Noah sat at the rickety wooden table admiring his handiwork. He had been assigned to assist in building the fortress that Eallair would rule his new kingdom from. Noah was very proud to be part of such a monumental thing. Back home he had been nothing more than a carpenter, building furniture for the wealthier amongst the lower classes. Now here he was, a lowly tradesman, taking part in something he saw as so far removed from his ordinary past life that he was utterly awed. He could see a new path for him and his beautiful Gena, each brick gleaming in the sunlight as they trod carefully along it, her hand in his.

As usual Engin was stretched out on the ground while Noah worked, soaking up the rays of sunlight and chatting about how much he didn’t like someone or other. It seemed to Noah that Engin only had unpleasant things to say about people. Noah wasn’t exactly fond of people himself having received mostly unkindness in his life, but he still did like to try and think the best of them until he was proven wrong. He had to admit, somewhat ashamedly, to himself, that he didn’t think the best of Engin. When he wasn’t spouting some venom he was slacking off from the work, which was one thing Noah certainly didn’t approve of.

Like at this very moment, which turned out to be an unfortunate choice of times for Engin, as Noah heard voices coming up the hill. He turned to look and saw the King and his cousin striding determinedly up towards the beginnings of the fortress.

Engin tried to scramble to his feet as though he had not been lazing about, but the King was there before he could make it and Noah was already bowing low before him. He had only ever seen the king from afar and he found himself more than a little awestruck.

“You may rise”, Eallair said to Noah.

“And you may rise as well”, he said with a laugh and a slight wink to Engin who had not yet managed to bow to him.

Noah was filled with admiration for this man who was so majestic and yet could joke with lowly peasants of his and Engin’s status.

His cousin Lochan looked exceedingly displeased on the other hand.

“Good to see that you were hard a work”, he said to Engin, his face a mask of distaste.

“Bah… I can’t be bothered with this today”, he flailed his hands as though to push the situation away and turned to study the beginnings of the castle.

Noah did not really know what to think of this man. He had heard that the Duke was a very great man and he knew that the King depended on him in all of his affairs. In days gone by he had been known for his kindness and his just decisions.

But to Noah he seemed bitter, like a mellow wine that had been left too long and had spoiled to vinegar. Gena had told him the gossip she had heard from the other womenfolk, that the Duchess was very ill and they had lost many babies before they had been born. If this was true, Noah felt deeply sorry for the man, and could being to understand. This kind of thing could reduce one to the state of half-living he saw before him.

Noah was startled out of his musings by the King addressing him.

“B..b..begging your pardon s..s.sir, was you talking with me?”, he was embarrassed at the sudden return of his childhood stutter. Now of all moments, he felt as though he had a small bird fluttering in his mouth hindering his speech.

“No I was talking to this lovely grey rock here… of course I was talking to you my good man”, the lively grin on Eallair’s face put Noah instantly at ease and soon they were engrossed in a conversation about the best way to structure the east tower, on which they had begun work recently.

He was too deeply involved in this discussion about architecture to notice the muscles tensing across Engin’s back as he clenched and unclenched his fists. If he could have seen Engin’s face he would have been shocked by the angry grimace that darkened his face.

Thus he was surprised when suddenly his excited explanation on the benefits of foundations of that lovely grey rock Eallair had mentioned, further supported by wooden bracing, was rudely interrupted by Engin’s rough voice.

“But yer majesty… wouldent you think that that there black rock over near them hills over there… you know that one with the shiny bits init would be better for yer castle. I think it would be much prettier for your nobility don’t you?”

The king looked confused, “I’m not sure… Engin wasn’t it. I haven’t seen this black rock that you speak of as yet, so I can not give an opinion on that, but perhaps you are right. It might be nice to have part of the castle hewn out of this black rock”.

Noah felt he must speak up out of duty to the king and also to the others who would inhabit the fortress.

“Your majesty”, he said, carefully trying to round out the vowel sounds in your as he had heard the gentry do, “I think important it is that I tell you that there black rock of Engin’s would’nt make much of a good foundation. That rock is nice but if you put your eyes up close you’d see that it’s full of them small holes you sometimes see in rock. The shiny parts will break like glass if you try and perraps your castle will fall down if we built on that”.

His duty done, the conversation continued a while longer. Noah could feel Engin’s glare boring into the side of his head but he refused to acknowledge it. Eventually the King and Lochan headed back down the hill and Noah was left alone with Engin again.

Engin wasted no time, turning to Noah, his finger pointing accusatorily at him.

“What was you thinking there… making me look so stupid fore the King like that”, his anger was so apparent Noah felt as though he could almost taste it on air between the men. “I had a good thought and you comes up and ruins it… and it was a good one too… you, you think so highly of yourself sir Noah”, his voice turned mocking, “and you are nothing. The only wench who will ha’ you is a blind one, so she don’t have to see yer ugly face when yer lying on top of her”.

Engin stormed off down the hill now, leaving Noah alone with the beginnings of the castle that he was so proud of. Noah did not understand men like Engin, he could not fathom such anger, such venom and such a wish to make others unhappy. He thought he never would.

Murchadh, Rawtharn, The Royal Family, Ulcar