t in danger of course, but trouble waited for him if Harold was unable to find him right away. Still, Harold wouldn’t be sprinting like Cypher was. In fact, the head butler always took his time when traversing the halls of the Galvan mansion. Despite his laid back stride, Harold was never untimely and Cypher knew this.
That man was always at the ready whenever the Galvans required his services. Cypher wasn’t sure how he did it, but Harold was able to get from one side of the mansion to the other in record times. Right now, Cypher was worried that once again, Harold would somehow beat him back to his room.
Cypher’s worries were nearly correct in the end. Just as he was closing the door to the servant’s passages, Cypher caught the familiar sound of Harold’s shoes as they tapped against the wooden floors of the servant’s wing. He made the mad dash for his room and once inside, slid to grab the box beneath his bed.
Cypher pulled the humble-looking wooden sword from its box with a speed he surprised himself with. His reasoning had been fairly solid. Had Harold arrived to find him out of breath and laying on his bed, the butler could have easily surmised the reason behind that. The head butler was, after all, quite observant in his own right.
Cypher wasn’t sure how things would work out, but right now he had an opportunity before him that he couldn’t risk losing. Learning how to fight, how to move one step closer to his goal of becoming a knight and leaving this place behind him was something he simply couldn’t resist. Plus, teaching Eiden a lesson or two in the process might be fun.
To that end, Cypher had decided to pretend that he was playing in his room instead. Just as Cypher began swinging the wooden blade around, Harold opened the door to his room and stepped inside. His face gave nothing away as Cypher paused to look at him questioningly. Harold raised an eyebrow for a moment and looked towards the wooden sword in Cypher’s small hands.
“Your presence is requested by Lord Galex. If you would please follow me,” said Harold holding out his hand towards the open door. Cypher set the wooden blade down and nodded before adjusting his shirt and heading out into the hall. Harold led him back to Galex’s meeting room and when they arrived at the doors again Cypher gulped hard.
This was it. He wasn’t sure what would happen once those doors opened but he remained hopeful. With the sound of wood sliding across rails, the door slid open. Inside sat Galex, his family, and the Conductor himself, Frederick. Cypher’s eyes met Eiden’s and the young heir flashed an angry scowl before Cypher turned to face Galex.
As he had been taught by Molly, Cypher bowed slightly towards the hulking man and waited to be addressed.
“Alright then, boy,” began Galex sternly. “You’re here for a very particular reason. However, before I get to that, I want to know something. What is it that you desire? Material things aside, what do you aspire to become in this life?”
Cypher paused and thought about it for a moment. There was only one goal he had in mind, at least, only one that he believed he could potentially achieve. Cypher raised his head and spoke softly, despite his anxiety at revealing his hidden desires. “I wish to become a knight one day!”
Galex stroked his beard and then said, “Is that so? Just how would you go about achieving this goal then? You are merely a servant boy in this household. We have taught you neither the etiquette nor techniques required of those who desire to follow that path.”
Cypher frowned and lowered his head again but Galex continued.
“Still, it is an admirable goal, one I did not envision you aspiring to. I cannot say what the future might hold for you. However, if that is what you desire then I have an offer for you. Let it not be said by anyone that I am an unfair lord. My son Eiden has the opportunity to gain entry to a very prestigious school. However, my friend here informs me that before that can happen he’ll need to work on improving his skills as a warrior. You might be asking yourself what that has to do with you.”
Cypher gulped hard as Galex continued, “Hiring a suitable instructor won’t be an issue at all. However, Eiden will need an adequate sparring partner that can be available whenever he desires. Since you live here, and since you are the closest to his age I have decided to give you the chance to become more than a simple house servant. The idea is to have you join Eiden in his lessons and act as that sparring partner when necessary.”
Cypher smiled in his heart and kept his eyes focused on the floor as was customary. “I am a very reasonable man as I’m sure you know. After all, I and my family have accommodated you here, kept you fed and clothed, as well as allowed you to serve a noble purpose. Still, my son must come before all else, and to that end, I offer you a choice.”
“You may return to your quarters immediately. You will not be punished, you will not be scolded. No harm will come to you or your position here in this mansion and you can live out your days as a simple servant to our household. You’ve done good work as far as I can tell. You would continue to serve us well, that much I know with certainty. Or, you can join my son in his efforts to better himself and in exchange, I will grant you the training, funding, and lessons necessary to perhaps one day achieve your goal of becoming a knight.”
“I won’t lie to you, the training you will endure will be intense. Your life may even be at risk on occasion. If you choose this route you will be expected to give your all for the betterment of my son. If you happen to be injured beyond repair or crippled in some other way, it may end your path towards knighthood then and there. I cannot promise that you will reach the end of Eiden’s training unscathed. This path is a gamble, but one that may yield enormous rewards in your distant future.”
Cypher’s mind ran wild at the prospect of seeing his deepest dream realized. But Galex’s warning gave him pause. How bad was this training going to be? Could he really be injured so badly that becoming a knight would become impossible? Silence hung in the air between Cypher and Galex, and a few seconds ticked by as Cypher contemplated his decision.
Galex nodded slowly, seemingly pleased that Cypher was taking his time deciding. Still, they could not wait around all day for a decision to be made.
“What is your decision?” asked Galex firmly.
Cypher thought very hard about what he would say next. His life here had been one of boredom and mistreatment. At every turn, Eiden was there to make his life miserable. The chores were hard and oftentimes disgusting. Cleaning the stables, sometimes tending to the chamber pots, mopping, sweeping, dusting, cleaning… all of it made him sick to his stomach and he refused to live a life like that if he could help it.
The only good thing here was Molly. He didn’t want to leave her behind and going through training this hard would likely upset her and make her worry, but if he could become a knight he would have power, fame, and most importantly, money. He could own his own home and take her away from this life. Together they could be free and he could protect her with his own hands and perhaps, repay her for the kindness she had shown him all his life.
Cypher raised his head, looked Galex directly in his eyes and said with determination, “I will train with the young master. It might be dangerous but if it means that I can one day become a knight I’ll do it!”
Galex smiled slightly and nodded. “Very well, I will let you know when your first day of training will begin. Until then, you may return to your quarters. I’m sure there is work that needs doing and you are not quite absolved from those duties.”
Frederick spoke up at this point, his eyebrow raised slightly and said, “If I may, would it be possible for me to have a few moments alone with this boy?”
Galex offered Frederick a confused glance and then shrugged, “I don’t see why not. Still, there is much we must discuss regarding Eiden’s future, and many plans to be made. Try to make it quick, yes?”
Frederick offered a smile and Galex motioned for everyone to leave. Eiden trailed slowly behind his sisters and mother, and as he walked past Cypher Eiden said, “You better not screw this up, bastard!”
Once they were all gone and the doors had been closed, Cypher raised his head to see Frederick offering his hand towards one of the open chairs. “Please, have a seat,”
