Chapter 11: Control

Eris had never struggled to keep control of his shift prior to then. While he had largely recovered, a large portion of his energy was consumed attempting to keep control of his body. They spent two more weeks with the kindly old farmer and his wife. Every moment was filled with agony and self-fulfilled disappointment, though he kept those thoughts quiet. He was too tired to help with anything. He couldn't even stand for long enough to make tea. It was embarrassing asking Marion for something so simple as help.

He could feel Arthur judging him at times, or he was sure the old man was judging him when Marion helped him to the dining table. His pride was too great to be comfortable with asking for help. He had the tools he needed and he couldn't use a single one of them. The King had never asked for help either, and Eris could just hear the scolding words of his father, "If you cannot help yourself, ask nobody else, they will use these exchanges to argue some politic or another."