Things are not always what they seem

He stood at the river bank and silently cursed the day he knew Harod. Five hundred years of servitude to his great-great-grandfather, great grand father, grand father, and then his father, and yet, he was ripping them right under their noses.

Source: AI generated on ideogram

Harod was a lanky and smallish, young man who was rescued from the war between the two imperial kingdoms in the fifth year of the Imperial Fire king. There had never been a more fierce war, clearing everything on its path like a raging fire. Even the soldiers were tired of fighting and prayed for a truce. His great-great-grandfather had felt compassion for a crying, innocent baby lying in one of the ditches where dead bodies were heaped, picked him up, and brought him home.

There was nothing that wasn't provided for Harod. Sometimes he even got jealous, his father would push his large face in front of his small one and yell at him on Harod's account,

“Show some respect, young man!”

“But he’s a mere servant” he would squeak,

“Harod is family. The earlier you start to realize this and treat him that way, the better.”

All that time, Harod stood with his head down, and his hands behind him.

Vernon turned away from the water at the sound of his name, his white skinned, dainty looking wife with auburn hair and large, brown eyes stood with a small smile on her face.

“My Lord, dinner is served”

He returned her smile so she wouldn't be worried, then walked home with her. The truth about Harod was either going to come out today, or he would murder the man himself.

It was a taboo for the sacred stones of a man not be be buried with him, that was what preserved their souls and made way for them to be reborn, if Harod had taken from his great-great grandfather then he had four sacred stones with him.

The priest who let him know about this ritual even told him that when a slave had five sacred stones from five of his masters, he could buy the freedom of his generation forever.

Vernon kissed his teeth. He had been foolish to trust his father's judgment.

“My Lord? Are you alright?”

“It's a bit hot in here, but I'm alright” she nodded her head, still looking at him quite suspiciously. “Where is Harod?”

“He is unwell. I will make sure to check on him after this meal”

Vernon grunted in disapproval but didn't prevent her from going. That was the kind of witch his wife was. A loving, kind, gentle, woman who looked out too hard for every other person.

Immediately after dinner, she picked some flowers from the garden, grabbed a lantern and a cloak, and rode to the servants' quarters at the far end of the estate.

Vernon was keen on hearing that truth from Harod so minutes later, he took a horse and followed after his wife.

When he arrived at the servants quarters, all was dark, and unusually silent. He tied his horse to a sturdy stake then walked over to Harod's.

“Where is it?”

Harod shook his head, coughing painfully.

His wife chuckled and dropped the lantern she was holding.

“Harod, I have duped this family, from the fourth generation, of their stones. That's why I am able to return to the same family every generation. Now my time is almost up, I need that stone”

“As surely as I live, my lady, you will not get it. And even if you kill me…” Harod coughed gently, “You will gain no profit”

Vernon couldn't bear it anymore so he stormed into the house.

“What on earth is going on here!” It all happened in a swift movement, just as he came in. His wife was on the floor and the servant was on her, holding her neck.

Vernon frowned.

If he had not been listening to their conversation, he would have believed that Harod was strangling his wife for his stone. He grabbed Harod up from his wife's body,

“My master, I swear by…”

“Enough!’ Vernon dropped him gently by the corner of his room where he crouched, whimpering, and then he grabbed his wife by her hair.

“You've been stealing the stones?”

“What are you talking about?” He seized the dagger underneath her cloak and placed it to her throat.

“I will slit it open, I promise.” Then he grabbed her hair even tighter. “Who are you?”

She cackled with laughter even when she was in severe pain.

“Who do I seem like? A witch!” Then she cackled again, “I was your great-great grandfather's concubine before he left for the war. He gave me that stone as an assurance that he would come back, but he never did. I promised to return every generation and make your lineage never see life again”

Then he turned to Harod, “Where is my stone?”

Harod placed his two hands on his chest, Vernon's eyes widened. That was why he was sick! The stone was in his heart. In a rage, he drove the dagger through his wife's heart and then hurried over to Harod's side.

“I release you, and your generation from slavery,” then he took his signet ring and placed it in Harod's hand. “Return the stone to my chambers and leave the estate first thing after dawn”

“Leave? To where? I may be free from slavery but your father always called me family. There is no me, without your family, Master Vernon”.

Vernon smiled and held his hand to him, “Then take my hand, brother. Let us go and celebrate!”

As they walked together back to his castle in the estate, Vernon shook his head. He was glad he didn't murder an innocent man, and he was glad he always listened when his father said, “Don't make hasty decisions, things are not always what they seem”.